This is a consistent problem that besets me each year that I must share so you avoid it and devise a more organized response. I appear hopelessly dysfunctional. I appear of late to carry every available piece of fly fishing gear with me…in the rig. Trout gear (two 3 wts. with reels; two 5 wts. with reels; spare spools and lines for the four reels; one 8 wt. and rod with reel for steelhead; flies for stillwaters and for rivers; spey rods and reels and the assorted heads/tips and flies; leader construction materials from 3.5# to 45#; pliers, nippers, clippers, files, chest packs, ass packs, ……………well the list goes on and on. How in the hell did I get my self into this mess?

There is a lack of maintaining materials in simple bags or boxes that are for my three distinct targets: stillwater trout, river trout and  steelhead/salmon AND keeping them that way. The universal items of nippers, pliers, files, headlamp etc. can be kept in one main place. The rest of your gear cannot get co-mingled. It waste time and leads to forgotten items. Of course, I have, it seems, all of my stuff with me so it is only slightly better than remembering I left something at home.

The biggy is flies & boxes. Many dozen fly boxes. I have tied so many awesome patterns that I can rarely settle on a few for river fishing. It is easier, for me, for lakes.Every river can be different as to hatches, so studying a river’s hatches and at what time of year can reduce the total flies carried on an outing. You don’t need those March Browns in August.

So, minimize, organize, put stuff away and if time lapses between outings, then never assume what you used four months ago is good to go….take a look before you leave home. Always Prepared can be a curse at times. Being prepared for yourself is hard enough. Being prepared for your kids, partners or significant others adds additional organizational skills for extended trips.  Oh, remember the TP, just in case.