Fish Pond ‘Arroyo’ Chest Pack
I think this product might just be the cat’s meow for me. I like my vest for its carrying power and classic feel. I can fit 187,250 flies, loads of tippet, floatant, lunch, a jacket and frying pan into it for a week of fishing, but its warm and often far more than needed.
I enjoy using a lanyard for ultra-lite and care free fishing, but I’ve looked for something in between.
A few years ago I purchased a William Joseph hip pack and although its a very nice pack with many conveniences, it doesn’t work for me. I often wade deep and a hip pack doesn’t work for this. The pack gets dunked and my line tends to get hung up on the thing as current and position changes moves it around me.
I had been eyeballing a number of chest packs and finally gave in to the purchase impulse and picked up one of these on the way home yesterday. Stone River Outfitters goes right by the car on the way home and stops for convenience.
Fish Pond 'Arroyo' Chest Pack
Of Upland Birds, Setters and Trout 
A wee bit big for my tastes, but I bet you’ll find the chest pack more convenient than the others. I find the hemastats more reliable clipped to my suspenders and fill my zingers with wet and dry flotant and nippers/eye punch. Like a samadu handy too.
187,250 flies 🙂
I ordered a wheatly 32 door box for my little mayfly pack, but it hasnt come in yet 😦
Fishins been dead around here cept early, wish there was bigger water closer.
Same here with the zingers, but I keep the CDC powder inside.
As far as the size of various chest packs out there, between Bean, Simms and Fish Pond, anyway–this one falls right in the middle.
Those Wheatly boxes are nice. Which one did you order up?
The 32 door one. The other had 16 doors and hooks for wet flies on the other side. Probably get both. I carry a few wet flies in the early spring. Id say the big one, but dont know if they make any bigger ones. I have from now to next April to fill them with assorted caddis, stone and mayfly immitations.
I put my frogs fanny in the old Orvis dry flotant shaker, but broke the clip off of the container. Need to find another one of those orvis containers to clip on to my now empty zinger.
Those boxes are nice. I have a knock off made by Okuma that has 6 doors. I use it for midges and mosquito patterns and such.
Tweasers are pretty much necessary. I have a pair that also has a needle poke.
Started building a tying desk today.
John,
I just bought that same pack and for the same reasons this past spring. I like it but I wear it around my wast and bring it up to my chest in deep water.
I had the same Okuma box John, well 16 not 6 compartments. After about a year or two, Id open it and the doors would spring open shooting flies across the stream. Im hoping the handmade Brit boxes offer a little more than the manufactured oriental ones. A Wheatly enthusiast told me the springs were easier to adjust so hopin so.
The best thing that happened to me this year was accidentally leaving that Okuma box along the stream in a Mtn gorge at nightfall this Spring. Now I dont have to carry around those 100 flies I dont use no more. 🙂
That’s funny…I do have to be careful and make sure that the doors open slowly, otherwise…pop goes the midge fly.
Just as you say.
I’m not quite ready to leave it in the gorge, though.
🙂