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How much gear do we take when we go fishing and how much do we need? I mean need. Sometimes it can be a good exercise to reassess what we carry. What did you take with you on the last trip that you didn't use? What out of all that have you not used this season?

vest.gif

Some years ago I got to pick up Oliver Edwards' Tac-l-pack vest. Wow it was heavy. I couldn't believe just how much he carried. Walking around all day with that weight on your shoulders can't be fun. Anyway, just how often are you going to use a device for pulling boy scouts out of horses hooves?

 

I tend toward a minimalist approach with most things. I don't carry hemostats, pliers, hook file, and nippers, as I have a Leatherman Wave on my belt. (Though I do carry a sharpener for it as it will not hold an edge). Something I don't often use, but do carry is a small tube of antihistamine cream. If I am going up in the hills I carry an emergency kit with a space blanket, packet soup, and a tiny stove. (We can't really do fires here, either everything is too wet to burn, or so dry you'll set the hillside on fire.) That, a box or two of flies and a couple of spools of mono is about it really for the contents of my pockets. With my net on a sling and rod and reel in hand I'm ready to go.

 

Come on then confess, who absolutely has to have the kitchen sink with them?

Cheers,

C.

 

 

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Love the cartoon -- been there, done that. :) I have stopped using a traditional vest, and one of the reasons why I quit it was because it encouraged me to carry far more than I needed, leading to a sore back and shoulders at the day--not a fitting end to a pleasant day astream, especially given that I usually have at least an hour's drive home (more often 2 or 3).

 

At present I use Fishpond's "Blue River" pack. I load it with 2 or 3 fly boxes, tippet spools, floatant, desiccant powder, forceps, nippers, extra leaders, hook hone, blood knot tool, small first aid kit, a package of Thingamabobbers in 2 or 3 sizes and split shot. I wear it over the shoulder as a sling pack and it serves my needs nicely.

 

The only exception to this is when I fish from my boat--then I pile it on to my heart's content, although any "extra" in that scenario usually takes the form of additional rigged rods and a cooler with lunch and beverages, not more fly boxes or assorted doodads.

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"Anyway, just how often are you going to use a device for pulling boy scouts out of horses hooves?" i really could have use done of these the other day, only they were Girl Guides. would it still work? lol

 

these days i carry less junk and more water. i will carry nothing less than a liter of water at anytime. the water is for re-hydrating and ballast.

 

the contents of my at hand fishing bag (i use it as a shoulder bag/chest pack):

- strike indicators (6)

- leaders (3)

- tippet (3 spools)

- two sizes of shot

- C&F boxes - one for pike/ the other for everything else

- nippers, hemos, and a hook file

- waterproof camera

 

 

i use a backpack as part of my overall carry system now (approx 20 l). the pack has a waist-belt which makes carrying any load more comfortable. the tackle bag clips to the front of the pack, balancing out the load.

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What is it with the minimalists? Is there some kind of reward for NOT carrying the kitchen sink on the stream? I have a decent vest that does not wear me down even when I load it full of junk. I always find that the one thing I am guaranteed to need is the item I took out of it to 'save' space. To be honest, I kind of wish my vest had more room for fly boxes...

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"What is it with the minimalists? Is there some kind of reward for NOT carrying the kitchen sink on the stream?"

 

ya. energy at the end of the day and a back that doesn't ache.

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"What is it with the minimalists? Is there some kind of reward for NOT carrying the kitchen sink on the stream? I have a decent vest that does not wear me down even when I load it full of junk. I always find that the one thing I am guaranteed to need is the item I took out of it to 'save' space. To be honest, I kind of wish my vest had more room for fly boxes..."

 

That's exactly how I feel! Water is the only thing that I really notice the weight.

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other then leaving my glasses at home; i really can't remember having a day cut short because i didn't have something, or ran out.

 

one thing that i forgot from my list: TP, lol.

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I always try to carry what I'll need on the river and prepare it in advance of the next outing. Not too much of anything, just the things I feel I will need.

I think we have all been in that position of being out of something you really need at the moment and either improvised or did w/o.

Still, I could cut it down a little I guess, but I hate not having what I need, knowing that it is sitting on the bench back home.

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I wear a traditional vest. It is full of stuff. I will own that.

 

Many of my friends went to the "smaller" chest packs. EVERY one now has the chest pack and a back pack. Really?

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I have my small day pack, fully ajustable with belt and chest strap. It holds a box for each type of fly (mayflies, caddis and stone flies, nymphs and midges, and streamers), 4lb and 8 lb mono, a first aid kit, water filter (since I'm typically on rather long excursions and can't carry that much water), some assorted fishing gear, a dry box for the phone, and some other assorted survival gear (tinder, matches, flagging tape, etc.). My leatherman is hooked to the chest of my waders for quick and easy access. I think thats my normal load, maybe 15lbs. Sometimes I bring my Kestrel and binoculars along, but thats usually for very long trips or canoe/kayak trips. I have thought about putting together a rod repair kit and carrying that with me so my day doesn't end in hurry sometime, but haven't done it yet. Probably very minimalist for the distances I travel but I'm trained for wilderness survival and can and have done it with very little gear.

 

Longest trip to fish a place was about 40 miles roundtrip but I carried my backpacking pack for that with my tent and sleeping bag. Longest day trip was about 17 miles. Since my daughter was born though I think I have only made it on 5 mile or less excursions so I don't abandon my wife for too long. The only other thing I can think of that I don't have but wish I did was a GoPro Camera. Definitely not needed but it would be nice to have, one reason is so I could date the videos and build a record of the hatches and best imitations. Which I do now in a rite-in-the-rain (oh yeah, I have that in my pack also).

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I just carry a shoulder bag and one rod. The bag will hold up to 4 fly boxes but I seldom carry over 3 and usually only 2. The bag also has needle nose pliers and I have clippers attached to my shirt. A spare leader and some tipped material. I am diabetic so I carry some snacks like crackers/smarties and maybe a bottle of water. Most of my wading trips are only a few hours and I am fishing warm water and I generally wade wet. Way too hot for waders here. I don't like the weight of water and I am looking for a fanny pack with water bottle pockets to keep the weight on my hips and less noticeable I hope.

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