Due to popular demand, I have created a fly fishing gear checklist so you can make sure you have got all the gear you need to be successful on your next trip. All the equipment listed here is my own personal favorites for beginners and even veteran fly fishermen. I will try to add to this list as much as I can in the future. The links to Amazon are included (yes, they are affiliate links so I get a commission if you use them, so thank you!)
Fly fishing is one of the best ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Not much can match the feeling of flicking a fly back and forth and letting it land where you think that huge fish will be.
While it doesn’t take that much gear to get out there and try fly fishing, there are a few essentials a beginner will need if they want to try fly fishing for the first time.
Check out this list of essential fly fishing gear. I’ll go into more detail for each item, plus I’ll give you my recommendations for some of the best fly fishing products on the market today. I hope it’s useful!
Essential Fly Fishing Gear Checklist
To get out there and start fly fishing, you will definitely need:
- Rod
- Reel
- Line
- Leader
- Tippet
- Flies
So here is the non-essential fly fishing gear checklist. While it’s not vital, I would highly recommend getting the following items. They’ll not only help you keep more organized and safer while you fly fish, but they will make the whole process a lot easier and far more enjoyable:
- Fly Box
- Landing Net
- Pack
- Fishing Vest
- Waders
- Hat
- Polarized Sunglasses
Below I have gone through each of the items in these two lists and given a link to my personal favorites.
Fly rod
Fly rods tend to be made out of graphite to keep them light and strong. You want one with a fast action to cast well.
The action is a fishing rod’s ability to bend and return to its original shape. A rod with an extra fast action bends just at the tip. Fly fishing rods need to be pretty whippy to create the line motion you want.
Fly rods break down into sections, allowing for more accessible transport. Some rods come with a case, and it’s worth using a case to stop the delicate rods from getting damaged.
If a rod gets bent, cracked, or even scratched, it won’t stand up to the weight of a fish and will snap at your first catch, which is a terrible feeling.
Fly fishing rods tend to have cork handles, though some are synthetic. Cork feels great in the grip, and it stays grippy even when it’s wet. It also helps keep the rod light while also giving the rod its balance.
One of the best beginner fly fishing rods on the market is the Redington Crosswater Fly Rod . At a reasonable price, it’s excellent for starters.
It has a great, medium to fast action, cork handle, and a graphite body that breaks down into two pieces. It comes with a rod sock and is everything you need for a starter fly fishing rod.
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of the Redington.
Fly reel
A fly reel is pretty much a holder for your line. When you fly fish, you unspool a good amount of line before casting it out and reeling it back with your fingers. This doesn’t mean you should go for the cheapest option, though.
Reels are often made out of aluminum or stainless steel. Aluminum is the lighter of the two, whereas steel is stronger. Reels are given weights, just like fly fishing rods, and you want to match the reel weight to your rod.
One of my favorite fly fishing reels is the Piscifun Sword. It comes in a bunch of different weights. I got the 5/6, but you can go lighter or heavier depending on the fish you’ll be targeting.
It also comes in four different colors so that you can pick the perfect one for you.
The Piscifun Sword is made out of machined aluminum, so it’s durable and lightweight.
It’s cork and stainless steel drag system give it a nice smooth drag. It’s a nice and straightforward introductory fly fishing reel for beginners.
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of the Piscifun Sword fly fishing reel.
Fly line
Fly fishing line is weighted so it can cast the almost weightless fly far out over the water. Because some flies float and some don’t, you can get a few different types of fly fishing line – full-floating, partial-floating, and sinking lines.
As a beginner, I would start with a full-floating line because it’s the best all-rounder.
Similar to rods and reels, fly lines have different weights. Again, the bigger the number, the heavier the line. I’d say get a line between 4 and 6 weight as they are the best all-rounders.
Then, when you get more experienced at targeting specific species and fishing in different conditions, you can play around and experiment with lighter and heavier lines.
One of the best fly fishing lines for beginners that I’ve come across is the MaxCatch Trout Fly Line.
It does everything you need a fishing line to do, plus it comes in ten different sizes and five different colors so that you can find the right line for you.
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of the MaxCatch Trout Fly Line.
Leader
The leader is the clear length of lightweight line that you tie onto the end of your brightly colored fishing line. It helps deliver the fly smoothly as well as making the line harder for the fish to see.
The leader line is usually made out of monofilament nylon. It is often tapered, which means it has a larger diameter at one end and gradually gets smaller towards the tip. The thin end is where you tie the tippet or fly.
One of my favorites leaders is the Piscifun Tapered Leader. It comes in eight different sizes so you can match it to the type of fish you’re targeting.
Plus, a nice touch is the pre-tied perfection loops at the butt (or wide) end, which makes attaching them to your fly line way easier.
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of the Piscifun Tapered Leader.
Tippet
The tippet is the last length of line you attach to the end of your leader and to which you tie the fly. I’d say you want somewhere between 10” and 20” of tippet.
Again, you want to match the tippet weight to the type of fish you are targeting. The tippet has such a small gauge (is so thin) that it will be pretty much invisible to the fish.
I pretty much always go for the Scientific Anglers Freshwater Tippet. It has a bunch of different sizes and is an excellent all-round tippet, especially for beginners. Plus, you get 30 meters of tippet per spool!
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of the Scientific Anglers Freshwater Tippet.
Flies
The fly is probably the most crucial element of your whole fly fishing set up. You can have the right rod, reel, and line, a perfect cast in the ideal spot, but if you use the wrong kind of fly, all you will end up doing is spooking the fish.
Artificial flies are wonderful things. So much time and imagination have gone into trying to trick a fish into thinking some feathers, fur, wire, and thread wrapped around a hook look like something it usually eats. The whole point of the fly is to mimic a fish’s natural food.
Flies come in all shapes, sizes, designs, and patterns. Some are designed to float, they are called dry flies, and they mimic an insect landing on the water.
Others are designed to sink, these are called wet flies, and they often mimic insect larvae or tiny baitfish swimming through the water.
The choice may seem endless when it comes to picking your flies. This is why it’s helpful to know the species of fish you’re targeting, as that will affect which food source the fly is supposed to mimic.
If you want just a basic all-rounder, I would go for The Fly Crate’s Woolly Bugger. It’s an all-purpose wet fly you can use to target multiple species and would be a good one to use while perfecting your cast.
They do packs of six in numerous colors and make great beginner flies.
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of The Fly Crate’s Woolly Bugger Assortment.
Fly Box
No fly fishing gear checklist would be complete without having a place to store your beautiful flies!
Because there’s a fly for every occasion, you will soon find you have amassed quite the collection. Keeping track of all these flies and keeping them organized can quickly become impossible.
They love hooking onto each other and becoming an impenetrable mass of feathers, threads, barbs, and wire that takes a lot of time and patience to untangle.
You can avoid all of this by investing in a fly box. A fly box is a simple container with foam backing inside, which you hook your flies. You end up with nice, orderly rows of flies that are easy to distinguish and retrieve when needed.
Flies Direct does a really nice fly box. It’s 100% waterproof, so when you drop it in the river, your flies will be kept dry. It will easily hold a hundred flies, and it’s nice and compact so you can keep it close at hand when you’re out fishing.
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of Flies Direct Waterproof Fly Box.
Landing net
You have your rod set up, a hook on the line, and a fish on the hook. Everything is going according to plan. The fish is almost at your feet, but you have no way to grab it.
There’s no way you’re getting hold of its slippery tail as it fights for its life at the end of your line.
When the time comes, you’re going to need a fly fishing net, especially if you’re practicing catch-and-release. Freestone Outfitters does a nice basic net.
It has a rubber net which is pretty much invisible to the fish, as well as being soft on their delicate slime and scales so that you won’t do any unnecessary harm to the fish. It’s super light, too, so you can carry it while you’re fishing and barely notice it.
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of Freestone Outfitters’ Fly Fishing Net.
Pack
We have a whole article dedicated to fishing backpacks here if you prefer to read a more in-depth buying guide.
When you’ve been fly fishing a while, you can amass a decent amount of gear. A great way to keep all your gear organized and compact enough to transport is by investing in a fly fishing backpack.
Most models come with tons of handy pockets and quick-access compartments explicitly designed for your fly fishing gear.
Piscifun makes an excellent affordable backpack designed specifically for fishing. I find I take my pack off dozens of times when I’m fly fishing as I move from spot to spot, and the cross-body sling design makes the
Piscifun pack easy to get on and off. It has a decent-sized main compartment, two-rod belts for your rods, and tons of compartments and small pockets for your flies, lines, and other essentials.
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of Piscifun’s Fly Fishing Cross Body Backpack.
Fishing vest
Another way to keep all your gear organized and close at hand is by getting a fishing vest. They’re great for keeping all your necessary equipment right at hand even when you’re wading.
Fishing vests are often lightweight and comfortable with tons of handy little compartments and pockets designed specifically for fishing gear.
The Bassdash Fishing Vest is the best fly fishing vest, in my opinion, especially for beginners. Its adjustable shoulder and waist straps allow it to be customized to every fisher.
It’s super lightweight, breathable, and dries quickly. I love the 18 different pockets. Every time I use it, I seem to find another compartment, perfectly designed for another piece of gear.
Click here to check out prices, pictures, and reviews of the Bassdash Fishing Vest.
Waders
An important addition to the fly fishing gear checklist, the wader! When you go fly fishing, you’re often going to be standing in a few feet of water.
It’s called wading, and it’s an integral part of fly fishing as it allows you to get closer to the fish as well as giving yourself enough space to cast.
This means that you will want to pick up a pair of waders. Waders are waterproof trousers with boots attached that you wear over your clothes to stop getting wet and cold.
TideWe makes the best waders for beginners. They’re lightweight but still firm, made out of nylon-reinforced PVC. The suspenders are adjustable, and they come in a range of sizes. Plus, they come with a 100% waterproof phone case.
Click here for prices, pictures, and reviews of the TideWe Waders.
Hat
Aside from your actual fishing gear, a wide-brimmed hat is possibly one of the most essential pieces of fly fishing kit. It will help protect your face, neck, and ears from the sun.
As you’ll be standing in water most of the time with little natural protection from the sun, it’s super important to take the necessary precautions to prevent sunburn or sunstroke.
Columbia makes a great fishing hat, perfect for pretty much everyone. It’s affordable and does everything you need a fishing hat to do. It comes in a bunch of different colors and has an adjustable neck cord.
Its wicking fabric helps keep the sweat off your brow, and sun protection technology keeps you safe from UVA and UVB rays. Plus, it has a mesh vent on the front that helps keep you cool on those hot sunny days.
Click here for prices, pictures, and reviews of the Columbia Bora Bora II Booney Hat.
Polarized Sunglasses
An important addition to the fly fishing gear checklist, especially for those fly fishing in the hot summer months. Polarized sunglasses are another piece of gear often overlooked by beginners.
Not only do they protect your eyes from harmful UVA and UVB rays, but they cut through the glare on the surface of the water, allowing you to carefully watch your fly move through the water so you’ll be ready to set the hook when the fish bites.
Sungait makes a nice pair of affordable polarized sunglasses that are great for beginner fly fishers. Their metal frame is lightweight and robust.
They come in ten different color combinations of different color frames and lenses. Best of all, they have a lifetime breakage warranty and money-back guarantee.
Click here for prices, pictures, and reviews of the Sungait Polarizes Sunglasses.
Time to get out there
Thanks for reading my fly fishing gear checklist!
Now you should have a better idea of what you need to go fly fishing. Plus, I hope the products I’ve recommended offer some specific suggestions on what to get.
If you’re heading out for the first time then check out our Ultimate Guide on Fly Fishing for Beginners.
It’s time to get your gear and get out there and start fly fishing.
Good luck and happy fishing!