I promise you, this will be the only fly fishing gear guide you’ll ever need. Each time we write about a certain piece of gear, from vests to winter fly fishing gear, we’ll link it up here. Think of this as the starting point for our website. We’ve dedicated our entire lives to catching more fish on the fly, so we’d like to think we’ve learned a thing or two along the way.
Here is a complete list of fly fishing gear for fly fishing.
- Waders
- Vests
- Wading Boots
- Nets
- Fly Fishing Rods
- Fly Fishing Reels
- Fly Boxes
- Line
- Tippet
- Flies
Fly Fishing Gear
“Can you put together a fly fishing gear checklist?”, it’s one of the questions we get asked the most here. What fly fishing gear do I actually need, and what can I go without? Like anything, there are certain pieces of gear that you actually do not need. There’s areas that you can save a little money, and others that you shouldn’t.
From our fly fishing gear list above, we’re going to do overhead breakdowns of each section of gear here in this article. Of course, we’ll link up any and all relevant articles inside our rundowns below.
If anything, our goal with Fly Fish and Camp is to share some of the joy that we’ve been able to find while standing armpit deep in the middle of a stream somewhere deep in the wilderness. If we can inspire that first cast, or the first fish on the fly, we’ve done our job.
Fly Fishing Rods
By far the most important piece of fly fishing gear is the fly fishing rod.
One would assume that is pretty obvious, no rod, no fishing.
So what makes a good fly fishing rod?
There are a lot of factors that come to mind, quality of the rod, how well does it perform, what are you trying to catch with your rod?
These are all questions to be asked and answered.
We do have an article on how to choose the right fly fishing rod for you, right here. I would recommend checking that out, it will have everything you need to know about getting your first rod.
Waders
Waders are very important if you’re interested in starting to fly fish. The reason being is that if you would like to get to where the fish are at, you’re likely going to have to get in the water.
Now, you don’t necessarily have to at every river you go to, but you’ll find out quickly that you’ll want to.
Waders give you the option to move out into the middle of a stream without getting wet.. Obviously.
Here’s a guide of the best waders for fly fishing.
Vests
Having a fly fishing vest is crucial, it will hold essentially everything you’ll need to carry out to the river where you will be fishing.
This is where you will keep your flies, line, tippet, scissors, lunch, etc…
Personally, I would recommend getting a higher quality fly fishing vest off the get go. It makes for a much more enjoyable experience and really doesn’t cost a whole lot more.
Here’s an article on how to choose the right vest + best fly fishing vests.
Wading Boots
Wading boots are another key piece of equipment that you’re going to want to invest in when it comes down to it.
I always preach that getting high quality fly fishing gear is the best thing you can do and boots are no exception.
When you’re in the water fly fishing, there will be sharp rocks, glass and other materials on the bottom of the river.
You want to protect your feet from hazards like those.
And if you are lucky enough to invest in a real high end pair of boots, you’ll gain the benefits of better traction, waterproofness and absolute comfort.
Here’s an article on the best wading boots for fly fishing.
Fly Fishing Reels
Fly fishing reels are another piece of fly fishing gear that you don’t want to skimp on.
Of course, you can do whatever you want…
But I would recommend getting an aluminum rod with quality reviews and rankings.
The problem with low budget reels is that sand, rocks and mud get stuck in them, shortening your fly fishing trip.
They also bend and break a whole lot easier than a high (ish) end reel.
Here’s an article on the best fly fishing reels if you’re interested.
Fly Boxes
Next piece of fly fishing gear, fly boxes.
Fly boxes aren’t the most important thing to get right, right when you start fly fishing.
But in reality, the price between a high end fly box and a piece of junk really isn’t that much money. Compared to the difference between an elite fly rod and a subpar fly rod.
So in that regards, you might as well get the best of the best right away. It’ll save you a lot of hassle and especially if you get a tacky box, it’ll last you a lifetime. Assuming that you don’t drive it over with your truck….
Here’s an article to the best fly fishing boxes.
Nets
The Tacky Fly Box is simply put, the #1 fly box on the market and it's uncontested. If you're considering getting a new set of fly boxes, go Tacky, you'll never look back.
Line
Tippet
Flies
When you’re starting fly fishing, you will burn through a lot of flies.
They’ll catch on rocks, twigs, branches, etc and break off.
That being said, flies aren’t that expensive and are very easy to replace.
Conclusion
We hope you found what you were looking for! Good luck in your adventures and tight lines!
