Packs & Accessories

The small things that punch above their price, and the organisers that solve a problem you may not have.

What actually matters here

This is the category with the best value per dollar on the site and also the most scope for spending money on nothing. Polarised glasses, a thermometer and a decent pair of nippers change days. A vest with thirty compartments mostly changes how long it takes to find things.

The way to think about a pack is what it costs you to carry, not what it lets you carry. Anything that makes you reluctant to walk another half mile upstream is working against you, and the half mile upstream is frequently where the fish that nobody has cast to are.

A few accessories are genuinely safety items rather than conveniences, and they are worth separating out: eye protection, a wading staff on pushy water, and a net that lets you land a fish quickly rather than playing it to exhaustion.

What to look for

Polarised glasses first. Eye protection from a weighted hook, and the ability to see structure and depth.
A rubber-mesh net if you release fish. It does far less damage than knotted nylon and shortens the fight.
A stream thermometer. Costs very little and tells you where in the river to look.
A pack small enough that you will still take it on the long walk.

When you do not need this

A full vest or a multi-compartment pack can wait. A small sling, or honestly a jacket pocket, covers a first season.

We do not claim to have personally tested gear in this category. Specifications, prices and availability change and are the retailer's to state: check current details with the retailer or manufacturer before buying. How we decide.

Guides that cover this

Any Colorado river, any season

Colorado fly fishing gear checklist

Everything worth having in the car and on your person for a Colorado day, what each item is actually for, and what changes by season.

13 min read

Starting out

A beginner fly fishing setup, without the upsell

What you genuinely need to start, what can wait, and the few places where spending a little more changes your day rather than just your receipt.

12 min read

South Platte, all three sections

What to pack for the South Platte

Three very different stretches of the same river, and what each one asks you to bring. Technical tailwater, open meadow water and a roadside canyon.

11 min read

Other categories

Gear is the third question. Which river, and what it is doing, decide most of it first: start with the river guides or the skills.