Vest

[trimbelle22]

I'm loooking a buying a new fly fishing vest without breaking the bank and wondering what other people like? Is there a certain design that people find more comfortable to wear or cast in? Any suggestions would be great. Thanks

[-Marc V-]

I had got one of the chest pack deals a while back. I personally don't like to wear it on my chest (it's convertible to a waste pack). Lower back starts to ache in a awful sort of way after a day of fishing. That said, i do have a regular vest...that's what I prefer when trout fishing. When warm water I use the waist pack just cause I can fit bigger boxes in it.

If i was to get another vest, I'd get one that's a little more breathable as the hot days with the old cotton vest get mighty hot.

[turiprap]

I think the most critical thing to look for in a vest - beyond how well it's generally put together - is comfort at the shoulders. So far it looks like neoprene padding there is still the way to go. If you carry lots of flies and lots of tippet material, look carefully at the storage systems for those items (I have a shockingly expensive vest - an anniversary gift from my sweet baboo - that I really like, but tippet storage in it is, in a word, lousy. Beyond that, you may want room for a bit of lunch or a rain jacket in a large back pocket. I haven't figured out if mesh is better than poly/cotton or whatever in hot weather. It's personal preference, I think. Good luck.

[DEADhead]

I have an old meshmaster vest from Patagonia. As far as a vest goes it has almost everything you'd want, rear storage, big front pockets, comfort neck, etc... But I don't like wearing a vest while fishing, so I don't wear it often. Too often a vest gets overloaded with all sorts of stuff you don't really neeed. it can be heavy on long days, and it's easy to lose or misplace stuff in your vest. I've been using a sling, and new for this year, I picked up Patagonia's new Double Haul. It is redesigned for 2008 and is now modular. Now I have a chest pack and a waist pack and can wear them in any configuration I want, and can opt to only wear one at a time. The waist pack can also hold a hydration bladder. Just wanted to let you know that there's other options out there than a vest.

[trimbelle22]

thanks for all the input guys, i think i will just have to look around and find something that is the most comfortable and practical for what i use it for.