2002 RETAILER'S CH0ICE AWARD FLY-FISHING RETAILER MAGAZINE, Nov/Dec 2001 For the second year in a row, the members of FLY-FISHING RETAILER’s Retail Advisory Board have taken it upon themselves to dig up a few eye-popping new products introduced at this year’s trade show. Each product has a quote explaining why it was considered. While some of the written reasons are brief, you’ll clearly see why the products were picked. So, take a gander and see what your peers think will be notable in 2002. "WOW! What a neat gadget. Leave your vest at home and go with a 12-ounce, fully equipped fly box."
	2002 EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD FLY FISH AMERICA, Annual Gear Guide 2001 One of the neatest new products we found at the Fly Tackle Retailer Show is the FlyteDeck Chest Flybox System, the ultimate accessory for the minimalist angle. Based around a top-quality Okuma fly box, the FlyteDeck packs more functionality into less space – and with less weight – than anything we’ve seen before. Attached to the back of aluminum L-frame is a small nylon pouch with zippered top, designed to hold tippet spools (with exit grommets on both sides), leaders, and other small stuff. The nylon web X-harness (with a sliding D-ring net holder) is attached to the pouch at the top, with quick-detach buckles at the bottom. An included stuff sack snaps onto the D-ring for packing extra gear. The Okuma box is affixed to the front of the L-frame with double hook-and- loop hinges which permit the box to be layed down flat, then flipped open. Mounted on the bottom of the L-frame are six polyethylene spring retractors with snap hooks, two pre-rigged with bottle holders and plastic bottles (one flip-top; one squeeze). If all that doesn’t get your attention, try this one. The forward edge of the L-frame sweeps down and around to form a U-shaped rod cradle with rubber-padded edge. Your rod grip snaps into the cradle, which can be adjusted to fit any grip shape, and the fit is so secure that we actually used it to troll with a float tube!
	PRODUCT REVIEW FLY FISHING & TYING JOURNAL, Spring 2002 This has to be one of the neatest things I’ve come across in quite awhile. Obviously I’m not alone in that feeling; it was selected as one of the Retailer’s Choice products at the Fly Fishing Retailer’s Exposition in Salt Lake City last summer. I’ve tried to find some way to comfortably carry a small amount of gear without wearing a vest, and have never been totally happy with any of the alternatives. I’ve tried chest packs, I’ve tried a lanyard with a small box of flies carried in the shirt pocket, even a shoulder bag, but none have been completely satisfactory. This compact, lightweight system changed all that in a hurry. It features an aluminum angle frame mounting a fly box that is hinged to fold down so that it can be opened in a horizontal position. A small, zippered pouch with tippet dispensers, which can also hold a few small essentials, mounts against the chest, on the back of the frame, and a channel-section rod holder with a soft plastic lip grips rod-handle, to hold it securely in a horizontal position while changing flies or tying on a new tippet. Mounted under the frame are six coil retractors, two of them with bottle holders to carry floatant, sunscreen, or desiccant in the inverted position (the system comes with an empty dispenser bottle and hinge-top jar). The fully-adjustable harness is lightweight and comfortable with side-release buckles, and features a sliding D-ring in the back which provides a place to attach your net or a small gear bag. The heart of the system is a 3 ½” x 6” matte-black aluminum fly box, the boxes are available in a variety of combinations with window compartments, foam liners, or stainless-steel clips, and all feature the unique hinging system that attaches them to the frame, and a bristle-tack fly-drying patch on the front. When the fly box is in the vertical position, everything is folded neatly out of the way and close against the front of your waders. I found this system to work perfectly for me, even on an extended day’s wandering streamside. The applications for float-tubing are obvious and I’m looking forward to using it on float trips when wading away from the boat.
	PRODUCT REVIEW FLY FISHERMAN MAGAZINE, March 2002 If James Bond had a fly box, this would be it! It has so many gadgets and extra features, you wonder where they keep the martini. The centerpiece of the system is a black, aluminum Okuma fly box with 16 separate compartments with spring-hinged lids. The box is hinged with Velcro to the chest harness so you can fold down and open the box like a table-top in front of you. Under the box is a drop-in rod holder so you can use both hands to tie on a new fly and not drop your rod into the water or bankside grit. Behind the carrier there are six plastic coil retractors; four for tools like clippers and hemostats; two to hold the plastic bottles that come with the product. Use one for floatant, the other is a wide-mouth canister you could use to store anything from dry-fly powder to split shot or strike indicators. A small zippered fabric pouch behind the box is the ideal place to store tippet material and leaders. A sliding D-ring on the back of the harness provides comfortable strap adjustment, and a place to hang a net or tippet dispenser.
	PRODUCT REVIEW ROCKY MOUNTAIN STREAMSIDE, Winter 2002 What do you get for the angler who has everything? FlyteDeck may have the answer in their new chest pack. For starters, it is a brand new product - something that even the angler with everything won’t have yet. Moreover, having everything may be something of a mixed blessing when you lug an over-stuffed fishing vest on your high-country hike-in fishing trip, or when you rifle through countless items in your vest pocket before finding that fly or tool you were actually looking for. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking that less might be more, the FlyteDeck Chest Flybox System may be right for you. As the name suggests, the FlyteDeck chest pack is a small pack that can hold all of your flyfishing essentials. Adjustable straps go over your shoulders, while the pack rests comfortably on your chest. The pack is small and lightweight, making it perfect for hike-in trips where you want to limit the weight that you pack along or for hot summer days when a heavier fishing vest may be uncomfortably warm. The adjustable straps also make the pack handy for winter fishing, as it can fit over a warm parka or coat more easily than most traditional fishing vests. While the system is small, the pack itself takes up a space of about 5x6x3. It is well-designed to offer compact but effective storage space for your essential items. The heart of the pack is the flybox and carrier. A velcro hinging system connects the fly box to a coated aluminum frame. The velcro is surprisingly strong, holding the box securely while still allowing for easy access. The hinged construction allows you to simply flip the fly box down from the top, while it still remains fastened at the hinges, and then open the box to access your flies. The frame also includes a rod holder, in which you can secure your rod when you need both hands free to work with your tippet or flies. The fly box itself comes in a variety of configurations, including boxes with 16 windowed frames and foam on the lid, 10 windowed frames and foam on the lid, or ripple foam on both base and lid. Additional boxes can be purchased and easily switched in and out from the velcro hinges. Tucked behind the flybox frame is a pouch for storing two tippet spools (or other small items). The pack also has 6 coil retractors for your essential tools: four for tools like hemostats and nippers; one with a ½ ounce plastic bottle (for floatant), and one with a plastic flip-top jar for dry shake, strike indicators, or other similar items. The system also has a D-ring on the straps that sets on your back, where you can attach a landing net so as to keep it out of the way. The system also comes with a stow bag which can be clipped onto the D-ring if you want to bring along multiple fly boxes and need the extra storage space. While the FlyteDeck chest pack may not be a replacement for the trusty, hold-everything fishing vest, it is a handy addition to your collection of fishing gear for those occasions when a smaller, simpler pack is what you want.