While a list of gear is ever changing, here’s a list of products and suggestions I’m confident you’ll find useful.

Rods:
If you’re getting one rod to cover as many bases as possible, do some research, ask other local anglers, ask a knowledgeable fly shop employee etc.. to make an informed decision for your area and target species. A rod that is perfect for Rocky Mountain Trout is useless on a saltwater flat, and vice versa. Be sure to get a rod/reel/line combo that meets the needs of your target species and techniques.

If you have the luxury of having application specific tools, then you’ll soon have a quiver of rods to maximize your chances at success.

Current favorite rods for me include:
Sage R8 core 10’ 6 weight
GLoomis Asquith 9’ 5 weight
GLoomis Asquith 9’ 4 weight
Sage R8 Classic 8’6” 4 weight
Sage Payload 8’9” 9 weight
Diamondback Ideal Nymph 10’ 2 weight
Diamondback Gen 4 Nymph 10’7” 3 weight
Sage R8 Salt 9’ 8 weight
Sage R8 Salt 9’ 10 weight

Reels:
For Trout fishing the reel is mostly a line holder. That said, quality reels last longer and can complement a quality fly rod. In saltwater and big game environments, the reel has more purpose than simply a line holder. In this case consider the drag type, quality of materials used and in this case especially, machined reels are most rigid and durable.

Favorites include:
Lamson Litespeed
Lamson Speedster
Ross Evolution
Ross Cimarron
Lamson Guru
Lamson Centerfire

Fly Lines:
A great fly line can really improve the casting and fishing experience. There are so many line choices these days that it can get a bit confusing. Keep it simple until you have specific needs that aren’t being met with a general fly line.

For general purpose Trout fishing with a floating line I really like the Scientific Anglers Infinity taper. The Infinity taper is perfect as an all-around type of floating line. It handles dries, nymphs and streamers quite well.
If you want a line for specific applications there are plenty of options.
For the most delicate dry fly presentations, I favor the Scientific Anglers Trout taper. For a more aggressive/powerful presentation like when fishing heavy nymph rigs or streamers, consider the Scientific Anglers MPX or Titan tapers. Also the Anadro is a great powerful delivery line.
For streamer fishing I use floating and sink tip lines, based on the situation. The Infinity, MPX, and Titan are all capable streamer floating lines. If wade fishing, use a shorter sink tip like the Scientific Anglers Titan Sink Tip. I most often use the type 6 sink tip. For boat (raft or drift boat) fishing I like a longer sinking tip. The Scientific Anglers Cold 25 sink tip is great. For most trout applications I grab the 150, 200, or 250 grain versions.

When Euro nymphing it’s especially important to have a very thin fly line. For this technique I most often use the Scientific Anglers Mastery .022” level Euro line in the braid core option. The braided core (compared to the mono core) allows the most options for attaching leaders.
I most commonly use a micro leader system when Euro nymphing and really like the Umpqua Perform X Hi-Viz leader butt material teamed with the Perform X bi-color sighter material.

In stillwater environments it’s best to have a variety of fly lines to allow you to adapt to the conditions. Scientific Anglers makes my favorite stillwater lines. If you have the spools and budget, a full stillwater line kit would consist of:
-Floating line like the SA Infinity taper
-Midge tip like the SA Emerger Tip
-Intermediate sink like the SA Sonar Camo Clear
-3 sink like the SA Sonar 1/3 or Sonar Titan I/2/3
-5 sink like the SA Sonar 3/5 or Sonar Titan I/3/5
-7 sink like the SA Sonar 5/7 or Sonar Titan 3/5/7
-Parabolic sink (sweep line) like the SA Sonar Parabolic 3/5/3

Waders:
I’ve had the best success comfort and durability wise with true Gore-Tex waders. With that in mind my favorites are:
Simms G4Z
Simms G3
Grundens Boundary Zip

Wading boots:
Check your local laws for the legality of felt soles or get rubber soles to be safe for use anywhere. Spikes are a nice addition to any sole, as long as you’re not a boat angler. Nobody likes spiked boots in their raft, drift boat, or lake boat.

Favorite boots include:
Orvis pro boots
Simms G3 guide wading boots
Simms freestone boots

Clothes:

Socks- I always wear wool socks under waders. In winter I add a wicking base layer sock under the wool. If extremely cold add a mid layer sock (wool or fleece) but make sure you have room in your wading boots. Too many socks can reduce circulation and make you colder without ample room in your boots.

When wet wading I suggest a quick drying padded sock under neoprene wading socks. Use this sock combo with your regular wading boots. The neoprene socks take up the space of your wader bootie in the wading boots, add padding, and also keep your feet a tiny bit warmer, much like a wet suit helps insulate your body when water skiing.

Favorites include:
-Under waders
Smartwool hike classic edition liner crew socks
Simms merino thermal OTC socks
Smartwool mountaineer or hunt classic socks

-Wet wading
Simms guide wet wading sock
Simms neoprene guide guard sock

Pants:

For wet wading I like lightweight, quick drying pants. Pants keep biting flies off your legs, offer sun protection, and defend against nettles, thistle and other poisonous plants.

Under waders, ALWAYS AVOID cotton pants. Cotton holds water, and doesn’t allow your waders to breathe. Instead, use lightweight wicking pants if it’s warm. If it’s cold, use layering to insulate your legs from the cold water. When layering, a wicking base layer is best against the skin. Next add a fleece, wool, or other breathable insulating pant over the base layer. Adjust the thickness and insulation level based on the water temp.

Favorites include:
Simms guide pant
Simms super light pant
Howler shoal water tech pant
Howler waterman’s work pant

-Layering pieces
Simms Strata base layer bottom
Simms Fjord pant

Shirts/tops:

During the warm season I’m a big fan of sun hoodies. Pick your favorite brand. Long sleeve, hooded, and with a high UPF rating. I favor drab colored or camo hoodies, but keep in mind lighter colors are cooler as they tend to reflect more light, where darker colors provide more warmth in shoulder seasons.

Favorites include:
Simms solarflex and bug stopper sun hoodies
Repyourwater Performance hoodies
Orvis DriCast sun hoodies

When it’s cold, again use layering to keep warm. A wicking base layer against the skin, and breathable, insulating tops for warmth. Fleece, Primaloft (puffy style tops), and wool are great options. Don’t overlook a vest to help keep your core warm.

Favorites include:
Simms lightweight base layer top
Simms fall run jacket
Simms fall run vest


Sun protection:
A sun buff and sun gloves, along with a hat can be a great help with protecting you from the adverse effects of the sun.

Favorites include:
Any hat of your choice will help. Keep in mind full brim or longer brim hats create more shade. Also, trucker style hats with the mesh back can be problematic if you have short, or little (😬) hair as the sun can burn you through the mesh.
Simms solarflex and bug stopper Sun gloves
Buff brand Sun gaiter
MFC fish gaiter

Accessories and other Miscellaneous items:

Pack/ Vest:
I have tried many types of vests, hip packs, slings etc… and favor the Umpqua Overlook pack as my go-to river pack system. It has enough room for a full days worth of gear but balances it nicely on my shoulders without putting too much weight on my neck. The Overlook uses two straps so all the weight isn’t on one side like when using a sling. The Overlook fits pretty high on the chest so you can wade quite deep without getting everything in your pack wet. These considerations aside, I’m a firm believer that a fishing pack or vest is a personal preference. If it works for you, it works for you. Get the perfect pack/vest for your needs.

Net wise, I’m a simpleton. I have several fancy nets, but when wading I favor the Frabill floating trout net. I use the 13”x18” size. It’s light, fish friendly, and is large enough to easily land Trout and other similarly sized Salmonids.

When it comes to leader and tippet choice, I get a little fussy. I’ve had great success with most pre-made tapered leader brands. Tippet, not so much. I really like the Scientific Anglers Absolute Fluorocarbon Trout Supreme and Absolute Fluorocarbon Trout. I have also had good success with Cortland Ultra Premium Fluorocarbon Tippet. In more of a value brand, Umpqua Deceiver X Fluorocarbon tippet has also been impressive.

When making my own long dry fly leaders I use Maxima Chameleon for the butt and tapered sections, then switch to fluorocarbon tippet for the terminal section.

Sunglasses:
Smith Guides Choice frames have long been a favorite. I use the techlite glass lenses in copper for all purpose use, and low light yellow lenses for overcast or low light conditions.