FishPond Wasatch Tech Pack - Driftwood,One Size

I am an avid fly angler and have owned a few vests over the years. I purchased this vest to upgrade a simms vest I had. This vest not only looks great, but it functions even better. All the pockets can be opened with just one hand, and the rod holder functions great. there are more pockets on this thing than I know what to do with, but that's not a complaint. I can fit four large fly boxes in the large front compartments, a pair of sunglasses in the side pocket, gloves, a scarf, and a small live net in the inside pockets, my lunch and extra shirt in the backpack along with a 2 liter hydration bladder, and still have pockets left over. The vest is extremely adjustable to any body type and height and is very comfortable for long days of wear. Id say the only catch on this vest is that it, for the most part, only functions with fishpond accessories. Which is hardly a complaint because they are high quality products that I recommend. I teach a lot of people to fly fish and usually take out four or five novice fisherman at a time that need a lot of care and this vest along with other fishpond accessories make that task a lot easier than usual. I get a lot of positive comments on the overall professional look of this vest and its functionality. I love this vest and have become a loyal fishpond customer for years to come, that is, if I ever have to replace it.

I purchased this to get away from a chest pack for more room. I'll spend approx. 150-180 days in this pack/vest and so far so good. this tech pack has plenty of room for everything I need including rain gear. All materials used in this pack seem to be of very good quality and all zippers work perfectly. Currently there are 4 large tacky fly boxes and a small tacky fly box amongst it's many pockets and with pliers, split shot extra leaders and all the other stuff I carry it is working perfectly and comfortable. Check back with me in a few months for a total review, as I have only been wearing it for a month but so far all seems well and Fishpond always provides quality products and great customer service.

I’m a 5’8”, 170 pound fly-fisherman with 30+ years on the water. My last vest (a Guide-Series) had been sewed so many times, the Velcro strips have fallen off, barb wire had ripped it, it was nicely stained, and it was finally time to replace. But as any fly fisherman knows, you get attached to what you’ve used, and that’s the standard. This GS performed admirably and will be burned on a ceremonial pyre-fire in the backyard.I did something I don’t normally do – I ordered 4 different vests, with the intent of comparing all, choosing one, and paying the penalty to return 3 of them. This is an important decision after all. I compared:1. The Anglatech Fly Fishing Vest Pack2. This Fishpond Wasatech Pack3. The Fishpond Gore Range Tech Pack4. A Simms Guide VestAnglatech Fly Fishing Vest Pack: This sucker is a bargain, I mean cheap – so I was skeptical. Let me say that the quality seems decent, the pockets seem roomy enough, except that my largest C&F box was tight (7.5”x4.5”x1.5”). It’s lightweight. Love the water bottle holder – seriously – how is this not on every vest? One worry is if when stripping, your line will get caught on the water bottle – A risk I’m willing to take. Sizing: One size does NOT fit most. I’m 5’8”, 170 pounds, hardly a slight man, but this thing is huge, even after cinching all straps as far as they would go. None of the other reviews mention size – perhaps the most important factor here? I would think anyone smaller than me will not fit well in this vest. I even put 5 fly boxes in it to fill up space and it was still huge. It could work but it’s dangly. The pop down work areas are nice, but I like my own boxes, and didn’t want to move flies to the foam holders included, rendering the pop down function useless. You can remove the foam holders, but only my smallest box (3.6”x4.8”x1.2”) fit in those two compartments. The forceps holder is nice, but I would still use a zinger so I don’t lose them – so the holder is less necessary. For me: too big, RETURN! This is very similar to the Fishpond Gore Range, and if you’re a big guy, this vest can work for you, for a great price.This Fishpond Wasatech Pack: This thing was pricey. My most expensive vest tried, even more than the Simms Guide vest – Really Fishpond? That’s a bold statement. First problem – Erroneous ad – The water bladder shown is NOT included. No notation in the ad that it is not included, although it does say “Water bladder compatible”. For nearly 200 bucks – seriously? Ad should be clearer, bladder should not be shown. Sizing – I’m 5’8”, 170 pounds and cinching ALL the straps all the way down, this fit me pretty well – although the straps were hanging a ridiculously long way out, and would need to be cut and sewn to keep out of the way. I put 5 fly boxes inside to check the size, and it seems fine. Fit was comfortable. The forceps holder is nice, but I would still use a zinger so I don’t lose them – so the holder is less necessary. The pop down work areas are nice, but I like my own boxes, and didn’t want to move flies to the foam holders included, rendering the pop down function useless. You can remove the foam holders, but only my smallest box (3.6”x4.8”x1.2”) fit in those two compartments, just like the Anglatech Fly Fishing Vest Pack. First problem is the back part of the vest – Its bulky/thick with all those pockets and water bladder padding, and my net lays a bit funny on my back with nothing in the back pockets (It stuck out at a 20-degree angle, making it a little harder to reach the handle). The loop should be lower down. If the back had gear in it, your net may be hard to reach. If you have a nylon mesh net (get a rubber one), all those zippers in back will surely catch your mesh when you need your net most for that big fish. The back is my biggest gripe against this vest, it makes it bulky and I suspect the foam would make my back sweat. Expensive, but looks like a nice quality vest. I selected this one, so I’ll come back after a few outings to update.The Fishpond Gore Range Tech Pack - This thing was also pricey. My second most expensive vest tried, even more $ than the Simms Guide vest – Really Fishpond? That’s a bold statement. Sizing – I’m 5’8”, 170 pounds and cinching ALL the straps ALL the way down, this fit me OK, but still a bit big – although the excess straps were hanging a ridiculously long way out, and would need to be cut and sewn to keep out of the way. No plastic clips are provided to hold the excess straps like the Wasatech – you have to tuck them in. Size does seem a bit bigger than the Fishpond Wasatech pack. If you are skinny, this vest will likely float on you. Its also very front-heavy, which may be alleviated with your net hanging on the back. I put 5 fly boxes inside to check the size, and it seems like it will work. The forceps holder is nice, but I would still use a zinger so I don’t lose them – so the holder is less necessary. The front of this vest is very similar (same?) as the Wasatech pack. As with that vest, I’m not a fan of the flip down compartments with foam holders - You can remove the foam holders, but I like my own boxes, and didn’t want to move flies to the foam holders included, rendering the pop down function useless. Only my smallest box fit in those two compartments (3.6”x4.8”x1.2”), just like the Anglatech Fly Fishing Vest Pack. My biggest worry with this pack is the nylon mesh all over the back of the back. It doesn’t happen often, but an errant cast would leave a fly embedded in the woven nylon thread, likely making it hard to get removed (like old nylon mesh nets). Not as much of a problem with the Fishpond Wasatech (almost no mesh on the back). Nearly $40 bucks more for the Wasatech, but I decided to go that route myself.Simms Guide Vest: As you would expect with Simms, this thing was also pricey. My third most expensive vest tried (I bought on sale, so not bad). Full price it would’ve just barely been the most expensive. This was the closest design to my old vest. Quality – Seems excellent. Nice stitching, good neck padding. Sizing – I’m 5’8”, 170 pounds, and a size medium fit well. Positive – Simms actually has sizes for their vests. I put 5 fly boxes inside to check the size, and it seems fine. Fit was comfortable. The vest is not long – so you can wade up to your belly button and vest would be dry. This renders the vest high on your body, making the pockets higher and harder to get to, especially the highest, inside ones. I’d prefer the vest longer with more room, and lower position. Not a huge problem on length, but a worry for me. The vest has two built-in zingers, which is nice, but they are the coil-kind which I don’t love. Four loops are provided to put other zingers on, or to hang anything from the vest. No loops on side to hang a water bottle off, or hang anything. Nice, Roomy back compartment. I didn’t like the ‘high fit’ of this vest, so opted to return it. If you are a deep water wader, with deep $ pockets, this may be the vest for you.

My boyfriend absolutely LOVED this! He talked about this brand a lot because his friends have some of the FishPond products. It is fantastic quality. He really liked the fact that it has a backpack in the back as well for extra storage. It has so many pockets to hold tons of things. He would’t stop talking about it and now his friends are looking into getting this exact vest themselves because it is that great!All around best gift I ever bought him. No disappointment in this purchase!

A little bulky. Hard to keep my hands in a comfortable position while fly fishing.Love the back pack. Can easily pack fly fishing gloves, flashlight, rain coat, drinks, protein bars, ect.. I can spend a whole day hiking and fishing