Buying some gifts for fly fisherman/ woman?
Have a certain loved one in your life that lives for the river, but you have no idea what to get them? You’re in luck, we’ve got you covered! This is a list of some of the best gifts to buy a fly fisherman.
Welcome to the sport of fly fishing. Where spending $80 for a pair of toenail clippers (read on, they’re worth it) and $600+ on a rod doesn’t seem out of the ordinary.
And if you want to try understanding it, don’t even start.
How to find the perfect gift for a fly fisherman (or woman)
This process really starts with things they have. If you know absolutely nothing about fly fishing and you want a little one on one assistance, feel free to shoot me an email and I’ll try my best to point you in the right direction.
To be clear, these gifts would be on my Christmas or Birthday list and I prefer gear that’s quality first.
That means, forget the price tag.
All jokes aside, these fly fishing gifts will knock his/her socks off at your next celebration, so let’s dig in.
These are the best gifts for fly fishermen.
A new fly fishing vest: the Fishpond Wasatch
Have a chance to check out their stash of gear yet?
We’re looking for key brand names like Orvis, Redington, Fishpond.
Fishpond?
The Fishpond Wasatch is on the upper end of fly fishing vests without being a $300 Orvis.
This vest has everything a hardcore fly fisherman wants. Space for a water bladder, excellent pocket space, fly benches, the whole nine yards. If you’re looking for a solid vest, this is it.
This is, in my opinion the best pack/ vest combo on the market.
Already has a nice vest? Try a sling.
For a lot of fly fishermen, it’s either one or the other.
Sling, or vest. Or backpack.
Personally, I enjoy the flexibility a sling offers. A perfect use case is day two of your fly fishing trip, you’re already settled in to camp and you’re fishing within walking distance.
You don’t always need to carry around a vest. Especially if you’re just out catching dinner.
Many fly fishermen use solely a sling no matter where they’re headed and I don’t blame them. They’re comfortable, they won’t wear on your back. It’s easy to handle and the Summit Sling by Fishpond offers their molded fly bench in addition to a water bottle holder.
Not only that, but the summit sling has over 4.5 stars and 60 reviews on amazon. Not bad for a fishing pack.
The Summit Sling pack is an efficient way to carry your fly fishing gear to the river.
Another great option, look at stocking stuffer gifts for fly fishermen
Stocking stuffer like items are great because you can’t really go wrong here. Buy one or two for a larger gift or just stick with one if you’re unsure.
Tacky Fly Boxes
This one is important that you check their outfit.
If they’ve got a couple, skip over this. Chances are they’re set. However, if you see just one and a couple other small boxes, a couple of these Tacky Boxes could be an excellent gift (if they don’t already have some).
These boxes aren’t as spendy as some of the other competing options on the market and in my opinion, they’re better.
The big advantage here is that they’re small and they hold flies extremely well. Each Original Tacky Box holds up to 168 flies and they last an incredible length of time. Highly recommend if you’re running out of gift ideas.
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.
Why you shouldn’t buy boots or waders as a gift
Alright, this one’s a bit tricky.
If you’re going for the element of surprise, I wouldn’t recommend that you spend a ton of time trying to get the waders and wading boots thing figured out.
It’s a little tricky, we are working on a few wader sizing charts but that’s to come down the road.
The problem here is you’re supposed to buy boots a little bit big for two piece wading systems, but it’s mostly personal preference. If you’re not worried about surprising your angler, then by all means buying boots or waders can be an excellent gift!
For the purposes of this guide, however, we’re leaning towards things you can buy that’ll be perfect no matter the circumstances. With that same thing in mind, stay away from rods and reels as well. No because you’ll buy the wrong rod, but because once you see the price tags you’ll want to end the fly fishing hobby altogether.
Gotten to this point and you just feel like buying something different?
Virtually any Yeti product will do just fine. And while you’re at it, ship an extra to me. I like the 18 Oz. Rambler bottle because it seals (perfect to tuck into the pack) or a Yeti Cooler.
Should you decide to spend big dollars on this gift, you’ve got a couple different options as far as coolers go.
First, you could buy a traditional Yeti Cooler (hard walls) like the Yeti 20.
The next option is going for a soft sided cooler, like the Hopper Two by Yeti.
The Hopper Two is an excellent option simply because of it’s portability.
Honestly, I prefer it just because you’re not sacrificing wall space for cool and the shoulder strap makes it incredibly easy to haul in and out.
The thing with Yeti Coolers is you’re never going to end up with tremendous amounts of cooler space (without paying dearly for it). If you decide to go with one of these, buy one you can afford. They’ll appreciate it, no explanation necessary.
The Yeti brand in itself is very popular. The Rambler is a great way to keep liquids hot or cold for many hours out on the river.
A cheaper alternative to the HT by Yeti is going to be the RTIC 20, although I haven’t tested it personally it claims to keep beverages cold for up to 5 days.
Next up, consider buying your friend some Samsfx Fishing Zinger Retractions. These little dealio’s are going to be awesome additions to your special somebody’s fly vest, especially with the price tag of ten bucks. They rotate 360 degrees and will hold extra tools at an easier reaching distance or wherever they are attached to the vest at. These little clip ons will come in handy not minutes out onto the river.
This next gift idea will more than likely save your special someone a lot of hassle. It’s called a clip-on rod holder. The Smith Creek Rod Clip will be a killer gift because it takes away the need to hold your rod in between the knees, or potentially drop the rod and break it. This little clip might save a lot of money in rods for whoever you are giving it too (or yourself).
The best gifts for a fly fisherman are from the heart!
In the end, finding the right fly fishermen or women gifts can be a challenging task for a lot people, especially those not in the game. But that’s why we’re here! And although there is some hefty price tags on a lot of these items you’ll be sure to find a happy camper when he or she opens up these gifts. Best of wishes and good luck!
