[Editor’s Note: Our friend Conway Bowman has a new book out, The Orvis Guide to Beginning Saltwater Fly Fishing, which is full of great information, tips, and tactics. Here’s an excerpt, in which he discusses the essential gear for any saltwater fly-fishing trip. The man spends hundreds of days on the water every year, and a few of his suggestions may surprise you.]
via Essential-Saltwater-Items.
I thought this was an interesting list of stuff and since, really, I’m at the bottom part of the learning curve, it is always interesting to hear from the pro’s about what they choose to take with them on the water.
There might be a few tweaks for bonefish anglers, primarily, you shouldn’t take the Boga grip out on the water with you. Bogas and Bones don’t mix. Maybe they are for cuda’s and that I can certainly understand.
The list would certainly be different if you were wading all day. Not enough room for all that stuff when you are on foot all day and there wasn’t mention of anything to put on your inner thighs when they start to chafe (what, am I the only one who has had that happen?).
- If you liked the story above, check out these stories below
- Interview with Tom Rosenbauer from Orvis (1.000)
- Packing is Done - The Reels are Rigged (0.975)
- Interview with Orvis's Steve Hemkens (0.960)
Tags: bonefishing, flyfishing, Gear, Orvis, stuff
GREAT LIST ABOVE.
HERE ARE SOME FROM MY MUST HAVE LIST:
>Johnson & Johnson First Aid Waterproof Tape – for wrapping specific areas of those delicate little stripping digits ( I don’t like stripping gloves. I lose the feel of the line. Also, I wrap a lot and enjoy having mummy hands). Can be used to mark rods wts on the outside of cloth cases, and , same with reels re line wts. Great to secure band-aids — a strip on each end. Also, my dog likes a small strip on the tip of his nose once in a while. You will like it.
>Safety Pins:
Essential. Great for working out ‘wind knots’ , other stuff.
And, One on each end a length of old fly line — voila! hat keeper — which amazes the guide as your hat flies off while speeding down the flat…and IT DOESN”T GO ANYWHERE! ( National Enquirer type emphasis)
> Long Length of old fly line: see hat keepers, per above. I use for my glasses keepers, also — nail knot on each temple (plus it looks really cool and the guides and womens will admire the look , and the knot).
>Glasses wipes: small packets of glass cleaner. Wal-Mart sell Zeiss packs in large amounts. Guides love them. Recall, you have to use fresh water — or wipes — to clean glasses. Salt water doesn’t work, as you all know.. And the little sprays add even more bulk and mean you have to bring a cleaning cloth or tissue.
>Bandana: Again, many uses. Look at the guides, eg in the Bahamas. Many use a bandana around their face to keep the cancer away (I don’t). Also, a good color around the neck makes for macho photos ( ok, maybe not macho, but…not bad looking) And not bad to wrap on a bleeding wound, as in a #2 hook that has ripped a bit of flesh for a critical part of the bod.
>Power bars/granola bars, etc: For the between lunches snack. Again never met a guide who didn’t like one. Plus, it makes you look like a good guy to give the guide one , then take yours.
>Water Bottle: Flats all day, sun…dehydrate. You know this. But, there are bottle holders that will attach to your fanny pack if you don’t have built in.
>Guides: notice a theme above. Some of the smaller items are appreciated by the guides while fishing, and if left for them after, such as wipes, power bars. This is mainly for Bahamas, Mexico, Xmas ,etc — exception: I figure the Keys Guides would make fun of you before either throwing them out of the boat or at your head)
Dude, HI LA RI OUS. Love the medical tape. Let me add it’s also good to have around (along with some gauze pads) to make an ad hoc bandage in case of a stingray’s barb ripping through your tender flesh and you’ve got to stop the bleeding. True story.
It’s all true. My worst was stepping on a four-inch needle fish to get the hook out, in a flats boat.. Got it, but he latched onto my little toe. Blood squirting, sport cursing, guide laughing. I finally decapitated the little bast*** and he still wouldn’t let go. Then while wading there was the crab that decided to for a ride on….my little pink toe. The same toe. Amputation is being considered