Last Minute Gifts For The Winter Fly Fisher
Shoot, you decided to leave your Christmas shopping until the last-minute, just like we did. It is a tight deadline with the big day next week so we decided to list some last-minute gift ideas for the fly fisher-man-or-woman in your life!
A quick forewarning: Generally, as long as the temperature is near 32 degrees we will hit the water; any colder we will stay inside with our hot chocolate. Call us “fair weather” fly fisher, but battling ice build up on your line, indicator, and eyelets all afternoon is more frustrating than tying the tiniest of flies.
Good wool socks: Standing in water that is just a few digits above freezing, no matter how thick those neoprene waders are, your toes are going to literally be freezing! Throw on a pair, or 3, of some high quality wool socks to retain whatever heat you can. Wool socks come in light, medium and heavy “weights.” We recommend you go with the heavy wool sock option to get the most bang for your buck. Sure, thinner socks may be ideal for the long hike upstream, but there is more standing on top of the best hole on the river. There are a ton of brands out there but SmartWool is our personal favorite:
Good wool socks: Standing in water that is just a few digits above freezing, no matter how thick those neoprene waders are, your toes are going to literally be freezing! Throw on a pair, or 3, of some high quality wool socks to retain whatever heat you can. Wool socks come in light, medium and heavy “weights.” We recommend you go with the heavy wool sock option to get the most bang for your buck. Sure, thinner socks may be ideal for the long hike upstream, but there is more standing on top of the best hole on the river. There are a ton of brands out there but SmartWool is our personal favorite:
Gloves: This suggestion goes hand-in-hand (we are punny) with the net suggestions below. The second key to a successful day on the river in the dead of winter is keeping your hands warm, which also means keeping them dry. Some have mastered the art of wearing full gloves while casting, but we still find the dexterity of fingerless tips preferable. Having to remove your gloves to work with your fly or removing the hook from your fish is asking for trouble. We really like the gloves that provide the option of a mitten as well as fingerless for that extra warmth. This one isn’t available via Prime, but Simms ExStream Foldover Mitts are awesome. They come in all sizes to fit both men and women:
Nets: As we mentioned above, to keep those hands from getting wet, try to use a net while landing every fish. Not only will it save your fingers, but the less you handle the fish the better. The main components to look for with nets are a magnetic cord for easier carrying and a rubber basket. The nylon baskets just cause more problems when the hook of that size 20 midge gets stuck with every fish landed. Not only is the rubber easier to work with, but it is safer for the fish helping to keep that protective slime on their body and not your gear. There are a ton of options out there for nets so below are two options (depending on your budget, and how much you actually like the person you are giving the gift to).
- We really, really like:
- Ehh you are alright:
Small Indicators: So you have decided to overcome the urge to sit by the fire with a delicious can of Kettlehouse Brewing ColdSmoke to hit the river. If you are going to catch fish you must have the right equipment to get it done. In the winter, the trout move to the deeper holes, stack up and become lethargic. This results in their takes of your fly to be much more subtle. A simple pause of your indicator or a slight tap is all the trout will give you before they spit out the nymph leaving you perplexed. To help capture those small movements we recommend a delicate, smaller indicator. These come in two forms – the THINGAMABOBBER or Pinch Ons. Don’t forget the pink for the ladies! We generally throw either of the two on, depending on the size of water we are fishing:
Flask: When the wind starts to bite, for an instant bit of warmth we like to turn to our old friend Jack. Or Johnny. Or Jim. Or Canadian Mist. Whatever floats your boat, a little warm-me-up swig does the trick. Personally, our flask collections consist of the various we have received as groomsmen in weddings over the years. However, we really like these awesome Montana Fly Company flasks available via Prime on Amazon. Our favorite is:
Wading staff: What is worse than being freezing cold? Being wet and freezing cold. We learned this one the hard way. Hitting the river in the winter with layers of socks and clothes doesn’t afford a fly fisher the agility or coordination necessary to navigate rocky freestone rivers. Therefore, we always bring a wading staff with us for those moments when things seem to be a bit dicey. This one is affordable and does the trick:
Winter hat: As of recently, we have become accustomed to the magic of hats with fold down ear flaps possess. While hiking to our favorite spots, we have found the fold down and up flaps are so convenient in helping us regulate our body temperatures. When it is cold and windy, throw them down to protect your ears. As the sun starts shining through and heating up, just flip them up and you are good to go. We don’t see them in shops anywhere, maybe because they are not so fashionable? Either way, when it comes to function, these are epitome of it. Check out these options from Mountain Hardwear and Outdoor Research.
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For Men:
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For Women:
Polarized sun glasses: As we noted above, fish are generally less active as the water temps drop. Chasing the sunny spots and sunny winter days is a step towards success with winter fly fishing. To keep that glare off, and help you from falling in to the hole you are fishing, a good solid pair of polarized sun glasses are huge. This is one item we suggest you don’t skimp on as durability and quality really does come with the price. Everyone has their personal favorites as to brands of sunglasses but the Costa Del Mars have yet to fail us. Check out these below:
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For Men:
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For Women:
Epic Fly Rod: We had to throw this one in there. For those of you looking to really make someone’s year, or next 30 years, there is no better gift for the fly fisher in your life than an epic rod to match your epic love. We have sampled and tried a ton of rods out there. One of our owners’ personal favorite brands is, and will always be, R.L Winston Rod Company rods. The 5 wt Boron III X rod is amazing:
Gift Certificate to Bozeman FlyWorks: Shameless Plug – Get that special someone you know a gift certificate to use to stock up on some affordable, quality gear. Great stocking stuffer!!
