I've been a Fishpond fan for years and after fishing yesterday for a long time with my waist pack, I left the outing thinking about switching because I'm feeling dragged down by that system. It is great too but at 5' 3" I'm holding it up to wand to a spot at times. Your video has completely helped me get a better idea of it's proc/cons and I'll probably purchase one. I like that if I decide to to a long haul, I can get the compatible backpack you mentioned. I saw these at a fly shop today and checking reviews now. THANK YOU for sharing - appreciate ya!
Love your videos! You guys really break things down and speak from experience on your gear and why you make the choices you make. As a gear guy myself, I appreciate the thought that goes into your videos. Keep it up!
Glad you found this video helpful! I really put this pack through the ringer (as you can probably see from the stains haha) and the more I use the the more I like it! -Dan
Much appreciated! There will be plenty of similar content in the future. Currently working on an outing video and my brother Dan is fishing out in Montana and doing plenty of filming. Thanks for the nice comment and thanks for watching!
I love your review and agree with many of your comments. I guide in northern NY and this is my pack. I also have a long handled fishpond net and it works well with the net holder.( once you break it in). I use the wind river roll top backpack as well and they are a perfect match.
That sounds like a good setup using that backpack. Would probably work well with my net retractor setup. It is nice to have the option for the long handled net though. This is the time of year we go for steelhead a lot and a little bit bigger net is really beneficial. Thanks for the comment!
I use this pack and like it a lot. It is the best replacement for the Willie Joseph Confluence that is no longer made. One other shortcoming is the net pocket in the back. It is too soft, and almost impossible to thread your net back in. The Umpqua net holder, which is much stiffer and stays open to receive the handle of the landing net is a superior design, but the rest of this pack beats the similar Umpqua pack hands down. The old Confluence had a soft bar across the back, rather than a central ring to clip a net retriever to. That was also a better design than this Fishpond pack. Minor quibbles, though. I actually use it with my gear very similarly deployed to what you do.
You bring up some very good points and I totally agree with your input. Glad to hear what your experience was with the net holder since I used a retractor instead. Thanks for the great comment, I'm sure it will help others who are looking into getting this pack!
Looking for a new pack. I appreciate this honest assessment - good and bad. I plan to purchase this. I'd like a video on small gear like fly boxes and net retreiver
Hey bud nice review I was looking to get a new pack. This looks perfect and I have a full fish pond guide back pack that had a chest pack I wore out. We are planning a epic trip next summer. Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado in our Tiffin motorhome. Take care Mike from the other end of the valley....
Great review. I have just discovered your channel and now am a subscriber. I am trying to decide on whether I get a vest, chest pack, hip pack or sling so it was timely getting your views on the fishpond cross current chest pack. I have a very old vest and almost always end up submerging the bottom few inches at some stage during a trip (its not water proof). So good to hear your thoughts on the value of a chest pack for keeping things well above the water! Keep up the excellent reviews.
Thank you for an amazing video. I am stuck between Thunderhead and Cross Current chest pack. Do you ever feel like the Cross Current is to bulky on your chest? Any input on this decision? Thank you so much
I have two wj confluence packs. One I just started using this year since my first one had something like 5 years on it. 5 hard years I must add. I hope that by the time this ones toast there will be someone making a pack that can compete.
While the Cross-Current is a great pack, it's just not the WJ. Hopefully in future designs they might incorporate a magnet into both pockets and maybe have more back storage.
Great video! But what was that thing that holds your net? Looks like someting i been searching for a long time.. what is it called and can it hold net on waterdrag?
do you still use it? got this pack a few weeks ago and man it is awesome, transformed my entire day fishing with ease of use, comfortable, spacious and that magnetic front pocket is so handy
Fishpond makes really good equipment. A couple others do too. A chest pack may make sense for the types of fishing exhibited in your vids (which are great by the way). Your equipment reviews are valuable too. For what it is worth, I am not a fan of any chest packs. All of my fishing is on Montana freestones, or mountain streams with lots of rock hopping. I found that a chest pack obstructs my vision so I cannot see what is directly in front of me. It just makes me uncomfortable.
It's really nice that there are so many options out there. I occasionally use a hip pack in those situations where I am walking a lot and covering miles. What style pack do you prefer to use out your way?
Hey man that was a great video! I just got the pack for an early christmas present. what is the holder that you have for the floatant on the inside of the magnet closure? I want to do that
Hey Backyard Angling, how did you stick those floatant holders to the inside of the pack wall and where did you get them? Looks like it'll hold your gink plus your shaker floatant.
Discontinued, unfortunately.. This cross current is probably the closest thing to it. If it had a water bottle holder of some sort, it would be the perfect pack
Another well done video! You guys are objective and I know the products you review have been put through the wringer. I'm thinking of purchasing this pack and had one question. I know you indicated the rear storage was somewhat limited and I wonder if there is enough capacity to store a rain jacket or extra layer? I live in Missoula and a day on the water can have 4 seasons.
Glad that you found this review helpful and we appreciate the kind words. That is a great question, as we experience the same 4-season phenomenon here in PA. I would say that it depends on the type of jacket/extra layer you are carrying. It would fit a thin raincoat or packable jacket with ease, but I think it would struggle to fit a heavy sweatshirt or anything bigger than that. I base that mostly on the small zipper openings. I've carried a jacket before that was just threaded between my back and the pack itself, but this was inconvenient and really bulky, and was more out of necessity. Fishpond says that you can interchange the back with some of their backpacks they sell, however it looks like the options are pretty limited and not to mention expensive. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
Hey what is that strap thing that holds your gink and dry shake? I assumed it came with the pack and was surprised it wasn't there on mine. I think it's a genius solution versus zingers. Is it homemade with velcro on the back?
That was actually an accessory from an old simms pack. It does have a velcro back on it. I think you could probably modify some of the existing holders on the market with an adhesive strip of velcro to do the same thing. Wish I could have been more helpful, but I don't know of anywhere that something like this would be available
Sorry for the late reply, as for your question I was actually saying "sighter" but probably came out bad on my end. I was referring to sighter line that is tied into a leader for contact nymphing and thus why I keep it with my tippet. As for why I school Fishpond over Umpqua, that was due to the fact that Fishpond has a magnetic closure which I absolutely love! Great questions. Thanks for watching and commenting!
It is used for contact nymphing/euro nynphing as a visual indicator. Basically it is a highly visible section of monofilament that is tied into a contact nymphing leader to detect when a fish grabs your nymph. I would recommend checking out some videos on the Orvis learning center on euro nymphing for the best explanation. I think they would give a much better explanation than I'm able to articulate
They are baby fingernail clippers from the drug store / pharmacy. We like baby nail clippers because they're small and sharper than typical nail clippers
Just my opinion so take that for what it is worth, but I would say all-around better than a sling pack and less convenient than a hip pack but not as good on the back as a hip pack.
Crazy. I was doing training today on the phone and the voice sounded just like yours and his name was dan. Wasn't exciting like a fly fishing video though haha.
Not quite haha. Greasing the sighter line for use as a more sensitive suspension rig. We use this method in a few of our other videos so check them out if you're curious!
Everything Fishpond makes is incredible. My favorite gear company. Great review 👍
Glad you enjoyed the review! They make some quality gear for sure!
I've been a Fishpond fan for years and after fishing yesterday for a long time with my waist pack, I left the outing thinking about switching because I'm feeling dragged down by that system. It is great too but at 5' 3" I'm holding it up to wand to a spot at times. Your video has completely helped me get a better idea of it's proc/cons and I'll probably purchase one. I like that if I decide to to a long haul, I can get the compatible backpack you mentioned. I saw these at a fly shop today and checking reviews now. THANK YOU for sharing - appreciate ya!
Love your videos! You guys really break things down and speak from experience on your gear and why you make the choices you make. As a gear guy myself, I appreciate the thought that goes into your videos. Keep it up!
Glad you found this video helpful! I really put this pack through the ringer (as you can probably see from the stains haha) and the more I use the the more I like it!
-Dan
really like this gear reviews, and the fishing outings to, like the way you guys narrate and talk, easy to understand, learn and easy going 👍
Much appreciated! There will be plenty of similar content in the future. Currently working on an outing video and my brother Dan is fishing out in Montana and doing plenty of filming. Thanks for the nice comment and thanks for watching!
I love your review and agree with many of your comments. I guide in northern NY and this is my pack. I also have a long handled fishpond net and it works well with the net holder.( once you break it in). I use the wind river roll top backpack as well and they are a perfect match.
That sounds like a good setup using that backpack. Would probably work well with my net retractor setup. It is nice to have the option for the long handled net though. This is the time of year we go for steelhead a lot and a little bit bigger net is really beneficial. Thanks for the comment!
I use this pack and like it a lot. It is the best replacement for the Willie Joseph Confluence that is no longer made. One other shortcoming is the net pocket in the back. It is too soft, and almost impossible to thread your net back in. The Umpqua net holder, which is much stiffer and stays open to receive the handle of the landing net is a superior design, but the rest of this pack beats the similar Umpqua pack hands down. The old Confluence had a soft bar across the back, rather than a central ring to clip a net retriever to. That was also a better design than this Fishpond pack. Minor quibbles, though. I actually use it with my gear very similarly deployed to what you do.
You bring up some very good points and I totally agree with your input. Glad to hear what your experience was with the net holder since I used a retractor instead. Thanks for the great comment, I'm sure it will help others who are looking into getting this pack!
Looking for a new pack. I appreciate this honest assessment - good and bad. I plan to purchase this. I'd like a video on small gear like fly boxes and net retreiver
Glad you found this helpful! Great suggestions! We'll try and get some more reviews out there.
Hey bud nice review I was looking to get a new pack. This looks perfect and I have a full fish pond guide back pack that had a chest pack I wore out. We are planning a epic trip next summer. Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado in our Tiffin motorhome. Take care Mike from the other end of the valley....
Great review!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Great review. I have just discovered your channel and now am a subscriber. I am trying to decide on whether I get a vest, chest pack, hip pack or sling so it was timely getting your views on the fishpond cross current chest pack. I have a very old vest and almost always end up submerging the bottom few inches at some stage during a trip (its not water proof). So good to hear your thoughts on the value of a chest pack for keeping things well above the water! Keep up the excellent reviews.
Really glad that you found this helpful! We have a friend who is currently transitioning from a vest to a chest pack. They work well for us!
I just picked one up yesterday. I gotta say that magnet pocket is pretty awesome.
Best part of the pack in my opinion! Thanks for watching!
Solid review. No nonsense.
Appreciate that! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for an amazing video. I am stuck between Thunderhead and Cross Current chest pack. Do you ever feel like the Cross Current is to bulky on your chest? Any input on this decision? Thank you so much
I have been looking for a good bag to use. I might have to get one. Great review.
Glad you found this helpful! It's a solid pack for sure. Thanks for watching!
Love it!! Want it!!!!
I have two wj confluence packs.
One I just started using this year since my first one had something like 5 years on it.
5 hard years I must add.
I hope that by the time this ones toast there will be someone making a pack that can compete.
While the Cross-Current is a great pack, it's just not the WJ. Hopefully in future designs they might incorporate a magnet into both pockets and maybe have more back storage.
Great Job. I saw you have your fly floantants attached inside the magnetic pocket,what are you using to hold these floantant bottles?
Have a velcro patch that came from another pack. I can't remember where we got it specifically though. Sorry!
Thank you, very informative.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! But what was that thing that holds your net? Looks like someting i been searching for a long time.. what is it called and can it hold net on waterdrag?
do you still use it? got this pack a few weeks ago and man it is awesome, transformed my entire day fishing with ease of use, comfortable, spacious and that magnetic front pocket is so handy
Use it all the time! Great pack!
Fishpond makes really good equipment. A couple others do too. A chest pack may make sense for the types of fishing exhibited in your vids (which are great by the way). Your equipment reviews are valuable too.
For what it is worth, I am not a fan of any chest packs. All of my fishing is on Montana freestones, or mountain streams with lots of rock hopping. I found that a chest pack obstructs my vision so I cannot see what is directly in front of me. It just makes me uncomfortable.
It's really nice that there are so many options out there. I occasionally use a hip pack in those situations where I am walking a lot and covering miles. What style pack do you prefer to use out your way?
Hey man that was a great video! I just got the pack for an early christmas present. what is the holder that you have for the floatant on the inside of the magnet closure? I want to do that
Does it come with the shake and floatant holder in the magnet pocket or did you customize that? Either way, nice feature
Off the top of my head, I don't think it does... I may have grabbed that from another one of my packs.
Hey Backyard Angling, how did you stick those floatant holders to the inside of the pack wall and where did you get them? Looks like it'll hold your gink plus your shaker floatant.
I looked up the William Joseph Confluence pack you mentioned. I can't find them in stock anywhere. Do you know if they are still being made?
Discontinued, unfortunately.. This cross current is probably the closest thing to it. If it had a water bottle holder of some sort, it would be the perfect pack
Who makes that floatant holder you have? Looks great
Another well done video! You guys are objective and I know the products you review have been put through the wringer. I'm thinking of purchasing this pack and had one question. I know you indicated the rear storage was somewhat limited and I wonder if there is enough capacity to store a rain jacket or extra layer? I live in Missoula and a day on the water can have 4 seasons.
Glad that you found this review helpful and we appreciate the kind words.
That is a great question, as we experience the same 4-season phenomenon here in PA. I would say that it depends on the type of jacket/extra layer you are carrying. It would fit a thin raincoat or packable jacket with ease, but I think it would struggle to fit a heavy sweatshirt or anything bigger than that. I base that mostly on the small zipper openings. I've carried a jacket before that was just threaded between my back and the pack itself, but this was inconvenient and really bulky, and was more out of necessity. Fishpond says that you can interchange the back with some of their backpacks they sell, however it looks like the options are pretty limited and not to mention expensive.
Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
This is most helpful. Thanks so much and I look forward to your future videos.
I got the pack but the fishnet compartment is really bad design, wonder if they ever fished with it and used it..
You have to break it in. It opens up a little over time and makes sliding it in/out a little easier fwiw
Great review. Can you tell me what is the max chest and waist size for the item? Thanks!
I notice there are 2 floatant holders inside, my cross current does not have those.
Hey what is that strap thing that holds your gink and dry shake? I assumed it came with the pack and was surprised it wasn't there on mine. I think it's a genius solution versus zingers. Is it homemade with velcro on the back?
That was actually an accessory from an old simms pack. It does have a velcro back on it. I think you could probably modify some of the existing holders on the market with an adhesive strip of velcro to do the same thing. Wish I could have been more helpful, but I don't know of anywhere that something like this would be available
What is a "Sider" that you keep on the tippet holder?
How did you choose Fishpond vs Umpqua?
Thank you, good information
You mention a 2x Sider during your tippet explaination just about 6;25 into the vid....thanks
Sorry for the late reply, as for your question I was actually saying "sighter" but probably came out bad on my end. I was referring to sighter line that is tied into a leader for contact nymphing and thus why I keep it with my tippet.
As for why I school Fishpond over Umpqua, that was due to the fact that Fishpond has a magnetic closure which I absolutely love!
Great questions. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@BackyardBassin Thanks for the reply...now, please tell me how you use it
It is used for contact nymphing/euro nynphing as a visual indicator. Basically it is a highly visible section of monofilament that is tied into a contact nymphing leader to detect when a fish grabs your nymph. I would recommend checking out some videos on the Orvis learning center on euro nymphing for the best explanation. I think they would give a much better explanation than I'm able to articulate
@@BackyardBassin Thanks, will do
Who make the nipper you carry? Where can I buy it?
They are baby fingernail clippers from the drug store / pharmacy. We like baby nail clippers because they're small and sharper than typical nail clippers
How is this on the back, compared to a sling or hip pack?
Just my opinion so take that for what it is worth, but I would say all-around better than a sling pack and less convenient than a hip pack but not as good on the back as a hip pack.
No sound?
Random question. Dan, do you work for PAA?
I do not. I'm an Army Officer
Crazy. I was doing training today on the phone and the voice sounded just like yours and his name was dan. Wasn't exciting like a fly fishing video though haha.
Floating the sighter? You mean greasing your bobber before going bobber fishing? Lol
Not quite haha. Greasing the sighter line for use as a more sensitive suspension rig. We use this method in a few of our other videos so check them out if you're curious!
No