Reviews of the gear and other fishing gift ideas are provided for most of the items, along with price information.  I hope you enjoy and find the perfect gift for your fisherman.

Fishing Journals

Of course, on the TroutFishingJournal.com we have to start the ideas off with a fishing journal.  There are a variety of fishing journals available, ranging from elaborate forms to blank slates.  Below are examples of different journals that would make great gifts.

The Rite in the Rain Journal price is $33 on Amazon.

Rite in the Rain Fishing Journal Kit
This is a great journal for the fisherman who is adamant about writing everything while its fresh in his mind. Its waterproof and includes a handy pouch for carrying the journal and other supplies.

A traditional looking journal with a price of $50.

Fly Fishing Journal With/photo Pages
This is one classy fishing journal. A great gift for any literate fly fisherman. The pages of this journal are even torn by hand to give a natural looking old timey feel. Spaces are provided for detailed information including:  name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, family, friends, guides, shops, hotels, date, location, weather, moon phase, G.P.S., terrain, area, water condition, species, tag type, bait and lures, gear, weapon, rod and reel, water temp, flies and patterns, structure, decoys.

Trout Fishing Books

Price: $21.00.

Trout: An Illustrated History

A great gift for the trout aficionado, particularly for those winter months when its too cold for fishing (if such a thing exists).  The incredible watercolor illustrations are by James Prosek who also wrote the book.  All 70 species of North American wild trout are depicted in this book.

State Conservation Departments, or in some states the Department of Natural Resources, provide periodic updates called fishing reports. Often these can be viewed online or received as an email. The value of these reports is that they provide basic information that is commonly recorded in personal fishing journals. This information can include moon phases, weather, water levels, water clarity and quality, water temperature, and the quality of fishing for specific species as well as successful lures and baits. Examining this information over a period of time can reveal patterns for fish in a more consistent manner than your personal journal.  After all, unless your extremely lucky, and extremely fast, your not able to fish all of the rivers and lakes in your state every week.

This approach does have its weaknesses as you are limited to the weather and water events that the state decides to record and publish. For instance, I receive the Missouri Department of Conservation weekly fishing report email, and it does not include the moon phase. But, this can easily be overcome by simply comparing the moon phase published by other resources such as your local newpaper or a farmer’s almanac.

You can also merely use the fishing reports to supplement your own fishing experiences. This allows you to include additional notes in your journal.  For instance, you can compare what fish were biting on in nearby fisheries with what was working for you. The benefit of this can be reassurance that the success of your lure choice was not mere coincidence or it can reveal what other lure might work under similar circumstances.

Using fishing reports as your journal or to supplement your own experiences is made easier if the conservation department’s website contains a archive of past reports. If it doesn’t, you’ll have to start saving your email fishing reports to get enough to recognize a pattern. 

This one of the easiest ways for a beginning fisherman or for an angler that simply can’t fish as much as they would like to get enough information to develop a fishing journal that reveal important patterns of fish behavior in relation to weather, moon phases, and water conditions.

To record information you can simply use a tablet or a computer document, but many fishing specific journals are available that have templates for fishing relevant information. The list below provides a few examples. Some are for fishing in general, while other journals are designed specifically for a type of fish, such as trout, or for a type of fishing, such as flyfishing.

An Invisible Trout Fisherman in Chest Waders

If you’re like me, choosing a pair of fishing waders is a monumental decision, something akin to choosing a spouse or your child’s name.  Maybe I’m exaggerating; choosing a child’s name isn’t that hard.  Anyway, picking out waders is tough, especially when it’s your first pair.  I think it took me over a year to commit to my waders.  That meant a lot of summer days wading in icy spring water and winter days standing on the bank.

Choosing a pair of waders is hard because there are just so many options.  You have to choose between hip-waders and chest-waders, stocking-foot and boot-foot, neoprene and Gore-tex, and the list goes on.  That’s why I wrote this article–to take out some of the confusion and present the options along with their benefits and drawbacks.  So lets get started.

Hip Waders vs. Chest-High Waders

Hip waders, or hip boots, are basically boots that come all the way up to your hips.  You put them on one at a time.  They aren’t connected at the top.  There is usually a strap that connects to your belt or belt-loop.  The nice thing about fishing in these is that you can put them on quickly and easily.  The drawback, for me at least, is that I’m always wanting to go one step further than my hip boots will allow, and when I do take that extra step, it’s a cold, wet one.  For shallow water, or wading back and forth across a small creek, these fishing boots work fine.  But, if you find yourself always wanting to get into a better fishing spot that requires wading through water up to your waist, you better take a look at chest waders.

Chest-high waders are the standard, fly fishing waders that you see most on trout streams.  I think a lot of fly fishermen like these taller waders because they allow them to get far enough from the bank and trees to be able to cast without worrying as much about getting snagged.  The nice thing about chest waders is being able to get closer to a place where you want to cast.  Also, it’s nice being able to cross deeper parts of the stream.

With chest waders an angler doesn’t have to worry about the current causing water to splash up over the top of the boots or waders, unless he or she gets in over the chest, which I wouldn’t recommend.  If you want to go that deep, what you need is a float tube, but that’s another post altogether.  The drawback with chest waders for trout fishing is the time and effort it takes to get into them.  They are a bit harder to take on and off, but this is only a minor inconvenience.

When everything is said and done, it depends on where you’ll be fishing and your fishing style, but I prefer chest waders 90% of the time.

Stocking-Foot Waders vs. Boot-Foot Waders

Stocking-foot waders have a stocking at the bottom instead of a built-in boot.  The stocking is usually made of neoprene or some other warm, water-proof material.  If you buy a pair of these, you’ll also need to choose a pair of fishing boots to go along with them.  That is the drawback.  The benefit is firm ankle support and a snug fit.  I prefer boot-foot waders, because I often spend seven or eight hours on the river wading and climbing in and out of a canoe.  In this situation, waders with bulky boots attached will get a bit tiresome.

Stocking Foot Wader

Boot-foot waders are waders with built-in boots.  The boots are actually a part of the waders.  This is convenient, because when you put your waders on, you’re putting your boots on too.  This can also be economical because you won’t have to buy a pair of fishing boots.  The drawback is that these waders don’t fit as snugly and aren’t as easy to walk in.  Also, if you wear boot-foot waders, you’ll need to bring a pair of shoes to change into when you get out of the river.  I wouldn’t recommend wearing shoes inside your waders.

Breathable Waders vs. Neoprene Waders

Next, you’ll need to choose the material your waders are made from.  My first pair of waders were made of rubber.  Rubber waders are not the best choice in my opinion, but they are the cheapest option.  Most anglers choose between neoprene material and breathable material (like Gore-Tex.)

Breathable waders are well liked because they allow moisture from perspiration to escape without allowing water to enter.  They are great for summer fishing when the water where the trout live is 60 degrees, but the air temperature is a sweltering 95 degrees.  The drawback with Gore-Tex waders is that they won’t keep you as warm as neoprene.  Of course you can wear long underwear or Under Armour beneath your waders, but if you do a lot of winter fishing, you may prefer neoprene.

Neoprene waders have a couple benefits when compared to breathable waders.  First, they do seem to be warmer.  If I had the money, I would buy a pair of neoprene waders for late fall, winter, and early spring, and a breathable pair of waders for warmer times of year.  Also, a lot of outdoors people seem to think they are more rugged and durable than other types of waders.  The drawback is that they don’t wick moisture away from your body and they can get hot and sticky on hot days.

Waders are Fashionable

In conclusion, everybody has their own tastes and needs.  I myself prefer breathable, chest waders, with stocking feet, and separate fishing boots.  Speaking of fishing boots, that will have to be a whole other post.  Once you’ve picked out your waders you’ll need to decide on a pair of boots, and they come with different kinds of soles.  Whatever type of waders are right for you, make sure you try them on first to be certain and to make sure they fit right.

Also, I bought my waders a bit large for a couple reasons.  I lose weight and gain weight from time to time.  I don’t want my waders to be too tight.  I’d rather they be too loose than too snug, and I took into account the fact that I’ll be wearing clothes under my waders.  Finally, there are a lot of different brands in a lot of different price ranges.  I’ve found the middle range waders to be fine for my purposes, but everybody’s different.  You may want to spring for a popular brand.  Choose the waders that work best for you.