Feeling like a pack horse.

[Eternaloptimist]

Hi to all .
Been back into fishing about two seasons now and still learning . My problem is that in my new found enthusiasm I think I may have bought too much stuff
(and probably the wrong type of stuff) . I live in a small flat so dont really have any room indoors to store my fishing gear so it tends to live permanently in my boot
(Ford Kuga). The idea was that I would allocate half the boot space for fishing gear and leave the other half so the wife can occasionally go shopping and buy food? .
I bought a Preston feeder chair which is a decent chair but much bigger and bulkier (and heavier) than I imagined. That now takes care of three quarters of the floor space . I also have an old sports type holdall for tackle box rod rests bait boxes etc. Then there is the stink bag for landing net and side tray for chair . Add my fishing overalls and wellies and the boot is rapidly running out of space . I do have a rod bad with rod and pole / topkits which I do keep in the flat as this wont fit in the boot at all .
It's not just the volume of all this equipment but also the weight . Its getting more and more difficult to drag all this stuff from the boot to the bank . Old age and arthritis dont help either. I thought about maybe buying a seat box ( although this wont help with weight I thought it might "condense" the volume down a bit by combing seat and tackle into one unit ). If a could start again and reset I'm sure I would do things totally differently.
If any fellow anglers out there have any advice or help on how to address these issues I would be very grateful.
Tight lines.

 

[David Gane]

If you can still fit it all into a car boot you've got a long way further to go, I'm afraid. I'm sure that a lot of us will identify with you though. One thing I will say is that fishing tackle is highly nickable. Be very careful not to make it apparent that it is in there!

One of the answers to carting lots of gear along a river bank is a trolley. That's more gear though. And so it goes on.

I have to admit that a long time ago I came to the conclusion that for whatever kind of fishing I am doing I want to be able to carry all my gear with me, in comfort, for whatever style of fishing I'm doing. It means having a separate outfit for lure fishing, one for piking with deadbaits, one for chubbing, one for fly fishing and so on. That doesn't solve your problem, but it does mean that while out I only carry what I absolutely need. Never any need to shuttle backwards and forwards for second or third loads.

Three things that I have found are really helpful:

A rucksack that folds out as a stool. Shakespeare do a good one and it's my absolute top tip. By keeping kit in boxes dedicated to speciifc activities it takes just moments to stock the bag with the gear I need for the day.

A small buzz bar set (not a rod pod)

A lure knapsack

It won't solve your problem of where to keep your gear when not in use, but it will save you from that awful beginning and ending to a day when you find yourself humping stuff to and from the car.

 

[Eternaloptimist]

If you can still fit it all into a car boot you've got a long way further to go, I'm afraid. I'm sure that a lot of us will identify with you though. One thing I will say is that fishing tackle is highly nickable. Be very careful not to make it apparent that it is in there!

One of the answers to carting lots of gear along a river bank is a trolley. That's more gear though. And so it goes on.

I have to admit that a long time ago I came to the conclusion that for whatever kind of fishing I am doing I want to be able to carry all my gear with me, in comfort, for whatever style of fishing I'm doing. It means having a separate outfit for lure fishing, one for piking with deadbaits, one for chubbing, one for fly fishing and so on. That doesn't solve your problem, but it does mean that while out I only carry what I absolutely need. Never any need to shuttle backwards and forwards for second or third loads.

Three things that I have found are really helpful:

A rucksack that folds out as a stool. Shakespeare do a good one and it's my absolute top tip. By keeping kit in boxes dedicated to speciifc activities it takes just moments to stock the bag with the gear I need for the day.

A small buzz bar set (not a rod pod)

A lure knapsack

It won't solve your problem of where to keep your gear when not in use, but it will save you from that awful beginning and ending to a day when you find yourself humping stuff to and from the car.

Good tips thanks.

 

[mikench]

There isn't a solution if like me you are incapable of going light. I do have seperate stuff for river fishing and much less as it must be carried. A new car is far too expensive but a car just for fishing makes sense and I bought one on this basis. I eventually sold my unsuitable car as you can only drive one at once. I keep a barrow and my Tackle bag in the car but if I'm going to need space ie when I took my Dad out I would empty it first of Tackle.

Look for a compact barrow as they genuinely don't take up much room, fold down 2 of your 3 rear seats if you can and it's possible to keep Er indoors happy and your Tackle in the car. Er indoors has a 4x4 so cannot complain.

I have gone through various chairs, trollies and feel that I have finally reached a compromise I can live with. It is early days however.

 

[Eternaloptimist]

There isn't a solution if like me you are incapable of going light. I do have seperate stuff for river fishing and much less as it must be carried. A new car is far too expensive but a car just for fishing makes sense and I bought one on this basis. I eventually sold my unsuitable car as you can only drive one at once. I keep a barrow and my Tackle bag in the car but if I'm going to need space ie when I took my Dad out I would empty it first of Tackle.

Look for a compact barrow as they genuinely don't take up much room, fold down 2 of your 3 rear seats if you can and it's possible to keep Er indoors happy and your Tackle in the car. Er indoors has a 4x4 so cannot complain.

I have gone through various chairs, trollies and feel that I have finally reached a compromise I can live with. It is early days however.

Thanks

 

[markcw]

Instead of a barrow or trolley ,have a look at one of the "festival" carts.
These fold upright concertina style when not in use, A lot of the older anglers in a club I am a member of use them.
I understand your problem about taking a lot of gear.
I have a Zafira, if on a match the back is full, the seats are fold down, on one side I wheel my PI shuttle straight in, other side goes seatbox, down centre in between box and shuttle go pole holdall and ready rod holdalls, net bag and carryall and roost bag are stacked around and behind seatbox.

 

[Eternaloptimist]

Instead of a barrow or trolley ,have a look at one of the "festival" carts.
These fold upright concertina style when not in use, A lot of the older anglers in a club I am a member of use them.
I understand your problem about taking a lot of gear.
I have a Zafira, if on a match the back is full, the seats are fold down, on one side I wheel my PI shuttle straight in, other side goes seatbox, down centre in between box and shuttle go pole holdall and ready rod holdalls, net bag and carryall and roost bag are stacked around and behind seatbox.

Like the sound of the festival trollies, I will look into that suggestion thanks . I know there are some , that as well as concertinering lengthwise,
also concertina width wise . On reflection I would have been better with a zafira as the Kuga boot isnt as big as you would think .

 

[rich66]

I’m resigned to just buying a bigger car !

 

[Eternaloptimist]

That has crossed my mind

 

[rayner]

Lots of advice to fill up your car there
I have recently decided to take just what I need, OK things I don't have with me I have to do without.
Have you not got a small space to store your tackle? perhaps family could help.

 

[Keith M]

Like the sound of the festival trollies, I will look into that suggestion thanks . I know there are some , that as well as concertinering lengthwise,
also concertina width wise . On reflection I would have been better with a zafira as the Kuga boot isnt as big as you would think .

If you do decide to get yourself a Festival trolly then look out for the ones with the wider tyres which do not tend to sink into mud or sand like a lot of other festival/garden trolleys do.

Here’s the wide wheeled festival trolly that I occasionally use when fishing with more tackle than I normally use; it cost me around £45 from the web, and it folds up quite flat when it’s not in use; and it doesn’t tend to sink into the mud (famous last words ).



Or you can get yourself a proper four wheeled fishing trolley of course if your not as tight as me .

Keith

 

[Golden Eagle]

If you’re running out of room in the car, there’s always the option of on the car.....

 

[mikench]

Can be very useful and i have attached a rod case to the roof bars for a short journey.

 

[dorsetsteve]

The amount of unnecessary stuff most anglers drag down the bank for a few hours fascinates me.

 

[markcw]

The amount of unnecessary stuff most anglers drag down the bank for a few hours fascinates me.

Guilty ?

 

[mikench]

As am i.

 

[Golden Eagle]

Also guilty! Happily so!

 

[Keith M]

The amount of unnecessary stuff most anglers drag down the bank for a few hours fascinates me.

Me too, my days of carrying everything but the kitchen sink have long gone

Unless I’m fishing in a match on a very unfamiliar venue, or I’m spending an overnighter after Carp (which is rare these days) then I’ll only take the very minimum of tackle with me.

Keith

 

[Steve King]

I do sympathise with the original poster. I lived in a top floor flat from 1979 to 2012. There was no lift and a total of 64 stairs!

Storage was no issue; the flat was massive despite having only one bedroom and I had a whole double wardrobe full of fishing gear. Going fishing was difficult enough, but going camping was a nightmare involving umpteen trips up and down the stairs!

Now I live in a house with a garage and things are much easier. I keep a couple of holdalls with made up rods ready to go. I try to tailor my gear to that suitable for the venue. I have an Aldi festival/gardening type trolley and it is great at venues like Clattercote.

 

[xenon]

Make a list of only those things you know for certain you will use. Take that. Do not be tempted by what might come in useful. Works for me.