Fly Fishing Bags & Packs — Sling Packs, Backpacks & Gear Bags

The right pack system keeps your gear organized, accessible, and protected whether you're hiking into a backcountry lake, running a drift boat, or wading a day section of a local tailwater. Stillwater carries fly fishing-specific packs from Fishpond, Simms, Patagonia, and others — designs that address the specific organizational demands of fly fishing with features like rod tube carriers, waterproof zippers, retractor attachment points, and layouts optimized for accessing fly boxes while wearing waders.

Sling Pack vs. Backpack vs. Hip Pack — Choosing Your System

Sling packs offer the best combination of capacity and accessibility for most wade fishing — large enough to carry a day's worth of gear, accessible with a simple rotation to the front, and worn high enough to stay dry during deep wading. Backpacks are the choice for long hikes to remote water where capacity and comfort over distance matter most. Hip packs serve minimalist anglers covering water quickly with light gear requirements. Many serious anglers own all three and choose based on the day's specific fishing plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the best fly fishing sling pack?
Fishpond and Simms both produce excellent sling packs with strong reputations among guides and serious anglers. The Fishpond Thunderhead is particularly well-regarded for its waterproof construction — the entire pack is submersion-rated, making it genuinely safe for deep wading and accidental dunks.

Q: Are waterproof fly fishing packs worth the extra cost?
For anglers who wade deep, fish in rain regularly, or risk accidental submersion, waterproof construction is worth the premium. Nothing is more frustrating than fishing through rain with $500 worth of cameras and electronics in a pack that's only water-resistant. The cost difference between water-resistant and fully waterproof is modest relative to what's typically stored inside.