Downsizing - Junk We Don't Need!

[jifigz]

Hey, ya'll. I hope everyone is having a great Monday. If ya'll remember, I posted a thread last year about giving up on my Tacky boxes. They are really nice boxes, but they are just too dang heavy. And then I made that comment about people's nets being so long, and Tim Murphy replied that he has given up on carrying a net sometime ago. It got me thinking about all the crap we carry that we don't need. I am looking to get back to how I was in my early days of fly fishing: less stuff. I am making progress, but I still have a ways to go.

What is some stupid junk that you carry that you feel you could easily part with? I'll start. I am going to give up on my tippet spool holder soon...at least I think I am. Why do I need to carry around some fancy spool holder weighing me down. It cost money, and it was unnecessary. All I really need is a spool of 4x, 5x, and 6x, and maybe a spool of sighter material. Those can easily fit into my sling pack or chest pack. What junk could you shed?

 

[sixfootfenwick]

*Tenkara USA enters the chat*

 

[JeffP]

The 2 full cans of beer weigh me down but beer is a necessity. Lucky my buddy carries everything. Jerky, stream thermometer, water, etc. He is MacGyver. Seriously you bring up a good point. After fishing all day you get that ache in your back right below your lats. There are days I carry my vest back to camp.

 

[Forestfishin]

Agree with the tippet holder. Usually use 4x or 5x but carry 6x too just in case. I keep them on a piece of paracord tied to my pack. I tie my own leaders and have a few spares as well as some longer manufactured ones just in case but those weigh next to nothing.

Biggest thing I could drop would be water on the 10-12 hour excursions but can’t bring myself to try one of those water purifiers. Usually take 96oz for a long day but that load does get lighter the longer I’m out.

 

[Bamboozle]

When I wore a vest it was ridiculous what I used to carry. When I decided I was done with a vest eons ago, I dumped all of my stuff out on the floor, decided what I NEEDED versus what was carried "in case.

As a result I stopped carrying a ton of stuff, made things I wanted to carry smaller & more compact, found smaller alternatives or relegated junk to as needed basis. For example, I will ONLY carry rain gear IF I am sure it is going to rain and a net is hardly ever with me.

I also gave up a camera, stuff for collecting and identifying insects and a bunch of "spare/extra stuff" that I almost never needed that now stays in a gear bag in the back of my car.

When I fish small streams, I carry a single fly box that is either 6" X 3.5". Many, many years ago when I wore a vest I created a tippet dispenser that held 10 spools in a 6" x 3.5" plastic fly box. When I dumped the vest I made a downsized version of that tippet dispenser that holds 6 spools in a compartment box 4.25" x 3.25" x .75".

I have another box the same size and in it is paste floatant, yarn for indicators, strike putty and soft lead.

When I fish Tenkara style, I carry a small shoulder bag about 4-1/2" x 5" with a single or 3-5/8" x 2-3/8" fly box inside and modified version of my tippet dispenser that holds two spools of tippet, strike indicators, putty & soft lead.

I also never ever tote food which makes me thirsty and as a result I never carry water either.

 

[Tabasco-Joe]

Compared to my waders, wading boots, jacket, and water supply, the small items in my vest just don't amount to much.

 

[DomR]

I think about this when I look at my vest from time to time. Then I think about all the cardio benefits of wading with the extra weight. The vest wins out.

 

[wildtrout2]

Nothing. I learned quite a while back to carry only the things I actually "need" to have with me on the stream. Binoculars ain't one of them. 😉

 

[dudemanspecial]

How much stuff I carry is completely dependent on how I1 am approaching the day. 1 or 2 hrs, yeah just a box of flies and a spool of 5x will suffice. All day extravaganza on Penns? Im taking the kitchen sink.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

The 2 full cans of beer weigh me down but beer is a necessity. Lucky my buddy carries everything. Jerky, stream thermometer, water, etc. He is MacGyver. Seriously you bring up a good point. After fishing all day you get that ache in your back right below your lats. There are days I carry my vest back to camp.

I have a buddy like that, so basically I can travel lighter when we're together! He even has a 1/4 role of two-ply toilet paper, maybe a garden spade for digging a hole, in there somewhere....

I used to leave a net home, but I had too many instances where I wished I had it with me, less about the hero shot than how to land this here pig quickly and humanely.... I do have a few nets that I usually swap out based on the water and size of fish. Maybe I should just get one of those long-handled jawns and be good 😉

My biggest issue and cause of lower back pain is laziness. I tend to carry too much tungsten and am not disciplined enough to swap out seasonally appropriate boxes often enough. As @DomR noted, it's a good workout though.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I can't recall shedding any load for a couple decades - other than what I forget or lose. The only things I can recall recently adding is a rod-holder on my wading belt (2 years ago) and a bungee-spring-open wading stick (last year). Bug dope, sunscreen, line cleaner, food, water, backup rods/reels, etc. stay in the car so that doesn't count.

 

[dwa111]

you can always go the other way 🙂

 

[KELORGO]

View attachment 1641240567

you can always go the other way 🙂

He needs a chest rig for his binoculars!

 

[Sylvaneous]

Hey, ya'll. I hope everyone is having a great Monday. If ya'll remember, I posted a thread last year about giving up on my Tacky boxes. They are really nice boxes, but they are just too dang heavy. And then I made that comment about people's nets being so long, and Tim Murphy replied that he has given up on carrying a net sometime ago. It got me thinking about all the crap we carry that we don't need. I am looking to get back to how I was in my early days of fly fishing: less stuff. I am making progress, but I still have a ways to go.

What is some stupid junk that you carry that you feel you could easily part with? I'll start. I am going to give up on my tippet spool holder soon...at least I think I am. Why do I need to carry around some fancy spool holder weighing me down. It cost money, and it was unnecessary. All I really need is a spool of 4x, 5x, and 6x, and maybe a spool of sighter material. Those can easily fit into my sling pack or chest pack. What junk could you shed?

I've raged against what I'll call fads for a while. YOu need this or that... it makes somebody money. And then the trends make other, older things, like good, functional fly fishing vests so rare. My 20 year old LL Bean vest has small, internal pockets along the bottom that allow for separate tippet spools. I don't know that I've seen anything like this the last few years. They have these small pockets, some are spandex elastic whatever. It went from large capacity to "dare you to put much in here". Back pack space for T. P. , a snack bar, and not have to add a big back pack, which, BTW , has become a trend (fad). You need a chest pack or some such thing that doesn't have enough room for your 'eventuals & accidentals' boxes, and gets in the way.