What's In Your Daypack?

by John Evans
(San Antonio, TX)

What do you carry in your daypack for a morning’s worth of fishing? We’re not talking about a backpacking expedition in the remote mountains here. I’m thinking about the common trip most of us are able to take on the spur of the moment . . . when the mood strikes us . . . and we have the urge to fish. Think about a little day trip to your favorite stream.

I thought it might be cool to list what I usually carry along and then compare it with fellow tenkara anglers. So, here goes, in no particular order . . .

The pack is the superb ZimmerBuilt Tenkara Guide Sling that receives constant use and is still in like-new condition. You gotta get one of these from Chris Stewart if you don’t already have one because it’s a wonderful piece of gear! The more I use it, the more I like it.

Two of the excellent rods that I carry from TenkaraBum include the Suntech GM Keiryu Special 27 and the Nissin Zerosum 360.

Next, comes the necessary water supply. For a quick morning jaunt, I love my Sawyer mini-filter, one full water bladder, plus an empty spare should I actually need to filter some stream water.
I also carry one tiny, plastic fly box stuffed with Utah Killer Bugs, Herb’s Black Thread-and-Hen, some Czech Nymphs, some Elk Hair Caddis, and an assortment of black foam beetles and red ant patterns.

I always carry along a mint tin of emergency items, such as antiseptic wipes, a fire starter, a tube of antibiotic cream, some band-aids, medical tape, gauze, over-the-counter pain pills, sunscreen, and a little gizmo called a “Splinter Out” to remove splinters. If I get a splinter in my hand, it bothers me all morning until I take it out.

Next, I have a small waterproof pouch for my cell-phone, keys, fishing license, wallet, and Nikon Coolpix camera.

Attached to the strap of the guide sling I have nippers, floatant, and hemostats on a zip line.
Miscellaneous items include peanuts, an emergency rain poncho, two spare tenkara lines, two spools of tippet, and a container of mummy worms.

All of these items are comfortable and comforting. What an angler carries in his daypack evolves over time as he discovers what he does and doesn’t need. For example, right now I don’t use a net, but that could change in the future. These are the items that work for me.

So, what’s in your daypack?

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.

Seriously, all the hooks sold on TenkaraBum.com, whether packaged as loose hooks or incorporated into flies, are dangerously sharp. Some have barbs, which make removal from skin, eyes or clothing difficult. Wear eye protection. Wear a broad-brimmed hat. If you fish with or around children, bend down all hook barbs and make sure the children wear eye protection and broad-brimmed hats. Be aware of your back cast so no one gets hooked.

Also, all the rods sold on TenkaraBum.com will conduct electricity. Do not, under any circumstances, fish during a thunder storm. Consider any fishing rod to be a lightning rod! Fishing rods can and do get hit by lightning!