by Scott Bruno
(New Jersey)
This past weekend I tried for the first time my brand new ZimmerBuilt Sling pack lite -- and I loved it.
Previously I had been using a large and bulky waist pack that held a lot of gear (most unnecessary) which I had to completely remove to gain access to, or just take off when I found a spot to fish and leave on the bank. Not so with the Sling Lite. In fact, I never took it off all day. Besides almost forgetting I was wearing it, I simply unhooked one strap, swung it around to get what I needed, and flipped it back. I could even remove and replace my rod this way.
I picked the Lite for a reason: I wanted to force myself to just bring the basics which the pack did admirably. But I could in a pinch stuff a shell or fleece inside if I needed to.
The trip this weekend required quite a bit of scrambling up and down banks and having both hands free (the beauty of a tenkara rod) and a very slim pack behind me was a tremendous benefit. I highly recommend it. Although a bit expensive, this is a piece of gear your grandkids will use some day.
Footnote: I also used for the first time the Nakazima Ball Floats. I've used every indicator in the world and these were best by far: easy to see, easy to re-locate, easy on the tippet.
“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.
The hooks are sharp.
The coffee's hot.
The fish are slippery when wet.
Beware of the Dogma