North Country Angling: Emptying the fly patch

As the 2026 fishing season winds down, it is time to break down gear, clean it (especially fly lines), and store it until the water calls in 2027. While each rod, reel, and fly line evoke memories of the season past, the fly patch is the one that brings out the memories of places fished and fish caught.

This angler looks at the cornucopia of flies that accumulated on the two fly patches of the now seven-year-old Orvis Ultralight fly vest and there is very little Velcro showing from the fly patches themselves. Rather than go through the multitude of fly boxes to find a home for each fly, a new fly box is purchased and that will be the home to the 2026 fly patch flies.