Let's talk!

[maxima12]

Gear, you better at the game or not?

Does more gear mean more fish?

New York City, or Stone Cold Minnesota? Gear?

I always have too much gear, for the simple task of fly fishing.

Trout win every time! Gear usually gets "left in car".


Maxima12

 

[hunter1]

I agree with you, but you know the old saying. You can't have enough.

 

[poopdeck]

I like as little gear as humanly possible. In my case thats about as much gear as I can carry in my pockets. I think anglers fall into a trap where they convince themselves they are not catching fish because they don't have something. So, in order to catch more they carry More butuse maybe 5% of it on a good day, or a bad day, I'm not sure. I only carry the 5%. I probably throw away more stuff than a dozen others combined. If it don't work or I have no confidence in it, in the trash it goes. I don't like storing gear either. In fact, since we are still shut down, maybe I'll do a clean out.

 

[theoriginalnickyp]

Fast and light for me!

 

[Acristickid]

Unfortunately it took me 15 years of cycling through gear to figure I’d didn’t need half of it.

Several vests from the cheapest to the most expensive , I don’t like vests. Chest box- downs multiple systems I didn’t like it. . How many flies do you need? I have small clear multiple compartment boxes. 2 - one for nymphs , one for dries. I don’t carry that many but I can 95% of the time find something in my box that works - pride myself on that.

I don’t like to carry stuff. At 50, fishing for close to 25 years , don’t find the need to go out for nine hours in a row anymore so I don’t ever need a sling pack unless I’m taking lunch and a raincoat and I much prefer to wear my raincoat to stow a lot of gear. I put a gatoraid plastic bottle in small of my back to carry- works great.

Not really a fan of hippers either. I got a nice Orvis stocking foots but still I could have gone without or better to have just waders. That’s my experience cycle. I got the rods and reels too. My best is a LT green stick. Maybe fiberglass sometime but the LT will be nice for awhile since I recently had it repaired after being out of commission for 2 years.

Not sure if you’d consider it gear- I guess it’s gear , my advice for right now as it’s not too early on a sunny day to use sunblock or bug repellent here on out.

 

[moon1284]

My basement in my house and my camp are loaded with gear. The trunk of my car usually has 3-4 rods and a couple reels. I have a bag with a bunch of fly boxes, leader material, etc that usually stays in the trunk of my car. I think I have 4 vices at my camp and 2 at home, lots of fly tying gear all over.

With that said when I'm on the water if im in my boat I usually grab 3 rod and reel rigs and the gear bag and a net.

If im wading I usually take a small plano box of flies, clippers, 2 different size spools of tippet (sometimes one) and floatant. No net ever if I'm wading. No hemos either. Depending on how many pockets are in my shirt I may or may not wear a vest. If I can get away with it I'll wet wade.

So I guess I have way more **** than I need but I only bring what I need to the water with me.

 

[zenriver]

It’s the eternal battle between weight and having enough stuff to stay out as long as needed to finish the job... however you define the job.
Are you wandering far from the car? Better take 2 Nalgenes then and a lunch. I’ve thought about a water filter or one of those new Lifestraws which would seriously eliminate the liquid heft in the vest.
I used a chest box in the past and they are the ticket when standing on Penns and 7 different bugs are hatching and it seems each brown is eating a different fly at different stages. And those Richardson boxes are just really, really, sweet. Combine it with a lanyard and it’s go time. I remain a vest loyalist even though one of my former Setters chewed an inside pocket off that contained leftover jerky.
I do know that certain items are basically non-negotiable: wading staff, clip-on cheaters, wading belt, and at least 3 Walts worms!
Mark

 

[bikerfish]

I'm down to a small chest pack if fishing near the vehicle. If hiking for a day exploring a brookie stream, I add a small backpack for food, rain jacket, water, etc.