The Best Fly-Fishing Tools of 2017

Snag that monster brown you’ve been chasing. 

Orvis Battenkill III Disc Reel ($169)

You could blow a mortgage payment on a high-end reel, or you could get the Battenkill. This updated classic has a drag that can haul big rainbows from the Rio Grande.

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Voormi River Run Hoodie ($129)

Weather changes fast on the water, so you need versatile apparel. Voormi’s American wool is so breathable, we wore the River Run with the hood up and sleeves down and didn’t roast.

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Fishpond River Rat Drink Holder ($30)

Fishing can be a waiting game. Better to do so with this beer koozie slung around your neck, keeping both hands free.

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Tenkara Rod Company Landing Net ($99)

Carbon fiber strong enough to bring in almost any fish, yet light enough to float if you drop it in the drink? We’re sold.

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Bogs Rio Sandals ($80)

The grip on the soles of these warm-weather wading sandals gets tackier when wet. Even better: an antimicrobial footbed kept the funk away for a full season.

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Eddie Bauer First Ascent Guide Shorts ($70)

Waders get too muggy when it’s 80 degrees out, so we prefer the Guide shorts. The nylon­spandex blend dries quickly and is so light we nearly forgot it was there.

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Sage X Rod ($895)

The proprietary Konnetic fibers in the Sage X are supple enough that the rod has plenty of feel in the tip but a stiff backbone for chucking streamers 50 feet into the wind. Sure, it’s expensive, but it’s also one of the only rods you can use on any river in any condition. 

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Simms G4 Pro Hip Pack ($180)

Simms’s new hip pack fits almost everything you could stow in a larger sling but weighs a lot less. A fold-down workbench unzips from the front and offers ample space for laying out a few flies while rerigging.

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Costa Whitetips Sunglasses ($239)

The polarized glass lenses cut right through river glare on sunny days and help you spot fish even when it’s cloudy out. 

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Hatch Outdoors Nomad Pliers ($300)

The Nomad is so burly it could pull a hook from a log. A spring keeps it wide open, so you’re not fussing with tough-to-unlock forceps.

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