Allen Company Cedar Creek Fly Fishing Sling Pack - Fits up to 4 Tackle/Fly Boxes and Other Accessories - Gray and Lime/Olive

I have been looking at getting a fly fishing specific sling pack for awhile now. I own a few sling packs I've used for hiking and other things, and I've used these for awhile but I've found as my fly fishing career goes on, I accumulate more gear and such, so I needed a pack that was more specific to fly fishing. I looked at some of the bigger brands like Orvis and Fishpond, and while I love Orvis and support them when I can, I couldn't spend $100+ on a sling bag. The Allen sling pack was $45 and had good reviews so I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger. This sling pack has made my life so much easier when I'm on the water.First off, just from a general inspection, all the stitching and pockets seem durable and not like they're in danger of tearing after a few uses. The zippers are really something to write home about. You can easily open any pouch with one hand on the zipper. I've noticed with cheaper packs in general that the zippers are usually horrible and you need to hands to unzip the bag. That is not the case with the Allen pack and it saves a lot of frustration.The shoulder strap is wide and comfortable. and features a pocket with a fly flotant holder and another pouch in the pocket. On the outside of the shoulder pocket are some small straps that you could attach a zinger or carabiner to. You might be able to slide a long pair of forceps in there but I don't think it is very secure. I just clipped my mitten scissor clamps to one of the straps and found that it works great.On the main part of the pack there are three more pockets. The first is a small mesh pocket on the outside that I put a few things in such as a small backup pair of forceps. The second pocket I put my leaders and tippet in. There is a tie that acts like a tippet bar and works ok for that purpose. The main compartment has enough room for 4 plus fly boxes and then some. It also has a zipper pouch inside the main pocket that I believe is waterproof, so I put my wallet and keys in there. I had no problem getting three fly boxes, wallet, keys, snacks and lunch in the main compartment on one of my recent trips. The pack can also be easily rotated to your front so that you can get to your things without having to take the whole pack off.There are a few sturdy D rings and a few other places to attach zingers and magnetic releases on the body of the pack. On the side of the pack is also a small foam patch to put your wet flies on to dry off, since you don't want to put them back in your box wet. At the very bottom of the pack is a water bottle holder. I had no problem getting my 27 oz. Klean Kanteen in the holder since it is long and narrow. There is also a tie at the bottom that I slip over the neck of my water bottle and it holds it firmly in place. I'm not sure if a 32 oz. Nalgene bottle would fit. The elastic on the holder definitely stretches but I don't know if it would accommodate something that girthy.I know this review is really long but I like to try to go as in depth as I can so whoever is reading knows as much as possible about the product they're buying. So if you are like me and were in need of a fly fishing sling pack that will make your time on the water a little easier and still save some money, then this is for you!

Are you guys sure this is for fishing?! I'm using this as a camera bag for a modest sized mirrorless camera (an Olympus E-M10, with a 14-150 lens) and its ideal. It swings completely to the front, with wide zippers that open fully for easy access. Lots of pockets inside, most with elastic, and one big one that zips closed. The straps on the side (On the bottom when swung to the front) are perfect for a small tripod, plus a water bottle pocket at the bottom that is easy to grab at the front when swung around. A fair amount of storage in the strap is useful for batteries and memory cards, though it is sized and shaped for fishing equipment.Just enough storage inside for one extra lens and plenty of secure spaces for other needed gadgets. Not a lot of extra room, but just enough for a typical mirrorless with a built in viewfinder. Wouldn't fit even a small a DSLR, however. The yellow padded insert I am using is from Apecase and measures 8"x6"x3.5" or 20x15x9cm.Update 2/27/23: After a little over 4 years of regular usage it has ripped a seam where the main bag attaches to the back panel by the bottle holder (see photo). This doesn't change my rating, I got my money's worth out of this and it may be repairable.

Great daypack - using it for fishing. Even tho it's smaller than a vest, it has plenty of room.Folks commented about the zippers (larger/high quality)...they are correct. It's easier to open, and can even get at it one-handed. It has plenty of extra little pockets and places to put odds and ends, which makes it very useful. Great for downsizing the gear (and weight) a bit.This isn't my first Allen Co. product - they really make nice products, especially for the price. This pack reflects the same quality I have seen in other products I own from them, which makes it that easier of a choice. Nice stuff, not the cheapest, not the most expensive, but good quality. I would not hesitate to purchase their gear again.

Update to the replacement pack- 18 fishing trips later with the new pack and one of the accessory straps pulled through the sticking. I use the two straps to hold a small molle pouch for a reel. It's a very light pouch and has never caught on anything. It's just an issue of poor construction. The bag is really well thought out and has organized some great trips but the stitching just sucks. 2 for 2 now."Shoot, we ran out of thread. Oh well, let's just keep stabbing it with an empty needle and call it good". This bag is exactly what I need, with a lot of compartments and attachment points, bottle holder, strap pouch, etc. Got it for an ultra-light, grab and go fishing rig and fly fishing rig. It will work brilliantly for that, however, the velcro holding the fly patch on is half attached. It has two layers of fabric behind it and the inside layer, I believe, is a waterproof layer, which is not sewn through. So I'm not going to just bite the bullet and finish the job with a needle and thread. Hoping the replacement is completed and all the seams stay together.