There’s nothing worse than wading out into the perfect spot on the river only to find you’ve forgotten some mundane but important piece of gear. One of the easiest ways to eliminate this potential problem is by using a flying fishing vest.
These ingenious devices allow you to carry all the important bits of gear with you out into the current. The best fly fishing vests offer everything you could possibly need at the tips of your fingers. Let’s take a look at some of the top rated vests on the market.
Top 5 Rated Fly Fishing Vest Reviews
| Name of Product | Comfort | Storage | Durability | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglatech Premium Quality | High | Moderate | Moderate | $$ |
| Maxcatch Fly Fishing Vest Pack | High | High | High | $$ |
| Master Sportsman 26 Pocket | High | High | High | $$ |
| North Star Sports | High | High | High | $$ |
| Allen Gallatin Ultra Light | High | Moderate | Moderate | $$ |
- The comfort is rated from low to high.
- The storage is rated from low to high.
- The durability is rated from low to high.
Anglatech Premium Quality Fly Fishing Vest
Anglatech’s fishing vest features multiple pockets and pouches for storing your fishing gears. These multiple pockets are divided into large pockets, small pockets as well as mesh pockets so you can compartmentalize your gear according to your preference so you can find them easily when needed during fishing.
Apart from that, this product is well-constructed and has a good quality hence maintaining its durability in the long run. It is also very comfortable to wear for a long period of time as the weight of the gear are distributed evenly across your chest and shoulders hence you won’t be straining your back and shoulder.
This fly fishing vest is free-size hence anybody with different sizes can wear the vest to a perfect fit simply by adjusting the shoulder strap. The straps are all well-padded to provide you with maximum comfort and reduce the tension on your shoulders when wearing the vest loaded with your fishing gears.
Furthermore, the weight is light by itself so it won’t weigh you down or restrict your movement when fishing or travelling. The cord pull on this fly fishing vest zipper on the other hand reduces the noise when zipping open and close your pocket and allow for easy access to load and unload your fishing gear.
The mesh at the back of the vest allows air circulation and better ventilation to keep your cool on hot days as the heat won’t be accumulated on your vest. Also, this product is user-friendly as it comes with additional accessories compartment such as a drink holder which comes in handy especially if you spend long hours fishing.
The foam fly holders however are not tightly glued to the fold out pocket but you can remove it and put the flies in a small fly box instead and put that box in one of the larger pockets of your vest for safe-keeping.
Suitable for :
- Back mesh on vest
- Zipper cord pull
- Drink holder
Maxcatch Fly Fishing Vest Pack
Maxcatch’s fly fishing vest consist of mainly 3 components which are the mesh vest, backpack and a sling pack all combined together to become one fly fishing vest. The mesh vest assists in dissipating heat and keep you cool during a hot day, the backpack consists of a combined traditional fishing vest and technical backpack and lastly.
The sling pack on the other hand provides great shoulder and hip support to carry your fishing gear mainly by accessing the inner space. Therefore, it gives you ample room for the storage of your fishing gear while the added backpack can be used to store food or drinks or your basic needs for example.
Besides that, this product features 2 shell pockets with fly patches. In other words, this shell pockets contain slit fly foam inserts that are secured with Velcro for easy removing when loading and unloading your flies. These pockets are also huge so you can put in plenty storage with ease.
This fly fishing wear is user-friendly in which it can fit almost anyone simply by adjusting the provided shoulder strap to fit your body as the vest has plenty of room. Plus, the shoulder straps are comfortable as well as easily adjustable.
Moreover, it contains various zip compartment which has multiple purposes depending on each size of the pocket. The pocket placements are nicely arranged so the weight of your gear can be evenly distributed and not strain your shoulder on the unbalanced load. Also, this vest itself is lightweight so you can walk in it easily without it weighing you down.
Lastly, it is durable as it doesn’t tear and break easily mainly due to its excellent pocket placements. The quality of this product is fantastic as it has good zippered pockets, ample storage space as well as different type of mesh pockets and a rod holder.
Suitable for :
- 2 shell pockets with fly patches
- Consists of mesh vest, backpack and sling pack
- Adjustable size
North Star Sports Sandy Point Mesh Deluxe Fishing Vest
This fly fishing vest includes an adjustable shoulder and waist strap, a light mesh fabric and a padded weight distributing shoulder strap which will provide you maximum comfort all day long. With the adjustable shoulder strap, this wear is very user-friendly as it can fit almost anyone no matter the size simply by just adjusting the shoulder strap.
The light mesh fabric allows for a quicker drying period if your vest gets wet when fly fishing. Also, this product is said to be durable and tearproof provided properly taken care of. If you distribute the weight of your gear evenly between the pockets, your pocket will least likely to tear. In terms of quality, the zipper of this product is of high quality hence improving its durability.
Moreover, this product is equipped with multiple pockets which include 6 zippered front pockets, 2 chest pouch pockets and 2 additional inside pockets with zip down fly bench. All these pockets are large and spacious with its depth being at least 2 inches deep. In other words, this product has great pocket layouts in which you can carry a lot of fishing gears with you.
This fly fishing vest includes gear attachment tabs, cord loops, D-ring net lash and Velcro and webbing chest rod holders so you can bring each and every fishing gear with you. This product is well-constructed as it is waterproof and has a breathable fabric. The breathable mesh fabric comes in handy during hot weather as they keep you cool from the hot atmosphere.
Besides that, this product comes with a back pouch for raincoat or additional gear storage incase all your pockets are filled up. All in all, this fly fishing vest is lightweight therefore, easy to wear and travel around in for a long period of time. It does not weigh you down as there are multiple pockets, Velcro straps and areas to clip your gears onto so it won’t feel too much of a burden to carry those gears as they are well-distributed.
Suitable for :
- Excellent pocket layout
- Lightweight
- Adjustable shoulder and waist strap
- Light mesh fabric
Allen Gallatin Ultra Light Strap Pack Fishing Vest
This fly fishing vest is equipped with a lightweight design with maximum storage capacity. It has a padded neck strap with a net D-ring. The neck strap is important to be padded so that it can reduce the tension on your neck and shoulders when wearing the vest loaded with your fishing gear and equipment.
Moreover, this product features multiple pockets such as large interior mesh pockets, multiple exterior pockets and even zip-closure front pockets to hold large fly boxes. The zippered pockets is for your tiny and important gears so it does not fall into the river for instance when you are fishing. The mesh pocket on the other hand makes the vest breathable and prevents heat from accumulating under the vest.
It is considered highly durable as its quality is impressive with a good zipper system and excellent pocket placement so the weight of your gear will be evenly distributed to the pockets hence preventing the tearing of your pocket in the long run. Not only that, the wear is free-size in which one size will fit most people since the straps are adjustable to fit your body size comfortably.
Equipped with a brilliant open back design, this fly fishing vest is very suitable to be used during hot weathers as it allows better movement with minimal interference. The heat can escape through the open back hence keeping you cool at all times.
Furthermore, this product comes with plenty of pocket of varying size hence providing you ample storage space. Also, the pockets won’t protrude out and block your front view at the bottom when loaded with gears so you can get a good view of the base. This vest has D-ring in which you can clip some of your gears however, it has no loops to hold your rod.
All in all, this product is lightweight and easy to travel with as the vest is comfortable. It provides maximum comfort and you are able to get in and out of it with ease and silence,
Suitable for :
- Padded neck strap with D-ring
- Open back design
- Lightweight design
Master Sportsman 26 Pocket Fishing Vest
This fly fishing vest is constructed using 40% polyester and 60% cotton material on its outer body. It is a little smaller than your actual size so you should consider taking the vest a size larger than your actual size for better movement and a perfect fit. However, the shoulder straps are adjustable so you can adjust them according to your preference.
Furthermore, this product is equipped with 26 pockets designed to carry equipment and fishing gears from fly boxes to large fishing gears for a full day fishing activity. Not only that, you can utilize the rod holder in the front of the vest to keep your rod securely in place. Meanwhile, your hands are free to tie knots or dress flies while preparing to fish.
In other words, there are plenty of room for storage of your fishing gear and you can even compartmentalize it according to your preference. They consist of rounded zipper pockets, removable fly patches, large rear pocket, rod holder for your fishing rods which comes in pretty useful when you fish not only for fly fishing but also for other techniques like spin fishing and a zipper front closure in which all these pockets are large and can fit ample things.
The pockets are arranged strategically and well so that the weight of your loads are distributed evenly so your pockets won’t wear out easily as well as lesser tension exerted on your shoulder. All in all, this product is well built and solid.
The zippers on this vest are good and easy to handle. This product also is said to be durable as it holds up well under heavy load without the seams ripping. Also, the vest itself is very lightweight so you can easily travel around and fish without the wear actually weighing you down.
Suitable for :
- 26 pockets
- Has a rod holder
- Solid and well-built
Important Features of a Fly Fishing Vest
Comfort
You should be comfortable when wearing the fly fishing vest as you would be in it for a long hours while fishing. The comfort level is increased by having adjustable and padded straps. Adjustable straps will ensure anyone with any size can use this vest with ease meanwhile padded straps are important to reduce the tension of the strap on your body.
Excellent pocket placement also plays an important role as it will distribute the weight of your load evenly so you will be more comfortable and not weighed down on one side.
Storage
Storage basically is referring to the amount and type of pockets on your product. Usually, the vest has multiple pockets of different types such as mesh pockets, large pockets, zippered pockets and small pockets in which you can store your fly and fishing gear.
The zippered pocket is important to keep your valuables and small objects so they don’t fall off from your pocket by any chance. Also, most pockets are waterproof so it can survive rainy weather for instance. Mesh pockets on the other hand are important to provide air ventilation and keep you cool on a hot day.
Durability
The durability depends on the materials used to construct the overall product. You should invest in a good quality vest so that it will last you in the long run. First things first, you need to get a good and noiseless zipper for easy loading and unloading of your equipment.
The mesh pocket area on your vest should be of high quality so that it doesn’t tear easily. The pocket placement on the other hand should be strategic so that the weight is evenly distributed hence preventing your pocket from tearing.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, a fly fishing vest is important to keep your fishing gear and equipment when fishing as the vest is very convenient having a lot of pockets as storage. Factors such as durability, comfort level as well as storage should be taken into consideration when purchasing the best fly fishing vest well suited to you. Therefore, I hope my review assists you in making the right choice. If you’re not really keen on vests, why not try out some fishing backpacks which also helps in carrying your fishing equipment!
Fishing & Boating Resources
We review the Best Tandem Fishing Kayaks
https://www.epicwilderness.com/best-braided-fishing-line-review/
https://www.epicwilderness.com/best-spinning-reel-for-fishing-reviews/