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wb4tjh - don't worry, we're all confident in our manhood.
Nothing derogatory, we're just showing we can make fun of ourselves.

Yes, Hardy bags are made by Chapman, still using British labor, and short of finding a sale at Chapman, or an ebay coup, you probably won't find a better price on a top-line British canvas and leather bag than Hardy at harrissportsmail
http://www.harrissportsma...RDY+BAG&x=20&y=17
Make sure you set your settings (upper right corner) to United States and American dollar to see VAT-free prices and actual shipping.
Of course, it is more fun to look at the Chapman girl. http://www.chapmanbags.co...ing+Bags+and+Accessories/

I have a bunch of these, an 8" Frost River bag (back when they were under $30); two 12" Chapmans (what can I say, I couldn't pass up the sale price when they were closing out the previous style Troutbeck - $60); a 15" Brady Aerial, and an 18" Chapman which I use as a boat bag and keep it loaded with my saltwater gear so I can grab it and go when I'm heading to the coast on a business trip. I've taken it as an overnight bag on airplanes before, and it always gets compliments.
With the multiple bags, I keep the 15" bag ready to go for warmwater, the 12" bag for coldwater, and the other two small bags are for my girls or guests on an outing.

What I'm getting to is sizes - 15" is the absolute largest bag you would ever want to take to the river - there is enough room for several reels, water bottles, lunch, rain gear all the fly boxes you could want. In fact, it seems cavernous when you're trying to dig for something.
12" bags are just the right size - one extra reel, lunch, fly boxes, sunglasses and one water bottle.

here's a 15" bag - and keep in mind, that's a fairly large puppy wearing it - 6'3" and 220 lbs.




Mike, what I like best about the British bags is that wide canvas strap. The American style bags have a thin leather strap with a wide leather shoulder pad that slides on the strap. The canvas is more comfortable, plus you can spin the bag by the strap and it will stay put at just about any place on your back.

And to keep it full circle, I too fished out of an ArtiCreel for 10 years before I ever bought my first vest.
Are good bags worth the price? Should be obvious I think they are.