Considering a new vest but have been looking at Fish Pod chest packs. What you suggest? What vest do you recommend and what chest pack? Thanks for your input.

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You know what they say: "once you go pack you'll never go back". I've had a Buck's Bag. Good storage but poorly made (yep, it fell apart). I now have a Freestone America pack. Great pack but out of business... The Orvis "Big D" has looks good and I'd consider one, but it's ORVIS! Saw a Cabela's and it looks lame and Wm. Joseph looks too "over designed". The one I'm waiting to see is the new Simm's pack. Shows promise...and I'd look truly well endowed wearing it!

Bite the bullet, don't look back, and buy the Filson. Go to: www.filson.com : Now, Ive done my good deed for the day.

Nimrod

Absolutely anything that comes from Filson is first class plus. The quality is tops and they strand behind all their products regardless of age. The Filson Guide vest, in my opinion, is the very best is the business. If you want to lighten-up, consider their strap vest. You cannot wear them out and, if you do, they will repair the original owner's vest for a lifetime.

Ok, I bought this vest a while ago, so I feel compelled to use it from time to time. But this last time I transferred all my crap into it convinced me to put it back in the gear box from whence it came. I go back and forth between a simple Clear Creek chest pack, and a Patagonia Double Haul for longer hike-ins, and or when I need an extra layer with me, etc.

You guys are just too... modern?
I've got two vests and a combined backpack/vest and use'em all the time. One at a time, though.
However, I'm slowly getting away from that bad habit of carrying every single piece of equipment with me while fishing... so I might evolve into a modern man myself and start using a chestpack. But don't bet on it!

Take a serious look at the Fishpond series. I really like my Fishpond Doublehaul chest pack. Its a back pack with and chest back that is capable of coming off and being worn by it self. Great for streams that you have to hike into when you need alot of gear. Great for Floattubes when you want to wear a chest pack with out the backpack. The chestpack is capable of carring three fly boxes up to 7.5" high. The backpack has a ziper capable of expanding the pack off of your back allowing for even more storage. The back is of the highest quality. Below is the fish pond website. and a pic of the double haul chest back. Hope this helps...
-Chad

http://www.fishpondusa.com/default.cfm

http://www.fishpondusa.com/doubleHaul.cfm#

i've got the fishpond blue river chest/lumbar pack. man, i wish i could i say i love it. i really do like wearing it off my shoulder, or around my head slung low and across on one side. but carrying the net on the d ring at the top of the strap is problematic. swing the bag around like i do often to access the sections or behind my back as i fish, the net swings around and whacks me. i don't like to be whacked so now i carry it attached to my waist. the zipper pulls at the end of each zipper (at least 6?) catch the tippet material i'm attaching constantly (whenever i'm dealing with tippet or have the line up around me to work on). and the fold down fly "bench" which i thought was a GREAT idea, is never used.. still, i like the company's philosophy and approach and the ever growing collection of products which seem innovative. i see they've upgraded the zipper pulls on the new version of the blue river to eliminate that problem. i had written to them about that a few months earlier. did they listen to me? too cool! ;-) i am seriously looking at the double haul though.

another i'm considering is william joseph's coastal II in silt. to a lesser extent, the creel has caught my eye.

and that patagonia double haul is very interesting too.

hmmm. yup, no vest for me. choices choices choices.

eric
fresno, ca.

Yeah - that's the one issue with a lot of packs I've checked out - where to attach a net in a way that works. The Patagonia double haul has attachment points on the back which work ok. Like all Patagucci, it's made to last, and while I'm pretty happy with it overall, two things I can think of that would make it a truly great pack are; 1) more of an anatomical curve in the shoulder strap. Having tried it over either shoulder, it still never seems to hang quite right, and 2) make it so the the rear part of the pack is detachable, and then you could have just a chest pack if that's all you need, or added capacity when necessary. Maybe I'll send them the feedback...

Anything from William Joseph or Fishpond will serve you well, it just depends on how much stuff you want to carry as to which model is better. The Mini II from William Joseph is very popular for a chest pack. One option to consider is the Double Haul from Fishpond, It has a chest pack that is detachable from the back portion, gives you both options in one.

http://www.rogueflyshop.com/retail/common/...FFSHPD%5F106927

Josh White

i use a william joseph sling pack and love it wouldnt use anything else..

josh

It might just depend on where and how you fish. Some places demand you view your foot placement or it's face-plant city!
If you do a lot of technical wading/hiking, I would suggest a vest. If not, go for the pack.

Thanks for the great input. I think my mind is now made up and I will be looking for the Fishpond Double Haul.

Thanks again!