Want to give fly fishing equipment as a Christmas gift and I know absolutely nothing about it. Will someone direct me to a website for waders, rod and reel, boots?

What are some good brands for this equipment?

Thank you.

Posted a few days ago:

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/3516589

Really like my Simms waders and boots. Very popular nationwide amongst guides, professionals, etc. you'll probably get a million different answer on rod and reels. Part of that depends on what type of water you're fishing and what type of fish you're targeting.

There are so many possibilities and preferences I would recommend getting gift cards from Orvis or a credible local fly shop and let the recipient make the choice with some expert guidance.( if you tell me location I most likely can make a recommendation).

Simms has been a great product, but they are set be acquired by a big holding company that is not an outdoors company this month and that hasn't worked well for some other historically well respected brands. I was in the outlet store at Bass Pro Headquarters yesterday and it was loaded with Simms products which isn't a good sign.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Personally I have been underwhelmed with the Simms waders I got. They leaked about 4 months into it, replaced and are leaking again. I am going back to the cheaper brands that last as long or longer and can be less expensively replaced.

Yep. I hear a lot of comments from guide buddies whose Simms waders aren't holding up as well as in the past.

Grundens is aggressively moving into the sport fishing world after a century making top quality gear for commercial fishermen in Scandinavia, which I'm guessing is a pretty good testing ground.

+1 for all things Grundens. Bombproof, great company. Have a bunch of their bibs, boots, and other gear. They even make board shorts and solar shade type hoodies for hotter climates.

The Simms G4 jacket is the best rain jacket I've ever worn. It's expensive but you can find it on sale every now and then. It was 250 off when I found it on a Black Friday sale last year.

Another company to look at is Skwala. Their rain jackets and waders are excellent. Made specifically for fishermen.

Anything Simms or Orvis are top notch

My current waders, boots and jacket are Orvis, but Simms makes a lot of high quality gear too

Cant go wrong with either brand. Not cheap stuff but my gear is 8+ years old and still going strong

Check out Fishpond for good packs, bags and accessories

Orvis pro waders are the best I've had in 40 years. Used to be a Simms G-3 user but no mas.

If you haven't already; get a pair of the PRO wader pants for warmer months working out of a boat.

hillcountryag86 said:

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Want to give fly fishing equipment as a Christmas gift and I know absolutely nothing about it. Will someone direct me to a website for waders, rod and reel, boots?

What are some good brands for this equipment?

Thank you.

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Very nice of you to get me a fly fishing gift.

i need a new 10 wt reel to go with my 10 wt rod. Abel reel will be perfect.

i can send you my address if you need it.

Thanks...

Misread your reply. I don't have those but should get some!

Orvis also makes some amazing thermal pants for using under waders in wintertime.

For those that are curious, they have stirrups so they don't ride up when putting your waders on. They have good pockets, super solid button, and zip ventilation (I find useful when I have summer wade trips in 90 F heat but wading 40 F water with long walks).

On warm winter day float trips without any significant wind, use them as pants. If the weather gets bad, just thrown on the coveralls and life is good!

As I type this, realize I need to get a 2nd pair!

dmperch said:

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Really like my Simms waders and boots. Very popular nationwide amongst guides, professionals, etc. you'll probably get a million different answer on rod and reels. Part of that depends on what type of water you're fishing and what type of fish you're targeting.

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I've always used simms waders and boots but there's a new company that seems to have good gear, Skwala.

Don't know how much you're looking to spend but Madison River Fishing Company was offering good deals on Winston rods. I like Ross Reels and Sage rods.

I've got lots of Simms waders and gear and it has held up well for the most part. It looks like that's been covered on here already so I'll address other areas. Check out Sage fly rods. They are really good fly rods but I have to say the warranty/replacement turnaround has taken a dip ever since covid. But they will still repair it, just takes longer. I don't know who the gift is for or how much you like them or want to spend but check out Abel reels. You can do some really cool designs on the reels but they are pricey. I have a few of them and they are really cool. They are more like man jewelry as they are not going to be any better than a regular fly reel in the say $300 range. A good stocking stuffer is a wader repair kit. Loon makes a UV light cured flowable composite that can be placed on a small hole/tear and light cured immediately. It's a handy thing to keep in the truck.

Thank you. And thank you to everyone who responded.

Gift is for a SIL who moved to Colorado, fished a few times with a guide service, and really likes fly fishing.

Again, everyone, thank you.

just a sample of what can be done on these Abel reels. They are the same company as Ross reels just cost a lot more. Get's pretty easy to get in the $1000 range while building your reel. Like I said it's man jewelry but I have to admit they are pretty cool. I think I have 4 of them now. But if it's for a significant gift I think it would be cool.

That wader repair is a great stocking stuffer idea!

This is a handy tool to stash in your pack. Made by a veteran owned company in N.C..

https://a.co/d/8sL54mT

Thanks for the tip, just ordered one for my son to go with his sling pack.

Always recommend a casting lesson or two. Not sure where you're located, but odds are there's a qualified casting instructor or guide local to who you're getting a gift for.

More useful than any gear as long as the person you're buying for has the basics already.

Dang I need that too!

Has anyone tried these rod holders? https://www.talwegco.com/products/rod-roost

I can't figure out how that would even work? Or why it would be needed? I'm going to put that in the unnecessary fly fishing gadgets category.

I prefer this gizmo

Dovesun Creek Rod Clips Wearable Fishing Rod Holder Fishing Rod Clip Fly Fishing Pole Holder Fishing Accessories Cylindrical Square 1PCS & 2PCS https://a.co/d/36pVjGx