BACKWATER VEST PACK
Scott Mitchell tries on a versatile Fishpond vest-pack.

I have been looking for an alternative to a fishing vest for quite a while, for those times when you need to carry more. This is often the case when you set off on a day’s fishing and don’t want to return to the car or boat for the whole day.

I had seen some good reviews on the Fishpond Backwater Vest Pack in various US publications, so I contacted Fishpond to see if I could arrange a trial unit to use on a planned trip to Tahiti. The pack arrived just in time and I have to say, after wearing it for a week wading remote coral flats, it’s fantastic.

Fishpond has really put some thought into the design of this pack, with a space for everything. The front of the pack features two large pockets which perfectly hold the popular C&F waterproof fly-boxes. You then have two fold down zippered flap pockets in front of these with built in, removable foam fly holders—ideal when changing flies out on the water and keeping your used salt-water flies separated so you can rinse the salt off the used ones at the end of the day. There are also internal accessory pockets for tippet material, hook-hones, pliers etc.

The back of the pack features 2 large pockets, with the inside one designed to carry a hydration bladder (not included) up to three litres in capacity. I bought a Nalgien bladder with insulated liner and patented ‘bite-me’ drink valve, which we can now offer with the packs as well. There are also small holding loops to keep the mouth piece tube out of the way. The outside back pocket is large enough to hold rain gear, warm jacket, camera, lunch etc—there is no shortage of space in this pack.

There are mesh compartments on the sides along with tie downs and built in rod/tube holder. The adjustment system has been well thought out with plenty of adjustable sliding straps to get the perfect fit and keep you comfortable all day. Wearing a chest/back pack also means you are less likely to get your gear wet (camera etc) when wading a little deeper—a real trap when wearing a standard bum bag/fanny pack.

The Fishpond Backwater Vest Pack retails at $269.95 and is available from The Alpine Angler: ph 02 6452 5538. Australian distributor is Mayfly Tackle: phone 03 9899 0034.