As we motored throughout Aylmer Lake within the far north of the Northwest Territories, information Kevin McNeil touched me on my shoulder.
“Do you could have larger flies?”
Aylmer’s storied tundra lake trout have been giving us a little bit of a battle, given our restricted provide of streamers. As is common, I meant to commit a few evenings previous to my departure to Yellowknife to tying up massive lake-trout streamers – huge hunks of imitation protein that massive predators simply can’t ignore.
And, as per normal, I by no means discovered the time. One thing else all the time appeared extra urgent. Extra vital. Now, with only some lakers to the boat and having gone by way of a smorgasbord of fly patterns — I even raided my pike field, and there are not any pike in Aylmer Lake — I used to be kicking myself. However all was not misplaced. A number of days again, as I completed packing, I noticed I had an additional pound or two of room in my touring duffel. After a vital go searching my workplace, I tossed in an outdated journey vise and plastic baggie filled with fundamental tying supplies.
“I don’t,” I instructed Kevin. “However I’ll tomorrow.”
Do you journey with a vise?
I don’t all the time journey with a vise and tying supplies. Frankly, it’s a trouble. In reality, I might say that 75 p.c of the time, I simply wing it with the flies I’ve readily available, or I make the time to tie earlier than I journey.
However there are occasions like these, once I’m not totally sure what I’m getting myself into. Patterns and sizes are typically understood. However generally, like today specifically, the fish simply need one thing else. And it sucks to not have what you want.
So I felt good about my option to seize the vise and the supplies on the final second. It seemingly made the fishing higher, and it certain helped with the boldness – with three extra days of fishing forward of us, having the best flies proved to be vital.
When to pack the vise
Usually talking, should you can tie flies, and also you’re headed to a distant lodge the place the fish are new to you, packing the vise is a good suggestion. It helps, too, whenever you’re someplace far-off from the closest fly store or the lodge won’t prioritize fly fishing and supply treasured few choices in the case of flies.
For some anglers, tying flies at a legit fishing lodge – be it a Bahamian retreat someplace within the Household Islands or a distant northwoods camp on the shores of a Canadian lake – is a part of the expertise. And should you like it, and you’ve got room in your journey bag, pack it.
Clearly, you’ll must load it right into a checked bag. Issues like scissors and peculiar vials of cheesy liquid, sharp hooks and the like are inclined to pique the curiosity of the safety officer with their eyes glued to the x-ray machine. So, don’t pack the good things. Only a easy journey vise is the best way to go. When you tie flies and journey, a journey vise is a logical possession.
In conditions like mine, having the vise readily available at Aylmer Lake was very important. The lodge does cater to fly anglers, however not primarily, and the number of flies readily available can generally be restricted. So having the ability to craft a couple of flies after being instructed the flies I introduced have been on the small aspect felt fairly good.
When to depart it dwelling
For lots of touring anglers, becoming the whole lot right into a journey duffel is an actual science. And, when becoming one thing in that’s not completely needed may jeopardize the burden restrict of your bag, a tying vise and tying supplies are sometimes the primary to be left dwelling. It additionally pays to verify in with the lodge you’re visiting to see if they supply a vise and tying desk. Many lodges do, through which case you’ll be able to take solely tying supplies and depart the vise behind.
Likelihood is, should you’re headed to a lodge that caters solely to fly fishers, you’ll seemingly be simply positive exhibiting up with the flies you could have readily available. Most fly fishing lodges both have flies to buy or a superb number of information flies that simply magically seem (trace: that is simply one of many issues we tip for, people).
And, if tying is a chore, otherwise you’d reasonably spend your mornings chatting fishing over espresso with fellow anglers, or your evenings sipping whiskey and sharing good tales, don’t burden your self. The entire goal of touring to fish is to benefit from the expertise, so don’t add one thing to your itinerary that may detract out of your good time.
When it pays off
The subsequent morning, after dialing the colour of the patterns the lakers have been after, I confirmed up on the boat with a handful of lengthy, heavy streamers. Kevin nodded approvingly.
“Greater is healthier,” he stated.
For me, it’s not a chore to pack a vise. However it’s additionally not my first desire, both. In cases like this, although, I simply really feel higher being able to craft a couple of flies that may enrich my expertise.
The underside line? It’s as much as you, and it ought to utterly rely in your circumstances. When you suppose you may want flies, it is best to most likely pack it. As a result of when the information appears at you, after which at your flies, you wish to see a glance of confidence in return.
There could also be nothing extra disheartening, 250 miles from the closest highway and a two-hour float-plane experience from something resembling civilization, to listen to your information say, “Properly, I suppose this’ll work. However you actually need one thing larger.”
