Taking your life with you on a bike means minimising your setup to the bare essentials, and if you’re making films and fly fishing like Will Phelps, that means making compromises. Here’s his bikepacking and fly fishing 101 as featured in The Mission Fly Fishing Magazine (Nov/Dec 24).

Pretty much every bikepacking trip I go on, I learn something and apply it to the next trip, especially when there’s fly fishing involved. What can be improved? How can my weight be distributed better? Maybe I need more mounting points in the rear? When I prep, I normally try to go to as lightweight as possible, especially as a filmmaker. I carry a lot of heavy camera gear, so I have to make sacrifices in other areas. That might mean bringing one less shirt or one less pair of pants or one less change of socks, just to account for the extra gear that I have to bring.

The thing with bikepacking is that you’re committed to the area that you’re going to. So I keep it simple. That’s the idea behind bikepacking in the first place, living simply. You’re cutting out the house, the car, and all these things that you’re used to living with and really chiselling it down to only the things you need to get the job done.

You can also travel at a slower pace than in a car and actually take everything in. You’re forced to talk to people, you’re forced to ask for help, you’re forced to take stops. So if you’re biking next to a river, you might actually see the fish rise rather than going 20/30 miles an hour by it in a car. Spot a fish? Just park your bike, grab your rod and catch it. That’s the beautiful thing about bikepacking.

THE BIKE

You want to choose a bike that’s suitable for whatever mission you’re going on. Some trips require a bike that’s more suitable for trails and mountain biking, while others require a bike that’s more suitable for road and asphalt. When selecting a bike specifically for fly fishing, you want to think along the lines of a mountain bike-type setup because then you can access some really cool places and get away from civilisation.

Frame & fork

I ride a steel frame hardtail Koski (koskibros.com). It’s a fully rigid bike with no front suspension. This means it can be pedalled really easily for long distances without the suspension squishing down and sucking up some your energy. The only time I’d want any suspension is if I was riding on continuous single track. Efficiency and simplicity is the overall goal. You’re going to be able to cover a lot more ground on a simple bike, and you’re going to deal with a lot less problems; fewer moving parts usually equals fewer problems. You can’t have an issue with your suspension if you don’t have any suspension. I recently changed my front fork to include different mounting points on it. There’s literally like screw holes in the fork, so you can mount things to it.

Gear train & shifter

I run a 1×10 drivetrain. For most people that might not be enough gears. It doesn’t have a granny gear and sometimes I run out of gears when I’m going really fast. Anywhere from a 1×10 to a 1×12 would work fine. I use a Black Box (northwestfab.com) shifter. It’s a pretty small brand but it’s bomber. It’s never broken, and that’s the main thing for me – I just want equipment that’s going to last, which is key for bikepacking. You want to be as mechanical as possible throughout all your functions of your bike. I even ride with mechanical disc brakes. You don’t want an electronic shifter on your bike either, and definitely not an e-bike when you’re bikepacking because those are things that are going to run out of battery, and then you’re hosed.

Tires & spares

My 27.5 inch mountain bike tires (2.5in to 2.8in wide) allow my bike to go on the gravel and in the mountains, making it capable on a trail, but then also really efficient on the road. With the fat mountain bike tires on a fully rigid bike, you can deflate the tires a little which will help with cushioning. As fly fishers, we’re probably not going to be on asphalt as much as most other bikepacking people because the rivers we go to are accessed on gravel. I only ride tubeless tires.

I don’t recommend anyone to ride with tubes because you’ll get a lot more flats; especially if you’re somewhere with cactus or thorns, which tubeless tires can deal with easily. I carry extra Stans (stans.com) sealant in a little bottle. If you do get a puncture it immediately gets filled by the sealant. I’ll also bring a CO2 bomb for quick fill-ups, and a hand pump so I can regulate tire pressure up and down. I also carry one or two extra shifter cables. You don’t need a bunch of them, but say you snap a cable on your derailleur or on your shifter, you want to be able to replace it.

Pedals & seat

I ride on flat pedals with short pins, to avoid bloody shin strikes. I have big feet so I ride bigger platform pedals which are more comfortable. I would not recommend riding with clipless pedals because then you’re committed to that pair of shoes. My seat is a Brooks (brooksengland.com) saddle, they’re leather seats with built-in suspension providing a bit of cushioning.

THE SETUP

It’s really important to have my cockpit dialled with all of the quick-access stuff. Say a storm comes, you want to be able to know exactly where your rain jacket is so you can throw it on. If you need your headlamp when it gets dark, you want to know exactly where that is. So it’s really about making sure every piece of gear returns to its home when you’re done using it.

Up front on the Trxstle Geryon Rack System (trxstle.com) I have my sleeping bag which, weather depending, will be suited for warm or cold. Strapped onto that is my Goal Zero Nomad 10 (goalzero.com) solar-powered power bank kit – it charges while I ride and camp. It allows me to charge my camera batteries, phone, headlamp, anything small, but it doesn’t last forever. That goes with me on every single bikepacking trip, no question. If you’re not a filmmaker like me, you can still get use out of charging your phone or GPS. Next up is my f-stop Navin (fstopgear.com) camera bag. It’s like a little pouch that you can strap to anything with your camera in it. It’s badass. I ride with it connected to my handlebars. When I’m making films, I want to be able to quickly grab my camera and get shots.

Behind that, you’ll find these little water bottle holders called Mountain Feedbags by Revelate Designs (revelatedesigns.com). This is something that I put on every bike that I own. You can have one on each side, one for a bottle and the other with a bunch of snack bars in it, or sometimes I’ll put my phone in it and run the cable straight to my Goal Zero for charging. Next to that is the compact Mag Tank, also by Revelate. It’s a good spot for storing gadgets. That’s also where my weed goes. It’s just the perfect quick-access spot.

On the fork is where I keep all my clothes and my sleeping stuff. Mostly I don’t even bring a change of clothes, just extra layers. I’ll be in shorts and a T-shirt, with the option of warm socks, long johns and warm rain-proof jackets. That’s the most important thing. It’s not about comfort and staying clean, it’s about not dying of hypothermia. For clothes storage, I really like the Sealine (seallinegear.com) rolltop waterproof bags.

I use the super-thick rubber versions, so if you lay your bike down on it, it’s not going to puncture the bag. A lot of people will run two of those, one on each side, strapped to the fork rack with Titan Straps (titanstraps.com). I use just a regular Patagonia (patagonia.com) Black Hole Cube on the other side, but it’s not waterproof. On my last trip, I ran panniers up front, which is a little bit of a different setup. It’s heavier, but you can store more gear. So that’s the trade-off.

One of the most important things I would say for everyone bikepacking is to get a good frame bag. I’ll actually keep an extra-large Nalgene (nalgene.com) 48oz (1.4L) water bottle in there as backup. They’re super-cheap and durable, and used to top up the quick-access bottle up front. I use a Sawyer (sawyer.com) water filterto make sure what I’m drinking is clean – the same one I carry with me on the river, as the soft bladder saves a ton of space. My inflatable sleeping pad and a few extra layers will also go in the frame bag.

On the back end of the Geryon I have my lightweight tent, or just a hammock, depending on the weather and tree situation. Tents are great to keep bugs away though. That goes on the rear next to the rod. I also have the cooking stuff back there. Often it will be a Jetboil (jetboil.johnsonoutdoors.com) burner with a gas cannister, which is so efficient. It boils within seconds. When we’re in backcountry we use freeze-dried meals because we are in backcountry. For breakfast, instant oats. The Jetboil Zip is a French press that integrates into the burner which is awesome, I always have coffee. When we were in Patagonia, we actually ate out a lot because there’s so many places to eat and we weren’t so isolated.

“You can’t have an issue with your suspension if you don’t have any suspension.”

Weight distribution is important. My bike weighs around 70 to 80 pounds, or 40kg, but more than 50% of that is the kit. It’s a heavy bike, but it’s still a lot better than carrying it on your back. If you’re in a place that involves a lot of hike-a-bike (where you’re getting off your bike, pushing it up steep hills) then you’ll want to pack more weight towards the front of the bike, making it easier to push up hills.

When I did this in Patagonia, which didn’t involve any hike-a-bike at all, the front end was too heavy to steer properly. A lot of people will probably want to run rear panniers. In the front you can strap your stuff to the fork, but in the back panniers are great for carrying extra gear, and it just distributes everything nice and easily, but each to their own. From my experience a 50-50 weight ratio is probably ideal, but every trip’s different and every bike’s different. It’s just a matter of finding where everything fits into the puzzle to get you from point A to point B.

The fly fishing clobber

If you’re going to go on a long trip, I’d recommend taking a few rods, depending on what you’re doing. If I was doing a saltwater trip, then I’d take two rods, a 9- and a 10-weight, because if you break your only rod then you’re hosed. On a freshwater trip for small trout, if you break a rod you can probably tape it back together.

In terms of rod storage, I always keep my rod in its tube, and put that towards the rear where it’s poking straight out the back, strapped to my saddle bag made by Revelate Designs. Make sure you have the rod tube opening, the screw top or a zipper top, pointing out the back for easy access. Ideally it’s a rod tube with a material strap for a tie-in point, rather than a smooth aluminium tube. Obviously you want to have your reel in an accessible location too. I usually keep mine in my frame bag, along with other easy access stuff.

“It’s not about comfort and staying clean, it’s about not dying of hypothermia.”

For the rest of my fishing gear, I go super-simple. I really like the Patagonia Stealth Wader Workstation. You can strap it to your handlebar, the side of your bike, put it on your belt, you can strap it anywhere. It’s super-versatile and it’s just the perfect size for fly fishing and bikepacking too. In there will be some fly cups, my nippers, pliers, haemostats.

In terms of fly selection, going simple is key. If I’m going on a trout trip, I’ll bring like one little puck of dries, one of nymphs, and then another one with some streamers. I also use the Trxstle Big Water Case. It’s amountable fly box designed to attach to any bike. That box is a great option because you can also mount it in place of your water bottle holder. Depending on the trip, I might just have the Wader Workstation though.

My sandals are from Bedrock (bedrocksandals.com). I live in them when I bikepack. Those specifically because they’re lightweight and comfortable and you can fish in them because they’re strapped to your feet. They negate the need for multiple heavy closed-toe shoes. And I don’t feel my feet are at risk when riding. It’s not like when you’re mountain biking and really ripping it. If it gets cold, Bedrock make thick socks designed for the toe thong.

The camera clobber

My first couple of bikepacking trips I would go one lens, one camera, but lately I’ve really liked having two lenses. One wide lens, a 16mm prime – to cover the night timelapses, the vlog shots, and anything else wide. Then I’ll have my 70mm-100mm Canon lens and that thing is a beast. It just gets the prettiest shots. I also have a Mavic (dji.com) Mini 3 Pro drone which is a very small drone that I usually fit in my f-stop bag upfront and my Rode (rode.com) VideoMic Pro Plus comes along for audio. I also have my GoPro (gopro.com) Hero 12 that’s always strapped to my handlebars, so I can do a shot talking to the GoPro about how I feel or if I’m riding behind my friend, I can get a shot of them riding too. Between those three cameras, you can do pretty much anything.

Phelps on the fly

Filmmaker by trade, Will’s personal channel features epic DIY adventures from around the world. Keep an eye out for some of his excellent bikepacking/fly fishing films, including his most recent Patagonia expedition, Bike To Fly. Youtube.com/@PhelpsOnTheFly

DIY bikepacking and fly fishing in South Africa

While the bike setup itself is one thing to consider, planning the routes, the water and the overnight stays are what make a bikepacking trip become a reality. Here are some ideas aligned to the South African spirit.

Overberg

Adapt Cape Cycle Routes’ Overberg Meander into your own mix of gravel and tarred roads that will take you from Hermanus’s Klein River estuary through Agulhas National Park, the De Mond, Breede and Duiwenhoks River estuary systems, plus a range of tidal flats along the way. capecycleroutes.co.za

Wartrail

Cruising between self-catering farm stays and remote valley campsites from Barkly East to Rhodes could dish up a heady mix of highland vistas and remote trout stream fishing. wildtrout.co.za

Baviaanskloofrivier

Kick up some dust in the greater wilderness area that spans from Willowmore to Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape in search of smallmouth bass and yellowfish alike. baviaans.co.za

Underberg/Himeville

Dashing through farmland in the shadow of the mountain kingdom, the tributaries of the Mzimkulu river have no shortage of accommodation and free spawning trout populations. uhtfc.org.za

This story about bikepacking and fly fishing first appeared in The Mission Issue 48 (Nov/Dec 24). You can read the whole thing for free below.