Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Fly-Fishing Gear

Father’s Day is, hands down, the top holiday for the fly-fishing dad. Why? Well, it happens to come at the best time of the fishing season in the northern hemisphere, when everything is popping—from trout and striped bass to bonefish and tarpon.

So, what to get him? Below, nine gift ideas that will help dad have some fun on the water this season.

Orvis Helios (2024 Version)

In the last few decades, since the advent of the use of space-age graphite, advances in fly rods have come in increments rather than giant leaps. The new Helios, however, bucks that trend. Simply put, this is the best fly rod I’ve ever used. Accurate, light and powerful. Available from 2-weight to 14-weight. $1,100-$1,200

Rheos Eddies Sunglasses

A relaunched brand, offering function, good looks and a reasonable price. The Eddies performed very well for me during a test week in the Bahamas while fishing for hard-to-see bonefish. One big added bonus: They float. $65

Yeti M12 Backpack Soft Cooler

This cooler is perfect for the boat and—strapped to your back—for the beach, lake or river. The tough and durable M12 fits up to 20 cans and features a strong magnetic strand that keeps it closed, but is easy to open. Six colors. $275

Tom Beckbe Ripstop Fishing Vest

Tom Beckbe is a young-ish apparel company from Alabama that is on the rise. I love this vest—it’s light (4 ounces) and made of a combination of waxed cotton and nylon. It has ample space for all of your fishing doodads, with two large exterior pockets and two zippered interior ones. $290

Simms Pursuit Shoe

A dynamic, do-it-all fishing shoe that you can wear on the flats, on a boat (it has non-slip, non-marking soles) and while wet-wading a river. The shoes provide great support and they dry very quickly. Comes in Green or Steel. Men’s sizes from 5 to 14. $140

Bajio Sigs Sunglasses

Bajio is making the finest fishing sunglasses on the planet at present. The Sigs are their latest release—medium-sized, light and fashionable, with a snug, comfortable fit. $260 (glass lenses); $210 (polycarbonate lenses)

Catch Magazine

Todd and Kelley Moen are the mavens of high quality fly-fishing videos. So it makes perfect sense that Catch, their online magazine, is so visually stunning. It features their great videos, along with the photography of some of the best in the fly fishing game, like Brian O’Keefe. $25

Free Fly Breeze Pant

These days, when fishing, you’d better cover up the gams. The best way to do it? With these 50+ UPF pants, which are light, extremely comfortable and quick-drying. Six colors. $94

Hardy Sovereign Reel

Quality never goes out of style in the sport of fly-fishing. Hardy has reintroduced one of its true classics, first made in 1897. The Sovereign is a handsome and sturdy freshwater reel that has a dynamite drag system. Comes in black and silver. Available from 5-weight to 10-weight. $595