My Perfect Fishing Pack - Stephen Myers

For months I've been adding and subtracting items from my Zimmerbuilt Strap Pack, trying to find the optimal balance between everything I want and everything I need while fishing in the backcountry. It had to be small and light enough to fit in my backpacking base-pack, while still providing me with the supplies to have an enjoyable fishing experience while on the trail.

Below are some photos and descriptions of the items that made it into the pack, all thought out based on their usability and overall weight. I have to laugh while writing this because it's a chilly 17 degrees here on Colorado’s Front Range and I'm dreaming of icefree alpine lakes and not having to wear snowshoes. Needless to say, I’ll definitely be prepared when the time comes to get back up into the higher altitudes. I hope that you’ll find the list of items helpful in adding a few tools and accessories to your pack for this coming season.

EMPTY STRAP PACK WITH ITEMS DAISY CHAINED OR SECURED TO THE OUTSIDE (TOP TO BOTTOM):

1. CRKT Minimalist Fixed Blade Knife

2. Custom Braided Paracord Lanyard

3. Abel Nippers (native trout pattern) & Abel Zinger

4. Umpqua Forcep Pliers attached with S-Hook connector

5. Tenkara line spool (Size 2.5 Fluorocarbon Line, 12ft); 4,5,6x Umpqua Tippet. Both on shock cord with an end clamp

CONTENTS OF STRAP PACK:

1. Single Leaf Fly Box w/ Foam Insert

2. Umpqua Dry Shake Floatant

3. GoPro Hero 5 Black

4. Costa Lens Cloth

5. 8 Compartment Nymph Box

6. 4 Compartment Split Shot/Putty/ Indicator Box

7. Thingamabobbers

8. Business Cards

9. Streamside Leaders Nano Dragon Floating Furled Line

MY FAVORITE TENKARA PACK TOOLS & ACCESSORIES:

1. ABEL NIPPERS - By far the best investment and most used tool on the pack. While replacement jaws (blades) are offered, my nippers are still as sharp as the day I got them and completely rust free. A must have for changing flies and snipping tag ends off flies and leaders.

2. SINGLE LEAF FLY BOX - The ability to carry enough flies for an extreme variety of fishing conditions combined with the lightweight polymer box is essential for my fishing experience in Colorado. I have enough flies to fish traditional tenkara kebari in high mountain streams, then hit a tail-water system on the way home without having to carry and keep track of multiple fly boxes. It’s great!

3. CRKT MINIMALIST KNIFE - A perfect, lightweight neck knife that provides no nonsense ergonomics and impressive blade edge retention. It’s a no brainer.

4. GOPRO HERO 5 & GOPRO APP - This little camera is great. Forget the DSLR, the batteries, and the lenses. Take a couple videos, upload them to the app via bluetooth, and it creates a little clip of the highlights from your day. No editing experience needed. In addition, the camera sports a waterproof frame with no case needed and snaps great photos on the fly.

5. ZIMMERBUILT STRAP PACK - This pack will always be at my side or around my neck. It's spacious (for its size), provides multiple pockets and sleeves, has a ton of mounting spots for tools, and doesn’t break the bank. Visit Zimmerbuilt.com for availability, as I don’t believe they’re currently available from Tenkara USA in the US.