I am in need of a new vest chestpack or fanny pack and wanted to know what most people use for there tributary fishing? What are the pros and cons for the different systems out there?
i use fishponds blue river chest pack. this is one of the best designs ever!!! you can wear it in three different ways chest ,waist ,or over the shoulder.
Put me down for "none of the above." Almost all my steelheading is done wearing my Simms Guide Jacket. I find the jacket has plenty of room for anything I might need. As I rarely carry more than one flybox when steelheading I don't even fill up the pockets in this jacket. On the rare day where the temperatures are too warm to wear the jacket, I do use an inexpensive checkpak, but I'll bet I haven't warn it in over two years. Vests and chestpacks end up leaving you with a lot of stuff out front, and I find that gets in the way of my speycasting.
Good point Jr Spey! I only use the double haul on saltwater excursions (flats and beaches for bonefish and stripers) where on steelhead streams I use my old simms guide vest which is usually under a rain jacket in winter. Even then pulling oars I don't like the vest since the pockets get in the way my arms and I use a smaller centered chest pack in that case, using a bag on the boat to store anything that doesn't fit. It carries just the stuff I need when I wade away from the boat.
So what I use depends on what I'm doing.
I don't use a 'fanny' (a naughty word in the UK) pack since my waist is almost always in the drink while wading. One exception is a North Face waterproof belt pack I use for camera equipment when I am not wading deep and want to get some video footage.
I have drawn up some designs for chest packs i would like to have sewn up someday - I don't think there are any on the market that are quite what I would dream up given the chance. Luckily my sister is a professional in the garment design business and can teach me about durable stitching techniques and suitable materials, closures, straps, etc.
I've been pondering this too. I've been considering a vest but once summer gets going a vest seems like it might be too warm. At the moment I'm using a waist pack that I got from EMS. (I got it for my wife to take on vacation so she didn't have to carry a purse. The I absconded with it to fish with.) But is has so many tags and zippers and straps that it seems like my fly line is always tangled in it. A lot of the zippers require 2 hands to open a close so I end up dropping my rod in the drink to get stuff out. I can wear the waist pack around my neck so it kind of works as a chest pack but it seems to put a strain on my neck so I'm not sure I'd like a chest pack. I may give up and try one of the venelated vests. Perhaps the mesh Volga from Clear Creek?
I carry a Patagucci "Storm Front" back pack. It is waterPROOF and holds most everything I will need for the day away from the car/boat. Keeps my camera stuff dry even if I dunk. I usually leave it on the back and wade with a small bag (holds a couple of boxes for flies and leader etc.) or just use pockets.
This year I am going to tryout a SageBrush water proof fanny/shoulder bag for the photo stuff. Looks very promising.
For 2 handed duty I use the Orvis over the shoulder bandoleer stlye pack, for C-pin, and 1 handed fishing I have a Cabelas chest pack, or the Patagonia vest. Fishing a 2 hander, I would rather have everything up-front clear from impedment.
A multi-zipper pocket Cortland 'fanny pack.' I do have a Bucks Bag chest vest but it rarely gets out of the car. Reason for a fanny pack is EVERYONE has a great tendency to carry far to much gear around. All that weight just tires you out ... and you don't use 90% of it but once per year. And it's always out of your way when casting.
And before I forget: almost anywhere else in the world they're referred to as "bum bags." And for very good reason!!:whoa:
Most of the places I fish a fanny pack would be great, but a number of require deeper wading to even get off a cast, so the fanny pack would not work there. Of course if you slip and go down, it gets wet anyway.:chuckle:
different scenarios require different gear (imho)depending on what I am doing, On days when I may be out all day & things may change trout fishing I use a vest. loaded with all manner of flies, spare sinking tip spool, net, etc...Fishpond brand is my current vest.
I also have a Fishpond chest pac and combo back pack rig I take with me when hiking along way from the truck. Brookie fishing in small streams mostly. I can carry lunch, camera, extra shirt, water etc in the back. Up front I have a fly box & some tippet spools etc..
On days when I am not far from the truck, Road fishing I call it, I just use a shirt or the pocket in my waders & carry a few flies and a some tippet spools, hemostats and floatant. What more do you need? The vest stays in the truck if I need something from it.
Most of my salfwater fishing is done from a friends boat so I have a big bag of gear that I take along.
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