Getting your fishing friend a gift can be tricky. The safe choice is gear that needs no size and no line weight: a book, a landing net, polarized sunglasses or a waterproof case. Here are my picks for every budget, most of them gear we have reviewed on this site, each linked to a shop that has it in stock.
| Gift | Who it’s for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die | Any angler, new or seasoned | $14.87 |
| Dr. Slick Magnetic Net Keeper | Anyone who carries a net | $23.99 |
| YETI SideKick Dry 3L | The angler who wades deep | $55 |
| Suncloud Milestone | A first pair of polarized glasses | $59.95 |
| Fishpond Nomad Emerger Net | The trout angler | $179.95 |
| Oakley Split Shot Prizm Polarized | Bright days and saltwater | $238 |
| Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit | Someone who wants to start | $249 |
| Echo Gecko Fly Rod Kit | A kid | $249.99 |
| YETI Roadie 24 Cooler | Boat days and long drives | $250 |
| Van Staal Titanium Pliers | The saltwater angler | $389.95 |
| Epic 476 FastGlass Fly Rod Building Kit | Someone who likes a winter project | $499.95 |
| Abel Rove Fly Reel | The angler who has everything | from $745 |
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Rods, reels, waders and boots come in line weights and sizes. If you don’t know your friend’s, pick one of the gifts that have none, or look at the rod: the line weight is printed on the blank just above the grip, as 5wt or #5.
Fly fishing gifts under $25
Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die
There is a huge amount of great fly fishing books out there. One of the best to dream about the next adventure is Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die by Chris Santella: whether your friend is new to the sport or has fished for decades, it has a trip for them somewhere spectacular. More ideas are in our list of the best fly fishing books.
Price: $14.87 at Amazon
Dr. Slick Magnetic Net Keeper
A magnetic net release is one of those small gifts that gets used on every trip. Attach the Dr. Slick Magnetic Net Keeper to the back of a wading jacket or a sling pack and the net is always within reach when a big one comes along. It only helps an angler who carries a net, so if yours doesn’t, pair it with the Fishpond net below.
Price: $23.99 at Amazon
Fly fishing gifts under $100
YETI SideKick Dry 3L
The SideKick Dry 3L came along when we fished for sea trout in Denmark (read my full review). Its magnetic closure keeps the water out, and it holds a couple of fly boxes, an extra spool and a lunch without getting in the way when you cast.
Price: $55 at YETI
Suncloud Milestone
Polarized sunglasses are one of the best gifts for a fisherman: they cut the glare on the surface so you can see into the water. The Suncloud Milestone is hands down my top pick for value, and at just under $60 it holds its own against glasses that cost several times more (read my full review). The rest are in our guide to the best fishing sunglasses.
Price: $59.95 at Amazon
Fly fishing gifts under $300
Fishpond Nomad Emerger Net
A landing net makes a great fly fishing gift, and the Nomad Emerger is our top pick among the best fly fishing nets. Made from carbon fiber and fiberglass, it is light enough to carry all day and it floats if you drop it. I’ve used mine for years, and neither the handle nor the rubber net has lost any of its function (read my full review).
Price: $179.95 at Amazon
Oakley Split Shot Prizm Polarized
For a friend who fishes in bright sun or on the flats, the Oakley Split Shot is a choice you can’t go wrong with (read my review). Its Prizm polarized lenses are some of the best on the market, and they come in a huge variety of colors for different light.
Price: $238 at Amazon
Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit
For someone who wants to start fly fishing, give the whole outfit rather than a single piece. The Orvis Encounter comes with rod, reel, backing, fly line and leader, and it is the best value in our guide to fly fishing kits for beginners. If you don’t know which size to pick, the 9-foot 5-weight is the one for trout.
Price: $249 at Trident
Echo Gecko Fly Rod Kit
If you have been thinking of teaching a kid to fly fish, the Echo Gecko kit contains everything for the first casts: a short rod made for young anglers, a reel with backing, a fly line and a leader. Tie on a fly without a hook to get started and show them how to cast.
Price: $249.99 at Trident
YETI Roadie 24 Cooler
For the friend who spends whole days on the boat or drives hours to the river, give the cooler. The Roadie 24 is small, hard-sided and easy to carry, a standard wine bottle stands up in it, and we haven’t found a better small cooler for portability and insulation (read my full review).
Price: $250 at YETI
Fly fishing gifts for $300 and up
Van Staal Titanium Pliers
The Van Staal pliers are for the ones who don’t want to compromise on quality. They are made from corrosion-proof titanium, they are extremely light, the tungsten cutters are replaceable so they last a lifetime, and they come in a leather sheath with a lanyard. They are the most exclusive pick in our best fishing pliers guide. The 6-inch is $389.95, the 7-inch $439.95.
Price: $389.95 at Trident
Epic 476 FastGlass Fly Rod Building Kit
Building your own fly rod sounds harder than it is. I built my first one from this Epic kit, the 4-weight fiberglass 476, together with a friend and without any rod-building skills, and it can be done over a weekend. It definitely feels special to fish a rod you made yourself (see how the build went).
Price: $499.95 at Epic
Abel Rove Fly Reel
The Abel Rove is a premium reel your friend will almost certainly not see on anybody else, because you choose its colors and handle yourself when you order it. I have fished it for Atlantic salmon on a two-handed rod (read my full review). It comes in sizes by line weight, so check the number printed on the rod it is for: the 4/6 fits a trout 5-weight at $745, the 7/9 a salmon or saltwater rod at $895.
Price: from $745 at Trident
For the angler who already owns all of this, there are more ideas in our gifts for the fisherman who has everything.
Leonard Schoenberger is a fly fishing professional and gear specialist with over 20 years of experience on the water. As the manager of Heidarvatn, a world-class sea trout lodge in Iceland, his product recommendations and tactical advice are tested in some of the most demanding conditions on earth. His expertise has been mentioned in The New York Times, the Financial Times, and at the Outdoor Media Summit.
