The Esoteric Packing List
In the Spirit of Trapper John
One of many great moments in M*A*S*H is when Trapper John (all-time Elliot Gould) takes a jar of olives out of his pocket and drops one in his martini. “You really can’t savor a martini without an olive,” he says, despite being three miles from the front of the Korean War. Donald Sutherland and Tom Skerritt look on in disbelief and admiration. I’m a twist of lemon man myself, but the sentiment endures. (If you’re not familiar with Robert Altman’s masterpiece, then you have a lot to look forward to).
Back to the olives. Certain things brought a long way improve the trip. Sometimes that comes down to their downright improbability. There’s something to be said for having a lime on hand when you head to a remote fishing lodge. The duty-free rum may be good, but the lime puts it over the top. We bring good coffee to the where we fish in the Bahamas, which is nice, and a flask of whisky to the banks of the Limay in Patagonia, which is nicer.
Unfortunately, packing for fishing trips is not always that romantic, it’s mostly a matter of foresight and tactics. After each trip I write down what I wish I brought and what I brought that was redundant. Next time I’ll be better prepared, at least that’s what I tell myself.
Certain things—whether simple or esoteric—make a trip easier and more enjoyable. And that’s really what packing is about. Here’s what I have on that fishing list. This newsletter is not about buying more—most of these you already own, a few you can track down. Many will make sense even if you’re not fishing, they’re all in the spirit of the intrepid Trapper John.