Whether you carry a vest or some sort of pack, there’s a few items you should always keep on hand in order to make your day on the water more enjoyable.
There’s not much better than spending a day on the water. Whether the fish are rising on the surface, crushing bugs underwater, or just taking the day off from eating what you decide to carry on the water can make your day really good or really bad. Here are some of the things we choose to keep on us no matter what time of year it is.
1. Forceps
This is a given - an absolute essential no fly fishermen should ever leave the house without. Hell, keep a pair in the car in case you lose yours. From pinching barbs to safely removing hooks from the mouth of a defeated trout, forceps are a must have for a day on the water. This essential tool will not only help remove hooks from small places, but it will help you quickly get hooks out of a fish's mouth so you can get them back in the water and spend more time chasing fish.
2. Nippers
As a fly fisherman, you spend a lot of your time tying knots and changing flies. Using your teeth to cut leaders and tippet is not the most ideal way to change rigs. Carrying a good pair of nippers can safe you time (and a trip to the dentist) and get you back on the water faster.
3. Waste Containers
If you’re going to have a tool that cuts line, you should have one that keeps the leftover pieces of leader and tippet out of the wild. Having something to store waste is a great way to keep the environment free of fishing line as well as keeping your pack more organized. Here’s a pro tip, when your fly becomes too beaten up from hitting bottom or catching fish, you can throw the fly in your waste container so you don’t find it in the bottom of your pack with your finger later in the day. Our personal favorite is the Piopod by Fishpond.
4. Rag
Having a rag on in your pack while fishing can be a massive benefit while on the water. From wiping your hands to cleaning your gear, it can really help keep things clean as well as reduce your hands from getting cold in the winter months or during frosty mornings. On top of that, in the summer months, it can also be a great way to keep cool on the water. Dunking a rag in the river and keeping it on your neck can alleviate some of the heat when the temps start to rise.
5. Cloth Face Shield
A cloth face shield can be a heaven sent when the sun is beating down on you while you're fishing. Not only will it protect your skin while you’re beating banks and catching fish but it also acts as an awesome way to keep cool in high temperature days by dipping it in the water before putting it over your neck
6. Floatant
An absolutely essential piece of gear for a number of reasons is fly floatant. If you’re like almost every other fly fisherman you enjoy fishing dry flies and it’s not uncommon for your dries to commonly sink below the water surface, especially when you’ve caught a couple fish. A high quality fly floatant will keep your dry flies riding high. Another often overlooked use for fly floatant is using them to keep indicators above the surface. If you are fishing yarn indicators it’s not uncommon for them to sink below the surface. Putting a little floatant on your yarn indicators will keep them visible and will help you better detect strikes.
7. Net
A good quality net is an absolute must every time you hit the water. If you have caught a fish without using a net, you know what I am talking about. Using a net serves a number of purposes. It’s easier to land fish, prevents you from breaking rods or tippet when the fish gets close to you, and also allows you to keep the fish in the water to increase the chances of a safe release. It’s something I never leave the house without.
In Conclusion
Overall, whatever you put in your pack is all about personal preference and should be tailored to the species you're fishing. The gear I laid out for you are staples that can help make a day on the water a lot more fun and stress free. Be sure to check out the apparel and gear that Fish Wild offers like t-shirts and hats to make your day on the water that much better!