LL Bean has finally come up with a fishing vest that does exactly what it is supposed to do. It had to be designed by a fisherman cause there are features that only a fisherman would know and want. Great job LL Bean I love this vest.
This pack is great - I've been using it for 4 years. The waist belt is the best feature, as it allows for a large load to be dispersed from shoulders to hips. Additionally, it allows for two more flyboxes to be within reach, for a total of four, which is more than any other pack/vest. It's got all the ease of use of a vest, while offering the comfort of a pack. My only complaint is that the back compartment could be and should be larger, as it will not easily fit water and a jacket. Make it bigger, please! And add a rod tube compartment or two on the sides. Then, I will be in trout gear heaven.
I've used the vest pack on four trips to my local river and find that it does everything I expected. It is extremely comfortable to wear and distributes weight very evenly. It holds all of my gear (two large fly boxes, extra reel spool, tippets, spare leaders, a couple of small boxes for split shot, hooks, indicators, etc.) and still has plenty of room for a cell phone, thermos, lunch and a wading jacket. I have but one complaint. It needs a D-ring or grommet somewhere on the belt to attach a wading staff holster. I'm not as agile as I used to be and rely heavily on a staff. If that fault was corrected, I'd bump my rating up to a 9.99. Hey, nothing's perfect..
