To address a couple of questions:
· Sling Pack design decisions by manufacturers – they hang over your left shoulder because most fly fisherman are right handed. That means that when you go to change flies, you hold the rod under your right armpit. That makes unclipping the sling bag and rotating it along your body easier while still holding the rod steady. Try it and see.
· PFD’s – I use the Stearns SOSuspenders or a WestMarine inflatable waist pack PFD. I really only use it when I’m on the big river on a boat or fishing at Fletcher’s. I never wanted to use the auto-inflator PFD’s because I’m clumsy and fall in sometimes.
· Lastly – even if sling packs are not your thing (they’re not mine), use a regular waist pack. When it’s time to wade deep, unclip the pack and pull one side up over your shoulder and clip it like it’s a sling pack. Now your bag is shoulder height instead of waist high and won’t get dunked. Sometimes I continue to fish with mine most of the day on my shoulders and I forget it’s even there until I lean over.
R
Richard Farino
Urban Angler VA | 108 N. Washington Street 2nd Floor | Alexandria, VA 22314 
(703) 527-2524 | fax: (703) 527-3313 | richard@urbanangler.com
From: tidal-potomac-fly-rodders@googlegroups.com [mailto:tidal-potomac-fly-rodders@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of ROBERT BISHOP
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 10:08 PM
To: tidal-potomac-fly-rodders@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Sling Packs / Alternate to vests
This seems like a good alternative: an inflatable fishing vest: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/hodgman-fly-and-floatation-inflatable-vest.aspx?a=406160
From: Bruce Mathews <brucelmathews@yahoo.com>
To: "tidal-potomac-fly-rodders@googlegroups.com" <tidal-potomac-fly-rodders@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Sling Packs / Alternate to vests
I have three inflatable PFDs. I have some recharge gas cylinders for the original one and I decided one day to jump into a pool and test it. It inflated very quickly and forcefully and I had it cinched a little too tight at the bottom. It caused quite a discomfort till I could get the strap loosened and after that I wore it loose knowing that it was easier to tighten up after inflation then the other way around. Having said this I would be hesitant to wear anything over the inflatable including a jacket or sling pack. After that I bought an inflatable belt pack but I am not sure where it is right now. I'll have to look it up. I would advise that you blow that inflatable up with the oral inflation tube while it is under what you wear and get a sense of what would happen if you suddenly went swimming.
Bruce Mathews
703.772.7167
From: Barracuda <omarksky@gmail.com>
To: tidal-potomac-fly-rodders@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 9:01 AM
Subject: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Sling Packs / Alternate to vests
Back when I first moved to the DC area (mid-1980s) I hooked up with the Potomac River Smallmouth Club. One thing they emphasized back then (and still?): don't go wading without a PFD. And I learned to always wear a PFD.
Problem is, that affects how you carry your stuff, and what you carry it in. I've tried life jackets with pockets, but over time decided the pockets wouldn't let me carry enough. I tried a vest over a PFD, but that's a little clunky. I've tried a PFD plus fanny (excuse me, "lumbar") pack, but that always gets dunked (I always end up wading deeper than I planned) and isn't all that handy when you try to rotate it to the front with your PFD in the way. Etc.
Recently I've shifted to an inflatable PFD, which takes up less room, and a sling pack over that -- it sits out of the way most of the time (so shouldn't interfere with inflating the PFD if needed), and can be accessed relatively easily. The downside: most sling packs have large spaces for gear, not particularly well divided, so I sometimes have to go hunting for what I'm after.
Anyway, I'm just wondering if others are wearing PFDs or not. If not, it's certainly easier to get packs that work well. But I still worry a bit about not wearing a PFD.
Of course, I've fished a bit on big western trout rivers with much faster (and colder!) water and no one wears PFDs. But at least the footing is generally better there. By contrast, the Potomac riverbed can be a real bear to walk on with all the big rocks.
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