The Other Fishing Gear

Beautiful river, but no convenience store nearby...

Everyone has things that they bring along when they head out fishing- rod, reel, tippet, flies, fly boxes, gadgets, etc. When you are in a boat you need to make sure you have PFD's, paddles, anchor, and things of that nature. If you are after big game it helps to have a BogaGrip, big net (or cradle for pike/musky), jaw spreaders and extra hook out tools. Water and snacks are great to have too. But what about other stuff?

What do I mean by other stuff?  Well a first aid kit is a very handy thing to have. After a few seasons of guiding I have found out how useful a few things like bandaids and bite ease can be. Alcohol wipes are great for wounds and for cleaning up things that need to be cleaned (great for getting goop from tape off new items!). I would say that a small first aid kit is something you want to throw into your pack or vest. 

Along with that little first aid kit I carry a pill bottle with some useful stuff in it too. A pile of Advil. Hey, I am almost 41 now and a little Ranger candy is pretty nice to keep the aches and pain at bay for a bit. Clients seem to appreciate having it around too.  There are a few quick dissolve Claritin can really help me out (I am allergic to a ton of stuff) and it can really make a day much more pleasant for a sport with hayfever too. One of the most important goodies in the bottle is Immodium. Is there anything worse than a case of the Hershey squirts when you have waders on? Put a cork in it and keep on fishin'!

Remember to put your undies on right after "The Inevitable"

In a similar vein, The Inevitable will indeed happen. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go. And you want to make damned sure that you have the ability to clean up right? I used to carry a Ziploc with TP in it and that works out fine but I now carry some baby wipes instead. Nothing better than that baby fresh feeling afterward. I also make sure that I have a small bottle of hand sanitizer to go along with it. 

Yea, I am suggesting that you add a little weight to your pack/vest/whatever you carry your gear in. I do like to minimize what I carry when I can, but these things don't weight a lot but can make a huge difference for you or the people you are with (or are guiding).  Just make sure that  your brother isn't around with a camera when you have a situation you need to deal with, otherwise you will end up with something like this: