As part of the Autumn Gear Guide in our October issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors we featured a few fly fishing items great for the fall delayed harvest season. One was the Redington Pursuit rod and reel – see a video of it in action here – another was the Tumbleweed Chest Pack from Fishpond.
Fishpond is an interesting company. They make all sorts of fly fishing and outdoor lifestyle gear: everything from reel cases to fishing specific backpacks and duffle bags to dog beds and belts. They make a lot of stuff and their catalogue is in constant expansion, but the company’s bread and butter remains their collection of fishing packs. I personally sport a Low Tide Lumbar pack as my go-to when I’m out on the water. It has served me very well for a few years – holds everything I need and nothing I don’t. The color schemes and outward appearance of their products can put some people off, but the design and function of their packs is dynamite.
The Tumbleweed is a great option for your local stream and for the delayed harvest season when you don’t need to bring your whole fly collection with you. It is a compact chest pack that can hold two or three small-ish fly boxes, plus a few extras in the zip-down fly bench. You can also switch up the straps to make it a sling pack and it is small enough that you could strap it to your belt or wader belt if you so desired. It also clips into all the backpacks that Fishpond sells, making it super versatile.
All in all, the Tumbleweed is a great little pack if you are trying to go light and fast. Check out the video below for the bigger picture.
