I’m off to Abaco and Acklins this week for the start of my winter bonefishing season. Looking forward to being on the flats again. Over time packing has gotten a lot easier and less stressful. I well remember the early days when I started to think about the trip and putting things aside weeks before I departed. Of course what I normally found was that I packed way to much stuff. Anything I would have forgotten, somebody else had two of. And if I was going to a lodge, I could have arrived bare ass naked and still been okay to fish for a week. The final reality check happened in Mexico when none of my bags made it……….ever. Only had the clothes on my back, my sunglasses, sungloves, hat and my flats boots. I was fishing in Xcalak and as most of you know there is nothing there, so replacements weren’t an option. But one of the locals had an old no-name eight weight rod and reel he kindly loaned me. The reel had a beat up cracked floating line, I bummed a handful of twenty pound mono for a leader and was given eight feet of ten pound that I used for tippet. I ended up “borrowing” five flies and I was outfitted. Not exactly a classic “model” for today’s traveling angler. The story has now grown into a legend (because I keep telling it) but the bottom line is I caught as many fish that trip as I have ever done. Learned a lot over those ten days about what a fishermen really needs versus what he wants. Now my packing is a little more casual (since I have proven half of the crap is not necessary). To the best of my knowledge I have never forgotten anything of grave importance, but I’m working on it. As Father Time stares me in the face I’m waiting for that fateful day when I arrive on the flat with two left boots and three pieces of my four piece rod. I suspect many of you are getting ready for trips, so let me tell you what I do. First I start with my Packing List. It has been prepared over many years and dozens of trips. If I’m smart enough to follow it, I usually have what I need. I then begin forming my piles throughout the house (my wife loves that). Those piles eventually fit into one checked bag at 49 pounds and one carry on bag. With the piles neatly arranged, I take my check list and pen, say three Hail Mary’s, and proceed to check off everything laying on the floor. The late night run to 7/11 is for the small shampoo and chapstick. Since weight is a problem I buy the travel size toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, shampoo, etc. If I need to I can buy the larger ones when I lay over in Nassau or other locales where they are not so fussy about what I take on the plane or weight. Good luck this winter, I look forward to hearing your stories.
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