One of the essential pieces of equipment in the sport of fly fishing is the fly fishing vest, it is important that you carefully choose the best type of vest for your situation.  In this article you will learn what type of vests are good and which ones to pass.

The majority of fly fishing vests are equipped with many pockets in all shapes and sizes, the key is to choose a vest that has enough pockets to hold all of your fly fishing supplies.  Another thing that you want to consider is the type of fasteners the pockets utilize.  Are the zippers, velcro, or press studs? 

Some of the things that you want to be aware of when choosing a fly fishing vest is the quality of the fasteners on the pockets.  Many cheap vests that have zippers or press studs, are low quality, and will start to corrode, especially if you are salt water fly fishing.  Also many cheap quality vests with velcro fasteners will not have enough velcro to work efficiently.  The last thing you want to experience is leaning over and one of your best trout flies sliding out of your pocket, only to disappear into the deep water, never to be seen again.

The fact that fly fishing vests have so many pockets, it is tempting to fill them with fly fishing supplies, which adds a considerable amount of weight to the vest.  As a result of this you will want to make sure that the material around the neck and shoulders of your fly fishing vest is padded sufficiently, and made out of durable and comfortable material.  Lower quality vests tend to cut into your neck and shoulders, becoming uncomfortable very quickly.

Filson Fly fishing Guide Vest Size Medium NO RESERVE    US $34.33

AUSABLE COTTON FLY FISHING VEST SIZE XXL    US $15.50

NEW IN PACKAGE PFLUEGER FLY FISHING VEST XXL    US $12.26

PLANO 4400 FLY FISHING TACKLE VEST NEW    US $19.99

When choosing a fly fishing vest, choose your size carefully. If you enjoy doing a lot of fly fishing in cooler weather, make sure that your vest is large enough to wear several layers underneath it and that you are still able to move around easily. Especially in the section around your underarms.  I don't have to explain how important it is to keep the arms un-inhibited to facilitate the casting process.

Ask yourself the questions:  Are you going to wear your fly fishing vest with thermal clothing on, or possibly several layers of clothing and maybe a heavy coat underneath the fly vest? Will you still have enough room to move freely?

If you are fishing mostly in very warm conditions, you might want to consider a flyfishing vest that is constructed of a mesh type material that is well ventilated and will keep you cool in the sweltering heat.

I have seen some fly-fishing vests that just have too many bells and whistles hanging off them and your fly line can easily get caught on. You will want to keep things that are hanging off of your vest from becoming tangled in your fly fishing line.

Vests come in a variety of colors, and it is just a matter of choice of what colors you prefer, although many people believe that the fish can detect the brighter colors, and possibly lessen your chances of catching one.  This is simply a matter of opinion and no proof can be found one way or another.  The fact is that fly fishing purists usually stick to neutral colors.

The fly fishing vest that you choose should have a short waist mainly because you will be wading in the water, and it is important to keep the vest from becoming wet.  Having your vest short will help with preventing your vest from getting wet, but you also don't want to compromise the amount of pockets it has.

Some of the higher end vests come with built-in life preservers, this might be a important feature especially if you will be fly fishing in rough waters with strong currents. Accidents can and will happen and having a built-in floatation device might be a wise choice.

Fly fishing vests come in a variety of styles and shapes, and of course will also come in a variety of price ranges.  You can invest in a very cheap and basic model for around $20, or you can choose to get a high quality one that will last you for a long time to come.  I have seen some of the pricier vests in upwards of $300.

I bet you didn't know that there were so many things to consider when purchasing a fly fishing vest.  Consider yourself informed now, and you should have enough knowledge on which type of fly fishing vest that will best suit your needs.  Happy fishing!

Orvis Flyfishing Vest Manual and CO2 Inflatable    US $10.50

Fishpond Open Range Tech Pack Vest Combo Flyfishing NEW    US $168.95

Redington Blackfoot River Flyfishing Vest Tan 2XL NEW    US $29.95

Redington Blackfoot River Flyfishing Vest Medium NEW    US $29.95

Redington Blackfoot River Flyfishing Vest Tan Small NEW    US $29.95

Humvee Flyfishing Hunting Camera Vest Photography camp    US $49.99

Fishpond Firefly Womens Flyfishing Technical Vests NEW    US $138.95

Humvee Flyfishing Hunting Camera Vest FREE SHIP NWT 4XL    US $56.99

Humvee Flyfishing Hunting Camera Vest FREE SHIP NWT 3XL    US $56.99

Humvee Flyfishing Hunting Camera Vest FREE SHIP NWT 2XL    US $49.99