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3. Fishpond switchback waist pack.

I'm thinkig of getting the Fishpond switchback waist pack. I presently use a Umpqua 1200 sling pack. I like it , but it's bulky, and your shoulder gets tired from the sling after awhile.Does any one use or has tried the Fishpond switchback. pro's and con's. thank you.

Hello Hunter,

I'm old school and in my opinion nothing comes even close to good organization of fly boxes, leaders, tippet, sunglasses, you name it than a good vest. Not a piece of junk but a vest designed by fly fishers. Simms, Orvis, Cabela's products. Every box and item has a specific place not just a couple of partitions where you have to scrounge through whatever is in that section. Maybe a sling is good if you only carry one or two fly boxes. However I always carry at least five fly boxes and only a vest has a pocket for each box.

I don't have the Fishpond Switchback, but I do have a larger sling pack from Fishpond. It's a quality piece of gear and thoughtfully designed.

Like Wbranch, I prefer a vest for much of my fishing, especially that which takes place on larger trout streams where hatches may need to be matched. However, I also do many trips where only 1-2 fly boxes are needed, for example on small streams or when targeting a particular species in Alaska, and a sling pack is really nice for that kind of thing.

Thanks Troutnut, I'm in MD, I only fish a few river, and streams and creeks here and in PA. 2 Box's do me fine, drys, nymps, terrestail, I'm good to go. I keep all the other box's I don't use in my wader bag. I have had a couple of fishpond products and still use them. There tough to beat. I recieved it today, looks good , feels great on me. Tight lines.

After reading a glowing review from a guide, I bought and have been using a William Joseph ultralight chest pack for many years. It holds 6 fly boxes front and back, when needed, though I typically don't carry that many. I like its light weight and the way it keeps my boxes dry when I wade deep. Over the years I've found a good spot for all the tools I need too. Too bad they don't make this pack anymore. I've repaired mine many times, sewing in new zippers, fixing holes, epoxying the magnetic clasps when they cracked, and recently applying a thin coat of fabric glue to wear areas to reinforce them. A few years back, when the zippers broke, I bought a fancy Simms Zerosweep chest pack system, with the backpack, etc., and I use it when I really have to carry a lot, plus a rain jacket, such as during Green Drake season on Penns Creek, but I come back to the little chest pack for most of my fishing. Not sure what I'll do when it wears out for good and can't be fixed. But that may not happen before I hang up my waders for good. I guess we all find what works best for the kind of fishing we do.