Fly Fishing Gear, Alaska, and Colorado.

Welcome to whitemouseflyfishing.com. Our site is dedicated to gathering and disseminating information about fly fishing, fly fishing gear, and methods. Whitemouseflyfishing.com is purely informational and does not promote or endorse any particular product or method.

Our site is designed to educate about fly fishing gear for safe and effective fly fishing.

Fly fishing gear was invented hundreds of years ago for trout fishing in the most pristine waters of Europe. It was a sport for aristocrats, and these elites were proud of how little gear they needed. They fished with a bamboo rod, line, and a wicker basket. This same aesthetic was seen in Ernest Hemingway's famed Nick Adams stories, set in America in the 20th century just after World War II. Another book, A River Runs through It, touted this same minimalist ideal, but when Robert Redford directed a film based on the book starring Brad Pitt in the 1990s, fly fishing soon saw an explosion in popularity.

Businesses responded to this new interest in fly fishing with a host of new gadgets and fly fishing gear. Of course, even before the movie's release, modern manufacturing had provided new items for fishing since Hemingway's time. The modern fly fisherman had already needed waders, flies, fly fishing reels, and a good fly fishing rod.

After fly fishing went mainstream as a vacation sport for corporate Americans, new high-tech gadgets came to market. L.L. Bean, one of the biggest retail clothing manufacturers began selling fly fishing gear to compete with Orvis, a long-standing fly fishing catalog company. In addition, major retailer Cabellas introduced a line of fly fishing equipment and small retail shops began popping up near rivers.

The result of the increased competition was greater diversity of products. Now you can buy fly fishing reels that cost as little as $30 or lightweight reels that cost as much as $300. Fly fishing purists still maintain that no matter how much you spend on a reel it is no more than a place to hold your line. Most agree, however, that when it comes to fly fishing gear you should save your money for your fly rod. Fly rods can cost as little as $100; custom-made rods can cost as much as several thousand dollars. For a few hundred dollars you can get a lightweight rod that will allow you to efficiently cast your line.

Getting the fly fishing gear required for the river does not come cheap. You will have to purchase a few items for safety. Waders will keep you warm in the river's cold current. You will also need wading boots so you do not slip on the slick bottom. Most fishermen also use a hat and polarized sunglasses for comfort. If you choose to fish in salt water, your entire budget will double because you will need a totally different set of equipment for the ocean.

There are additional pieces of fly fishing gear you will always use. Expect to burn through leaders and flies that get caught in trees or tangled. Also sport enthusiasts often get so excited by the science of fishes' feeding cycles that they invest in their own fly tying equipment. The cost of the sport may explain the popularity of all-inclusive fly fishing vacations. These resort destinations allow any beginning fly fisherman to get their feet wet during a week of fun without breaking the bank and filling the garage with gear until they are sure they love the sport.

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