Gearing up...

I've already mentioned before that I'm stockpiling the flies I think we'll need this summer. I'm also stockpiling gear and since I'm driving rather than flying there's really no need to try to conserve space. In addition to flies here's what I have so far, most of which is stuff I already owned but some of which is new for this trip:

- At least 5 fly rods ranging from a delicate 6'8" 3wt bamboo rod to a 9' 5wt workhorse. If I had a 6wt rod, I'd bring it just in case we fished streamers but based on the water we're planning to fish I probably wouldn't end up using it anyway. And that's partly why I've never bought one.

- Four fly reels, three of which have an extra spool. It's much more likely that I'll break a rod than melt down a reel, but I might as well bring most of the reels I own even if they won't all see use.

- Two pairs of breathable waders and two pairs of felt-sole boots. I kinda wish I had some boots with spikes but I don't and haven't yet been able to justify the cost. I take a wader full of water every now and again but at least so far it's never been something I can blame on the boots.

- Two pairs of neoprene socks and two pairs of wet wading pants. I'll be honest: wet wading is a lot of fun when it's hot outside. I suspect that most of my days will be spent wading wet.

- A five-piece wading staff and belt. I'm not sure how often I'll need to use a wading staff (if at all) but I figured I should bring the one I own in case the outrageously high water levels have not subsided by August. Crossing the Green River on foot is arguably a bit easier with a staff but most of the time when I bring a staff, it just hangs there by my side waiting for the chance to reach out and get tangled up in my fly line.

- A whole bunch of 7.5' 5wt leaders and a few other leaders in different lengths and weights. The 7.5' 5wt is pretty much my go-to leader. If I need to go smaller and longer I can add 6x and 7x tippet. If I need to get heavier for streamers, I can clip back the end of the leader and tie on a 4x tippet.

- Flourocarbon tippet in sizes 4x through 7x. Yeah, the flouro is expensive but from everything I've read this is one of those new-fangled technologies that actually makes a difference when it comes to catching fish.

- Moldable tungsten putty and small tin split shot. This is my first year using moldable putty (rolled as needed around a small tin split shot). The idea is that you can change the amount of weight you have on the line quickly and easily. I hope it works for me but my observation thus far is that the putty tends to leave a residue on my fingers that doesn't wash off in water. This is still a work in progress.

- Various strike indicators from footballs to "Don Kings" to moldable biostrike stuff to those foam stick on indicators that fall off as soon as you move them up or down the leader. I haven't yet decided on a favorite yet, but it's not for lack of trying. For whatever reason I have problems with slippage no matter which indicator I use so I'm still on the hunt for the perfect solution. If you have a suggestion (the more specific the better), feel free to leave a comment.

- A waterproof, shockproof camera. I'm always so worried about getting my camera wet that I end up missing out on photo opportunities because the camera is never out when I need it. I finally broke down and bought a camera that can handle the bangs and spills, so for this trip I'm going to keep the camera on a zinger so that it's always at the ready.

- A big net with a magnetic vest release. I almost never use a net but since we'll be fishing tailwaters that hold big trout and require light tippets, I'm going to carry one on those days. To make it as easy as possible to get the net out when a fish is on, I'm going to use one of those nifty rare-earth magnets that will hold the net on my back when it's not needed but allow me to just reach back and yank when I'm ready to land the fish.

- A back pack, a chest pack, a fanny pack, and a lanyard. I'm still undecided as to which of these I'll use on any given day but I'll say this: for whatever reason, I find a regular fly fishing vest to be extremely uncomfortable. My favorite is the goofy looking fanny pack but it can't quite hold enough stuff and certainly cannot carry the food, water, and sunscreen I'll need on the day we hike down into Cheeseman Canyon for the entire day. On days when we'll only spend a couple of hours each on two or three different small streams, I'll probably just wear a lanyard and put a small box of flies in my pocket. The idea as a fly fisherman is to have about 15 different things all within easy uninhibited reach and I would be embarrassed to admit how much time I've spent obsessing about how to position everything on my body to be able to carry the most easily accessible gear with the least amount of discomfort.

- Four pairs of polarized sunglasses. I actually already own this many polarized sunglasses so I'm bringing them all. I have a history of losing sunglasses so I buy the least expensive ones I would dare use and I always buy two pair at a time. I have one pair that I prefer for driving and one pair that I prefer for fishing, but in a pinch either pair will do for either task. Since I have two sets of each each, that makes four. I guess that means I haven't lost a pair in a while. My sheer dorkitude amazes me.

- A hiker GPS. We're going to be fishing lots of streams I've never fished before, so I know then only by topo maps and trail guides. We'll probably get lost. So the point of a GPS isn't so much to lay down a waypoint at every honey hole as it is to help us get back to the car at the end of the day.

- A car GPS. I'm completely incapable of reading a road map and we'll be doing lots of driving so this is probably the single most essential piece of equipment for me other than maybe a fly rod. You would not believe how incapable I am of finding my way around places I have been to let alone places I've never been.

I'm sure I'm planning to bring some things that I've forgotten to mention and chances are good I will forget to bring some of the things I had planned to bring. (That, friends, is called Chiasmus and is a subtle yet profound indicator of my inspirational writing.) If worst comes to worst I'll break down and create myself a little checklist. Or maybe I'll have my wife make a checklist for me. She's good at that.