William Joseph Confluence Chest Pack

[RichFishbelt]

This is a nice chest pack. It will hold all the gear you need and then some.
Most important of all, it is very comfortable, as the weight of the pack is distributed across the shoulders, not on the neck. Furthermore, it is designed to allow heat to escape from the body, something that you might want to consider at this point in the season.
If there is a weakness, it is the lack of practical place to attach a net. The pack has a loop, which is provided as a place for securing your net. However, it is just not practical.
You might find the 2010 model at closeout price here:
http://www.wyomingflyfishing.com/William-Joseph-Confluence-Chest-Pack-Closeout-Sale-P967C62.aspx

gaeronf wrote:
Lol. Thanks. I was looking into buying/trading for one but I have heard some people say they are complete junk, while others swear by it.

 

[salmonoid]

I have several William Joseph packs. They are definitely NOT junk. I have a Coastal, Coastall II, Confluence, and Exodus. The first three are older model year version. I can't compare them to a Fishpond pack, because the only Fishpond gear I own is a reel case. My only disappointment with WJ so far is the Exodus pack, which was advertised as being 3100 cubic inches, and they acknowledged that it was a major typo, and its less than half that in size. I wasn't looking at it wholly for fishing gear, but also for an overnight, ultralight backpacking pack. They did have some quality control issues with sizing on waders a few years back, but were excellent about replacing the pair of pants I bought that were oddly sized.

 

[wetnet]

RichFishbelt wrote:

If there is a weakness, it is the lack of practical place to attach a net. The pack has a loop, which is provided as a place for securing your net. However, it is just not practical.

There is a loop inside the backpack. We poked a hole in the center top and pushed it through and added a magnet. It works fine, but I am surprised W&J didn't just design it that way. We didn't add any support around the hole and it hasn't ripped any bigger than when we did it. I think I probably should add some liquid seam or something but it's just not been and issue I'm worried about it's been a few years now.

My son competed using one and is still using the same pack. It real distributes weight across the shoulders and doesn't give you pressure points. I love my pack, but I'm sure there are others out there that are good. Just not ready to give up mine anytime soon.