I'm designing an ultralight pouch for fly fishing and would like your feedback. The concept is a small pack that can be attached to your pack harness, belt, or worn around your neck and carry one small fly box (with a few bells and whistles). What features would you like to see in something like this? So far, I already have a drying patch, hemostat holder, pocket for floatant, some lash points for other gear, and internal pocket for leaders, tippets, etc. What else?

The goal is to make it under one ounce. My first prototype was half an ounce. Not bad, eh?

What materials are you going to construct the pouch/pack out of?

Edited by Mountainfitter on 12/05/2009 21:05:09 MST.

I'd love to have one external pocket specifically for a Tenkara line. Jason would you be willing to share a pic of your prototype? I would really enjoy seeing the progression.

Hi Lawson/Jonathan,
Sorry, I don't want to give too much away at this point. I've had several of my ideas stolen before and find it's best to keep certain details under my hat until I'm ready to launch it. I will say that it's a very lightweight fabric.

Jonathan, Can you be more specific about the pocket for the Tenakara line? Are you talking about one that holds the spool?

Actually I was thinking a simple envelope pocket that I could slide in the coiled line. Maybe even a divided pocket for 2 lines - one furled and one level line.

My preference there would be for a pocket for the Tenkara line holder, rather than just a coiled line. though in the interests of ultimate light weight, just lines would be lighter!

I use those light weight foam fly boxes for Tenkara flies while backpacking - two of the smallest size work very well for me. Got the right pockets for them?

Stephan,
Are you talking about those really small Morell boxes?

Jonathan,
Why would you want them on the outside? Wouldn't there be a risk of them falling out? I have a pocket on the inside that would hold them. But do you want them on the outside because you change lines frequently and want quick access?

"Are you talking about those really small Morell boxes?"

Yup, those are the ones!

Hi Stephan,
Yes, the prototype fits those Morell boxes perfectly with room to spare for tippet, leaders, etc.

Sounds very cool.

When will these things be available?

Nice, Jason.

I can dig. If I only take a few flies, then I barely fit a spool of leader and tippet inside my small Morell box. It would be convenient to have a separate slot for spools. The other things that I would like to be able to fit inside a pocket would be an iphone (to mark a good spot w/ gps, or checking tides), a pair of l/w glove liners, a protected area for snips, and a mesh pocket for a folded up gallon ziplock bag, and miscellaneous items.

I have been fly fishing for some time and think a light pack would be a great thing considering that most modern packs weigh almost a pound. When should we expect these things to be avaliable and what kind of price should we expect?

Hi Cole,
The guy who is sewing them for me is very busy so I have to wait until he has the time to do a run. I hope it will be within the next 3 weeks or so. Keep in mind that this will be a minimalist pack (but very functional). I'm trying to keep the price as low as possible so that it will not only be lighter, but cheaper than what's commercially available now.

Ok Jason, I'm not a fisherman by any means, so take my suggestions as those coming from a mere passerby. What if you streamlined your fly fishing pack down even more by eliminating the need to accommodate a separate Morrell style fly box? Seems like carrying a case within a "case" or pack seems redundant in this particular instance since you're developing a streamlined UL fly pack for lightweight western fly and Tenkara style trips where you'd only be taking a very small quantity/variety of flies anyways. I'm thinking a small square piece of 3/8 or 1/2" evazote pad maybe a few inches in size(ex. GG thinlight) heat scored and folded over on its self in 1/2 could make a simpler and lighter way of storing your flies. You could possibly use Lycra mesh or a mildly elastic cord to secure the evazote pad when stored inside the pack, again, kind of like GG does with their pad holders on their packs. It could possibly be a flip down "work bench" style pack design too, just with a simple piece of evazote foam pad as the fly holder. Modular in design, the user could simply replace the small piece of foam pad once it become worn out inexpensively. Would this work? Anyways, just a layman's idea.

One other thought, what if you incorporated a simple stretch mesh pocket for a small point and shoot camera? This might add some bulk to the wearer with a camera stored since it's on your neck but would be conveniently close to other essentials needed for a UL day at the stream.

Also, sorry, I'm rambling a little. Are you going to use cord to wear around the neck? What if you incorporated x2 sewn-in Linelocs at the top of the pack and used 3mm cord? This could be easier to micro adjust to each user than a single cordlock behind the neck. Just a thought.

Last idea, since we haven't seen what you're pack will feature or looks like, if you're incorporating a closure system using quick release buckles, perhaps you could use a whistle integrated buckle somewhere on the pack? Or is this getting too feature rich?

Looking forward to seeing the pack by the way.

Jason,
Sounds good... I am currently using a Fishpond San Juan pack a all that i carry on a regular fishing trip is one large Morell box, 2 leaders, a couple of shot, and a few indicators. These weigh almost nothing but the pack is pretty heavy empty (from an ulralight perspective). This might be just what I'm looking for because I am currently planning a two-day trip to Big Snowbird Creek in North Carolina. Anybody got anything about this stream tthat they would like to share? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Interesting! I've been rolling the same idea around in my head. I was looking at modifying a Mountain Laurel Designs pouch for lanyard carry. One thing I would want on such a pouch is a bulldog clip on the bottom so you can clip the bottom of the pouch to your shirt. It keeps it from flopping around, which is one problem I currently have with my lanyard. I would also want some think closed cell foam padding where the lanyard comes in contact with the back of my neck. I don't think a 6" foam tube would weigh much.

Jason -

Re a "place inside" vs a "place outside" for carrying a coiled fly line or two, I like the solution provided by the "Mayfly Lanyard Pouch" shown at the link below:

http://tinyurl.com/29rxrz5

Nearly the entire exterior backside of the Mayfly pouch (the side that you cnnnot see in the photo at the link above) is covered with a flat sleeve of mesh with elastic sewn along the opening at the top of the sleeve, plus there is thin velcro strip along the sleeve top that binds the top securely to the pouch.

Contents of the above sleeve will not fall out with the above design, especially of course once the velcro strip is sealed. I usually use the mesh sleeve to hold a couple of packets of leaders and several tippet spools. Because the mesh has just a little bulge or stretch to it, I am sometimes trying to cram even more into it. After all, if it's there, why not fill it up?

If I carried only one reel of tippet in the mesh aleeve, along with a few packets of leader, believe there would be enough room remaining for a coiled fly line, maybe two.

Another nice feature of the Mayfly that you might consider for your design is that the rings on the two sides of the Mayfly are joined to the Mayfly with small quick-release buckles -- makes it very easy to remove whatever tool is on each ring if it's too difficult to use the tool while still attached to the Mayfly. Not very clear with this description, but if you zoom into the pic of the Mayfly at the above link, it'll be clearer.

Edited by JRScruggs on 06/04/2010 22:44:22 MDT.

The pack I designed is finally here. It's called the Trico and it's 1 oz. Here's a video: http://www.backpackflyfishing.com/store/index.php/the-trico-ultra-light-fly-fishing-pack.html