Think of it as wearing your tackle box.
You'll want/need something to hold and organize all your gear, plus have access to items while fly fishing. There are many to choose from, each offering different options for your gear. I know, I've bought my share. And have found each product has an upside and a downside to them.
The traditional fly fishing vest.
Like:
- Plenty of front pockets
- Net D-ring on back
- Area for fly patch
- Zinger attachment points for tools
- Side and shoulder adjustments
Dislike:
- Made with weather-resistant material (not waterproof)
A vest offers some good features for organizing your gear. You will have easy access to items in the front pockets, and front tool attachments. The downside for me was the material, which would get soaked when fly fishing on those rainy days. Or the bottom of the vest would get wet when wading into deeper water. Then, you needed to empty the vest, hang to dry and hope the contents in pockets did not get wet. One solution, is to have a waterproof fly box and place other items into plastic zip sleeves to them keep dry.
The packs (chest, sling and lumbar)
Like:
- Compact with plenty of storage
- Net D-ring
- Area for fly patch
- Zinger attachment points for tools
- Adjustable
- Sling and lumbar flip behind you when not in use
- Some offer waterproof material
Dislike:
- Some packs are only made with weather-resistant material (not waterproof)
- Sling and lumbar packs have a loose fit, so they can flip around to your back
- How net is attached to D-ring, awkward when flipped to front on sling and lumbar packs
- Chest pack depth takes a bit to get use to
Packs also offer a variety of good features for storing and accessing your gear. Plus when fishing, a sling or lumbar pack is behind you and out of the way. And then can be easily flipped in front of you to access gear when needed. Not so much for a chest pack. It stays in front of you while fishing.
My Current Setup
I went back to using a chest pack, for one simple reason. I was able to find one that is waterproof. This keeps everything nice and dry on those rainy fishing days. Plus I like the way my net hangs from the magnetic net release on the back D-ring. Giving me easy access to the net handle when needed.
So have some fun choosing your wearable tackle box.
Thanks,
Glen
glentvaci@hey.com