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Calling all backcountry / ultralight freaks..

7K views 38 replies 28 participants last post by  martyg 
#1 ·
Care to share your tips for successful ultralight backpacking with a fly rod? I've been reading and searching on the forum and haven't really been able to piece together a good plan.

I just bought an insanely light sage click III. It's only 2.5oz. I figure I'm going to try and find some sort of plastic tube so I can ditch the aluminum.

But - what else do you all include in a backcountry set-up? I'm heading to the alpine lake wilderness and figure this is probably what'll be in my pack

*5 pc sage sp 3wt
*Sage click III
*1 box of flies (midges, wooleys, goddard, stimis, nice nymph assortment)
*1 spool of 5x flouro
*1 floatant
*5 5x 9ft leaders
*1 flytweight raft
*2 ping pong paddles ;)
*1 baby nail clipper

feel free to poke holes in this list all you want. What am I missing? what's a better substitute?

One big item I'm debating is waders. I figure the rafts will keep me out of the water, but I know it's going to be damn cold. The bummer is that they weigh just a ton.

Whats in your pack?

-Jesse
 
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#32 ·
I made my rod tube from a plastic tube used in the middle of a roll of plotter paper. It's light and free .I had to cut the length down (I think it was about 36 inches originally) and glued a cap in the end. I slotted the side so I don't need to remove the reel and wrap Velcro below the reel to keep it together. So far it's survived several years including multi day backpacking trips.Weight is a few ounces.
 
#33 ·
Build a lightweight rod holder from the tube put of a roll of plotter paper. It is free and weighs only a couple of ounces. I've been using mine for several years now including multi-day back packing. I just cut it to length, glued a plug in one end and cut a slot so the reel can remain attached. I hold it together with a piece of Velcro below the reel seat.
 
#37 ·
Cool post....I used to be a backpacker before I ruined my ankle in '98. I used to not carry a tent just a blue tarp and duck taped wedding mesh from the fabric store to it if I got myself into a bug infested area otherwise bug juice is a must have on the list. I always carried a rod tube just because it doesn't limit you from the bushwacking to get away from the camping areas of others. I hope you have a great time, some of my fondest fishing memories are from trips to lakes that noone goes too, the only tracks on the lake shore were animal. I always packed my float tube as my heavy item, I took old laminated nylon waders on those trips because you already have your layers so you're insulated enough just have to keep dry....although I liked the suggestion of taking a lady flyfisher along for after fishing warmups too. Good on ya
 
#39 ·
IMO a fly rod just isn't the tool for the job. Sure, you can find a few places to cast on high alpine lakes, but you'll never really fish them effectively with a fly rod unless you have a float device with you, and then plan on adding 6 - 8 pounds to your pack, which negates "ultralight".

I have a few select lakes that I pack into with said gear, but for 80% of my backcountry travel I take an ultralight spinning rod. My complete equipment kit (pack, sleeping bag, air mattress, seat, tent, stove, fuel, water purifier, FA kit and clothes weighs well under 15 pounds. Adding the weight of waders, float tube, fins, etc just seems unrealistic. I also have a lightweight raft and short, breakdown carbon fiber kayak paddle, but that solution has its issues too.

If you want to carry the full Monte plan on a pack of min 75 liters - and that will not be a lightweight pack.

Good luck!
 
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