Thursday, July 24, 2014

Travel Fly Fishing Bag: Review

If you fly fish, you know that it can be expensive.  It doesn't have to be, but for some reason it is.  And going on a trip seems to be an excuse to buy things you really don't need.  My trip to Yellowstone proved to be one of those trips.  The actual trip was inexpensive, but of course, I had to get a new reel and something to safely transport my gear for the flight.  I spent weeks trying to find a solution.  Naturally, there are options that don't require much cost.  You can carry your rods and reels on the flight, and put your gear in a regular suitcase or duffel bag.  I've done it that way for years. Still, I wanted something specific for this trip and future trips.

When I travel I like to take at least three rods.  Ideally, I want something that can hold at least a weeks worth of gear, to include basically everything I need for my trip, including clothes, wading boots, waders, etc.  I was hoping for a bag that I could use each day we left the hotel to keep my gear relatively organized. As I researched different options I found three that I thought were pretty good:   
1. Cabella's Alaskan Guide: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Alaskan-Guide-Model-Wheeled-Duffels/746883.uts?productVariantId=1637246&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=27-348444687-2&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=02710812&rid=40.  
2. William Joseph Terrestrial: http://www.williamjoseph.net/gear.php?userChoice=Terrestrial
3. G. Loomis Rolling Travel Duffel: http://www.gloomis.com/publish/content/gloomis_2010/us/en/fly/accessories/bags.html
At first, I had the W. Joseph at the top of my list.  Keep in mind, I couldn't put my hands on these bags, so I was at a disadvantage.  The W. Joseph just didn't look rugged enough, and I've never used their products before, so I never pulled the trigger. Then, I settled on the Cabela's Alaskan Guide rolling duffel.  This bag looks like a tank. Being from Alaska I was very tempted.  I was a little concerned about the weight, and some of the reviews indicated that durability might be an issue.  Still, I had made my decision and went to place the order online about a week prior to my trip.  As luck would have it, I tried to order, but I couldn't get it delivered on time.  I decided at that point to save the money and not worry about it.  
 Two days before I left on my trip to Yellowstone I stopped by the flyshop in Blue Ridge, Georgia.  As I was getting ready to pay for my new Lamson reel I spotted the G. Loomis bag on the floor. Being able to actually check out the bag made a huge difference.  I made the purchase and then put it to the test.
I packed up and had plenty of room for all of my gear. Waders, boots, multiple reels, 3 rods, multiple fly boxes, clothes, etc.  I was a little nervous checking my bag.  Once in Montana, I used the bag everyday.  While the other folks in my group had their gear strung all about in the SUV, I was able to keep organized.  I can't say enough about the bag. It's perfect.  The two zippered sections for wading boots are separated and water proof, so you can put wet boots in the bag and everything else stays dry.  If you're looking for a really nice travel bag for all of your fishing gear, check out the G. Loomis bag: