Gear carry weight

Reducing the number of flies I carry was one of the first steps I took to reduce the amount of gear.

Excluding the times & places when I wear a Richardson Box (which I modified so I can swap or reduce the number of trays), I am only carrying one fly box which is either a 3" or 4" Wheatley.

It does help that I know the places I fish so well that I know that's all I'll need. 😉

I also don't carry water, snacks, extra rods, reels, spools, a jacket or real rain gear, just an emergency poncho, among other things. I also have a tippet material dispenser I made that holds 6 spools but is only 3-1/4" x 4-1/4" x 5/8".

The days of taking enough crap with me to be able to survive or fish for a week without replenishment were over for me decades ago. That was when I emptied out my vest and couldn't remember a single time I needed or used three quarters of the $#!+ I carried.

To this day I STILL haven't missed a single item I omitted...
 
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Is this part of that evolution of a fly fisherman or what ever crap people call it today?
When I was younger I did the same things expressed here by many but as I get older I keep cutting out that fat.
 
Like I said earlier, it's all good if folks want to take along the kitchen sink...

However, I just decided that I was going to focus on what I needed when fishing versus the gazillion "what if" scenarios or soon I would have been carrying vials of hemoglobin and a blanket to send smoke signals. 😉
 
Speaking of weight, has anyone been able to find Schedule 20 PVC pipe (for central vacuum systems) from which to make cheap and light rod cases? The lightest I can find is Schedule 40, which is really overdoing it from a protection and weight perspective. None of the home improvement DIY places stock schedule 20 pipe since it doesn't meet any plumbing codes for carrying water.
Thanks.
 
Like you said I BELIEVE central vac systems use Schedule 20 although I could be wrong...

...which would suck (pardon the pun). 😉

Maybe you are looking in the wrong department?
 
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Bamboozle said:
It's somewhat amusing to me that everybody does it differently to an extent and for the most part everyone is successful and happy with the system they employ...
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I'm not happy with my "system." It's chaos, and I don't like chaos, but I'm not organized or disciplined to create an organized system. Maybe when I finish listening to all the YouTube music videos.
 
6xAdams(Jones) said:
Speaking of weight, has anyone been able to find Schedule 20 PVC pipe (for central vacuum systems) from which to make cheap and light rod cases? The lightest I can find is Schedule 40, which is really overdoing it from a protection and weight perspective. None of the home improvement DIY places stock schedule 20 pipe since it doesn't meet any plumbing codes for carrying water.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
The rod tube my St. Croix came in was ungodly heavy, so I got some cardboard shipping tubing from the post office, which has top and bottom caps. I cut it to size, removed the sock from the St. Croix tube and installed it in my new tube. I wrapped it with duct tape for added strength, then with packaging tape to make it basically waterproof. This tube is MUCH lighter than the original tube, by far!

I did this because I carry my rod, in it's tube, until I'm actually on the stream. No chance of breaking my rod brush busting, or going up and down embankments, coming or going. I also added a snap hook to attach it to the ring on the back of my vest. It ain't pretty, but it works well.
 

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I will say that I don't carry two rods in while on foot. I could justify more on a boat. If I want to change out rods on a larger stream I will just walk back to the car and swap out there. In the few times I have experimented with carrying in two rods I have found it to be more of a hindrance than a benefit. Two fully assembled rods is a lot to deal with when walking through brush and I am more worried to break or explode a rod considering I have modern thin walled rods. Plus I will have to lay one rod on the bank or in the woods as I fish the other so I will have to walk back and retrieve the other rod. This is especially annoying when working upstream as I don't want to walk downstream and wade through water that I know I won't be fishing.
 
Bamboozle said:
Like you said I BELIEVE central vac systems use Schedule 20 although I could be wrong...

...which would suck (pardon the pun). 😉

Maybe you are looking in the wrong department?
Click to expand...
Yep. Central vac system piping. I think you might have good success finding it at a TSC or the like.

I ended up buying an Aventik fiberglass rod tube off of Amazon. Think it cost me ~$40 and is super light. About 10 oz. It comes in a standard size for a 9' 4 pc or something but cutting it shorter with a mitre saw is a piece of cake. I cut mine down to about 21" which fits most of my 6pc rods.
 
Silent Ocelot said:
I will say that I don't carry two rods in while on foot. I could justify more on a boat. If I want to change out rods on a larger stream I will just walk back to the car and swap out there.
Click to expand...
I generlly carry a 2 of 3 rods: a 7-1/2 ft 4WT an 8' 3WT and an 8-1/2' 4WT. All 6 pc rods. I rarely if ever fish both of them on the same outing but instead I'll hike in, gauge canopy, pick the shorter or longer rod, and leave the other packed up in case I snap a tip off.

Recently, I've broken two tips while hiking in. One I was close enought to the car I doubled back and grabbed a backup ut the other I was way in and it turned a day of fishing into a hike instead.
 
Bamboozle said:
Like you said I BELIEVE central vac systems use Schedule 20 although I could be wrong...

...which would suck (pardon the pun). 😉

Maybe you are looking in the wrong department?
Click to expand...
That's correct. Nobody I know of has installed a central vac system in this area in the last 20 years.
Vacuum PVC is comes up "not available" on all the store websites I've looked at. Nothing at Lowe's or Ace besides the thick stuff. I even looked at Tractor Supply. Online distributors want a minimum order of 100'.
 
6xAdams(Jones) said:
Speaking of weight, has anyone been able to find Schedule 20 PVC pipe (for central vacuum systems) from which to make cheap and light rod cases? The lightest I can find is Schedule 40, which is really overdoing it from a protection and weight perspective. None of the home improvement DIY places stock schedule 20 pipe since it doesn't meet any plumbing codes for carrying water.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Dear 6xAdams,

Look on Amazon for blueprint and poster storage tubes. They are about $ 15.00 or $ 20.00 a piece. I managed to find a telescoping one that holds 2 7'11" St. Croix Mojo Bass 2-piece rods in their rod socks for $ 20.00 a couple of years ago. I checked and it's $ 30.00 now,


You can't drive over it, but it does a fine job of keeping the rods safe in the back of a vehicle. Just pay attention to the dimensions of the tube and you can find a light-weight solution.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
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wildtrout2 said:
The rod tube my St. Croix came in was ungodly heavy, so I got some cardboard shipping tubing from the post office, which has top and bottom caps. I cut it to size, removed the sock from the St. Croix tube and installed it in my new tube. I wrapped it with duct tape for added strength, then with packaging tape to make it basically waterproof. This tube is MUCH lighter than the original tube, by far!

I did this because I carry my rod, in it's tube, until I'm actually on the stream. No chance of breaking my rod brush busting, or going up and down embankments, coming or going. I also added a snap hook to attach it to the ring on the back of my vest. It ain't pretty, but it works well.
Click to expand...
I also carry my rod in the tube while hiking in. Especially on remote and brushy streams which is most my fishing.

My rods are multi sectional and the tubes are short aluminum so they aren't heavy. A Velcro strap around the tube with a ring and a strap for the shoulder and off I go.


It's pretty light but I do like what you came up with. Very neat and purpose driven. I like it.
 
Yesterday I removed about 3 years worth of large size lead shot from my vest, it's considerable weight since I like to walk. Like I was hoarding **** or something.
 
Weight and bulk was my concern, not only to relive stress on my back but to help with balance when wading. I converted to a Richardson Fly box with harness and a small waist pouch. This system work well for me.
 
Anybody use one of those wide back saving wading belts? thinking about something more substantial to get the water and perhaps a net off my back??
 
STONEMAN said:
Anybody use one of those wide back saving wading belts? thinking about something more substantial to get the water and perhaps a net off my back??
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Dear Stoneman,

I have a Simms wading belt that is at least 30 years old. It looks a lot like a weightlifting belt but instead of leather the lumbar pad is closed cell foam covered with nylon.

I've had no issues with it and welcome the extra back support it provides. The bigger problem is I don't think they make it anymore? There are other brands out there, but I don't think the lumbar pad is nearly as rigid as the one on the Simms belt.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
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