I was intrigued by Six Flies Revisited by John Berry in the August 2006 issue of Tight Lines and Tall Tails. Having been guided by John, I can personally attest to his knowledge of the rivers and fly patterns for Arkansas. This article made me think, which is exactly what a well-written column is supposed to do.
The reason this article by Mr. Berry stuck a chord with me is because of the simplicity and reorganization of the fly selection for maximum efficiency. These are the productive patterns that will work on the Norfork and White. John has streamlined his fly box to carry essential flies, totaling six patterns, which will work for the area waters he fishes and guides. I figured I would take his advice and look into doing the same with both my fly boxes and vest. Get organized and simplify.
So, I ask myself a simple question. Why in the world do I carry all those other flies? Why do I stuff my vest or pack with superfluous items? The answer is…just in case.
The problem with “just in case” is that you never know when it will strike. It is sneaky that way. I tend to carry quite a lot of “just in case” stuff when I fish.
For example, I carry a few feet of Amnesia in case I break off a front loop connector. I have used a Whitlock connection by running the Amnesia into the fly line and then nail knotting the end. I then apply Zap-A-Gap to the connection. I sincerely doubt that this connection will ever fail, but just in case, I carry extra materials. By preparing for this potential, but unlikely event, I will carry other items that will be needed to make repairs. If I loose the front loop connector, then I will need a new leader and tippet as well. Everyone should carry extra leaders and tippet and maybe, a front loop replacement. This is just common sense. But I tend to over-think situations.
I emptied out my vest and took a look at condensing my items. I am trying my best to keep in mind that I am trying to lighten my load.
O.K., fly boxes. I will leave them for later. Condensing flies is a project for a later date. I will try to follow John’s advice, but I will deal with that later. I have way too many patterns to go through. Maybe I will do this next month.
So, start with the vest. Let’s see what is inside… Split shot. Always useful. Definitely need to keep that. I am missing a few sizes so better get some more. Next item: strike indicators. I need to keep these. Let’s see…Styrofoam and yarn. Could use a little more yarn. Fly floatant. I can’t be without this. Hemostats. A must. Better carry an extra pair, just in case… Nippers. Again, a must. What’s next? A knife. Could prove useful. Better keep it. Knot tying tool. Definitely need this.
Is it me, or is this vest getting heavier?
Sunscreen, bug repellant, and a small first aid kit. Better keep these, as you never know when they might come in handy. Flashlight. I can’t be stumbling around in the dark. Whistle and wading staff. Safety items I shouldn’t be without. Compass. For those of you who know me, my sense of direction is usually limited to up and down, so a compass would be handy when I get lost. Rain jacket. A required item. Especially this time of year with afternoon pop-up thunderstorms. Lighter and matches. Don’t smoke, but good to have in the event of emergency, just in case.
How am I going to stuff all this into my vest?
Tippet. Better carry a wide range for almost any fishing situation. 3X to 7X should do it. Leaders. I don’t know what situations will occur, so better carry a few 4X, 5X and 6X nine foot leaders. I can always make them into 7½ foot leaders by cutting off a foot and a half. Waterproof bag. Very nice in the event I take an unscheduled swim. Better put my wallet and keys in here.
Oh, well. So much for condensing… - Robert Prytula
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