Going green is big these days. Recycling is becoming common in business and households but a new twist on the green theme is 're-purposing'. Re-purposing is the practice of taking a used product meant for one purpose and using it in another way. Take an old door and convert it into a table and you just re-purposed.
Re-purposing is the basis for a green fishing gear manufacturing company named Recycled Waders. With a motto of 'Turning Leakers into Keepers', Recycled Waders takes waders that are beyond use and turns them into useful fishing products. The Nook Sack being reviewed here is just one of 11 products offered by Recycled Waders. The re-purposing that the company does benefits the environment by reducing landfill, and converts waders into products that would otherwise use more natural resources, while providing a viable business and products that satisfy anglers.
All anglers are pro-environment, but is the product worth it? I've used the Nook Sack on multiple fishing trips and have nothing but great things to say about it. For one, it's well made. Straps, zippers, attachment clips and snaps, stitching, and materials are all top quality. It's also well-designed, it's 11" high X 7" wide X 3" deep dimensions easily holding two large streamer fly boxes in the main deep waterproof compartment. A smaller zippered exterior pocket holds leaders and tippet material. The main shoulder strap adjusts effortlessly and there's a small handle strap that can also serve as a place to clip on a drying patch or other accessories. And finally, it's a great companion when targeting a specific type of fishing or species or when portability and movement are important. I love using it when streamer fishing for big browns in the fall where a vest is too bulky. This pack can be slung behind, hung in front or carried short and snug to the shoulder. It's also handy when smallmouth fishing where a small selection of nymphs, poppers, and streamers is all that's needed for a great day on the water.
Big vests will always serve a purpose for the fly fisherman. But as demonstrated in the movie "Platoon" when veteran Sergeant Elias tells a new soldier, exhausted from hauling a heavy pack in the jungle, "You're humping way too much troop, you don't need half this shit", how often do we really need all the stuff we carry a-stream? The Nook Sack may do more than offer a small, environmentally friendly, waterproof tackle-hauler for the angler. It may also suggest we lighten up and simplify. At $33, I highly recommend it.
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