For a day fishing the flats or the cold, wet fall-run steelhead, this is your pack!

May, 2022: My Cuban guide, Spin, spotted the snook lying in a small hole in the mangroves as we were slowly wading the small lagoon.  “Give me your fly box.  We have to change the fly,” he said.   I opened my Orvis Pro Waterproof Hip Pack and grabbed my fly box.  Spin took off the Black Death tarpon fly and tied on an Enrico Puglisi baitfish pattern.  My eyes stayed focused on the large snook as Spin pulled tight the knot and handed the fly line back to me.  I cast the fly, and it landed within a foot of the fish’s nose. In a split second the snook violently attacked the fly.  Fish on!

Impressive Features

Days before my recent trip to Cuba, I picked up a new piece of kit, an Orvis Pro Waterproof Hip Pack. I was looking for a durable waterproof pack for use in both freshwater and saltwater environments. It had to be able to hold enough gear for extended sessions away from the boat or a car. At the same time, I wasn’t looking to lug around the kitchen sink on my waist or shoulder.

Upon opening the box from Orvis, I was impressed by the features of the hip pack.  I immediately liked the recessed tippet retainer – or “Tippet Whippet” as Orvis calls it – found at the top of the pack.  That is a terrific feature and a marked improvement over the tippet holders of other packs. You know the ones that fasten to a loop on your pack or sling and hang loosely, begging for the first passing branch to unleash a tangle of tippet.  With the Orvis pack, the tippet spools are visible but never in the way, and the tippet tray is melded into the top of the pack making a completely waterproof seal.

Goldilocks Size and Placement

Another notable change on this pack is the location of the net holder.  On some other brands you insert your net on the back of the pack, which is not only an awkward place for reaching while fighting and landing fish, but it usually puts the net directly in between you and the primary storage compartment of the pack. With Orvis’s design, the net holder slot is on the left-hand side of the pack, which allows you to grab it easier and stays out of the way while maintaining convenience.

The Pro Waterproof Hip Pack is listed as a 10-liter pack, featuring a simple large waterproof compartment that you can fill with what you need for a day of fishing.  There is a waterproof zippered pocket inside with two mesh pockets stitched on the outside.  While in Cuba, I put my phone inside the zippered pocket and had packets of tapered leaders in the mesh outside pockets.  When trout fishing back home, I put split shot, fly flotant, or whatever else I need handy when fishing in the outside mesh pockets. Meanwhile my phone and car keys stay secure and dry in the zippered inside pocket.  On the outside of the pack there is a smaller pocket with a waterproof zipper.  Once again you have ample room to store things that you will need in a moment’s notice.  A final zipped mesh pocket is located on the outside of your right hip offering a place to store quick-access items that you do not mind potentially getting wet.

A Saltwater-Ready Exterior

Saltwater environs are notoriously demanding on gear. I am pleased to report that the Orvis pack really performed well in Cuba.  I found myself wade fishing quite a bit in the Zapata National Park’s shallow backwater lagoons and along its pristine white sand beaches. The pack offered me ample room for my fly boxes as well as my ultralight rain jacket.  I had the pack secured around my waist with the removable shoulder strap attached for a secure fit and appropriately distributed load.  The pack was very comfortable to wear on the long wades that I experienced, and I did not have any strain on my shoulder or hips after taking it off.

Aside from wading, the pack’s waterproofness was tested by salty spray during some bumpy skiff rides.  The Master Seal zipper was up to the challenge. Nothing inside the pack ever got wet. Obvious, perhaps, but dry contents really is one of the most important features of any waterproof pack. Compared to older model zippers, the Master Seal is easy to operate thanks to the welded loops on the top of the pack. The loops offer a handle, allowing you to grab a hold of them while pulling the zipper open or closed. The pack comes thoughtfully packaged with additional lubricant to keep the zipper in good working order.

The exterior of the pack also performed well around saltwater. The shoulder strap has mesh webbing on the outside that allows for it to dry quickly. I found that the bag was dry almost immediately when I returned back to the live-aboard each afternoon.  The exterior also features a water bottle pocket with retaining strap located on the side, another functional design element by the Orvis team.  It is large enough to hold a Nalgene or Yeti bottle or whatever you happen to carry to stay hydrated while on the water.

My Lone Gripe

While the Orvis design team clearly did an outstanding job with this pack, I did have one gripe. There really is not a good place to store used flies when changing patterns.  The small square drying patch located near the tippet holder is clearly intended to play this role. However, the patch is small in area, limiting the amount of flies it can hold. I also do trust its holding strength, particularly for larger flies like streamers and saltwater patterns. I fear it would not take much for the larger flies to break free and become lost while walking or during a hectic fishing scenario. That said, this is admittedly a minor inconvenience.

The positives of this pack far outweigh this minor issue.  If you are looking for a waterproof pack that can handle a day on the flats or a cold, wet day fishing for fall run steelhead, then I can honestly recommend the Orvis Pro Waterproof Hip pack as a solid choice.

~ Ben Hoffman, Senior Program Manager