Do you ever bring along waaaaay too much stuff when you go fishing? Yup, I think we all do. And, wow, there is so much stuff to choose from. Go to a fly shop. Look online. There is just so much stuff out there. Waders. Boots. Vests. Packs. Nets. Tools of all shapes and sizes. Hats. Gloves. Sunglasses. Bandanas. Sunscreen. Insect repellent. And, oh yeah, don’t forget the fly rod and reel. Then there are flies. A ton of different flies for all scenarios. Tippet. Split shot. Strike indicators.

Need I go on?

Come on, you know you have a lot of stuff. And it’s all great stuff. Isn’t it fun to just walk through a fly shop, or one of those huge outdoor mega-stores (you know the ones I mean) and check out all the stuff? Let’s see, I could use one of those, and one of those, and one, no, make it two, of those. Hey, that’s cool, I want one of those. Wow, what the heck is that thing? I guess I gotta have one of those, too.

Fun, huh? I have done it. You have done it.

But, and be honest now, have you ever been standing knee deep in the river and suddenly had to tie on a new fly and, let’s see, where did I put that box of dry flies? Is it in this pocket? No. Maybe this pocket? No. And what about the bead-head droppers, where are those? Then you can’t find the knot-tying tool. Is it here? Nope, that’s not it. You can find the forceps and the clippers. You can find the fine-tip scissors. But where is the hook dislodging tool, and where is that damn knot-tying tool?

Face it. Ya got too much stuff.

I remember when I was a kid I didn’t wear a vest. I didn’t wear waders. I didn’t have a net or a hook dislodging tool. I didn’t have any strike indicators. All I had was a cheap rod and reel and a Silly Putty egg with about ten assorted flies in it. That was pretty much it for many years—and ya know what? I had a great time and I caught trout. Oh, as the years went by I added more and more stuff to my arsenal. I added this and I added that and I added one of those and two of those and, as we all know, you can never have too many neat little fly boxes filled with flies, so I added more and more.

Then, as more years went by, I spent more time knee deep in the river searching for whatever I felt I needed and finding everything but the thing I was looking for. I started leaving stuff behind. I didn’t really need that thing, or that thing. I never did use that other thing, and this thing—what the heck is this thing, anyway? The more stuff I left behind, the more I began to realize that there was even more I could leave behind.

What do we really need when we go to the river to catch trout? A rod and reel, of course. Some flies. If you feel you need some split shot and some strike indicators, a couple of each, loose in your pocket, should do it. Throw in a spool of tippet or two. Forceps are a good thing to have, and some clippers. But the forceps will clip to your shirt lapel, and the clippers can be worn on a string around your neck. And how many forceps do you need to carry? I actually have three, but one of them I found on the edge of the river. Do you really need a hook dislodging tool? A stomach pump? Waders? Boots? They’re nice to have. Sunglasses? Sunscreen? Insect repellent? Gotta have those. Sometimes I will bring a small set of binoculars. Hey, there might be an eagle in a tree I want to check out. Lunch, or at least something to munch on, and some water are a good idea. But even a small bag of trail mix takes up space in a vest pocket. I usually bring along a little, loose-leaf memo pad and a pencil. I might want to make note of something. Sometimes I bring a camera. You never know when a family of elk will cross the river right in front of you. Let’s see, where did I put that…….? Hey, wait a minute, I’ve got waaaaay too much stuff here.

Do you ever think, I wonder if the trout are laughing at me?

Whenever my mind goes down that road, I go back in time to when I was a kid and went streamside with only a rod and reel and a Silly Putty egg with about ten assorted flies in it. I had a great time and I caught trout. But, hey, I’m not disparaging all the great stuff out there. I love it, too, and I have a lot. And despite my reminiscing about how I fished when I was a kid, I carry a lot of great stuff with me when I go fishing. And whenever I go to the fly shop, or online, or to one of those huge outdoor stores, I still check out all the stuff—and I still buy more, whether I need it or not.