Get some organisation into your gear bag for a greater fly fish experience.
Imagine this: You’re out on your favourite river or lake, your hook snags on the bottom. You pull and pull but it’s stuck. You fluff around searching for new lure, line and sinkers but all you get is a stab in the hand for your trouble. If your gear bag isn’t organised, this will be you, one day very soon!
Whatever you think you want in your gear bag, forget this advice at your peril!
So the first question then, why do you need a tackle box? Well, you can’t fish without gear, that’s a fact, so a workable gear and tackle system should have everything you need… including “just-in-case” items like a flashlight, pliers and your favourite reading material.
Your perfect fly fishing tackle system will be highly organised, ensuring you can find exactly what you need, when you need it, also enabling you to move effortlessly shed to car to boat, and back. And whatever gear bag solution you chose, it should stand up to bumps and dumps on the journey.
Get down to details on size…
Tackle systems and gearboxes range from simple, flat boxes to huge monoliths with removable racks, trays, and drawers. A casual one-day fishing trip will not require such overkill, but don’t forget a tackle system may need more space than you think. For example, you’ll need to hold accessories like drinking water and your phone. Our advice is that, if you’re just starting out, find a small, basic box and by the time that no longer cuts the mustard, you’ll know exactly what you do need.
Don’t cut corners on product quality…
As with any product, the quality in gear bags and tackle boxes varies massively, and you can’t always tell real quality just by looking at it. Some gear bags are made better than others, it’s an unavoidable fact. Look for thick, tough material, reinforced stitching, and durable plastic with big wide zippers and clasps.
Scrutinise the organisation system…
From satchels to trays to hip roofs, there are so many choices of organising methods out there that your brain will fry trying to assess them all – because at the end of the day different equipment will suit different fly fishers, depending on how they fish. For example, some anglers choose to take everything “just in case”, while others pack only what they intend to use for that specific fish. The only way to learn what works for you, is to fish.