Packing

It’s always a challenge to pack light, and it’s especially challenging to pack light for a four month trip.

In these final days of preparation we are making piles on top of folding tables looking at our gear and deciding what needs to go and what can be shorn from the list. 

Lynnette, who did her first four-day international trip with me to the Bahamas eight years ago with a giant, stuffed suitcase AND big carry on showed me her pile last night.  It could fit into a small carry on-size stroller bag  you’ve come a long way, baby  

Fly fishing can be a very gear intense sport  If one chooses it to be  

Back in 1983 I remember going to the San Juan river in New Mexico with my vest overflowing with gear, accessories, fly boxes and a net on my back. I had the latest in neoprene wader technology and wading boots plus all the right clothing. I chose from one of four precious premium fly rods and headed to the river. There I encountered a very friendly local who was wet waiting in his jeans and faded clothing. He had an old fiberglass low-grade fly rod & reel, a tattered line, an untapered leader full of knots and a snuff tin full of crude San Juan Worms & sinkers. And he was catching fish. I remember that man during moments like this when I am trying to pack 10 pounds of crap into a 5 pound box.

The Orvis order consisting mostly of fresh Tippet & leader and a bunch of awesome tacky fly boxes showed up simultaneously with an order from Montana Fly Company consisting of about 2000 flies. The folks at MFC were great to work with. 

You see, in Alaska, trout and char pretty much focus on food sources that are salmon-based. Eggs, decayed salmon flesh and baby salmon. While we throw a lot of streamer patterns to imitate baby salmon, sculpins and lampreys, we don’t do much classic nymphing and dry fly fishing. I needed some bugs for this trip.  Being out of the ”classic” trout fly game for years, this was an intimidating chore. While casting about for suggestions of patters to bring  I just called MFC and asked: ”what are your South American customers buying?”.  They simply duplicated an order placed by another gringo for a similar adventure a couple years ago. A quick glance at the order proposal caused me to ask them for a few San Juan worms and I told them to send it. 

I spent yesterday sorting through my ancient collection of flies. Tossing old rusty ones cleaning out old fly boxes and arranging those that were saved with the new. The flies from MFC are some of the best quality I have ever seen. I had to trust that the selection would be good because I really didn’t know the funny names of the patterns (i.e. so-and so’ s Dungeon) as they showed on the proposal. The selection is extraordinarily comprehensive. The flies are now sorted and tucked away. My fingers are raw from sorting 2500 of them. I am very excited to see that there are lots of hopper and cicada patterns. There are also a few boxes of mice thrown in which are a real surprise.

Now, off to the fly shop to wind fresh lines.