More or Less

[fessiewig]

For years I stuffed my vest with as much as I could possibly get in it. I swear, if I had ever fallen into deep water no one would have ever seen me again. Recently I've been thinking about reducing the "stuff" I carry with me.

Here's my dilemma: is it better to carry a ton of flies, a few of almost every pattern know to man, or would it be better to have a few of a limited number of highly trusted flies? If so, how many is "a few" in terms of different patterns and styles (wets, drys, streamers, nymphs,emergers, terrestrials)?

[granger]

I think every serious fly fisher is faced with this dilemna. When you start getting neck and low back pain from the weight of the vest it is time to do something!!!! LOL. :? My approach has been to keep a fishing log, I've kept an accurate one for over 30 years. Even after a couple years you start getting some good info if you start to summarize it during the winter months. From my fishing log I then began to make a master fly list. This is the inventory of "must have" producing patterns. Once I got to this point I found I could cull out a lot of flies that really never amounted to much, they get thrown into a panfishing box and get used that way. Since i have been tying flies for 38 years I love to experiment with new patterns. Each year I limit myself to a handfull of experimental patterns. This way I know that they will get a fair shake, some make the grade some don't. For trout the master list has 47 patterns, some in several sizes. I have seperate boxes that will get put into a fanny pack or the vest only for specific seasons or places: a box for striper, a box for smallmouth, a shad box, 2 boxes for flats fishing, a western dry fly box, a pike box, a panfish box. I also carry in my duffel bag on longer trips a spare flies box. When tying patterns I almost always tie a dozen, 3 might go into the fishing box, the rest in the spares box. I fill holes in the fishing boxes as the season moves along. This minimizes carrying too many spare flies in the vest. This may seem too systemic for some people, but I fish a lot and fish a wide variety of water types and species so it was the only way for me to keep it organized. My father in law used to almost always outfish me and he carried far fewer flies than I do. Presentation and reading the water may be more important than numbers of flies a guy carries. I'm sure I could get away with fewer patterns. The majority of my fish are caught on perhaps 10 patterns, but it's fun having the different flies and in the end that's what it's all about.

[Birddogtwo]

I find I carry much less than I did when I was first getting started. It seems I had to aquire everything but now while certainly not a minimalist, I take less and less. Not because I have it figured out but because its much easier for me to find what I'm looking for if I have less.

[browntrout]

The days of the vest are long gone for me. I've mangaed to reduce my gear into a fanny pack (have two, one for salt and one for fresh). I have 3-4 each of go to streamer patterns, nymphs, emergers and dries/attractors.

Other than that, its just tippett, snips, thermometer and spare spool with second sinking tip line option.

Even the net beens put to rest.

[Gerry]

About 6 or 7 years ago I made the switch. Until that time, I had two vests, one for freshwater and one for salt water. Then, I found that I was carrying around all this gear that I seldom, if ever used. What I went to is a system whereby I use a fishing pack/bag from Patagonia (but many manufacturers sell them now) with a limited amount of flies, etc in it. It is lighter, cooler in summer. than a vest. In the bag I carry a box of dries, a box of nymphs and a box of streamers and an "etc" box. The box of dries is typically full of what I expect to find hatching on that water at the time of year that I am fishing. In my car I carry other "back-up" boxes that I can "bring in off the bench" to fill in for an occasional surpise hatch. All the other flies, I leave at home to back-fill the other boxes. Since going to this system, I find I am more comfortable on the water carying a lighter load and I haven't lost out on not having the right fly.
tight lines,
Gerry

[LearningInVT]

I have too much stuff that I carry! I have to do something! I am looking at a pack that I can wear higher. The last few years when fishing my favorite spot, I wade back up the river to the car often going up over my waist and getting my vest and of course all my flies in the pockets wet. I have put up with the aching back, but I am getting no younger and not in the best of shape anymore. I have seen some packs that have a couple pouches in the front and a bigger one in the back for reels, lunch and water. Any suggestions?

[PW]

Gerry,

Is it a shoulder strap style bag that you use? Do you take a net with you? If you do where would you keep it? I have an old army surplus shoulder bag that would work great for this setup. Since I wouldn’t be using my vest I need to figure out a way to attach my quick release net.

PW-

[Gerry]

The straps on the bag can reconfigured a couple different ways. There is a waist strap and a shoulder strap, and I usually just carry it slung over my shoulder. You can put the shoulder strap around your neck and use it like a chest pack. Or you can just use the waist strap and it functions like a fanny pack (the least comfortable way to carry it.)
It has some D-rings to clip zingers with forceps, fly-dope, etc. I often go without using my landing net. When I do carry a net, I usually just carry it with me, so it won't get caught on bushes, etc, then when I am on the water, I'll clip it to a D-ring on the bag, or use a large zinger clipped to my wading belt; or if I am wearing my jacket, it has a D-ring on the back to fasten the net.
Tight Lines,
Gerry

[fessiewig]

I have a bag that sounds similar that I got from Orvis years ago. I've been wondering what to do with it and now I know. I'm going to fool around with it and see if it will work for me. I would think it will take a bit of getting used to. I'm also moving from chest high waders to hip boots this year and I think this will fit that new mode.

About the net, how about braiding a ring into the hair under our arms and hooking the net in there? :D JK