Well, maybe I do carry around a little too much fly fishing gear. I admit it. I hope that’s the first step on the way to recovery.
On the last trip to the beautiful Bundara, I noticed the fly vest was getting a bit heavy and my more minimalist mate Warwick politely suggested I should “chuck out some of that useless shit”. But how could I? It was all needed, perhaps some of it a little more frequently than others. I concede that. I’m healing now.
Here’s the full list of the contents of my fly vest, under rough sub headings.
For on the water constant use: clippers, leader straightener, scissors, hemostats.
For sinking the fly: tungsten putty, split shot, sinkant. Tungsten putty AND split shot?
For floating the fly or leader: indicators (7), yarn, stick ons, floatant, floating putty, polystyrene ball (never used).
For actually catching fish: ten flies boxes. All right, I know it sounds a lot, but every one of them is vital in the right context and includes four small boxes which were a present from my oldest son and which I use to extract the more commonly used flies for the day with nymphs, emergers or dries for the most observed insect life. I don’t want to even think about cutting these back.
For connecting flies to fly line: tapered hardy leaders (7), flouro leaders (3), flouro tippet rolls (3 of varying strength in a locked bunch), mono tippets (7 of varying strength in a locked bunch).
Medicinals: zinc cream for the sun, lip balm, for the same sun, stingose for the mossies and sandflies, unopened first aid kit from the airport lounge my wife made me buy. I often carry up to four insect repellents for the Kiwi and Scottish sandflies and for European wasps, which are absolute bastards. And I have about half a dozen creams and lotions I use for those overseas sandflies, to which I’m kind of allergic … if not allergic, then mildly paranoid.
Fishing Forensics: Two lids, white, magnifier with two lenses and cute little built in light and carry case (sweet!), green plastic tweezers from the wife’s surgery (thanks dear), thermometer for checking water temperature (very important, seriously), tape measure (to make sure the little fishies are big enough) and a set of scales for measuring that trophy ten pound trout (in mint condition, never had to be used).
Odds and Ends:
sharpening stone for blunted flies (very useful),
Hardy priest (for donging the occasional unfortunate fish on the head – seems harsh but the best alternative if you’ve got to be eaten),
chrome secateurs (the most useful tool in the vest, for getting flies out of stream side branches and brambles and cutting down that bloody shrub that keeps getting your back cast in a tricky casting situation),
petzl led lamp (the little pocket sized three AAA battery one I’ve had for years, which my two year old son likes to road test by throwing against walls – now due to be discarded for hat with built in lights – see review),
compass (which I know how to read now, but never use … I mean, you get out of the car, you walk up the river … you walk back down the river, you get in the car),
sharp filleting knife (see priest),
hip flask (for single malt – essential in the event of good luck or lack of good luck),
sunglasses (see latest review),
cheap magnifying glasses for changing flies (now chucked, see latest review),
net for sandflies (picked up in Scotland and fantastic),
hats 3 (well perhaps three of them is a bit over the top, but one had a big brim for sun protection and keeping the sandfly net out from my face, then there was a beanie for keep warm on winter evenings on the water, and a baseball style cap – now this is one with the lights in it – see review),
spare spool for Precious (Precious is my Hardy Smuggler and the spare spool has a sinking line – fantastic for deep pools and a quick swap over and back to the floating line on the main spool),
poncho (from airport lounge – fantastic – light and small and perfect for that unexpected stream side shower – I usually leave the old ones for my host and buy a new one every trip, as once they’re unpacked, they can never by re-packed the same),
plastic bags 4 (for keeping fish away from other gear in back pack),
one sealable bag (for keeping things dry – but with nothing in it),
gloves, polypropylene (great for top of the hand sun protection on hot days – that’s where skin cancers can start – and keeping warm in winter),
fishing licenses for two states and three countries (very handy sometimes),
two broken retractor spools (chucked – see I know discipline!),
two New Zealand $2 coins (now chucked – see above).
So, I think I’ve now chucked the broken retractor spools, the New Zealand coins, the old baseball cap has been replaced by the one with built in lights, the old LED light is going, but I’ll keep one just in case in main bag because you always need them camping, the cheap magnifier glasses are gone, gone, gone, and I’ve realised the sealable bag is for the new Lumix camera … which will be reviewed soon. You know the one you can skim across the water, according to the TV ad. The underwater shot on the Tips and Tricks page was taken with it and it does lovely home movies too.
And, in the spirit of recovery here, I’m wondering why I need ten fly boxes and both tungsten putty and split shot. Actually I know now. It’s so Warwick can borrow the bloody things because he’s always running out. So, you see, I’m fine. Really.
Pictures by Warwick Powell (the bloke lugging around the heavy SLR camera).