Ok, I need some advice from you sage fishermen...

I'm trying to decide what is the appropriate amount of gear to wear on your vest or chest pack. Unfortunately fly fishing has more gear than duck hunting and deer hunting combined, and I'm a sucker for gadgets.

Here is what I currently have on my Fishpond Chest Pack,
ATtached to the outside:
Simms Hemostat with curly cord
Fishpond Aluminum snippers on a zinger
Floatant Pouch
Hook File
Leader straightener (rubber)
4 spools of Tippet (3,4,5,6 X) on a tippet post.


Inside I carry
1 Large Orvis floating case
2 Small Orvis Floating cases
strike indicator
Orvis Leader Wallet (3,4,5,6, and sinking leaders)
Tiny LED flash light
Compact First Aid (bare essentials)
Tiny OFF bug spray


OK...what am I missing and what should stay behind in my "other bag"

I go with the flow.
meaning that most of my fishing is done with my mayfly lanyard, on that is hemos, leader straightener, nippers w/ zinger and a few dry flies on the foam. In my shirt pocket is 1 days worth small box, 1/2 drys 1/2 nymphs, other pocket is 1 SA 2 sided box with bass bugs 1 side bream bugs the other.If I leave my fishing comfort zone I take everthing I own.even pack my vise and some tying staples you know, just in case.
sorry I know this doesn't help at all.
kirk

At some point I'm going to need some advice on how to arrange my fly boxes...are there any online guides I can use to Identify what kind of flies I have. Usually when I go to a fly shop, the kind gentlemen picks out 12-15 flies and tells me that these are the "winning ticket"...I think I can tell the different types, but not positive!

I'm starting to amass an assorment of dries, nymphs, streamers, and other!

for me, and I love to learn the hard way, after all I am an AGGIE.

get a fly tying book, something that covers the basic flies.

as far as fly location in the box, I go left to right, smallest size first.
Ex. 18# hares ear(5 of them) then 14 hares ear(5 again) and so on.
this seems to work and helps with the super small flies.
kirk

There's the right way, wrong way and Aggie Way...

I'll try yours!

Hey FloatAg96, you'll probably get a ton of suggestions. In terms of gear, I think that your list pretty much has it covered. The main thing for me is comfort - if the chest pack starts getting too full and heavy, then I'm not a happy flycaster. As for organizing the flies, I use different colored boxes for dries, nymphs, and streamers and then organize them as kirkw mentioned. Then, I have one small box that fits in my small chest pack to put a day's worth of favorites flies (if I have time to pre-plan). Hope that this helps.

Well sir,

I believe that you have a pretty good list there. The only thing I did not see was some kind of a patch to put flies on after using. Not that that is a 100% requirement but its a nicety that I enjoy.

The point about building up stuff until it gets uncomfotable and then starting to unload has validity. The whole gear thing can be in a state of constant evolution. I have been shifting through various chest packs and vests and bags over the years.

Having a bare bones setup, a full-blown set up, a boat setup (lots of stuff can wait in a bag while in a boat) a Texas way hot summertime weather set up and being able to use any one of them is a good idea.

now that leader straightener, you ought to just get shed of that for good and go instead with some of THIS

I just started reading John Gierach's Trout Bum and he has a chapter about this very topic