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Trying To Travel Light

David Potter

David Potter

Senior Member
Going fishing tomorrow with someone from this site who shall remain nameless for the time being, but where he is taking me requires a walk with all your gear of about 1500 mtrs, just spent 2 hours trying to cut down my gear as I like to have all the comforts of a sofa and kitchen sink etc.

To my horror I weighed my lead and feeder bag and it weighed 4 KG !
I also normally take 2 spare rods and of course 2 spare reels and spools
Enough bait for a week, at least 200 hooks,boots ,waders,2 landing nets, enough bank sticks to have a spear throwing completion, maybe 100 floats,2 large shot dispensers,……..it just goes on and on and on.

Anyway I have really cut it down to the bone but it feels scary that I havnt got enough gear

Any advice ?

Dave
 
Jason McAdam said:
Buy a Barrow:D
Click to expand...

Too many stiles Jas;)

Dave, my ruckbag consists of bits pouch,unhooking mat,scales,camera,flask and the days food(i dont take alot though). My quiver holds my rod,landing net,banksticks and brolly. the chair go's over my shoulder aswell on a strap so that just leaves my bait bucket to carry in my hands:D

1500 meters isn't that far and the thought of that 3ft twitch normally keeps me going:D
 
Do you really need a chair? I carry a piece of camping mat (the original Karrimat) which is comfy and has good insulation properties.
 
The korum lightweight chair and ruckbag are tailor made for fishing light, but taking most items you will need. So glad autumn's here as the heavest thing was my bait bucket, and that was heavy. Now the ral fishing begins nd all the practising before now take place.
 
Anthony Pearson said:
Do you really need a chair?
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Probably not - but i wouldn't go without mine! It only weighs 2.9kg which is hardly a burden for that lovely comfy back rest after a long walk.

My kit is similar to Mark's but i carry 2 rods n reels - the second being the spare these days although i do occasionally fish with both at the same time. I've also ditched the brolly for most of the season although it will be coming out with me tomorrow!

David - don't be scared, it is a perfectly normal responce from an angler who has had to remove items from his normal kit! Console yourself with the thought that you probably don't need it anyway - and if you do run out of something you can borrow it from the nameless chap!
 
.

I try and look at it by asking myself "what i normaly use." Carrying a brolly is a pain, i don't mind getting wet but sitting all day in the rain isn't for me and makes rolling a cig hard work..
 
I took my whole ruck sack today and on the way home I got to thinking just what did I use out of the sack. One 2oz lead one baiting needle two bait bands a sandwhich and drink of water. I could have fit the lot in one pocket of my fishing suit. My other heavy item was my bait bucket but with the weather getting cooler I'll be taking less bait too.
 
Why not take one rod and reel ?
Your pal should tell you what type you need.
They very rarely break if at all.
Try it,the concentration and thought provacation is absorbing when your focus is on the one rod.
 
I'm with Mark on this. I've caught more fish with just the one rod than I ever did with two. If I'm travaling a long way from home I do take two just in case of a mishap but still only fish with one.
 
Most sessions i will travel light so i can fish several swims. 1 rod 2 rests landing net handle all in quiver. Then the rest is in my ruck bag with the korum net on the back. I sit on my unhooking mat which fits in the ruck bag, along with a poncho in case it rains.
 
This thread takes me back a few weeks where I used to go with my luggage bag 7 drawer match box 6 rod holdall and bivvy. Then I decided to get shut of the lot and start again two fantastic rods two fantastic reels bait bucket korum xl rucksack and two rod total protection and a defender brolly system. And just the things I need for the job I.e net and net pole, pod, scales, bits bag with hooks,needles,line and feeders etc And when I look back I laugh at how I used to take things like pop up foam, floats, 5 reels, 12mtr pole bivvy and brolly plus loads more stuff that I never used from new.
 
I tend to take more than I need when static fishing but when I use my favorite method of rolling meat, all I have is rod/reel, fold up landing net, a fox bum bag which holds bait, scales, camera, spare hooks etc, bottle of juice & the unhooking mat which tucks down the strap of the bum bag & makes a nice back protector.
I will plan a route so after 3 - 4 hours I will be back to the car for coffee & food, top up with bait & juice then off again, a lovely way of fishing..:)
 
I agree, I bought a cotswold aquarius roamer bag. It's big enough, but not so big you can take too much, though I struggled to get a large bottle of water in it in the summer, which was a pain.
 
Dean Aston said:
just buy a smaller bag then you Cant over do it. Bigger the bag more gear you take
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Exactly!!!! Iv only got the xl rucksack because I very rarely go for a day I normally go for a full weekend.
 
Hello David,
The older I get the more weight I try to loose, personally, and from the tackle bag.
Ditch the big fishing brolly and get a good golf type brolly, they are very light weight, and cheap. I find mine keeps me dry enough with my bags and bait pulled tight to my chair. It is so easy to put up and take down.
Get a smaller flask as they really weigh heavy.
I went through my kit and found a lot of stuff that had not been used all season, but might be useful one day! leave it at home.
Only take a range of weights that will suit the river conditions on the day.
Get the JRC light weight chair at just a shade over 3Kg.
If in doubt you can always leave some thing in the car, after all it is only a 10 minute walk with out the kit.
ATB
Colin
 
Thanks Guys for all the advice,
I bought a new korum quiver,only took a golfing umbrella,couple of bank sticks,
a few leads and feeders and the usual essential stuff.
Carried the heavy chair all the way and never sat on it ! Swim was too tight for a chair so just sat the unhooking mat.
In the end it wasnt a problem at all,and caught plenty of fish as well.
But it will be no supprise to you to know that there was a small tackle shop in the boot of my car .......just in case
Dave
 
Dave, if you only had a few leads and feeders what was it that filled that rucksack up? :) i should of told you that there was no need for the seat really :)
 
Colin Bridger said:
Hello David,
The older I get the more weight I try to loose, personally, and from the tackle bag.
Ditch the big fishing brolly and get a good golf type brolly, they are very light weight, and cheap. I find mine keeps me dry enough with my bags and bait pulled tight to my chair. It is so easy to put up and take down.
Get a smaller flask as they really weigh heavy.
I went through my kit and found a lot of stuff that had not been used all season, but might be useful one day! leave it at home.
Only take a range of weights that will suit the river conditions on the day.
Get the JRC light weight chair at just a shade over 3Kg.
If in doubt you can always leave some thing in the car, after all it is only a 10 minute walk with out the kit.
ATB
Colin
Click to expand...

Hi Colin,

I am intrigued by your 'golfing brolly' idea. As that type of brolly is designed to be hand held, it has a short pole, so no spike or any other means of being secured in any way. How on earth do you land a fish on a wet, windy day? I am trying to envisage holding a brolly in one hand while trying to play and land a fish with the other :D Even collapsing the brolly to get it out of the way once a bite occurrs is not something I would want to try doing, because my normal reaction is to hit a bite instantly...even a cup of tea ends up everywhere...but you can't just drop a brolly on a windy day :D

Just interested in how you cope, because I am well into this loosing some of the weight bit.

Cheers, Dave.
 
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