Orvis chest pack

I mentioned before that it was a tough decision on which chest pack to get for fly fishing.  Well, I found a great deal on the Orvis Safe Passage chest pack, so I picked that up.  Several weeks ago I tried it out for the first time, fishing all day on the Blue River in Oklahoma.

Here's what I stuffed into it.  In one front pocket, I stuffed two Irideus Kenai fly boxes, one with dry flies and the other with nymphs.  In the other front pocket was a C&F box with wooly buggers and an Orvis streamer box.  Then I had attached a hemostat, small scissors (I like this better than line nippers) and a Ty-Rite Jr (which is the best invention ever!).  In the backpack I had a water bottle and small thermos of chili.

How did it work?  Well, having 4 big boxes stuffed in the front was a bit much.  The packs stuck out a little too much and at times got in the way when stripping in line.  It didn't affect casting, though.  So I realized I need smaller boxes, and put the bigger ones in the backpack.

Overall, I really like the pack.  It's comfortable and stays balanced on my shoulders.  I just need to get smarter about filling it, and not try stuffing so much.

Flyshack.com

It's time to give some props to Flyshack.com.  I've ordered flies from these guys several times, and every time the order was shipped quickly and accurately.  The flies that were backordered were shipped as soon as available, and not once did I ever have to follow-up.

So, hat's off to Flyshack.com.  I'll be ordering more and more flies over the winter.

Decisions, decisions...

One thing I’ve come to realize I need for all-day fly fishing is a pack that can hold 2 or 3 fly boxes, tools, leaders, tippet, etc.  And for a true all-day excursion, room for snacks and water.

So I’m looking at the Orvis Safe Passage Chest Pack, which has the backpack for snacks and such and room for a couple of fly boxes in front.  The other options are the Orvis Complete Safe Passage Chest Pack or one of the Fishpond packs.

What makes the decision more difficult is that I’ve seen some comments that a chest pack will restrict vision and make it a little harder to navigate through a rocky stream.  This makes sense, because if there’s a bulging pack then it’s harder to see where the feet are going.  I guess I might just have to buy one – any one – and try it out.  What works for one person might not work for another.

I’ll post an update when I finally make up my mind….