Fly Fishing Backpack

I fish some remote locations and needed something that could store my things for a long (11-12 hour) day of fishing.This vest not only had more than ample room for my fishing gear, it has the added backpack which allowed me to pack a full lunch, 4 bottles of water, a thermos of coffee, my eyeglass case and room to store my jacket after it warmed up.There is a special pocket in the main backpack compartment that will accommodate a 100 oz hydration pack with routing from compartment through shoulder strap for the hose.After 11 hours of fishing some rough back country mountain streams, I never felt the weight of my gear!The front vest storage is well thought out in placement, size and functionality.The two front shell type fly storage compartments have slit foam fly inserts that are secured with Velcro for easy removing to load and unload while prepping for your trip.The two front shell pockets drop down and rest in a horizontal table position, giving a nice stable surface for on the stream changing of flies and other tasks.This fishing vest and backpack combo is very comfortable and extremely versatile in adjustments for fit. I comfortably transitioned from wearing a heavy jacket in the morning with low temps to shirt sleeves in the afternoon with minor adjustments of the straps and stowed my jacket in the backpack.Great quality in this vest, with great features and really nice looking too! This is the best purchase I have made in a while in a time where we are often disappointed for things being less than advertised.After spending a week comparing every fishing vest, with and without the backpack feature I could find online, I chose this one as the best fit for what I needed as this was most important to me.Secondly, was the price....unbelievable quality for the price! I would put this up against the bigger names that come with an even bigger price tag just because of the name.I highly recommend this vest!

I am an angler, but I didn't get this for fishing but rather as an alternative for a backpack. I had major back and neck surgery last year and cannot wear a regular backpack without a lot of discomfort. Since my emergency bag is a relatively heavy backpack, I was looking for a compromise wherein the weight was distributed front and back. After reading the reviews and taking note of the durability issues that other buyers reported, I took a chance and ordered it, knowing I could return it if needed. The vest is VERY well-made! I pulled and stretched just about every seam on this thing and it didn't have any slack in the stitching and I could not find one loose thread anywhere! The fabric is thick but not bulky. There are a TON of pockets!!! Sadly, with only a modest amount of weight added to the vest it quickly began to make my shoulders and neck ache - again, I had a LOT of hardware screwed into eight levels of my C & T spine, so there's a whole host of issues I am still dealing with. If I weren't accommodating this condition, I would be delighted to keep this bad boy and use it for fishing and as an alternative to a traditional backpack. The sizing is very versatile, and the adjustments stay where you need them (at least they didn't fail to hold in place with the amount of weight I had in this thing, I can't speak to how well the straps would stay put under a heavier load). I would recommend this for sure!

Sept. 8Overall 4 stars, great buy and super concept. I sport fly fish for steelhead in Ohio and Pa., salmon in NY and stay out all day, so I need everything with me including food, jacket, water and extra gear.First the good stuff - 5 stars... Front vest storage is well thought out in placement, size and operation. The two front shell type fly storage compartments have slit foam inserts, inserts slightly flimsy but do the job. They secure with Velcro for easy removal to load and unload while you change out flies prepping for a trip. Also a nice touch, the two front shell pockets drop down and hinge in a horizontal table position, giving a nice stable surface for on the stream changing of flies, plus a front rod holder loop and Velcro strap to keep your fly rod out of the way while you change leaders, flies, etc. The zippered pockets behind the shell pockets are roomy for a small tackle box, etc. I use to store extra hooks, split-shot, etc.This fishing vest and backpack combo is very comfortable, balances well and is extremely versatile in adjustments for fit on top and sides with plenty of D rings front and back.Now the slightly lower rating 3.5 to 4 stars. The front zipper pull is on the left side, but not a deal breaker. Since I basically backpack all day, I would like to see an even deeper expandable backpack or an extra zippered big section to the backpack. I tend to over-pack, so if you load extra water bottles, food, rain jacket and more small fly boxes, space maxes out quickly. Also, the rod holder chest strap could be a little longer and stronger holding to keep your rod pinned against the vest to change out flies, tippet, etc. Fly rod sometimes pulls out of it while you are opening vest pockets.Overall, very happy with the purchase - a nice fishing vest for the money!Update November 26: Have taken numerous trips with the vest and it performs well. Had one small issue, but Jessie at Maximumcatch responded immediately and fixed the problem. I received excellent customer service, the company backs their products.

I have become a fan of Maxcatch products. All seem to be quite well made and the price is excellent.This vest has more pockets and hooks than I can use right now. It appears to be well put together and has the right pockets easily accessible while in the river/sound/ocean/lake. Two pockets positioned in front have plenty for the day's flies. The other pockets have room for fly boxes and tools as needed.I was a little surprised that it came in its own bag but there was no damage and certainly no real waste in shipping materials. It was in excellent condition.