I hope everyone is enjoying the Thanksgiving long weekend! All of our kids are coming home, and I’m looking to having the team back together.

This is our annual holiday gift guide, and our team has pulled together items that we think have been particularly awesome. Some are old items, but most are new to our list. Feel free to forward to friends and family!

As you know, we donate 100% of our profits to charity. In past years, we’ve given to Project Healing Waters and Casting for Recovery. Part of our revenue comes from Amazon affiliate links, some of which are highlighted below. Clicking the links and buying the products will support this blog and two awesome charities.

Thank you!

From Dave:
SF Fly Fishing Zinger Retractor: I vouch for these and use them myself, putting nippers on them and clipping them onto the top of my shirt right below my chin. In my experience, retractors and zingers from all the big brands and other reputable companies fail, but these have held up so far.

Umpqua Rivergrip PS Big Nipper: I like the red color on these, the tacky material, and the eye cleaner. I’ve tried high end nippers and haven’t experienced any significant benefits.

Cortland Ultra Premium Fluorocarbon Tippet: I buy the 100-yard spools of this because it’s that good and I never want to run out. If you broke off a trout this past year on a different brand or model of 5x or 6x, give this one a shot.

Scientific Anglers Absolute Supreme Saltwater Tippet: This was deemed the best performing fluorocarbon in Trident Fly Fishing’s recent 20 lb. tippet shootout and I plan on trying it in 2025.

Oros Strike Indicators: I didn’t do a ton of indicator fishing in 2024, but when I did I reached for the Oros over the Airlocks. If the Airlocks are working for you, then stick with them, but if you’re tired of fiddling with the gasket and cap, try these.

From Jamie:
Korkers Chrome Lite wading boots: I have a really hard time finding large size 15 wading boots that fit me, so my options are limited. Once you do find a boot that size, weight really becomes an issue. These are comfortable, supportive, and lightweight. I am used to BOA laces and I don’t want to ever go back to regular laces. These work great on sand, gravel, rocks, and walking distances to your fishing spot. The fixed Vibram soles on these are not ideal; they suffer with traction as you’d expect on slimy underwater rocks and boulders. So if you only purchase one pair of boots, I’d still recommend a different Korkers model with interchangeable soles that you can customize to your local (or travel) fishing conditions.

Patagonia Men’s Swiftcurrent Wading Pants: As a tall guy I prefer waist high waders for multiple reasons: 1. They keep me from wading in water that is too deep. 2. They are more comfortable, lighter and are easier to move around in. 3. They are less expensive. 4. No sweaty, twisted shoulder straps to worry about! 5. They are a lot cooler in summer. These Patagonia waders really do the trick for me. They are the closest thing I have ever worn to regular, real pants in a wader product. They are lightweight, comfortable, and I can move around in them. They don’t quite turn me into a rock climbing angler like in the Patagonia ads, but they work just fine around rivers for me.

Dr. Slick Scissor Clamps: I recommended these last year. And the year before. Simply my most often used, most critical piece of kit on the water. Probably only second to sunglasses.

Orvis Dricast Hoodie: Lightweight, comfortable, looks good, and provides good sun protection. I ordered one and I have since picked up a few more in different colors as these were all I wanted to wear both on and off the river this summer.

Orvis PRO Insulated Convertible Mitts: I recently ordered these as an attempt to fight “cold winter fishing hands.” I look forward to trying them this winter. They are pretty robust; they fit a bit tight but I think they hold promise for winter time fishing. The base material is thick and tight fitting, I hope they can stay on the right side of the fine line of warmth and the dexterity needed while on the river. The mitts are like a little PRO Insulated Hoody jacket (the warmest jacket I have yet encountered) for your fingers you can deploy as needed and fold away when not needed. I plan to use these as an upgrade over the wool gloves below when really needed.

Fox River Men’s Mid-Weight Fingerless Glove: I believe these were recommended by the crew at Troutbitten. I used them last year and they worked really well; they are pretty warm in most winter temperatures and worked fine for me for casting, fishing and tying flies. High ratings on Amazon.

From Joe:
My favorite set-up: For a fishing rod that I cannot break, regardless of how hard I try, I think this Cabela’s CGR Fiberglass Rod may be my favorite fishing rod. It’s cheap enough that I don’t worry if I might break it, but haven’t been able to yet. It’s well made enough that it’s still working six years into lots of blue lining. I caught my largest rainbow in the Swift on this thing, and it’s largely thanks to the soft play that I landed the ~21″-inch chunk on 7x tippet. It certainly wasn’t my skill.

I can’t speak for any other weight on offer, but the 2-wt. CGR is my literal go-to. It’s the pole set up I used last outing, it’s sitting in my truck right now, and I haven’t found a complaint yet for such a simple and inexpensive rod.

Pair it with a Battenkill click pawl reel a decent fly line (like this Rio) of appropriate size and sling a couple Moto’s Minnows in size 8 or 10 in light brown or white into some turbulence for way too good of a time.

For a 3-wt. rod/reel combo can’t say I’ve found a better line than the Cortland Peach 444 line for what it’s worth.

From Jo:
I’m sticking with the “classics” from last year, mostly. I use these products all the time, and they’ve withstood the test of time and are good value, given the quality of the products.

Ed Engle’s Tying Small Flies: Still a classic. If you fish tailwaters, this book is a must-have. His patterns just work.

George Daniel’s Dynamic Nymphing: Want to learn tightlining? This book really is the source. As a two-time national champion, George has a world’s worth of knowledge. From rigging to trade-offs to favorite gear to flies, this must-have book is really a reference manual, given the plethora of information it offers.

Brightech LightView Fly Tying Light and Magnifier: I recommend this device each year. The quality of my fly tying went up dramatically after I started using a light and magnification lens. If you can’t see ’em, you can’t make ’em.

Montana Mongoose Vise: You won’t need to buy multiple vise tips. This one handles big streamer hooks and small hooks down to size 30. Full rotary, feather-size gauge, materials clip and bobbin holder, too. And, it comes with a light-weight clamp and travel case for trips.

Diamondback Ideal Nymph Rods: As I wrote previously (here), these rods are a game changer. Great value for the money, and you cannot beat their rapid turnaround for repairs: they mail out to a new rod segment in just a few days. Kudos to Joe Goodspeed!

Diamondback Aeroflex Rods (new recommendation): As I wrote previously (here), the 9′ 5-wt. Aeroflex is an amazing product at a great price. It throws dries and bobbers easily with power, accuracy, and finesse. More kudos to Joe G.!

Our best wishes to all for a great holiday season. Tight lines!