Fishing

Quality and High Performance Fly Fishing Apparel Gift Ideas

A list of apparel gift ideas that has proven itself on the water, in challenging weather, and even good looking enough to wear into town.

Ken Baldwin

Fly fishing Alaska in the Fall is about as good as it gets.
Fly fishing Alaska in the Fall is about as good as it gets. / photo by Rod Thurley

I'm a big believer of form following function, especially in fly fishing apparel. There are long days on the water, inclement weather, rough terrain that will challenge the intergrity of the clothing. And, after those requirements are fulfilled a little style and good looks is appreciated.

Gifting the Best Performing, Good Looking Fly Fishing Apparel

The clothing in this gift list checks off all the boxes for quality, functionality, and high performance. I've personally worn these pieces while fishing from boats, wading rivers, walking across the tundra, hiking Montana trails, scrambling over the rocks of Montauk, and casting along the beaches of Cape Cod.

Grundéns Portal Gore-Tex Wading Jacket for Hardcore Fly Anglers

This jacket is called a "wading jacket," but I don't limit mine to just wading, it's too good of a jacket to wear only sometimes. I wear it anytime I think there might be disagreeable weather or challenging conditions. Salt spray, cold wind, and rainfall have tried to get through this jacket but have failed.

An angler standing in a lake in the rain but staying dry in his Grundens wading jacket. It makes a great holiday gift.
Alaska is all about being prepared for anything nature throws at you. / photo by Rod Thurley



It has all the pockets you need for fly boxes and cell phones, plus a dedicated tippet pocket with laser-cut holes so you can keep your tippet spools in the pocket and feed the tippet material through the holes. In the handwarmer pockets you have zippered pass-throughs so you can reach your hands all the way through and access your shirt or hoodie without having to take the jacket off. At the wrist, you have shingled neoprene sleeve cuffs that keep water from seeping up your arms. This thing is a high-functioning fly fishing tool.

Grundéns Bering Fleece Pro Vest Makes for a Versatile Gift

The Grundens Bering Fleece Vest in Moss green makes a great gift.
My "workhorse" vest. / photo provided by Grundens

I love vests. I probably have more than I need, but I find myself wearing this one more often than any other in my collection. I like that it's lightweight and fits close to the body so it makes layering easy. It's warm for its weight and dressy enough to wear as an everyday vest.

Duck Camp Men's/Women's Merino Wool top.


I'm a big fan of wool for outdoor clothing. Twenty years of guiding in Alaska was my proving grounds for the superiority of Merino wool. It is incredibly durable, resisting tears and abrasions. It acts as a natural temperature regulator, wicks moisture, keeps you warm even when wet, and unlike synthetics, wool is antibacterial so it resists odors and can be worn for days without needing to wash. This was my go to fabric when I knew I'd be away from the lodge for days at a time.

Duck Camp's merino wool tops are simple, no-nonsense clothing that perform great in the outdoors. I use them for layering when I need clothing that can be pushed to the limits. Its basic, classic styling means they will look good today, and ten years from today.

The Levitate Forager Fleece Shirt and Trail Head Utility Pants

Levitate clothing isn't specifically fly fishing clothing, but it is exceptionally made apparel that wears great in the outdoors for most activities.

An outdoor fleece shirt in forest green that's great for fly fishing or a cold autumn day. It makes for a great gift.
The Levitate Forager Fleece Men's shirt / photo provided by the Levitate Brand

The Shirt

The Forager Fleece shirt is thick and warm, I liken it to more of a Jac-shirt and it was perfect during the Fall on a chilly West Virginia creek fishing for Brookies. I wear this shirt around the house, out running errands, while walking the dog, and when I'm fishing the local creek. It's a versatile shirt that gets a lot of mileage.

The Pants

Utility pants that makes a great gift for outdoor enthusiasts. Comfortable and durable with a fleece lining to keep you warm.
New England style utility pants / photo provided by Levitate

Inspired by classic New England utility pants, these are made from a heavy-duty cotton canvas with just a little bit of stretch for comfort and mobility. They have reinforced knees to take the abuse of scrambling over boulders and tree stumps, or replacing cedar shingles on a rooftop. The flannel lining means I don't need a bottom base layer except on extremely cold days. Triple-stitched seams add strength, and what I really appreciate is that they aren't "skinny jeans," but instead have extra room in the seat and thighs for freedom of movement. Can we please never make skinny jeans a thing again?

Gifts for Fly Fishing Enthusiasts and Lovers of the Outdoors

Clothing isn't always easy to buy when gifting for someone. Fly anglers though are more predictable than most. As a general rule, people who fly fish are attracted to tradition, the classics, quality, function, and dependability. These traits are woven into the fabric of the sport. The clothing on this list all have these attributes, and it's a safe bet that they would be a big hit under any angler's Christmas tree. KB

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

The gear reviewed in this article was provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are my own.

Published
Ken Baldwin
KEN BALDWIN

Ken Baldwin career in fishing and the outdoors started twenty-two years ago. For twenty of those years he guided anglers in remote Alaska. Along with his work as a guide, he created a TV show called Season on the Edge, which aired on NBC Sports, worked on the nature documentary Our Planet 2, for Netflix, specialized in photographing the Alaskan brown bear, and has published his photographs and writing in several magazines. Ken Baldwin is a graduate from the University of Washington.

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