Best FFing Gear

[afishinado]

Everyone has a few FFing gear options they've found that work well for them on the stream and wouldn't trade them for anything.

This list might be helpful for those looking for gear.

In no specific order here are mine:

Orvis Guide Sling Pack (there are many other really good models of sling packs out there) - Big enough to carry my packable raincoat, lunch, drinks as well as several fly boxes and various tackle. I use the strap up front as sort of a lanyard to hang my tippet spools, hemostats, nippers as well as having a small "working" lidded fly box up front holding flies for the day as well as split shot, indies and strike putty. I seldom have a need move the sling pack to the front to fish so I can carry everything out of the way but needed for a day on the water without returning to my vehicle.

Black Diamond Wading Staff - Adjustable for length and locks in place so it never comes apart unintentionally. Folds up in a neoprene holster and is attached to a heavy duty retractor that comes with the staff.

Convertible Waders - Chest high and folds down and can be worn as waist high for warmer weather and for when nature calls. I have the Orvis Sonic seam ones not made anymore but several companies offer convertible waders.

Foot Tractor Wading Boots (Patagonia) - After fishing with them all summer and fall I find them very safe for wading with the aluminum plates on the soles. Easy to get on and off and very comfortable. Unfortunately the older model I bought is no longer available and the new version is way out of my price range.

Post all your 5 Star FFing gear and tackle.

 

[Bamboozle]

Afish:

Are you familiar with Rock Treads?

If you can get over the fact you have to drill holes completely through the sole to attach them, they offer an alternative to Foot Tractor shoes. Plus they are replaceable and you have the flexibility to add them to any shoe including Korker "swappable" soles.

 

[guidedbywire]

I really love both my Umpqua Zero Sweep packs...the Rock Creek chest pack and the Ledges 500 waist pack. Original versions (the copper and grey ones), not the v2.0 that has the camo and MOLLE stuff all over it. Big redesign fail there.

Sadly, probably the most essential piece of fly fishing gear for me is my Hat Eyes. I forget those, I might as well turn around and go home.

 

[Bamboozle]

Much of my fly-fishing gear is either custom things I’ve made myself because what was available didn’t suit me or products that are discontinued. However, I will mention some available standout items I swear by and why:

Mustang HIT™ Inflatable PFD – Every single year when the PFBC reports the number of drownings on Commonwealth waters, one statistic jumps out every time; the victim was NOT wearing a PFD. If you put on this particular PFD, you will ask yourself...why NOT?

While I limit my use to boating, I can’t believe how incredibly comfortable this PFD is. I’ve worn it all day in a boat in blistering heat and forgot I had it on. Not to mention it is automatic, USCG approved and meets the PFD requirements for a wearable PFD in PA.

People buy boats costing thousands of dollars or waders & shoe combos costing well over $300 and won’t spring for something costing way less to save their life… :-?

…if you EVER go out in a boat or feel nervous about wading deep, save your pennies or sell something and buy one. You will never regret it!!

ANY zinger made by Gear Keeper/Hammerhead Industries. I have been dealing with this company for years and their zingers are the best for everything from small zingers for nippers to heavy-duty zingers for nets or wading staffs. They offer different strengths, different lengths and multiple attachment methods that beat the crap out of the old standby pin-on retractors. If you are creative in your application, you can use one on just about anything. Gearkeeper customer service is excellent, they offer spare parts and parts to customize any of their zingers AND they are made in the USA!!

Loon Payette Paste – I learned about this product from Heritage Angler on this very board many years ago. The reason: It doesn’t melt in your pocket and get all over everything. I actually put some in a 150-degree oven to see if it was true and he was right! If you have a need for a paste floatant and hate stuff that melts in the summer heat, look no further.

Otter Butter – This is another floatant paste recommendation that DOES melt, but it has a place for folks fishing bamboo rods and/or natural silk lines. If you use red Mucilin or want a natural floatant without silicone, try Otter Butter. It works much better, lasts WAY longer and it has a cooler name that is easier to spell and you can tell any PETA folks you encounter that it's made from otters...;-)

FWIW – I keep a small stash of Otter Butter in one of those screw cap aluminum pill bottles you see in the pharmacy so it doesn’t melt and leak all over the place.

A Boot Jack – I recently retried a pair of wading shoes after MANY years of service because the heel & midsole completely separated from the upper. I attribute exacerbating this separation to using the toe of one wading shoe push off the other shoe at the heel. We’ve all done it when a shoe is tough to get off but after I ripped off the “kick-off lug” on a pair of Muck Boots doing the same thing, I decided to try a boot jack. When I noticed the heel starting to separate on my wading shoe, I added another boot jack to my wader bag in the hopes of saving my wading shoes going forward.

There are lots out there, but I like the Black Jack from Chucks’ Woodbarn I linked to because it is made of fiberglass and tough. You might consider it a “luxury” to tote around a boot jack, but if you ever had issues with heel or sole separation on a wading shoe…

...not to mention it just makes getting your wading shoes off SO much easier!!

Hat Eyes – Another vote for Hat Eyes! If you need basic magnification and wear a ball cap or other style hat with a brim when fishing, Hat Eyes are the way to go. They have replaceable and varied powered lenses, stainless steel construction, a strong and secure clip and they come with a short extension you can add which makes looking down into a Richardson Box or chest pack a whole lot easier than “other” clip on magnifiers.

The extension also makes it easier to flip the lenses up and over OR under the cap visor when not needed. I even modified pair of Hat Eyes using parts from another set to incorporate a small light on an extension arm that I can pivot downwards to illuminate my Richardson Box when I need to.

 

[Baron]

I’ve been enjoying poloroide glasses with readers built into the very bottom.

 

[scs_browntrout]

bamboozle all of your recommendations would make a nice birthday or xmas gifts.

Bamboozle wrote:
Much of my fly-fishing gear is either custom things I’ve made myself because what was available didn’t suit me or products that are discontinued. However, I will mention some available standout items I swear by and why:

Mustang HIT™ Inflatable PFD – Every single year when the PFBC reports the number of drownings on Commonwealth waters, one statistic jumps out every time; the victim was NOT wearing a PFD. If you put on this particular PFD, you will ask yourself...why NOT?

While I limit my use to boating, I can’t believe how incredibly comfortable this PFD is. I’ve worn it all day in a boat in blistering heat and forgot I had it on. Not to mention it is automatic, USCG approved and meets the PFD requirements for a wearable PFD in PA.

People buy boats costing thousands of dollars or waders & shoe combos costing well over $300 and won’t spring for something costing way less to save their life… :-?

…if you EVER go out in a boat or feel nervous about wading deep, save your pennies or sell something and buy one. You will never regret it!!

ANY zinger made by Gear Keeper/Hammerhead Industries. I have been dealing with this company for years and their zingers are the best for everything from small zingers for nippers to heavy-duty zingers for nets or wading staffs. They offer different strengths, different lengths and multiple attachment methods that beat the crap out of the old standby pin-on retractors. If you are creative in your application, you can use one on just about anything. Gearkeeper customer service is excellent, they offer spare parts and parts to customize any of their zingers AND they are made in the USA!!

Loon Payette Paste – I learned about this product from Heritage Angler on this very board many years ago. The reason: It doesn’t melt in your pocket and get all over everything. I actually put some in a 150-degree oven to see if it was true and he was right! If you have a need for a paste floatant and hate stuff that melts in the summer heat, look no further.

Otter Butter – This is another floatant paste recommendation that DOES melt, but it has a place for folks fishing bamboo rods and/or natural silk lines. If you use red Mucilin or want a natural floatant without silicone, try Otter Butter. It works much better, lasts WAY longer and it has a cooler name that is easier to spell and you can tell any PETA folks you encounter that it's made from otters...;-)

FWIW – I keep a small stash of Otter Butter in one of those screw cap aluminum pill bottles you see in the pharmacy so it doesn’t melt and leak all over the place.

A Boot Jack – I recently retried a pair of wading shoes after MANY years of service because the heel & midsole completely separated from the upper. I attribute exacerbating this separation to using the toe of one wading shoe push off the other shoe at the heel. We’ve all done it when a shoe is tough to get off but after I ripped off the “kick-off lug” on a pair of Muck Boots doing the same thing, I decided to try a boot jack. When I noticed the heel starting to separate on my wading shoe, I added another boot jack to my wader bag in the hopes of saving my wading shoes going forward.

There are lots out there, but I like the Black Jack from Chucks’ Woodbarn I linked to because it is made of fiberglass and tough. You might consider it a “luxury” to tote around a boot jack, but if you ever had issues with heel or sole separation on a wading shoe…

...not to mention it just makes getting your wading shoes off SO much easier!!

Hat Eyes – Another vote for Hat Eyes! If you need basic magnification and wear a ball cap or other style hat with a brim when fishing, Hat Eyes are the way to go. They have replaceable and varied powered lenses, stainless steel construction, a strong and secure clip and they come with a short extension you can add which makes looking down into a Richardson Box or chest pack a whole lot easier than “other” clip on magnifiers.

The extension also makes it easier to flip the lenses up and over OR under the cap visor when not needed. I even modified pair of Hat Eyes using parts from another set to incorporate a small light on an extension arm that I can pivot downwards to illuminate my Richardson Box when I need to.

 

[Canoetripper]

I am an Orvis guy, and very supportive of them because I can call their 1-800 # and talk to a human being who can actually help me. I don't have to figure out everything online or talk to machines on a 1-800 #.

I try to buy as many Orvis products as I can at my local Pocono fly shop to support their business and help keep them afloat during this difficult Covid 19 Pandemic.

As any of you know who have read my posts know, my outdoor recreation epicenter is my R&G club in the Poconos where I have a lot of mobility to move around.

3 miles of roadless stream. The pot calling the kettle black here, but most members really don't fish that hard since they are getting old, and I am now 62, which makes me kind of a youngster.

I have all of my grandfather's and father's fly rods. I lost count of how many I have that I never fish with very much if at all. I have my father's Simms waders that I have never worn but am sure are just fine.

The mobility to move around this property is very important to me.

First up would be my Rod Vault from Denver Outfitters. I can fit 4 10' fly rods in there already rigged and ready to go. One is my go to 9' 5 wt. wooly bugger rod. The others are my 9' 4 wt. rod for dry flies. I am new to euro nymph fly fishing so I can cover water that way that didn't produce with the above two fly rods/tactics.

Lastly, I always like to honor my grandfather with his vintage 1964 Orvis Battenkill bamboo fly rod that I had Art Weiler professionally restore at the club that he helped found back in 1964.

I am not fishing for wild trout, but all I ant to do is catch trout in a beautiful wilderness environment. I know that this isn't for everyone, but it works for me.

I have three Orvis Safe Passage products that make all of this happen that are fully loaded and ready to go whether of not I want to pool over next to a picnic table or go for a walk in the woods.

They are the Carry It All, Rod and Reel Case(2). and Sling Pack.

I could go on and on about the rest of my gear, but everyone else is already doing a great job at that in their above posts.

I don't do my canoe trips anymore. I just want to really improve at fly fishing in the remaining time I have on the planet. I have already taken a class on euro nymphing and will take another to get better at basic fly casting.

I can catch trout on a fly rod but I know that I can catch more if I can get better with some professional instruction at the basics.

 

[PennKev]

I agree about the Foot Tractors. They work great, fortunately I had the foresight to buy an extra set of bars at the same time as the boots, knowing that they were discontinued.

Also, this past summer Gripstuds were recommended on this forum and I gave them a try on some wet wading shoes. They are definitely the real deal when it comes to staying attached to your shoes, and for me, traction was very good with them.

 

[dryflyguy]

One thing that's essential for me: Orvis Super Strong tippet.
I really don't want to fish with anything else.
Having had a few occasions where I ran out of it, and had to make do with something else - has convinced me it's the best tippet out there.

Simms Waders have proven to be the only ones that I can get to last more than one season. And even when I do poke a hole in them, I can usually locate the leak, and repair them rather easiily

Although, I did buy a pair of Patagonia wading pants last fall.
And they've been fine after one season of use so far......

Also really like the Patagonia Foot Tractors.
However, after just completing 2 seasons of use with them, I have noticed that the bars have worn down a bit. And they don't grip quite as well as they used to.

I just ordered replacement bars from patagonia. But likely won't put them on until next year

 

[PennKev]

The old model foot tractors definitely benefit from the sharp zig-zag teeth of the bars when they are new. I may attempt to file or grind the edges down so that they are sharp again once my current set have a significant amount of wear.

 

[DGC]

Smith Optics Low Light Ignitor sunglasses. These are glass lenses so use with caution.

Maxima Chameleon fishing line. It runs larger than it's labeled size and is fairly stiff. The 6X is more of a 4.5X or 5X. I buy the bulk spools or "One Shot" spools and transfer. Many would consider this too stiff for tippet but I use it all the time, especially in low and clear water.

 

[Tigereye]

A leatherman tool. I use the pliers for adding shot, and lost spikes on korkers when fishing salmon river steelhead, pull hooks out of fish, people and all manner of clothes, the screw drivers fixed sun glasses, reels, the shifter and radio on my truck and pried open cans of spam and beans. The wire cutter cut fly line, rope and rescued a snapping turtle tangled up in stringer once. The knife may have even gutted a fish or three in addition to cutting all sorts of things.
I'm sure I used the other tools too at one time or another, but you get the picture.

 

[Baron]

Nice sounding glasses.

DGC wrote:
Smith Optics Low Light Ignitor sunglasses. These are glass lenses so use with caution.

Maxima Chameleon fishing line. It runs larger than it's labeled size and is fairly stiff. The 6X is more of a 4.5X or 5X. I buy the bulk spools or "One Shot" spools and transfer. Many would consider this too stiff for tippet but I use it all the time, especially in low and clear water.

 

[Canoetripper]

The leatherman is also great at making flies barbless.

 

[bigjohn58]

I hate to admit it but I might have to get a pair of those Hat Eyes magnifiers.

I've really been impressed with my Korker Terror Ridge boots with the studded Vibram soles. Very comfortable and Korkers has great service!

 

[Bamboozle]

bigjohn58 wrote:
I hate to admit it but I might have to get a pair of those Hat Eyes magnifiers.

Another thing I could have mentioned, but it is more fly tying related is a magnifying head loop for fly tying. I bought one years ago BEFORE I needed it to make it easier to tie really small stuff...

What a revelation!! I could see a 100 times better and ALL of my flies, even the bigger sizes started looking better. If I would have know that when I started tying years ago, I would have bought one from the get-go.

It's just like Hat Eyes, it just makes it easier and is probably easier on your eyes and there is nothing wrong with that, no matter what your age!

 

[troutbert]

Cortland 444 double taper line. I use it for everything.

Nymphs, dries, streamers.

Brookies, steelhead, smallmouth bass, bluegills, brown trout.

 

[Baron]

troutbert wrote:
Cortland 444 double taper line. I use it for everything.

Nymphs, dries, streamers.

Brookies, steelhead, smallmouth bass, bluegills, brown trout.

Is that because you only have one rod and one reel and one line?
Quite a testimonial for 444. I had the 333 and wasn't impressed either way. 444 is on the shortlist along with Wulff Ambush. thanks
Don

 

[RLeep2]

I have a bunch of different lines in a half dozen different brands, but the 444 has always been my favorite specific line. I've had Rio, AirFlo and Sci Angler lines that have varied significantly in quality and durability exact line for exact same line. But not the 444. It has always been reliable for me right out of the box and I never have to worry about variability. I also find that line for line, 444's are more durable and able to take more of the indifferent treatment I give my lines. I can probably get an extra 3-5 feet when I cast other, more expensive lines, but I don't mind. I like the 444 price and it's eternal sameness from one line to the next.

I've been fishing 444's for close to 50 years and I'm sure I'd fish them for another 50 years if it wasn't for the fact that I'll be in the applesauce brigade long before that...

 

[Baron]

Applesauce Brigade! Thant a new one. True though. Very good testimonial. I'll be buying line before long.