Where do you have what?

[WadeK]

What do you carry with you on the water? Any gadgets you've found indespensible? What do you leave at home or atleast in the truck?
I'm thinking about tranferring some stuff from my lanyard to my vest and my vest to my gear bag....
Right now for instance, I have tippet spools 2,3,4,5,6&7X on my lanyard. 6 spools is too heavy and bulky for the lanyard so they're going into the vest, but then maybe I should keep 2 or 3 on the lanyard that I use the most.
What do you have on your lanyard, in your vest, in the truck,...?

[NorcalBob]

My vest weighs over 25 pounds fully loaded so that tells you all you need to know!
I'm anal retentive about being completely stocked to handle any fishing challenge I may happen upon, so I'm the wrong guy to ask!!!

[flocktothewall]

I used to carry a big vest, then I moved to a chest pack that connects to a back pack. For long outings, I still use that, I can put a water bladder in the pack, a few snacks, some fluorocarbon spools.

90% of the time I know that I am only fishing a certain area so when its that case, I just bring a lanyard with nippers, forceps, a line straightener, and the spools of tippet. I put my fly box in my wader pocket or pant pocket. I went once not carrying the vest and it was liberating for me, half the time I don't carry my net either.

In the Sierras' I carry my backpack, because I know I'll get sunburned, I don't do well in the sun. So the backpack makes it able for me to carry my UV Buff, my Dr. Shade Gloves, bug spray and sun block along with food/water/net.

Things that I have found indispensable is 4lb test "Berkley Transition" Fluorocarbon, learned last year with a guide that its not necessary to use a tapered leader to nymph, as the taper is designed to turn the fly over... so I bought a spool of fluorocarbon and tie my nymphs to that, AMAZING. (crazy that "Tippet" is so expensive, when regular Fluro is so cheap.)

A good sharp pair of nippers, and a mono or fish line catcher, I hate when I walk through someone else's line, so I have one of those things you can put your line into and twist and it sucks it up, and forceps for pinching barbs and the like.

I suppose if I were to go on a once in a lifetime trip I'd take everything I own so as to not loose out.

[briansII]

My vest weighs over 25 pounds fully loaded so that tells you all you need to know!
I'm anal retentive about being completely stocked to handle any fishing challenge I may happen upon, so I'm the wrong guy to ask!!!

I used to be you. I am now making an attempt to lighten my load. So far, that's going ok.

The only thing that is a must these days is my fishing license, a handful of flies I plan to fish, couple tippet spools, forceps, a lighter and a cigar. Add a small bottle of floatant if I'm after sippers, or split shot if i plan to nymph.....which is very rare these days. This would be for a short trip to the local tailwater. All day trout trip, I'd carry my vest, which weighs less than 1/2 of Bob's......and that includes a bottle of water. IF I was organized, I could load one flybox with the flies needed for a whole day trip, and do without the vest. I have tried to do this in the past, but haven't followed through with the plan very often. I've carried "gadgets" before, but they don't stay very long in my vest. Away trips, I almost always have at least one extra rod/reel, and sometimes many.

I tend to do more overnight trips, than day trips these days. I'm never fully "unpacked". I have different gear bags ready to go, depending on what I'm chasing that weekend. Packing for a trout trip is a lot of work. Lots of little items to find/pack, and many boxes of flies. Stripers, and bass, much less little stuff, but lots of rods and reels. Steel is the easiest to pack for.

briansII

[midger]

I tried lanyards and fanny packs and never liked either very well. I've got several vests but they got so heavy that I don't wear them that often either unless I'm steelhead fishing or if I need to carry everything including the kitchen sink on a new water where I really don't know what I'll need.

For the past 6-7 years I've worn this type shirt:



Unfortunately I can't find this shirt anymore and I've about worn out the two I purchased years ago from Sierra Trading post. I love the dual pockets on each side. The top pocket on the right side holds all the flies I'm carrying for the day and I change out boxes for the hatches for the water I'm fishing. The bottom pocket on the right side holds my floatants (FrogsFanny and Aquel), indicators, a small penlight, and a knife. I still wear my license(s) outside in the plastic holder. I know it's no longer required, but when they're there I know I have them.

The top pocket on the left side holds tippet material--spools of 1X-7X, a shot dispenser, and stream thermometer, with the hemostats and zinger on a retractor hooked to the pocket flap. My fly drying container is one by C nF that lets flies dry without losing them (I've found that when trying to use the lamb's wool flypatches that I might as well just throw the flies away as they fall out anyway ) The bottom leftside pocket is divided and my sunglasses fit in the left half and the camera goes in the right half.

Works for me and only weighs about 3-4 pounds (depending on which flyboxes I'm carrying). I also modified the shirt to allow me to carry a net on the back in those rare instances where I decide to "pack".

[silverlaker]

Generally I am either fishing in walking distance to the truck or hiking-in for a long day trip or overnight. While much of the stuff I bring is the same, the vessels vary.
always carry:
3 fly boxes (can't ever seem to cut it down to less), floatant, stats, nippers, split shot, indicators, tippet from 3x-6x, leaders, net, sunglasses, lip balm, solitaire mag light (super small), mini leathermans or a pocket knife, license, tissue, small sketch pad and lead pointer, hat, sleeves, buff, gloves, camera, water, snack.
If I can walk back to the truck, I cram it all in a patagonia waist pack or wear it:
http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/ste ... 8140-0-961
One or two flyboxes go in my shirt pocket once I start fishing. The stats and tippet are on the same contraption, which I clip to my shirt. The nippers are on a self winding cord, attached to the other side of my shirt. The net goes over the shoulder with the handle tucked into the belt of the waist pack, staying on my back until needed. I also wear fast drying pants with zip pockets that serve as overflow.

If I am doing a long day hike, I use a ± 30 liter pack. Sometimes I throw the waist pack in if I think I can set my day pack somewhere and pick it up later. Otherwise, when I make it to the water, I keep the fly boxes in my shirt pockets - with the essentials still clipped to my shirt. The pack also allows me to switch out my hiking boots with wet wading boots or sandals when I get to the water. I always bring a snack, extra water, first aid kit, poncho, compressible jacket, and a beer or two.

It gets kinda tricky because I often bring two rod set-ups. Usually a 4 wt and a 6 wt. For the six wt set-up I usually bring an extra spool with a sink tip line. this way I can have a dry set-up, a wet set-up, and can convert to streamers pretty easily.

No lanyard for me. When hiking /fishing, I wear a whistle, have a hat with a cord, a net with a cord, and sunglasses with a cord (I've learned the hard way). I just cant imagine another thing wrapped around my neck - especially if I use the strap for the waist pack.

My favorite set-up: one fly box in each chest pocket, tippet and stats on one side of the shirt and nippers on the other. no net and only one rod set-up. I'm happiest in this scenario.
Of course I haven't fished since september so I'm sure to be forgetting something. I also tend to come around to a different set up every year or two...

Tom

[planettrout]

I believe I have tried just about every type of design for carrying FF stuff over the last 39 years...vests, chest packs, minimalist packs, back packs, sling packs and lumbar packs...



1975...Frying Pan River, CO...

I always come back to THIS:



EWR 2012...and the head band...

PT/TB

[Rob909]

I've pretty much dropped down to just a lanyard with forceps, nippers, floatant and whistle.

Fly boxes. tippet and camera go in pockets of fishing shirt/and or pants.

And I generally throw everything else in a daypack and wear that all day long. This would be food, water, jacket, flashlight, batteries, knife, extra fishing supplies, etc. And the net is attached to the daypack.


Rob

[k9mark]

Yanno it's funny how we all go thru these phases of vests, chest packs, lanyards, et al. I've found what works for me is the following; My old ripstop BDU military blouse and jungle hat. It is woodland camo so it helps hide me from the fish. It has four large pockets on the front that hold plenty of boxes, etc. and a lanyard. The sleeves can be rolled up or down depending on conditions. A small pack to hold a water bladder, rain gear, 1st aid, etc, etc. Lastly, the one thing I do not go without is my Shemagh. I know, I know, you laugh. But It wasn't until I was exposed to this and used it based on military buddies in Afghanistan that I was sold. Used with my jungle hat It keeps the sun and mosquito s off you. During the summer, dip it in the water, put it on, and your cool all day. In the winter it keeps you surprisingly warm. You can wear it several different ways.

[lucfish]

What norcal bob and planetrout said.

[Sasha]

I still just put all my crap in my vest and keep a gun on me as well... Some hate vests, I like them for the vast amounts of crap I can keep in them. Plus I found that the lower zipper pockets make great drink holders

[beachbum]

I set up mostly for the conditions and fish that I target that day. For trout I now carry one box of flies I load the night before to match the local bugs and baitfish, and a waterproof box of dries (because I seem to always get that box wet), in a short Fishpond vest. Clippers, tippet, net, etc are attached. For saltwater I carry a little plastic container of flies, tippet, clippers, pliers, and a camera in a pouch in the goretex splash jacket I use. For steelhead and salmon I carry a pack with what I need, but leave it on the bank, carrying flies, and tippet in my pockets, while I work the big pools.

[k9mark]

Lastly, the one thing I do not go without is my Shemagh. I know, I know, you laugh.

Your right, i did LMAO, the thought of bumping into Yasser Arafat on a stream in central CA was a killer. Ever thought of a Buff? Smaller, lighter, UV protection, and some now come treated with an insect repellent.
A Salaam Alaikum bro.

If im understanding what a buff is, I dont care for how tight or close * they are. The shemagh is more comfortable for me.

[AZWanderings]

This summer I switched over to a Mountainsmith Day TLS. It's a great lumbar pack but one of the reasons I love it is that the strappettes help to distribute weight. Many lumbar packs sag or have only a shoulder strap, but you can buy these extra straps from Mountainsmith that balance the whole thing out. Pretty sick.



The other piece of gear that I love is the Katadyn Water Filter. When I'm thirsty I fill it up and drink, then empty it so that I'm not carrying all the extra water weight

[Reyne]

Here you go:



Funny...