When Izaak Walton penned THE COMPLEAT ANGLER in 1653, he probably had no idea that it would be in print over 350 years later, and the idea of an online fly fishing superstore wasn’t even on the radar. Fly fishing, by and large, is fishing with a gentleman’s touch, and very few of us avid anglers stick with this sport of kings for long. Fly fishing requires the utmost in patience and skill. It also requires the best of equipment, and this comes with a price. While the average fisherman can get by with a $30 Wal-Mart spinning combo and enjoy himself, the same is not true with a cheap fly fishing outfit. It’s all about quality, and one place online stands above the rest.
Log on to www.orvis.com and your first reaction will be a gasp. The prices will seem outrageous to those who do not fly fish. A bargain basement rod/reel combo will run somewhere in the neighborhood of $130, and the top of the line equipment costs about as much as a used car! However, the thing to remember is that fly fishing isn’t mere recreation; it is as much of a lifestyle as anything. It is probably the most basic, primitive form of rod and reel fishing that you will find, but, surprisingly, it is the one form of fishing in which quality counts the most. The name ORVIS means quality, and fortunately the shopper with a fly fisherman on his or her list also has numerous accessories to choose from. Let the fly fisherman buy his own rod and reel!
When clicking through the list of Orvis’s numerous accoutrements, there are many reasonably priced items that a fly fisherman cannot do without. My favorite is the Gallatin Lanyard. For $39 the angler can have every tool of the trade on a string around his neck, or for $49 he can wear a vest with pockets for fly boxes, tape-measures, and forceps. I’m not a fly fisherman, but I do know how important it is to have a lanyard and vest handy for smallmouth bass fishing…double this importance for fly fishing! The middle of the stream is no place for a tackle box!
Another item available at Orvis is BUZZ OFF ™ clothing. These shirts, vests, and caps are specially treated to repel insects. Think about it…fly fishing! The fisherman wants the flies IN the water attracting the interest of the trout, not buzzing around him DETRACTING from the fishing experience. I own a couple of the BUZZ OFF caps, and they work very well. If you have a fly fisherman on your list, this is $24 well spent. He will remember you well when his buddies are swatting midges and missing strikes on the stream. With all of this in mind, when buying for the gentleman fisherman, only the best will do. Orvis is a step above Cabela’s, LL Bean and the rest when purchasing fly fishing equipment, and it should be the first and last stop on the internet for the fly fisherman on your list.