Fishing the way it is supposed to be?

It has always been my preference to go afoot when fishing; no boat just boots, fly rod and vest. Pure and simple fishing, the way it is supposed to be.

Well, that is my impression of my fishing style. As I organize my equipment for the upcoming season, the reality turns out to be slightly different.

Now it is boots, fly rod, vest and collapsible wading staff. Well, it is actually breathable waders with felt soled wading boots and of course a spare spool with an alternate line in one vest pocket, a digital camera in the other, polarized sunglasses, more boxes of flies than actually fit comfortably in my remaining pockets, too many gadgets to count pinned on my vest, several maps, three year old salmon tags and a mass of what once might have been a chocolate bar in the vest’s back pouch, too many tippet spools in crazy weights, several store bought leaders- well past their best before date, a rusty cigar cutter, emergency matches, a whistle and so on...

It is all apparently necessary because the only thing I actually removed from the vest was the old salmon tags.

In a pinch, the chocolate bar may still be edible.