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After wearing, testing, and fishing the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack, we bring you this full, hands-on review.
Finding a high-quality fly fishing vest for under $100 isn’t always easy. Many well-known fly fishing companies’ vests are well over $100, so they can often be an expensive investment. Thankfully, Anglatech stepped in and filled the gap with a reputable vest for around $70.
Table of Contents
- Fly Fishing Vest & Pack Reviews
- About the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
- Build and Construction of the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
- Fly Fishing Vests & Packs
- Pockets & Storage
- Waders & Boot Reviews
- Features
- Price of the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
- Watch the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack Review Video
- The Overall Fit & Adjustability
- Cons of the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
- Waders
- My Personal Thoughts & Opinions about the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
In this article, we’re going to take a deep dive into the vest, its quality, its features, the price, the overall fit, some of the cons of the vest as well as my thoughts.
We purchased the vest ourselves, so there is no bias in this review. Plus, at Into Fly Fishing, we pride ourselves on being honest and accurate regardless of whether or not a company chooses to send us something.
Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
Order the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack on Amazon.
→ Don’t Miss Our Full List of The Best Fly Fishing Vests in 2023
About the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
The Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack is available on Amazon for around $70. It is considered a more average price as far as fly fishing vests go, so it’s high enough quality that it is going to last you for years.
The reviews on Amazon are extremely high with 414 people giving it over 4.5 stars. We chose to order it to see if it really lived up to the high reviews.
Build and Construction of the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
The Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack is made of quality, lightweight materials that are going to last multiple seasons. It’s a fly fishing-specific vest, so it has all of the features an angler would want for a full day on the water.
Materials
The nylon is rip-proof, so you can walk through willows, rough trails, and any other terrain you would like. You’ll find that it’s going to last you for years. It’s lightweight enough that you won’t feel it on those extremely warm days.
Zippers
The zippers are also built to last. They have leverage pulls that are quite helpful on those cold days or when your hands are extremely wet. Feel free to put as much pressure on these zippers as you would like.
Gear Loops
Besides the back D-ring, you’ll find that the gear loops are able to handle whatever gear you want to put on them. The back D-ring seam isn’t as strong as many anglers would like, so keep that in mind. It can hold your net, but it may need some extra work on your part to keep it in place.
Pockets & Storage
The Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack has over a dozen usable pockets.
On the front, anglers are going to find similar pockets on either side. The top zippered pockets are water-resistant and a few inches deep. They could keep your fishing license, keys, or wallet. However, these pockets are not large enough to hold your cell phone.
As you move down, you’ll find a larger zippered pocket that is perfect for a more medium-sized fly box standing up. This pocket extends out a few inches, so you’ll have plenty of room for the box. You could even fit two in each zippered pocket if you would like.
On the front side of those larger zippered pockets, you’ll find a built-in fly box. These zippered fly boxes have foam rows for you to easily store at least a dozen flies. These are nice features. You don’t have to keep taking out your fly box every single time you want to change flies.
Next to the middle zipper, there is one large zippered pocket on each side. These pockets are large enough to store your cell phones or longer fly boxes.
On the side are mesh pockets that can easily hold your floatant or other accessories.
As you make your way to the back, you’re going to find two backpack-style pockets. The front pocket is smaller, but it’s able to hold snacks, a cell phone, or a pair of gloves and a hat. The other pocket on the back is the larger one. Inside, you’ll find a storage area for the 2-liter bladder as well as enough room for a rain jacket and some other clothing.
On the inside, there are zippered pockets on either side. These can hold some more of your valuable items.
Features
The main features anglers are going to enjoy are the water bladder, specific forceps storage, d-rings as well as gear loops. The water bladder is 2 liters, and it comes with a specific storage area as well as a long enough hose that you’ll always have easy access to it.
The forceps storage is going to keep you safe and keep your forceps in the same place the entire time. The d-rings and gear loops are in abundance, so you don’t have to worry about having enough room to store nippers, sunglasses, and tippet rings.
Order the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
Order the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack on Amazon.
Price of the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
The Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack is going to cost anglers around $70 depending on if there are sales happening. This is about average for a price of a high-quality fly fishing vest, so you’re not going to break the bank. This is a great deal for all of the features you’re getting.
Watch the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack Review Video
The Overall Fit & Adjustability
Anglatech gives anglers both shoulders and waist straps on the vest. The shoulder straps aren’t overly long, but they’re going to fit most people. Plus, the excess straps are able to tuck into areas on the vest, so they aren’t sticking out and getting caught on things.
The waist straps are plenty long. They can adjust to be as large or as tight as someone would need. Plus, the side straps have buckles that make putting the vest on and taking it off even easier. These buckles are large and easy to operate even with wet and cold hands.
Cons of the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
One of the main cons of the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack is the lack of size of the backpack. It doesn’t allow anglers to fit much more than a rain jacket if the water bladder is full. Some of those long days on the water require quite a bit of gear, so a larger storage area would be nice.
Another con of the pack is the quality of the seam on the D-ring. After attaching my net to it, I could see the seam starting to stretch after a few hours. Losing the D-ring on this vest after a few uses would be extremely frustrating. It’s a vital part of the vest.
The final con of this vest is the zipper pockets at the top of the vest. They’re a nice, water-resistant material, but they aren’t quite deep enough to fit a normal-sized cell phone. I had to keep my phone in one of the other zippered pockets, but it would be nice if I could keep it on my chest.
My Personal Thoughts & Opinions about the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
Overall, I think the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack is well worth the $70. This backpack has all of the features one would want for an entire day on the water. One of the things that first stood out to me when I started using the vest was how high-quality it felt.
Yes, the pack does cost a bit more than some other more affordable options, but the extra money is worth it. Anglers are going to have rip-stop nylon, solid seams, good straps, and durable pockets. Plus, the zippers give me peace of mind because I know they’re going to last for years.
I often fish in backcountry areas, so I’m constantly going through trees, weeds, and more challenging terrain. My gear needs to keep up with me, and the Angletech vest does this.
Order the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack
Order the Anglatech Fly Fishing Backpack on Amazon.
I also really like the amount of storage available on this pack. I’m the type of angler who is overprepared when I hit the water. I like to have my water, snacks, extra clothes, and any other piece of fishing equipment I could need.
I hate having to make return trips to the car, and this vest allows me to store anything I would need. The backpack is large enough to at least fit a rain jacket. Plus, I can throw snacks in the smaller pockets.
I wish the backpack was a bit larger! When the water bladder is full, it can get tight with the extra gear included. They decided to include it, so it would be nice if it had been a little larger. Even the extender zipper doesn’t make the backpack portion as large as I would like.
On the front, I have plenty of room for my fly boxes, nippers, forceps, leader, tippet, and even some extra reels. The built-in fly boxes on the front of this pack are my favorite storage feature.
I hate having to take out my fly boxes every single time I want to change flies. I can put a few flies in the built-in boxes at the beginning of the day and rotate through them without even having to look at my boxes is something I like.
The straps and build of this vest don’t make me feel as if I’m completely overloading it. It’s up for the extra weight and everything feels as balanced as it should. I can tighten my straps and know they’re going to stay there no matter how much weight I keep in the vest.
The water bladder is another nice feature. When I’m fly fishing, I obviously have my rod in my hand, and finding a safe place to set it down and grab my water isn’t always easy. Having the bladder and hose is ideal.
I can continue fishing and grab drinks as I move locations. The less time I have to deal with other things while I’m out on the water, the happier I am.
I don’t think this vest has many downsides. The amount of storage, the quality of the materials, and the general fit are hard to beat for $70. I highly recommend this vest for anglers of all skill levels and abilities.
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