Most important piece of equipment?

[Grumpy]

What is your most important piece of equipment, the one you'd never hit the water without, is it a gearbag, rod/reel, waders/shoes or sunglasses?
There's been some great discussions this week on equipment, i was just wondering what you would not leave home without?

BTW, there can be no wrong answers!

Grumpy

[Fly Ties GA]

When fishing is area like the Smokies I would have to say my wading staff. I just do not know how I would get by without it in rocky areas. I forgot to bring it one time fishing in Wisconsin and I felt completely helpless.

How about you Grumpy?

Good topic.

Bob

[boxman]

My folding reading glasses have become increasingly important as I get older. I keep them handy for tying on midges, knotting 7x tippet, and trimming hackles on flies to get the best presentations. I never leave home without them.
boxman

[tennswede]

First Aid Kit

[buckeyetrouter]

hmmmmmm......been thinking about it a bit and would have to say everytime I head to the Smokies and LRO my most important pc of equipment is a tiny pc of plastic roughly 2"x3" and has my name and a VISA logo on it.....seems to get a good work out at LRO each and every time.....just used to get a CFO II Trout Bum reel ( it is an awsome reel ) ...........

buckeyetrouter

[snaildarter]

An item that is small, cheap, extremely important, and one you may never use, is a loud whistle. If you get lost or injured or stuck, you may be glad you have it. Every time I read about someone who died only a hundred yards from a trail, I'm glad I've got one.

A few Benadryl is good too, even if you think you are not allergic to stings. I have been stung by numerous insects, and never had a problem. Then, while scrambling down a hill to a remote stream, I slid through a nest of yellowjackets, and 4 got me. I had a very bad reaction, and no possibility of medical care. I was able to stay awake, but just barely, by sitting in the 60 degree water of the stream. Some Benadryl would have been awfully nice about 30 minutes into that episode.

I also like always having a small flashlight, since I too often wind up coming back in the dark.

[nvr2L8]

Really like the idea of the whistle. Would really make my wife feel better about my fishing alone.

I would have to choose my felt soled wading boots as the piece of equipment that I would never be on the stream without. These are essential not only from a safety standpoint, but just allowing me to be able to enjoy fishing without worrying constantly about slipping and falling. I enjoy most fishing streams where I'm navigating the rocks up the stream and that's tough to enjoy if you're slipping and sliding everywhere. All of this is particularly important since I don't bounce quite as well as I used to.

[Vern]

fly threader. I wqas spending toooooooooo much time theading 6x tippit, even trifocals didn't help. but a threader made me feel young again.

[Rockyraccoon]

Cool thread.

To me, it seems the most important piece of gear for my trip is always the one I forget.

I do an exceptional job of always having everything with me that I need or could need while guiding. A lot of stuff never gets used or even looked at.....but it's there if I need it.

Now when I actually get a chance to wet a line myself, I feel like a **** wreck and always feel like I left something behind.

[ccmmcc]

I would have to say that I wouldn't go fishing without a...... ROD!