Vest evaluationThe

The Apr. issue of "FLY ROD AND REEL" featured an evaluation of fishing vests
and to my surprise it found a lot of fault with all the vests made by Simms.
The vests that seemed to get author Ted Lesson's seal of approval were the
Cabala's AFT and the LL Bean's Magalloway. I was somewhat surprised because
of the good performance I've experienced from the Simms products I own.

I usually have to pack in a good long walk from my car and fight through
rough country so my chest pack and creel
give me some problems. The creel starts loaded with wading jacket, water and
snack or lunch and snags up on the brush and ends underwater during some of
my wading.

Cooler days I use my starter vest , the WHITE RIVER 34 pocket model from
BASS PROSHOP but I'd like to move up to something better.

Could you guys please share your thoughts on the FLY ROD & REEL of the SIMMS
vests and tell me what you think of the Cabalas AFT and LL Bean Magalloway.

Also are the Orvis vests a good value for the money?


Lou

I have the Cabelas AFT and like it .. comfortable and a layout that suits
what I carry.

I have the Simms Mesh Vest (old style with large vertical pockets) and the
Cabelas Deluxe Chest Vest. I also have a small chest pack that was made
locally by a friend. I like all of them.

I got my girlfriend the William Joseph Coastal chest vest and was most
impressed. It was a fine piece of work. However, if money is an issue, then
I'd go with the Cabelas Deluxe Chest Vest which is on sale now for $30.

My suggestion is to try on a number of vest at a fly shop and see how you
like them. Alternately, you could borrow a friend's vest which you like to
see how it carries the weight.

-John

I have two Simms vests and they are both perfect. And durable.

bruce h

John

I'm taking a trip down into civilization later this month and plan on
visiting some outfitters to try some vests but it seems to me that the vest
in the shop and the same vest with 10-14 pounds of gear stuffed inside might
be very different experiences.

Cost is really not a problem, I just want a good vest. I have a good chest
pack already,,,

Thanks for the advice and sharing your experiences.

Lou
"JohnR" wrote in message
link.net...

I have the Simms Mesh Vest (old style with large vertical pockets) and the
Cabelas Deluxe Chest Vest. I also have a small chest pack that was made
locally by a friend. I like all of them.

I got my girlfriend the William Joseph Coastal chest vest and was most
impressed. It was a fine piece of work. However, if money is an issue,
then
I'd go with the Cabelas Deluxe Chest Vest which is on sale now for $30.

My suggestion is to try on a number of vest at a fly shop and see how you
like them. Alternately, you could borrow a friend's vest which you like to
see how it carries the weight.

-John

Brusier

The FLY ROD AND REEL EVALUATION suggested that the Simms Vertical's collar
is irritating under heavy loads and that their Guide Vest has a problem
because their are no small accessory pockets. Any thoughts about that?

I use Simms Waders and boots and am vest satisfied so I'm interested in what
others things of the vests and why/

Lou
"bruiser" wrote in message
...
I have two Simms vests and they are both perfect. And durable.

bruce h

Louis Owen wrote:

I'm taking a trip down into civilization later this month and plan on
visiting some outfitters to try some vests but it seems to me that the vest
in the shop and the same vest with 10-14 pounds of gear stuffed inside might
be very different experiences.

Which is one reason it's good to try on a bunch of vests in a shop
rather than one-at-a-time, hit-or-miss by mail order. A good shop (one
that trusts you, anyway g) will let you fill the vest with a bunch of
FFing impedimenta and see how it feels.

But "10-14 pounds"??? Sure you need a vest and not a Sherpa?

JR

JR

A couple of water bottles, a rain jacket, fly boxes, tools, lunch, wading
staff and before long 10 pounds is achieved

Most of the places I fish right now are "between the bridges where few
trouble to go and are good long hike in from the nearest passable logging
road so if you figure walking in and out plus time on the rivers a few
pounds of gear isn't so bad. I often tote a GPS and since a heart attack a
couple of years back and a broken leg last year I tote a cell phone. They
seem like a good security blanket.

I'll take your advice. I'll be in GrandRapids MI, later this month and they
have an Orvis shop in town and a outfitter called the Great Lakes Fly
fishing Co. 20 miles out of town, I look both over. Any opinion on Orvis
vests?

Lou
"JR" wrote in message ...
Louis Owen wrote:

I'm taking a trip down into civilization later this month and plan on
visiting some outfitters to try some vests but it seems to me that the
vest
in the shop and the same vest with 10-14 pounds of gear stuffed inside
might
be very different experiences.

Which is one reason it's good to try on a bunch of vests in a shop
rather than one-at-a-time, hit-or-miss by mail order. A good shop (one
that trusts you, anyway g) will let you fill the vest with a bunch of
FFing impedimenta and see how it feels.

But "10-14 pounds"??? Sure you need a vest and not a Sherpa?

JR

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 15:15:40 -0400, "Louis Owen"
wrote:
Lou
"JR" wrote in message ...
Louis Owen wrote:

I'm taking a trip down into civilization later this month and plan on
visiting some outfitters to try some vests but it seems to me that the
vest
in the shop and the same vest with 10-14 pounds of gear stuffed inside
might
be very different experiences.

Which is one reason it's good to try on a bunch of vests in a shop
rather than one-at-a-time, hit-or-miss by mail order. A good shop (one
that trusts you, anyway g) will let you fill the vest with a bunch of
FFing impedimenta and see how it feels.

But "10-14 pounds"??? Sure you need a vest and not a Sherpa?

A couple of water bottles, a rain jacket, fly boxes, tools, lunch, wading
staff and before long 10 pounds is achieved

Most of the places I fish right now are "between the bridges where few
trouble to go and are good long hike in from the nearest passable logging
road so if you figure walking in and out plus time on the rivers a few
pounds of gear isn't so bad. I often tote a GPS and since a heart attack a
couple of years back and a broken leg last year I tote a cell phone. They
seem like a good security blanket.

I'll take your advice. I'll be in GrandRapids MI, later this month and they
have an Orvis shop in town and a outfitter called the Great Lakes Fly
fishing Co. 20 miles out of town, I look both over. Any opinion on Orvis
vests?

I've been using the shorty version of the Orvis "Super Tack-L-Pack" (or
something like that) since they came out a couple of decades ago. About as
comfortable as seriously over-loaded vests go, no neck chafe (important!)
otherwise no big whoop.

Just for grins I just put my vest with a typical load (net attached, but no
rain gear stashed inside the back, and I tuck my water bottle in my wader
pocket) on the bathroom scale and it's reading around 9.5 pounds, so figure
somewhere between 8 and 11 anyway...

/daytripper (8 in the morning, 11 at the end of the day ;-)

daytripper wrote in
:

/daytripper (8 in the morning, 11 at the end of the day ;-)

You're not losing enough flies!

Scott