by Dan Kelly
As you first dive into putting together your fly fishing kit, the options available to you can be overwhelming. From clothing, to rods and reels, fly selection, and packs it can be hard to narrow down what exactly you need. If you are like me, you want to be prepared for any scenario out on the water. However, you will soon find out what is a necessity and what is a luxury. Obviously, you need at the bare minimum: a rod, reel, and some flies (we will skip those for now). Here are three things I found to be indispensable when I first started fly fishing.
1. Lanyard
I found out quickly and unnecessarily that I didn’t like a ton of things hanging off of me that could catch fly fly line or make me look like I am a janitor at Hogwarts. I simplified things down, so that ultimately, I have a pair of nippers on my lanyard (I use Dr. Slick Cyclones and MFC), and I thread the lanyard through my most commonly used spools of tippet. I started by making my lanyards with Paracord, but I have enjoyed using FlyVines lanyards (the 40-inch variant works the best for me).
2. Fishing Shirts with Pockets
I love fishing shirts. I really love fishing shirts with magnetic chest pockets. I usually stuff my most used fly box in my left and a spare leader in my right. I try to look for lightweight shirts with a decent UPF rating (20+) as I dislike putting on sunscreen.
3. Buff
A lightweight buff does a great job at keeping your face covered up and your neck out of the sun. I prefer the CoolNet UV ones from BUFF. You can go classic bandana or an artist-designed print. The options are pretty endless. I found these three items to make my days out on the water more enjoyable and I consider them essential items in my kit.
Bio:
Dan grew up and resides in the land of ten thousand lakes. He took his first canoe ride at eleven months, and has been fishing since he could walk. He enjoys small streams and rivers and spends quite a few days on still waters each summer.
