Fishpond Tailwater Fly tying Kit: Gear Review
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
I had always wanted a fly tying bag so I could tie on road trips. I've always been a fan of Fishpond. Sounds like the Fishpond Tailwater Fly Tying Kit was going to be a good fit; but here's a thorough review to explain some more details about this travel kit, its features and its flaws.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
This pack is loaded with features, particularly internally. It appears to be made with durable materials that are able to withstand consistent use. The color is a neutral one with a little more color added to the handle (no other color options available). It matches many other Fishpond products' color scheme.
Design/FEATURES
OUTER
The rectangular, soft outer part of the case still has enough structure to stand up easily on its own. It is not flimsy. A main zipper enclosure on the top of the bag is heavy duty and moves along the zipper track smoothly. One external zipper pocket allows for storage of some small, more flat-shaped items.
INNER
The kit has a removable Fishpond Tying Pad (15"x10") included, which can be a huge asset if you're someone who likes having a place to store hooks and beads temporarily while tying on a tabletop surface. It also has velcro attached to it, which can be used to attach a variety of velcro products.
There is a fantastic tool pocket that includes a snap button enclosure (one button on each side). When closed, there is also a small zipper pouch at the top that is thick enough for small flashlights, UV glue, or other finishing resins. Once the buttons are released, this tool pocket has holders that are made of Hypalon so that the sharp tools like scissors and bodkin don't puncture the bag. A total of 14 slots makes it so that you can take all of your tools without issue (unless you're a tool hoarder, which I am borderline at this point...).
The pedestal base holder is designed with velcro straps to hold the heavy base in place during travel. These velcro straps are designed to accommodate different sizes of bases, including bases up to 6.5" x 7.5".
Thread or wire holders (20) give you the chance to snugly add that many spools to your bag. I find that while some brands of threads/wires have spools that fit incredibly snug, I have not found a spool that does not fit in these slots.
It also contains four zipper-pouch pockets that are able to be filled with a variety of tying materials. Personally, I like to fill each pocket with material for a single pattern so that when I'm on the road and tying, I know where all the materials are for a particular fly. These pockets are durable and able to be filled up with items that aren't necessarily flat, which gives you flexibility in what types of materials you bring along.
SIZE
This pack is 16" long by 8" deep/thick by 10" tall. Note that the height and width are only 2" different, which means that, depending on your perspective, this tying bag is either:
1) very deep/thick
2) not very tall
Personally, I think the size, including the depth and height ratio, is a perfect blend to allow for appropriate amounts of material storage. It does even expand a little if you overfill your bag with tying materials (ask me how I know).
If you don't like the size, you might check out other Fishpond tying bags, as they have a smaller model of a tying bag as well.
Non-Uses
This is not a place where you would be able to store ALL of your tying materials. Unless your tying closet is exponentially smaller than mine, it's unlikely that you'll be able to store all of your materials that you own in this bag.
This is not a compact bag for just a few materials. It's a sizeable traveling bag that, while able to be carried with one hand easily, isn't a small bag that will pack in easily if a tight fit is required. Fair warning: if you're prone to purchasing too many tying materials, this pack will only encourage that spending habit.
SUMMARY
This tying pack has been a perfect fit for what I'm using it for: tying while on the road, including tying at shows. I used to have to carry around a backpack with my tying materials, and now this pack has allowed me to have a specific bag ready to go. Not only that, I love that this bag is specifically designed for tying materials and tools and not just some random bag that is advertised as a fly tying bag. It is very intentionally designed for this use.
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