Fly Fishing Sling Packs

Why anglers like a sling

A sling pack is a compromise that works for a lot of people. It carries more than a chest pack, so a jacket, a water bottle and a few spare boxes can come along. It sits on your back while you walk and cast, so it stays out of your casting arm's way. And when you need a fly, you slide the strap and the pack comes around to your front. One retailer blog describes slings in those terms: they slide forward for easy access, spin into position for a fly change more easily than a waist pack, and spread the weight across the shoulder and body.

The main limit is that you have to move the pack to use it. If you change flies every few minutes, a chest pack keeps everything in front of you all the time. If you want pockets across your torso rather than one bag, look at vests. The fly fishing packs hub compares every style, and our pack vs vest guide covers the choice between them.

What is in the table

The 12 packs come from eight brands: Dovesun, fishpond, frogg toggs, Goture, Kylebooker, Maxcatch, Orvis and Simms. Orvis has three, fishpond and frogg toggs two each, and the rest one each. The selection rule is strict: only packs that the maker or the listing describes as a sling for fly fishing, so hip packs, backpacks and chest packs are not in this table.

Where capacity is stated, it runs from 5 liters (Orvis Mini Sling Pack) to 18 liters (Orvis Guide Sling Pack). Weights, where the maker states them, run from 10.6 ounces for the Mini Sling to 32 ounces for the fishpond Summit Sling 2.0. Four of the 12 list a net slot. Several have no capacity or weight we can confirm, and the table shows a dash for those.

How to read the columns

Style reads sling for all of these. Where it comes from the listing alone, the mark under it says listing.

Capacity is in liters. For a sling, I'd think in three bands. Around 5 liters carries fly boxes and tools. Around 9 to 13 liters adds a layer and a water bottle, and in our data that includes the fishpond Summit Sling 2.0 at 9 liters, the Simms Tributary Sling at 9, the Orvis Sling Pack at 11, the fishpond Thunderhead Submersible Sling at 13 and the Goture Waterproof sling at 13 per its listing. Above that, the Orvis Guide Sling Pack at 18 liters is a day pack that happens to be worn on one shoulder. The retailer blog above says to choose the size carefully, because a sling that is too small makes carrying water or rain gear a problem.

Water protection shows what the maker or listing says: water resistant, waterproof or submersible. These are claims, and the data does not name a test or a standard for any of them. In my reading, water resistant is for rain and spray, and waterproof or submersible is the maker saying the pack should stay dry even if it goes in the water. I'd check how the main compartment closes, because that is where water gets in.

Fabric is the material. The table includes 900D TPU-coated fabric, 600 denier recycled polyester with a TPU coating, CORDURA, ripstop, and 630 denier Oxford nylon with a TPU-coated front and PU-coated back. A higher denier number means thicker yarn, but the coating and the weave change how a bag behaves, so I would not rank packs by denier alone.

Weight is in ounces, and it matters more on a sling than on a chest pack, since the whole load hangs from one shoulder. The Orvis Mini Sling lists 5 liters at 10.6 ounces. The fishpond Summit Sling 2.0 lists 9 liters at 32 ounces, and the Simms Tributary Sling lists 9 liters at 15.9 ounces. That is a big gap for the same capacity, and the table lets you see it side by side. Construction and features differ, so it is a prompt to read the maker's page, not a verdict.

Under each model name the More specs toggle shows the rest, such as the net slot and the size label.

What the marks under the values mean

• maker means stated on the manufacturer's own page.
• claimed means a manufacturer's claim with no independent lab or standard named.
• listing means taken from the Amazon listing and not confirmed by the maker.
• — means we could not confirm it, and we do not guess.

Some of the sling packs have little more than the Amazon listing behind them. The Dovesun and Goture entries have no maker page we can verify, so their values come from the listing, and the Kylebooker water rating does too. That is a reason to read the listing carefully and to know the return window.

Which shoulder, and which hand

A sling is worn on one shoulder, and the side you choose affects how it behaves when you cast. My rule of thumb is to pick the side where the strap and bag stay clear of your casting arm, and to try both before you decide. That is editorial advice, not a maker's instruction. Some slings can be worn on either shoulder and others are built for one side, and our data does not say which. Check the maker's photos for the strap and buckle layout, and read our guide on how to wear a sling pack for the detail.

How to choose

Start with the load. List what you carry on a typical day. For fly boxes, tippet, nippers and floatant, 5 liters is enough. If you add a jacket, a bottle of water and lunch, you are at 9 liters and up. Pick the smallest size that fits the load, since a half-empty sling flops around and an overfilled one is hard to open.

Think about depth. A sling rides high on your back, and the retailer blog notes that gear in a sling stays dry even when you wade deeper than you should. That is one writer's report, and it is not a reason to wade deeper. A submersible-rated pack gives more margin if you do go in, and it is still a claim from the maker.

Check the net. If you carry a landing net on your back, a slot is a plus. Four packs list one, and you can filter the table for them.

Think about the strap. One strap carries the whole weight, so a wide, padded strap makes a difference on a long day. Read the maker's description and look at the photos.

Mind the budget. The table spans our lowest price tier up to the middle of the range. If you are not sure you will like wearing a sling, a lower-tier pack is a fair way to find out, and Check price on Amazon will show the current figure.

Common mistakes

Gary bought a sling a size too small, because it looked tidy on the shelf, and found out on the first morning that a tidy pack and a pack that holds a rain jacket are not the same pack. Gary now carries the jacket in his hand and has stopped describing the pack as tidy.

The other mistakes are plainer. Buying too much pack for a short outing is one. Wearing the strap loose so the bag bangs against you when you bend over is another. Overloading one shoulder is a third, and a heavy pack on a thin strap is something you will feel by lunchtime. And taking the water rating at face value is the last: a waterproof label does not help if the zipper is left open.

Safety on the water

A sling pack does not make wading safer, and a loaded pack adds weight if you fall. Wade within your limits, keep a snug wading belt on over chest waders, and carry a wading staff in current. For deep water or a boat, wear a life jacket. Do not count on a pack for flotation.

Brands in the table

Orvis has three slings: the Mini Sling Pack at 5 liters, the Sling Pack at 11 and the Guide Sling Pack at 18, with a net slot listed on the Guide. fishpond has the Summit Sling 2.0 and the Thunderhead Submersible Sling, both with net slots listed. Simms has the Tributary Sling Pack at 9 liters. frogg toggs has the Fishing Sling Pack and the Flats Fishing Sling Pack, both described by the maker as water resistant. Maxcatch has the FCO Sling Pack with a net slot listed, and Kylebooker has the SL03, a 12-ounce polyester sling. Dovesun and Goture sell through Amazon listings with no maker page we could confirm. See the full brand catalog for the rest.

Where to go next

If a sling looks too big for your outings, compare the chest packs. If you want a broader view, the fly fishing packs hub covers every style. Once you have a way to carry your kit, you can think about what goes in it, from the fly rod to the fly line.