What do you carry in your vest?

Supplicate · Jun 22, 2008

I was digging through my closet earlier today and found a fly rod/reel and assorted accessories that were given to me a few years ago and used once. This spurred me to join up here and try to learn more.

I have been searching for the last hour or so trying to find an answer to this, but to no avail.

So, for cold water fishing in the streams and rivers of Northern Colorado, Wyoming, and Eastern Utah what would be "required equipment" in your vest?

I currently have:
nippers on orvis retractable
three fly boxes
about a dozen flies, mostly the adams/parachute adams

Thank you.

Wyatt · Jun 23, 2008

Hello Supplicate Welcome to the family,
I'm fairly new to flyfishing so my list is still being refined but I have forceps, nippers, Loon Aquel floatant, spare leaders, 5 rolls of different tippet, 2 boxes of flys assorted for where I going ie; flys for the Poudre around Ft Collins are different then I take for some of the lakes, I also carry a small First Aid kit about the size of small fly box all in a chest pack that I can wear as a fanny pack, I also take a couple of bottles of water if I'm more then a 100 yards from the vehicle.
Wyatt

Supplicate · Jun 23, 2008

Thanks for the info Wyatt. You probably know the guys I was chatting with today down there in Ft Collins, stopped by St Peters Fly Shop for a while and asked them this exact question.

Walked out of there with a Fishpond Sagebrush vest, two dozen flies for the Reef and the Mile, nippers, tippet, leaders, and hemostats. I'm thinking along the lines of starting out simple and adding items as I learn.

I just need to find a cheaper place to buy flies now!

Fly2Fish · Jun 23, 2008

More importantly, got to have a can of beer and a cigar :wink:.

Wyatt · Jun 23, 2008

The Guys at St. Peters are great for helping, we have taken casting lessons and a couple of Fly Tying lessons and have went to several tying demos they have there in the winter with some great tyers from all over, and have found tying not being cheaper to start with bythe time you buy everything it is fun and relaxing, I have the wife and daugther both involved with tying and fishing.
Wyatt

Supplicate · Jun 23, 2008

Fly2Fish said:
More importantly, got to have a can of beer and a cigar :wink:.

I don't smoke or drink anymore, so I've got that covered. Guess you could say I learned that lesson at a young age :icon_twis

I'm starting to look into a casting class here local. Last time I went out (last summer) I bumed some gear off my girlfriends dad, he made a comment about how I was pretty good when it came to the standard cast but I still tangled it up like you wouldn't believe. Felt bad losing so many flies for him.

mcnerney · Jun 23, 2008

Supplicate

Welcome to the forum and fly fishing!
Looks like you and I live in the same town. I'm certainly no expert but have been fly fishing for longer than you have been alive. To get started what I would recommend is that you get on YouTube and do a search for "Fly Casting", there are a couple of excellent videos there showing the basics. I think they are titled "Tight Lines--Learning to Fly Cast".
You didn't mention what size rod you had. A 4, 5 or 6 is perfect for this area and make sure the line size fits the rod.
After you view the YouTube videos, I would be more than willing to help you out with your casting. Once we get your casting down your welcome to come fishing with me sometime. I just bought a used drift boat this year and have been fishing the Grey Reef section of the North Platte up by Casper as everything else around here is blown out with spring run off. Hopefully, that will be done in another couple of weeks. Send me a PM when you want me to give you some help with your casting.

Wyatt.......didn't realize you lived so close, we should get together and do some fishing sometime.

Larry

Supplicate · Jun 23, 2008

Larry,

Thank you for the offer of your help. I'll probably take you up on that later this summer when things are a bit calmer here in town.

For a rod I have a 8'6" 4 piece St Croix 5wt running a Cabela's Prestige reel. Can't really tell you what line I have on there as the whole rig was a gift.

I will be up on Grey's Reef this weekend, hopefully starting Wed, to try out some of the new gear.

By the way, any fly shop here in town you suggest? I've been in the West Laramie Fly Store a lot, but never visited their neighbors shop just up the road.

Thanks

racine · Jun 23, 2008

Tooo Much Stufff! It seems I trimmed down a few months ago but it's back to it's usual heavy weight. Here goes;

2-4 fly boxes
needle drivers
floatant & sinkant
strike indicators
tape measure
licenses
hook sharpener
snakebite kit/TP/Seat Protection
Small can of Picaridin
LED light
Nippers/Thermometer/extra leaders
5 rolls of different tippet
rain jacket in back
fishing net next to wading staff also on back
various zingers for impt. stuff
lead weights
fleece winter gloves or sun gloves
power or cliff bar and other trail mix
flask of good wiskey
water bottle
1. Aspirin/Motrin
  small diving or pocket knife
  Cell Phone or walkie talkie

plland · Jun 23, 2008

3-4 fly boxes, separated into nymphs, dries, buggers, streamers and miscellaneous
nippers
forceps (generally only needed for bass b/c they swallow flies)
6-10 assorted leaders
tippet: 2x,3x,4x and 5x
split shot
floatant
nail knot tying tool
camera
little pill box case with yarn strike indicators in it
biostrike strike indicator putty
net hanging on the back

also:
snack for the day, mini LED headlamp, bottle of water, many times I'll bring a lightweight rain jacket (Driducks), and in some circumstances I'll bring a mini survival kit with matches, flint/steel, a film canister full of tinder (vaseline soaked cotton balls), and water purification tablets. In bear country, I'll carry bear mace.

Oh and I finally got a hook sharpener, so maybe I'll start carrying that too.

Wyatt · Jun 23, 2008

Larry
Sounds good, so far this summer has mostly been locale lakes till the Poudre drops some, have a wife and daugther both in college and the daugthers horse activities means it will probably be late Aug/Sept till I get much time but we are hoping to go up to the Mile and over to Encampment as I have a sister there and am planning Sept at this time, if your down this way on just about any Sunday holler.
Wyatt

mcnerney · Jun 23, 2008

Supplicate

You have a fine rod in the St Criox.
I like the Four Seasons Anglers..........they are a dedicated fly fishing store, not an all in one sporting goods store. If your going up to Grey Reef I'd strongly suggest that you stop in and ask them whats currently working and how to fish that river. They are very friendly and willing to help, be sure to tell them you are new to fly fishing.
When you get to the Grey Reef you will want to fish the runs (riffles) just below the dam (first mile or so below the dam) assuming the river flow hasn't come up so much that you can't see the runs. The first good run is just below the boat ramp, you will see a rock line that jets out from the left side of the boat ramp, that is a good place to start. Float your flies in the foam line on the edge of the run. For the most part the Grey Reef is not a dry fly fishery. You will be fishing nymphs and streamers for the most part. They do have sporadic hatches, but not like other rivers that are predominately dry fly fisheries. Since we have had all of the rain the last few weeks they shut the flow way back at the dam. Earlier the river was running at the normal summer flow of 2,300 cfs, then it was cut back to 500 cfs for a couple of weeks now its starting to go back up. Saturday it was at 1,000 cfs. I use the web site for the North Platte River Fly Shop....their river report, to keep an eye on the current flows on the Grey Reef. The river is a little off color right now but should be clearing very soon. The closer to the dam you get the clearer the water seems to be. When you turn off hwy 220, there is a fly shop on your left, they can help with fly patterns and techniques if they aren't busy with clients going fishing. Get yourself a Grey Reef fishing map, it will show the public access points which is very valuable as most of the land is private. You should also know that you cannot wade or fish on private land without permission.
Shoot me a PM if you want some help with your casting or basic help on setting up your rig.

Larry

mcnerney · Jun 23, 2008

Wyatt

Maybe we could fish on the Poudre once the run off subsides.
Yesterday, I was planning on fishing either Teal or Noth Delaney lakes, until the wind came up. Must have been blowing 30-40 mph here in town yesterday.

Larry

plland · Jun 23, 2008

I, erm... thought this topic was about what you carry in your vest, guys.

BlueDun · Jun 23, 2008

I carry:

1-2 fly boxes
forceps
floatant
Shake & Float powder fly dressing
strike indicators (float and putty)
licenses
hook sharpener
Chap stick
rewetting drops for contact lenses
nippers
various Leaders (the amount depends on where I am fishing)
various rolls of different tippet
fishing net (w/ tape measure)
sinkers/weights
snack bars or other food
water and/or gatorade
small leatherman type multi-tool thing
small diving knife
leather leader straightener
leader gage (I make my own leaders for sink tip line and use manufactured
leaders for surface flies)
reading glasses for small flies
threader for threading small flies
nail knot tool
extra spool (I take both floating line and sink tip line with me so one stays in
the vest)
fly patch for wet flies I've used
Cell Phone
waterproof camera
ferule wax
handkerchief
hand sanitizer spray

Other stuff I carry on occasion: headlamp for night fishing, rain jacket, wading staff, gloves, something to keep ears warm in winter

Geez that's a lot of stuff - I can't believe I carry all of that - but every time I try to lighten the load, the thing I left behind is the thing that I need!

Fly2Fish · Jun 24, 2008

BlueDun, I'm impressed with your list. It's inspired me to come up with my own list - stay tuned!

Neil

yatahey · Jun 24, 2008

In the vest.
hemos, gerber mini tool on a zinger, frog fanny floatant, gel floatant, tippets, leaders, mojo mud, 2 sizes split shot, sunglasses, strike indicators (yarn and the new thingamabobs), 2 fly boxes (two dry one nymphs/midges), key chain tape mesure (3'), leader straightener, and a disposable camera ( gotta get a small digital)

yatahey · Jun 24, 2008

Oh yeah, forgot the small microfiber cloth for drying flys. Works great.

peregrines · Jul 10, 2008

License in a plastic display thing

Nippers

Hemos

Paste type floatant

Tape measure

Thermometer

Net (sometimes)

Micro split shot

Tippet spools

Spool with sink tip

Spare car keys

Small waterproof flashlight

Collapsible wading staff (on some streams)

Compass/map sometimes

Fly boxes (6 boxes plus streamer wallet unless I know the water well enough to pare it down some.)

Fast Water Dry Box- (Trudes, Wulffs, Humpies and small Stimis mostly) (6 compartment see thru plastic)

Caddis Box- (Dries mostly EHC and X Caddis, some down wings in assorted sizes and colors, and Deep/Sparkle Pupa in brown/orange and brown/green, green rockworm) (medium size 12 compartment and slit foam side)

BWO -(dries are mostly Sparkle/Comparaduns, withsome hackled and paras, comparanymphs, BH PHTN, Copper Johns, asst’d emergers and a few Rusty Spinners. I keep Adams patterns, a few Ants, and Soft Hackles here too.
There are pretty much Baetis and other BWO of various sizes all season, so i normally carry this all the time. (Medium Slit foam one side, 12 compartment other side)

Tiny Dries- Tricos, real small BWOs and midges etc. (shirt pocket size)

Big Dry Box- for Drakes, Stones, Hoppers , size 10 and larger, and Skaters (6 compartment plastic)

Hatch box- whatever size 12-20 dries, emergers and nymphs I think I might run into.) (medium slit foam both sides)

Streamer Wallet- (mostly mini muddlers, marabou muddlers, zonkers, big stonefly and drake nymphs, and a few buggers)

peregrines

OldMan · Jul 16, 2008

I carry the normal things similar to the lists above, but the most important thing is two peanut butter sandwiches.

I fish better when i'm not hungry.

What do you carry in your vest?

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