When you’re shopping for fly fishing gear, you want to make sure that you’re getting high quality gear at the best possible price. Fly fishing can be an expensive hobby, and it makes no sense to buy gear that isn’t worth it. At the same time, sometimes inexpensive gear really is too good to be true, and you may be paying for equipment that quickly breaks down.
Thanks to the internet, pretty much every piece of gear has some kind of review– but if you’re casually shopping, you might not have time to look up every single type of fly line. Additionally, if you’re shopping on Amazon, there is a rampant problem with fake reviews for unknown brands.
Today, we’re going to talk about the best fly fishing brands. These brands are known for their attention to detail, high quality, and innovative product design. While the nature of product design means that not every product from each brand is going to be a surefire winner, you can shop confidently with these fly fishing companies.
Where to Shop for Fly Fishing Gear
Where should you go to buy the best fly fishing gear brands? The vast majority of companies sell their products online at their website, but if you want to shop in-person or at another online location, here are some of the best places to buy fly fishing gear.
Local Gear Shops
If you can get your fishing gear from a small business that’s dedicated to fly fishing, you will likely receive an incredible level of personal customer service, impeccable recommendations, and the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing that you are supporting the sport, a local business, and often a family, individual, or small group that owns that shop. Your local fly shop will likely carry many of these brands– and be willing to do special orders for you.
General Gear
When you think about general fly fishing gear and what you might need, there’s one brand that virtually every fly fisher thinks of first. The granddaddy of all fly fishing companies, you know them and love them: Orvis.
Orvis
Founded in 1856, the Orvis company’s first fly reel essentially created American fly fishing. Orvis’ design was the first modern fly reel, and they’ve been an innovative field leader for almost 170 years. They’ve been making their rods by hand in the same small town in Vermont where they started, and they continue to make innovative products to this day. Orvis manufactures and sells everything you need to go fly fishing. From rods and reels to waders and vests, Orvis’ vast catalog of fly fishing goods has everything you need to go fly fishing.
Website: https://www.orvis.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Everything you need– general gear, including fly rods, fly reels, fly line, flies and fly tying materials, and clothing.
What We Love: Huge variety of items, high quality, all rods made in the USA, attention to detail
Where To Buy:
- Orvis brick and mortar locations
- Amazon
- Backcountry
- Bass Pro Shops
- Cabela’s
- Dick’s Sporting Goods (clothing only)
- Trident Fly Fishing
Fly Fishing Rods and Reels
These companies all manufacture fly rods, fly reels, or both. We have discussed some of the best 3-weight, 4-weight, and 5-weight fly rods, as well as some of the best beginner rod and reel combos. Here’s our take on some of the best fly rod and reel brands.
Abel Reels
Since 1980, Abel has been making top-quality gear. They have won more IGFA world records and industry design awards than any other fly tackle manufacturer.
Website: https://abelreels.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Reels and reel accessories
What We Love: Lifetime warranty, incredible craftsmanship, made in the USA
Where To Buy:
Echo Fly Fishing
Echo Fly Fishing is a company of passionate fly enthusiasts making affordable, high quality fly fishing gear. We really like how beginner-friendly much of their gear is.
Website: https://echoflyfishing.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rods and Reels
What We Love: Robust repair policy and capabilities, budget-friendly, good quality materials
Where To Buy:
Fenwick Fishing
Now owned by Pure Fishing, Fenwick was one of the first companies to make fiberglass fly rods. The brand is also known for its ice fishing equipment.
Website: https://www.purefishing.com/fenwick
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rods, reels
What We Love: Impressive performance, durable, precise, lightweight
Where To Buy:
G. Loomis
Loomis uses innovative manufacturing processes to create rods that are light, strong, and tough. Their current focus is on their proprietary graphite rods, constructed to be just as light as they are sensitive.
Website: https://www.gloomis.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rods and reels
What We Love: Strong, responsive, consistent performance, lightweight
Where To Buy:
Moonshine
Moonshine rods are simply beautiful pieces of equipment. But they aren’t just a pretty face; these rods are great for entry-level and expert fly fishers alike.
Website: https://www.moonshinerods.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rods and reels
What We Love: Budget-friendly, stylish, high performance, several length and fishing style options
Where To Buy:
Nautilus
Nautilus’s reels are engineered for superior performance. Their huge arbor spools make line retrieval easy and lets your backing dry quickly.
Website: https://www.nautilusreels.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Reels
What We Love: High quality, thoughtful engineering, great performance, lots of sizes for different fishing needs
Where To Buy:
Redington
Redington is Far Bank’s beginner-friendly (and budget-friendly) fly fishing brand. Their rods and reels are an excellent value and offer a high level of performance at a competitive price.
Website: https://farbank.com/pages/redington
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rods, reels, waders
What We Love: Budget-friendly, easy to find, several good rod and reel kits for easy shopping
Where To Buy:
Sage
Think of Sage as Redington’s more advanced cousin. While owned by the same company, Sage offers a more sophisticated performance and increased versatility. Their graphite technology gives their rods a stiff, strong backbone with a highly sensitive, connected tip.
Website: https://farbank.com/pages/sage
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rods and reels
What We Love: Versatile, durable, high performance, made in the USA
Where To Buy:
St. Croix
St. Croix’s rods are fast, versatile rods that are very responsive and easy to use. They are known for good quality and excellent customer service.
Website: https://stcroixrods.com/collections/fly
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rods
What We Love: Budget-friendly, user-friendly, lightweight, durable, precise
Where To Buy:
Taylor Fly Fishing
Taylor Fly Fishing makes ultra-light rods and reels that offer great performance at a very reasonable price. They were one of the first companies to start working with graphene, and even their 5-weight rods are under 3 ounces.
Website: https://www.taylorflyfishing.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rods and reels
What We Love: Ultra lightweight, cutting edge designs, budget-friendly, user-friendly
Where To Buy:
Thomas and Thomas
Thomas and Thomas fly rods are definitely a luxury, but one that’s absolutely worth it. Their feather-light bamboo rods are pieces of functional art, and their lightweight composite rods are truly exceptional.
Website: https://thomasandthomas.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rods
What We Love: Luxury experience, ultra lightweight, high performance, extremely responsive
Where To Buy:
Fly Line
These fly line brands stand out for their reliable lines. These brands also both make their own backing.
RIO
Another Far Bank company, RIO Products is known for slick, easy-casting fly lines that offer great precision. Their lines are perfect for big flies and powerful, long-distance casts. RIO uses several different proprietary core materials to ensure that you always have the right line for different fishing conditions.
Website: https://farbank.com/pages/rio
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Fly line, flies and fly tying equipment, tackle storage
What We Love: Durable, precise
Where To Buy:
Scientific Anglers
Scientific Anglers combines old-school sensibilities with cutting-edge materials science technology to produce some of the most amazing fly line, leader, and tippet on the planet. They invented the first modern plastic floating and sinking fly lines, as well as the microballoon technology used throughout the industry to keep lines afloat.
Website: https://www.scientificanglers.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Fly line and fly fishing tools
What We Love: Constant innovation, high quality, durable lines
Where To Buy:
Waders and Boots
Reliable waders and boots will keep you as warm and dry as possible. They’ll also help prevent you from slipping in the river or getting hooked in the leg, so make sure you buy a pair with the top safety features
Frogg Toggs
Frogg Toggs has more than a dozen different fabric families to keep you dry in various applications. Their waders use Neoprene and several other advanced synthetic fabrics to keep water out.
Website: Frogg Toggs
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Waders, boots, and wading shoes
What We Love: Effective, high quality, lightweight
Where To Buy:
Grundéns
Founded over 100 years ago in Sweden, Grundéns makes industrial-grade waders that will protect you from the roughest weather conditions. Their fly fishing waders feature a unique design based on climbing harnesses to reduce discomfort and add support, and they use a special titanium-impregnated fabric to reflect body heat to keep you warm.
Website: https://grundens.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Waders and Boots
What We Love: Extra-supportive design, high quality materials and construction, durable, company commitment to sustainability
Where To Buy:
Patagonia
Patagonia is legendary for its leadership in the outdoor industry. They are known for their high safety and sustainability standards. Their fly fishing Foot Tractor boots use a metal bar for traction, ensuring that you aren’t going anywhere once you’ve taken your stance.
Website: https://www.patagonia.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Waders, boots, clothing
What We Love: Extra durable, comfortable, high tech fabrics, rugged designs
Where To Buy:
-
- Backcountry
- Patagonia brick and mortar locations
Simms
Simms is the only company in the US to have a license to use Gore-Tex in the production of its waders. Their waders are some of the most durable on the market, and they are known for the excellent water-tightness of their zippered waders.
Website: https://www.simmsfishing.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Waders and boots, packs and bags, nets
What We Love: Waterproofness, versatility, range of styles and sizes,
Where To Buy:
Clothing
When we talk about fly fishing clothing, we’re including what you wear under your waders. There are lots of great fly fishing clothing brands out there, so we’re just featuring a few of the best. We recommend checking out our Best Outdoor Brands to find staple pieces and comfy apparel for fly fishing.
To choose the best fly fishing clothing, you must pay attention to both air temperature and water temperature. Even if you’re wearing waders, realistically you are going to get at least a little wet. Make sure that you’re wearing something like merino wool if the water is chilly, since that can still insulate you even when wet.
Columbia
Possibly most famous for their jackets, Columbia has been making sportswear and outdoors clothing since 1938. Their Performance Fishing Gear line is designed to keep you safe from the sun and comfortable out on the water.
Website: https://www.columbia.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Clothing
What We Love: Great UV protection, durable, designed specifically for fishing
Where To Buy:
REI
REI’s own brand of clothing is a budget-friendly option that meets the quality of more expensive brands. Their base layers are a high-quality, highly insulating option
Website: https://www.rei.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Clothing
What We Love: Lots of merino wool options, budget-friendly, company commitment to sustainability,
Where To Buy:
Sunglasses
The best fly fishing sunglasses are polarized and have durable, comfortable frames made from high quality materials.
Costa del Mar
Costa del Mar makes high-quality fishing sunglasses suitable for any light conditions. They are highly durable and have venting that prevents them from fogging, which can be very useful on a hot day.
Website: https://www.costadelmar.com/en-us
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Sunglasses
What We Love: Prescription options available, durable lenses, great optics
Where To Buy:
Knockaround
Knockaround makes great polarized sunglasses at a very affordable price– about $30-$35 for most designs. They’re designed to take a beating and they come in a huge variety of colors.
Website: https://knockaround.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Sunglasses
What We Love: Budget-friendly, durable, stylish
Where To Buy:
Redfin
Redfin focuses on making amazing fishing sunglasses for all types of water conditions. They even have special high-contrast options for shallow water fishers and fly fishing. We have reviewed the Redfin Amelia sunglasses and have truly enjoyed how durable and comfortable they are– and how well they stand up to strenuous conditions.
Website: https://redfinpolarized.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Sunglasses
What We Love: Lifetime warranty, crystal-clear Zeiss optics, durable, comfortable
Where To Buy:
Only available at Redfin’s website or a limited number of physical locations
Nets
When looking for a fly fishing net, you want a net with a durable handle and head that won’t break or collapse on you. Look for PVC-coated net fabric or rubber net fabric, which all of these companies offer; this type of netting is less likely to get stuck on your hook.
EGO Fishing
EGO Fishing makes many different types of nets, including landing nets and nets especially for trout fishing. They are known for nets with “Measure Net” technology, making it possible to measure your catch without having to handle it outside of the net– which can improve your catch and release survival rate substantially.
Website: https://www.egofishing.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Nets and tools
What We Love: Lightweight, durable, adaptable, lots of options
Where To Buy:
Fishpond
Fishpond is a Colorado company that makes superb nets and is deeply committed to protecting America’s rivers. They use almost entirely recycled materials for their fabrics and fly boxes, and make their products in Colorado– meaning greatly reduced emissions from shipping, since they don’t need to be shipped overseas.
Website: https://fishpondusa.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Nets, fly storage
What We Love: High quality, commitment to sustainability, innovative designs, durable nets
Where To Buy:
O’Pros
O’Pros (short for “Outdoor Professionals”) specializes in high-performance landing nets. Their innovative design uses the grip end of hockey sticks for a net that’s easy to use, lightweight, and extremely durable. We have reviewed the O’Pros Landing Net and found it to be the most durable landing net on the market.
Website: https://oprosgear.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Nets, tools, and rod holders
What We Love: Lifetime warranty, innovative designs, customizable handle lengths, thoughtful design choices (we love the ruler on the handle for measuring fish!)
Where To Buy:
- O’Pro’s brick and mortar location
- Backcountry
Rod Carriers
Rod carriers are mounted to the roof of your car and let you transport your fly rods from place to place. We have a complete guide to the best roof racks and rod carriers, but for quick reference here are some of the best fly fishing rod carrier brands.
Riversmith
Riversmith makes the most popular (and in our opinion, the best) fly rod rooftop carrier. They have 2-rod and 4-rod options that work with almost any crossbars.
Website: https://riversmith.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rod carriers
What We Love: Versatile, easy to use, lightweight, streamlined (our River Quiver only impacts our gas mileage by about 1-2 mpg)
Where To Buy:
Thule
Thule’s crossbars and cartop storage are well-known for their design and user-friendliness. Their rod carrier is made from lightweight aluminum and lets you lock the carrier directly to the vehicle for extra security while traveling.
Website: https://www.thule.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rod carriers
What We Love: Durable, secure, lightweight
Where To Buy:
Yakima
Like Thule, Yakima is a respected manufacturer of cartop storage of all kinds. Their DoubleHaul system is extremely versatile and adaptable for many kinds of vehicles. It’s heavy, wonderfully secure, and designed to get you on the water fast.
Website: https://explore.yakima.com/
Fly Fishing Gear Category: Rod carriers
What We Love: Ease of use, versatile, secure
Where To Buy:
Other Fly Fishing Retailers
Fly Fishing Media
So now that you know about some of the best fly fishing brands, where can you go to find more information? Here are some of the best fly fishing resources online.
Hiking and Fishing
Would it surprise you to know that you can learn a ton about fly fishing right here on Hiking and Fishing? We love fly fishing, and we want to help you get out there with the best gear. We have articles that can help you choose the right equipment and learn about important concepts like entomology and matching the hatch. Our goal is to be as clear and user-friendly as possible, so that everybody from beginners to experts can learn something new.
Flylords Mag
Flylords is an online magazine for fly fishing enthusiasts. With interviews, gear reviews, conservation information, media reviews, and more, Flylords aims to connect and inspire the global fly fishing community. They also feature gorgeous photography and videography, especially in their travel sections.
The Catch and The Hatch
The Catch and The Hatch offers subscription and paid fly fishing courses as well as free guides to fly fishing techniques. You can learn a great deal, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, and you can customize your course packages to help you learn exactly what you need.
What are your favorite fly fishing brands? Did they make our list? Check out our other fly fishing resources and fishing tips for more information about the best fly fishing brands, products, gear, and other important fly fishing information!
Max DesMarais is the founder of hikingandfishing.com. He has a passion for the outdoors and making outdoor education and adventure more accessible. Max is a published author for various outdoor adventure, travel, and marketing websites. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, fly fisherman, backcountry skier, trail runner, and spends his free time in the outdoors. These adventures allow him to test gear, learn new skills, and experience new places so that he can educate others. Max grew up hiking all around New Hampshire and New England. He became obsessed with the New Hampshire mountains, and the NH 48, where he guided hikes and trail runs in the White Mountains. Since moving out west, Max has continued climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, is always testing gear, learning skills, gaining experience, and building his endurance for outdoor sports. You can read more about his experience here: hikingandfishing/about