2019 Purchases

[Fly-Swatter]

Fenwick Aetos 9'6WT + Lamson Guru for streamers, SMB and heavy nymphing. I bought these at Gander in Scranton when they were clearing inventory for under $250 total. Good deal and good set-up. The cork and hardware on the rod are not premium, but it casts very well at all distances. The reel is solid. I've spent 10+ hours days drifting with minimal fatigue using them.

 

[krayfish2]

I did pick up a new sage on closeout. It surpassed my expectations. I also grabbed two new lines and a rain jacket on clearance. All were good scores. Just need to get out a little more and use the stuff.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Two trips to Florida. I made some new friends, explored new water, explored new places, and made good memories.

 

[Acristickid]

New G3 boots.

Somehow it worked out perfect, my boots were on last legs before a 17 day fishing trip out to NV,CA and OR.

I left them in a garbage can in Boise, which spared me from having to pack up wet heavy boots in my luggage.

Also got new G3 waders at $549. Whew. Thought $549 was bad. Just saw a ad for new Patagonia waders at $649.

 

[Fredrick]

For me the best purchase I made was My Jackson Mayfly Kayak , This kayak with the snag free design great tracking and low profile to stop the wind from blowing you around just keeps my fly line on the water. The first day I bought it I took it on the water and caught my personal best snakehead 10 pounds . As you can see its been a definite game changer for me last summer . And no I am not sponsored by Jackson just love this yak .

 

[Swattie87]

Wild_Trouter wrote:
Backpack/ Vest with Hydration Bladder. I had several really bad dehydration headaches when hiking into remote streams because I carried what I thought was enough water. With a 2 Liter Hydration Bladder and an extra water bottle, I fared much much better on long hikes and long days in the PA Wilds.

What backpack/vest combo did you buy, if you don't mind sharing? I've too have landed on this set up being best for longer all day hike in fishing. (I have an LLBean Kennebec, no longer made. It prioritizes the backpack, with only modest up front vest pocket storage, though there are other models out there with more extensive vest options up front...Usually with less backpack space though.) Best part about the LLBean packs IMO is their suspension system...They have a legit hiking backpack type suspension with an internal frame and a heavy duty waist belt.

Good call on the hydration bladder. I had the same thing with the headaches happening to me with regularity. Made for some lousy drives home. I'm with you...I now carry 2L of water for all day hike in trips in warm weather, and 1L in Winter. I also leave another liter, and a can of Coke and a snack and some Advil in the car for when I get back. Just in case.

 

[drakeking412]

I spent incredibly too much in 2019 on fly fishing but I'd say my best purchase would have to be my mid-length net. It has really made netting fish easier especially large ones and even steelhead while also being easier on my knees and back. Plus it floats and acts as an aquarium while you **** around looking for the camera.

 

[laszlo]

Frederick, you really get after those snakeheads, I heard they were good eating

 

[TrtnBux]

Orvis pro boots, absolute game changer. The combination of ankle support and sticky traction makes wading in tricky areas easier then ever.

 

[Fredrick]

laszlo wrote:
Frederick, you really get after those snakeheads, I heard they were good eating

They are definitely one of the best tasting freshwater fishes .

 

[WildTigerTrout]

My Feel Free Lure 10 Fishing Kayak. I bought it in 2018 but because the water was so bad I did not get to use it until this past summer. Love it! Great for fly fishing smallmouths!

 

[poopdeck]

I spent a little money last year on fly fishing stuff but I can't think of one thing that was more or less beneficial then the next or the previous. I did buy a new squeeze bulb that helped with my top end RPM's.

What gets me super excited every year is the purchases I don't make. There is something very attractive about generating monthly expense money from money not spent. Not purchasing things has allowed me more carefree time spent fishing rather then working. 2020 should only get better.

 

[SteveG]

A ticket to Denver CO in mid-Sept. The terrestrial bite was nuts.

 

[Trapshooter]

I bought 19' Boston Whaler last spring. I chase Walleye and perch to change things up.

 

[tztrout]

TU Chapter banquet raffle ticket. Won the $400 cash prize and used it for our spring Pine/Slate Run weekend.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Here’s a partial list of what I bought, off the top of my head. Three Winston rods, one Sage rod, 6 Abel reels 2 of which were used, a used Orvis rod and a used Orvis reel, various fly lines, 2 pair of Simms waders, 3 pair of Simms wading boots, 2 wading staffs, 5 rod and reel cases, a Fishpond and an LL Bean duffle bag, fishing clothing items including jackets and coats, pants, shirts, hats, Costa Del Mar prescription sunglasses, etc., several fly vests/packs/slings, maybe a dozen fly boxes, perhaps 30 Whiting and Metz capes and saddles, including several platinum graded saddles, a few thousand Tiemco and other brand hooks, a rather large assortment of other fly tying items, a new Specialized mountain bike equipped to carry fly fishing gear, and more that I won’t bore you with right now.

However, the most important thing I got was a new lease on life, acquired at 4 different Montana and Pennsylvania hospitals, that will hopefully give me the time to use all of the above mentioned fly fishing and tying “stuff”.

 

[dryflyguy]

mt_flyfisher wrote:
Here’s a partial list of what I bought, off the top of my head. Three Winston rods, one Sage rod, 6 Abel reels 2 of which were used, a used Orvis rod and a used Orvis reel, various fly lines, 2 pair of Simms waders, 3 pair of Simms wading boots, 2 wading staffs, 5 rod and reel cases, a Fishpond and an LL Bean duffle bag, fishing clothing items including jackets and coats, pants, shirts, hats, Costa Del Mar prescription sunglasses, etc., several fly vests/packs/slings, maybe a dozen fly boxes, perhaps 30 Whiting and Metz capes and saddles, including several platinum graded saddles, a few thousand Tiemco and other brand hooks, a rather large assortment of other fly tying items, a new Specialized mountain bike equipped to carry fly fishing gear, and more that I won’t bore you with right now.

However, the most important thing I got was a new lease on life, acquired at 4 different Montana and Pennsylvania hospitals, that will hopefully give me the time to use all of the above mentioned fly fishing and tying “stuff”.

So, you bought all that gear in one year? Man....

Anyway, congrats on the last paragraph. May you have many more years of fishing too