Umpqua Northfork Chest Pack Review: Tough, Simple Fishing Rig Under $100

Most fishing pack manufacturers have been following the same pattern with new products: increased technology and increased prices. In the past, Umpqua Feather Merchants was one of the leaders in this trend. Its prior line of packs, the Zs2, was one of the most feature-rich, advanced packs on the market. The new Northfork Chest Pack bucks the trend and offers a no-frills, essentials-only pack at an amazing price.

Admittedly, I was disappointed when I saw the new pack. The Overlook Zs2 500 was my favorite pack of all time, and it seemed like Umpqua had taken a step back. Then I heard the price. And then I spent a season fishing with it.

After packing it around mountain creeks in Idaho, loading it with spey flies for a northwest steelhead mission, and dragging it through the mud on southern bass rivers, I realized that the new bag was just what the industry needed: a high-quality pack that leaves plenty of budget for flies to fill it with.

In short: The Umpqua Northfork Chest Pack offers great value with a few well-thought-out features. There are some things that the pack lacks, but for under $100, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another bag of similar size and quality. If you’re a beginner looking for your first pack, or an advanced angler looking to add a chest pack to your collection, this will be an excellent choice.

Compare the Umpqua Northfork with the best fishing packs.

Umpqua Northfork Chest Pack Review

Why a Chest Pack?

Anglers can find three main types of packs on the market today: waist packs, sling packs, and chest packs. Chest packs are gaining popularity due to their high placement on the angler’s body. With the pack being up high, your chest pack won’t be submerged when wading in deep water. This keeps your fly boxes dry, which keeps your flies dry and prevents rusting out all of your bugs.

While often taken for granted, fly boxes are among the most expensive equipment you carry. Have you ever done the math to see how much money is in that box? You want to keep it dry.

Chest packs also distribute weight evenly across your shoulders, a big differentiation from sling packs. Sling packs ride on one shoulder, and I’ve found they create substantial fatigue after a long day of fishing. Chest packs like the Northfork Chest Pack put the weight on both shoulders and eliminate fatigue.

What I Liked About the Northfork Chest Pack

The first thing I tested was whether it would fit large streamer boxes. Umpqua claims it will hold four boxes in the main pouch, but that depends on how large the fly boxes are. I bass fish creeks in the Southeast and have a large Umpqua Payload Fly Box filled with streamers and poppers. I have struggled to find a chest pack that fits that box.

Umpqua made the main pouch wider than other chest packs. Rather than having rounded corners, it’s more rectangular, and the streamer box fits with ease. I could retire the sling pack I had been using while streamer fishing.

Surprisingly, I also liked the thinner shoulder straps. I always take my dogs fishing and carry a Garmin Alpha 100 GPS tracker on the water, allowing me to find where my weird little Brittany is rolling in dead animals. Wider shoulder straps have always been problematic because I couldn’t clip the GPS unit to them. The unit got stuffed into odd spots, like down my waders.

Thanks to the thin design, I could clip the unit to the shoulder strap securely, leaving it ready for periodic checks on the pups. That may be a unique problem I face, but I’m certain someone else out there has run into it.

I also enjoyed the wide-mouthed net holster on the back of the pack. The wide opening allowed me to stuff my net in the slot with ease rather than searching for the opening.

It also has a large capacity for standard fly boxes and all of the other odd things you stick in a fishing pack. By strategically placing the boxes, I was able to fit more in than advertised.

Lastly, the overall build quality is excellent. Packs in the sub-$100 category usually lose one of two very important features: storage capacity or quality zippers and materials. The Northfork Chest Pack maintains both at $99.

I overfilled the pack and pushed the zippers to the max. After 9 months on the water, I have had zero zipper failure or failure in any of the components.

Umpqua Northfork Chest Pack Review: What I Didn’t Like

Little details go a long way in making the ultimate fishing pack. This pack does not have those, specifically zero sweep technology. Zero Sweep Technology (ZS) was specific to Umpqua, and it is what, in my opinion, made its packs the best on the market.

ZS referred to little slots and openings placed strategically throughout the bag. On the interior of the bag, you could place a zinger. You would run the zinger through the opening and attach tools such as nippers and hemostats.

When the items weren’t in use, the zinger would retract the tool back up into the hidden slot. This would keep tools from dangling around the exterior of the pack, which was great because it eliminated snags for your fly line while casting.

For some reason, I’m assuming cost, Umpqua eliminated ZS. I’m not happy about it. But it’s probably what made the low retail price possible. We’re back to having tools dangling around the outside of the pack and catching your fly line incessantly.

The “water bottle holders” on the sides of the pack are not nearly wide enough. No water bottle on the planet will fit in them. I put my water in the small zippered pouch on the back and used the water bottle holders to hold tippet and floatant.

Most of the interior organization pockets were functional, but the design in the front pouch was off. One of the zippered pouches is too long, which leaves the second one extremely small. All I could fit into it was a couple of bobbers. And yes, it’s a bobber. I wish the bigger pouch was a few inches shorter, which would make the small one a bit larger and more functional.

Lastly, the pack does not integrate with a larger backpack. It only attaches to the small cloth back strap. Most every other chest pack can be unclipped from this strap and integrated into a full-on backpack. This is great for backcountry hikes, carrying lunches, rain gear, etc. Umpqua does not make a large backpack for this bag, so you must either wear a backpack over the back strap, which is uncomfortable, or pack lighter.

All in all, though, it’s a functional pack that is 38% cheaper than its predecessor. Show me another pack that is going down in price in 2025. That doesn’t happen, and the reduction of features can be expected.

Who It’s For

The Umpqua Northfork Chest Pack is the best around for new anglers purchasing their first fly fishing pack. Fly fishing has high startup costs, and from my experience working in fly shops, I know most beginners skimp on the pack. Within 6 months, they would be back in the shop looking to replace the cheap bag they bought because either the zippers failed or they can’t fit everything they need in it.

This is a pack that a beginner can get without a huge cost. It has plenty of room to grow with your fly collection and will last for years.

It’s also a great option for the advanced angler looking to add a new style of pack to their collection. Most every advanced angler I know has multiple packs that they use for different situations. Maybe you’re a waist-pack guy looking for a chest pack to use in high water. This gives you a high-quality option at a great price.

Umpqua Northfork Chest Pack: Should I Buy It?

After 9 months of use, I can say that the Umpqua Northfork Chest Pack is a product I would buy. If you aren’t concerned with having all the bells and whistles, you’ll find phenomenal value and a pack that will last for years.