Fishing Bag

Mont Bell Travel Bag

I use a sling bag. I don't carry much and what I carry, this bag holds it all. This one is from Mont Bell, a Japanese company that has a great design team. It is a travel bag and I have re-purposed it for the beach fishing that I do. I carry two large C&F Designs boxes, one for the sand and another for the surface. It swallows both of these boxes well and there is enough room in there for missions that require something else.

In the top flap pocket, I keep a stick of sunscreen, grip pads to un-stick rod sections, a ceramic Tiemco hook sharpener and my nipper on a piece of fly line along with my haemostats.

The under flap pocket is where I keep my small landing tool as well as my fishing gloves. The stripping finger covers have saved me on multi day trips where I'm stripping line through the crease in my grip fingers.

I use Scientific Anglers fluorocarbon leaders in 10 lb with 9' and 12' lengths. I hot rod them up by using a micrometer and measuring back to .3mm cutting and then adding in a tippet ring rated to 20lb. The tippet ring helps keep the integrity of the length. a 9' leader is actually 6' in length but when you tie in the leader, it is 9' total length to the fly. It's an important step and keeps everything uniform. I don't want to lose a fly line but if I have to break off to keep it, I want the tippet to break.

I use Seaguar GrandMax FX fluorocarbon tippet. Excellent strength, knots, flexible and stealthy. I’ve used it for many years for mountain stream fishing and for rivers and lakes. If I’m going to travel and spend all that energy to fish distant water for the fish of a lifetime, I’m using the best tippet and this is it.

Aug 2023 Baitfish Fly Box

August 2023 Sand Box

Bolt and Wire Cutter

Know what these are for? I'm glad I haven't had to use mine but I do carry them just in case. I don't want to have to drive to a hardware store to buy some or worse, to the Emergency Room. These will cut a hook, lickety split. I got mine at Harbor Freight and they are the smallest version.

I keep my fishing bag and a few items like my sunglasses and my small bolt cutters in a Rubbermaid bin. I don't know why but I like using them. I have been carrying my stuff in them since day one of in-shore and beach fly fishing. I use a larger one as a deck stripping basket and later, to store all of my boat stuff. Cheap, stackable and multi use.