The One Thing I Never Leave Behind on a Fly Fishing Trip

Fly fishing trips call for more than just rods and reels. Here's the one thing I never leave behind.

My Bourgeois mandolin has become an essential piece of gear. | photo by Jasper Taback

The more fishing trips you go on, the better you get at packing for them. It turns out that nail clippers can double for nippers and three boxes of must-have flies can often be consolidated into one. 

Over time, the list of essentials dwindles. 

Packing Beyond Fishing Gear

If your fishing takes you to remote places, you become more economical with your packing. After years of trial and error, I’ve learned a couple of important lessons. 

Every extra piece of gear has to justify the space it takes up, and it’s a mistake to pack only for the hours you'll spend fishing. 

Making the Most of Time off the Water

Fishing in the backcountry is a unique experience –  when you’re not on the water, you’re hanging out in the woods. Rivers get blown out, thunderstorms roll through, the sun sets, and those hours off the water have to be filled somehow.

Filling the Non-fishing Hours

There are plenty of tried-and-true methods –  drinking, tying flies, lamenting tough river conditions, and turning in early for bed.

Playing music is another good one.

Why I Started Packing a Mandolin

When I first started bringing my mandolin along on fishing trips, I wasn’t sure if I'd actually use it or it would simply take up space. But I’ve brought it all over the country this past year, bouncing around in drift boats and truck beds from the Pacific Northwest to Vermont.

The mandolin fits right in. | photo by Jasper Taback

Why a Mandolin Works for Fishing Trips

The size of a mandolin makes it a pretty ideal travel instrument. Get a hard case, and it can fit comfortably on the floor of a truck, under a seat in a drift boat or in the overhead bin on a plane. 

It’s gotten to the point where I don’t think of it as an extra piece of gear or a hassle to bring – it’s just like having another case full of fly rods. 

When the Rods are Put Away

No matter how much fishing I’m doing, there’s always time for the mandolin.

I find myself taking it out of the case when others are cooking dinner, rigging up for the next morning, or trying to find cell service to get a text off to family back home. 

If you happen to have a fishing buddy who travels with a guitar, all of a sudden your downtime is covered for the whole trip.

Why It Keeps Making the Trip

The best test of anything on a packing list is what happens when you leave it behind.

If I have a Parachute Adams in a few sizes, I usually won't think twice about the box of obscure mayflies I left sitting on the desk at home. But without the mandolin, it would feel like something's missing.

There are days when it doesn't get played, and nothing about it helps me catch more fish.

Still, I stopped wondering whether it was worth bringing a long time ago.

If you can bring both, do it. | photo by Jasper Taback