Fly Fishing Gear List for Beginners | Everything But the Rod and Flies

The first thing that you probably want to learn about when setting up your fly fishing kit are the flies you should get or the type of fly rod you should purchase. While this is essential, let’s start with the basics first. Many experienced fly fishers will tell you that all you need is a fly rod and some flies, but proper gear can not only help you with your fishing adventure, but also help you stay safe when you get out on the water.

Always grab a hat when you’re heading out to the water. It protect you from the sun, mosquitoes, foul hooks, and it’s also handy for dipping into the river on a hot day to soak your head. It’s a good idea to pack an extra one on your bag. Check out our Hiking Hats Guide.

Sunglasses protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays. Look for polarized sunglasses, as they cut the glare off of the water, making it easier to spot fish and also be able to see your fly on the water. They also protect you from wayward lures and flies, and foul hooks. In fact, this is the reason to think about wearing some eye protection, even when you’re fishing at nighttime. Get rope retainers with your sunglasses, in case you fall into the water, you don’t want to lose your favorite pair of shades in addition to getting wet.

This item may seem unnecessary, but you’d be surprised how fast a storm can move in on you. And if you are out on the river having a blast catching fish, you don’t want rain to ruin your day. Sometimes the biggest fish are caught in the middle of a downpour.

A vest is, in essence, a fly fisher’s tool belt. The classic is a typical vest that has numerous pockets for flies, lines, weights, and any other small item you might need. In recent years companies have also come out with great day packs, waist packs, lumbar packs and chest packs.

Waders are thick, waterproof pants that keep you dry throughout the day. They are not necessary, but we highly recommend getting them. You might think that can do with just a pair of boots and some shorts, but you’ll soon find you that you get cold long before you are able to get to where the fish are rising. Getting a pair of waders will allow you to fish long past sundown.

There are two basic types of waders: neoprene and synthetic. Neoprene waders are very durable and great for extremely cold conditions. Synthetic waders are lightweight and semi-breathable. Depending where you’re headed for your next fishing trip you might be better off with one over the other.  Just like with any pair of pants, the quality and fit will differ from one company to the next, so it is best that you try on a few pairs to see which you like best.

These are the boots designed to go over your waders. Some waders come with boots on them, and while these can be great for cold weather, they can be cumbersome if you are hiking around looking for the perfect hidden spot.

Think of wader boots as you would of hiking shoes. They come in all styles and shapes and offer a variety of levels of support. A high top boot with good ankle support will help you navigate rocks and terrain on the river. The soles on wader boots also have multiple options for grip, like rubber soles, spiked rubber soles, felt soles, combo soles in just about any combination. We recommend starting with felt soles, as this is the best all-around sole for slippery rocks on the river, and also great for boats because it won’t pop the seal. When the felt hits the water it acts as an additional grip that sticks to slime, ice, mud, sand, and pretty much anything your foot might come in contact with when you’re out on the water.

If you’re going to be wearing waders, you definitely need a belt. This is one of the most important tools that you can have out on the water. Water is dangerous. It is beautiful, it is magical, but it can take a life as quickly as it passes by. The current can sweep you off your feet in no time. Or, if you step into a hole and the water starts flowing over the top of your waders, if you are not wearing a belt they will act as cement boots, dragging you down. Wearing belt will stop gallons of water filling your shoes if you happen to slip into a hole.

This is the one tool that is going to help you land that fish. The type of fish that you’re fishing for will determine the size of the net you’ll need. Classic fishing nets are made of wood and fabrics, but nowadays you can find nets made of larger thresholds and clear rubber netting. Clear rubber netting is great: you’re flat doesn’t get stuck inside, and the net becomes almost invisible under water, so you don’t scare the fish as you are trying to scoop it up.

Obviously, fly box carries your flies. A part of keeping dry flies in normal shape is to make sure they are dry before you put them in the box.

Clippers are a handy tool for clipping a line after making a knot. You don’t want to do that with your teeth, and clippers are easy to attach to your fishing vest so you have them at your hand whenever you need them.

A pair of clamps, or a pair of needle-nose pliers are great for clamping on split shot, pulling small flies out of your fly box, and most importantly, retrieving your fly out of a fish’s mouth after you’ve caught it.

These come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and they are essential for the drift hook fly fishing system. You can get bead weights or twists, it comes down to personal preference.

Floatant is a liquid or powder that helps keep your dry fly above the water longer. There are numerous varieties on the market, experiment with them and see which one you like best

Despite that technical-sounding name, an indicator is little more than a bobber. If you want to successfully nymph and don’t have the patience to learn to tight-line, these little floating delights will serve as your window to the underwater world and help you “see” when trout eat your bugs. Colored bobbers are great for beginners, but fish might get deterred or excited by these unnatural colors, so we recommend using clear bobbers because they are virtually invisible to fish below surface.

These connect to your line that then connects to tippet and then to your fly. Tippet is what you use to tie your fly onto your leader. The greatest innovation in fly fishing in the last 20 years has been release of fluorocarbon tippet. Even though it doesn’t have the same flex strength as monofilament tippet, it is completely invisible on water. To save on your fishing expenses you can purchase a monofilament leader and then a fluorocarbon tippet.

This is the list of the items that are more than welcome in your fly fishing kit. Choosing the right fly rod and picking the right flies is a much more complicated subject that we will go over in another article.

In the meantime, make sure to check our selection of fishing gear, there are many more new product and amazing deals to come.