Is the Simms Headwaters Pro Mesh Fly Fishing Vest worth it?
Fly fishing vests are one of the most difficult pieces of gear that a fly fisherman can buy, because it’s one of the most important pieces of gear that we use. Literally every time you want something or need to make a fly switch, or whatever the case, you need your vest to be there for you.
If you want to learn some more about what to look for in a vest, I wrote an article about how to choose the right fly fishing vest here, if you are interested!
With that being said, I love Simms because of the quality they’ve put into their gear for so many years. They typically stand behind their product as well if it happens to break down.
The Positives of the Simms Headwaters Pro Mesh Fly Fishing Vest
The Simms Headwaters vest is one of the best on the market today. If you are looking for help on choosing a high end, light weight vest, with a lot of storage space that comes in a variety of sizes, considering buying this one. One of the biggest issues for me is that I’m a smaller fisherman, so I appreciate it when I can purchase a quality vest that isn’t only in one size.
Storage
This Simms Headwaters vest comes with 20 pockets spread throughout the chest, interior, waist, and back side of the vest. That is music to my ears. Seriously, the amount of equipment that can be stored in this vest is incredible. I like the ability to have the option to store most of my gear in my vest without hassle.
Quality
Not only does this vest have space to put stuff, but it’s very high quality, you are for sure not going to have issues with this one for a looong time. And even then I will doubt it. This thing is an absolute machine when you hit the river time and time again.
Extra Features
One thing that I value in this vest, is that it has a loop for me to hold my rod with. Simple, toss my rod in the hoop – no damage done to my rod, and an easy switch of my fly. Quick easy pleasures of buying an expensive vest.
Along with the rod loop, it also has a D ring to hold a net, very essential.
The Simms Headwaters Pro Fly vest also includes two retractors to hold either some pliers or able nippers (or whatever you want) at a close reach.
Warranty
Finally, this vest comes with Simms warranty that claims to repair any defect in material or workmanship free of charge. For a reasonable price, they will also fix any problem that appears because of consistent use or wear and tear. I love a brand that is willing to back their product up.
Now For The Negatives of The Simms Headwaters Pro Mesh Fly Fishing Vest
Price
For one, the price tag hurts a little bit. At the same time however, I find value in purchasing a top of the line piece of equipment, because I know it’s going to perform well and last a long time. There’s a reason it’s so expensive.
Back pack
Two, there isn’t a back pack on this vest. I like a pack because its a better location to store my lunch, but it’s really not that big of a deal. It also doesn’t have a designed water bladder, guess I’ll have to use the old fashion method of bring a water bottle along.
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON CHECK PRICE ON SIMMS
If you aren’t sure about buying a new vest, but want something with a lot of space… check out this article I wrote up about the best fly fishing packs of 2020.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I recommend the Simms Headwaters Pro Mesh Fly Fishing Vest. It’s a little bit more expensive than other vests on the market, but for good reasons. It’s built to withstand a lot of use, has some cool features, and has plenty of pockets and storage built in throughout the vest.
Whether you decide to go with this one or not, I wish you well on the river this season!
