Gift ideas for the California Fly Fisher
The holiday season is here.
There’s no better time to celebrate the fly fisher in your life—or treat yourself! Our editorial contributors and committee members, a passionate crew of anglers, historians, and conservationists, have shared their top gift picks, inspired by their adventures on the water. For gear that will elevate time spent on the water, this curated guide is brimming with thoughtful ideas for every angler.
Let us help you make this season memorable, one cast at a time.
Galvan Fly Reel
TORQUE – $400
The Torque is the best reel I have used personally or when I guide. They’re rugged, fail-safe, and work every time. The drag is terrific. Kirsten and I have used these reels all over the world without issue. The old saying ‘buy things once’ applies to these reels. Fantastic!
Recommended by Lance Gray
CAFF Contributor, Guide and Fly Tyer,
Lance Gray and Company
Fishpond
THUNDERHEAD SUBMERSIBLE – $250
I have this lumbar pack for carp fishing, and love it. Not cheap by any means, but count on being the coolest (in more ways than one) angler on the carp flats. If you want waterproof protection from a good dunking, you might as well go all the way for protection from the Zombie Apocalypse. This bag will do it for you.
Recommended by Chip O’Brien
CAFF Contributor
Patagonia
RIVER RAMBLER SUN HOODY – $129
New favorite fishing shirt. For years, I tried to get Patagonia to make a button-up, light-weight hooded fishing shirt. They finally did. Nice because you can open it up on a hot day. I like that I can put my phone or some tippet in the chest pocket when I’m wading deep on a hot summer day. For me, shirts like this mostly alleviate the need for sunscreen (full of chemicals I can’t pronounce!). Super versatile and looks good enough to wear to dinner later. Recommended by Michael Wier
CAFF Edit Committee Member and CalTrout Field Reporter
Echo
BAD ASS GLASS RODS – $290
I like smiles, I like fun, I like colorful bendy fly rods, and the Echo Bad Ass Glass (BAG) rods check all those boxes. They flex deep in the casts, but have power to throw a good distance cast or a hefty streamer. They glow in the sunlight, which is just a fun extra, but those little things make everything a little sweeter. And when you hook a fish, the bend into and through the cork, which you feel in your palm, is not only an awesome feeling, but allows you to fight fish hard. So, if you like fun, get these blue bendy sticks that retail for under $300.
Recommended by Dagur Gu∂mundsson
CAFF Contributor and Edit Comm. Member, Guide, Fly Tyer
Fishpond and Zippo
NOMAD EL JEFE GRANDE – $230
I’m coming in with two suggestions. Last year, my mom bought me Fishpond’s Nomad El Jefe Grande net, and I use it on the Trinity all the time! For stocking stuffers- these HeatBank 9s hand warmers by Zippo are amazing for the cold, steelhead days – and I love that they’re rechargeable and reusable.
Recommended by Julia Mitchell
CAFF Edit Committee Member, Rising To The Fly Founder
Simms
TACO WADER BAG – $50
I love the Simms Taco Wader Bag. This multi-use bag is great for transporting dry and wet boots and waders, doubles as a changing mat to keep your stocking feet off the ground, and folds to a small size for packing in a larger travel bag on your next fishing adventure!
Recommended by Jeff Ludlow
CAFF Field Notes Columnist
Loon Outdoors
ERGO DIALED-IN BOBBIN – $27
The New Loon Outdoors Ergo Dialed-in Bobbin is a game-changer if you are a tier that uses a bunch of different types of thread on a bunch of different “brands spools” and you want to maintain a certain thread tension with them all… Let’s be honest, this describes most fly tyers in California based on the variety of flies we tie to fish the diversity of waters, fish, and scenarios we encounter in our great state.
Recommended by Hogan Brown
CAFF Edit Committee Member, Guide, Fly Tier, Fly Fishing Brand Ambassador
American Museum of Fly Fishing
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP – $100
A gift membership to the American Fly Fishing Museum brightens any Christmas. It includes four handsome issues of American Fly Fisher, an excellent source for vintage photos and the sport’s history; $40 off any merch (caps, hoodies); and free admission to 1,300 U.S. museums, including the de Young, Legion of Honor, and Asian Art in SF, MOCA in LA, and the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. All yours for $100 at the museum’s website.
Recommended by Bill Barich
CAFF Riffles Columnist, Author
Super Lube
MULTIPURPOSE SYNTHETIC OIL – $10
Two big-ticket items for the billionaire readers: Super Lube 100cSt (food grade) silicone oil. It makes a great line lubricant and is also a good reel lube. About $10 online or at your local hardware store. Microfiber towels. Great for cleaning sunglasses, camera lenses, and fly lines. I put a six-inch square piece under my fishing cap. About $1 a piece at most hardware stores.
Recommended by Robert Ketley
CAFF Catchy Ideas Columnist
Orvis
PRO UNDERWADER PANTS – $149
I took a pair of these on a 10-day float trip in British Columbia. I wore them under waders and also around camp and found them to be awesome–comfortable and just the right warmth factor. I highly recommend them–they’re the best underwader pant I’ve owned.
Recommended by George Revel
Editor-at-Large, Lost Coast Outfitters
California Trout
GIFT A MEMBERSHIP – $35
What do you give the friend who has everything? Grant them the gift of preserving California for generations to come with a CalTrout membership.
California Fly Fisher
MERCH FOR ANY ANGLER
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