Many beginner fly fishermen buy a fly fishing rod, reel, line, flies and other essential fly fishing gear, but will neglect to buy a fly fishing vest. Whilst it is possible to go fly fishing without a vest, it’s not recommended. Fly fishing is a sport that generally requires that you carry many small items with you, such as fly boxes containing flies, spare spools of fly line, leaders, tippet spools, clippers, fishing pliers, line cleaners, fly floatants, hook file, and an array of small fly fishing gear. A multi-pocketed fly fishing vest is the most efficient means to carry all this fly fishing gear, and keep this gear close at hand. This article will help you to choose the best fly fishing vest for your needs.
The first consideration when buying a fly fishing vest is comfort, after all you will be wearing the vest for extended periods of time whilst fishing. The newer vests are designed to distribute the weight of the vest (i.e. the contents within the vest’s pockets) evenly around the body to prevent stress points developing on your neck and shoulders. You should also make sure your vest is large enough to wear warm layers underneath if need, and has good freedom of movement, otherwise casting could be difficult.
A mesh vest is made completely of stretch mesh, containing fabric sewed on only in the places where the pockets lie. Mesh vests are better ventilated and are better suited when fishing in warm weather conditions. Also because mesh vests tend to stretch more, these vests allow better movement for fly fishing, and will normally be easier for casting movements. Fabric vests are usually made of cotton and polyester, and are warmer and are better suited for colder climates. Also, if you are doing a lot of wading in water, you might want to get a vest with a short waist to keep your gear above the waterline.
A fly fishing vest should have enough pockets to hold all your fly fishing gear, and contain an assortment of pocket sizes – from larger pockets to hold items such as fly boxes, spare spools of fly line, or your lunch, to small pockets to hold smaller items such as spare leaders, clippers, hook sharpener, and your personal items such as keys. Pockets to keep your hands warm are also a good idea for the colder conditions. How many pockets should a fishing vest have? Between 14 and 20 pockets is a good number to have – any more pockets will start to make it confusing to find items, and you will have a tendency to carry more items than you actually need on your person, thus weighing you down more. Its also a good idea to get pockets that are easy to open and close, preferably with one hand – Velcro pockets are good. Many vests have a useful item called a D-ring to which you can attach fly fishing accessories such as fishing nets.
It’s important to get a fly fishing vest of good quality and durability, which should last you many years. With many of the cheap vests currently being sold, the thread of the vest will unravel with a few years. Also check that your vest is water, mildew, and sun resistant.
Vests come in various camouflage styles to blend into the surrounding vegetation, so that the fish will not be able to see you. Vests with a tan color are good for Western fishing, and vests with a green color match the green vegetation of the east.
Tags: best fly fishing vest, fly fishing gear, fly fishing vest
