Fly Fisherman's 2025 Mother's Day Gift Guide

Gear up the greatest guide: Fly-fishing gifts mom will love.

April 12, 2025 By Fly Fisherman Staff

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Searching for the perfect way to celebrate the fly-fishing matriarch in your life? Skip the predictable and give the gift of adventure. Explore our curated selection of fly-fishing treasures designed to bring joy to her time on the river.

Patagonia Black Hole® Cube

Give Mom the gift of less chaos this year. Whether she's organizing tippet spools and floatant in her own pack, managing snacks and sunscreen for family days on the water, or just needs a durable dopp kit for travel, the Patagonia Black Hole® Cube is a winner. Built with legendary Black Hole toughness and water resistance, these zippered cubes protect essentials and make finding gear a breeze. Available in multiple sizes, it's the endlessly useful gift she'll appreciate trip after trip, on and off the river.

$39-$65 | als.com

LIVSN x Gnara Ecotrek Overalls

A red-haired woman wearing a ball cap and tan/olive overalls standing in front of a tan sheet. — $229 | gnara.com

The LIVSN x Gnara Ecotrek Overalls are a game-changer. These overalls are built to withstand the rigors of wet-wading, featuring durable, water-resistant fabric that shrugs off splashes and light wading–consider them wet-waders. Multiple thoughtfully designed pockets keep split shot and fly boxes within easy reach, while the adjustable straps ensure a perfect fit for all-day comfort. Whether she's wading through streams or relaxing on the boat, the Ecotrek Overalls offer freedom of movement and a stylish look.

$229 | gnara.com

Bookshelf: Most Trout Don't Read

The cover of a book called Most Trout Don't Read showing a rainbow trout rising to a dry fly. — $19.95 | farcountrypress.com

This charming and easy read is perfect for anyone looking to better understand the nuances of fly fishing for trout, particularly in the Northern Rockies. Scot Bealer’s personal stories reveal the essential knowledge that it takes to catch trout on flies, including reading water, recognizing bugs, selecting flies, fishing in the winter, dealing with moose, and more. And it’s all accompanied by his wife Lea Frye’s incredible full-color photography (I still can't understand how his publisher is able do such a high-quality printing, for such a low retail price).

$19.95 | farcountrypress.com

Outcast Fish Cat Scout Frameless Fishing Boat

Studio photo of the Outcast Fish Cat Scout Frameless one-person boat in gray and green. — $879 | als.com

The Outcast Fish Cat Scout Frameless Fishing Boat offers freedom and solitude by getting away from the crowds. This lightweight, inflatable, one-person boat is easy to transport and set up, while its rugged construction ensures stability and durability on the water. With ample space for gear and comfortable seating, she can spend hours exploring her favorite rivers and lakes. Give her the gift of adventure with the Outcast Fish Cat Scout, and watch her fishing horizons expand. It's the perfect way to show her you support her passion and want her to have the best gear for her fishing adventures.

$879 | als.com

Honor Her Passion with a Donation

westernrivers.org warriorsandquietwaters.org

This Mother's Day, honor her love of fishing by protecting the rivers she cherishes. A donation to the Western Rivers Conservancy in her name helps safeguard vital waterways across the West. WRC works to acquire and conserve critical river lands, ensuring healthy habitats for trout and other aquatic life, and preserving access for future generations of anglers. It's a gift that goes beyond material possessions, supporting the preservation of the pristine environments where her fishing adventures take place.

Or consider a donation to Warriors and Quiet Waters in her name. This organization provides therapeutic fly-fishing experiences for post-9/11 combat veterans, offering a path to healing and connection with nature. By contributing, you're supporting veterans as they find solace and restoration in the quiet beauty of rivers. Plus, WQW's in-house "moms" (the maternal volunteers who help start hard conversations compassionately with the warriors) are such a huge part of the program here that it just makes sense. If your fishing mom has a heart for service and understands the restorative power of angling, this gift honors both her passion and her compassion.

For the fishing mom who needs to carry it all, the YETI Ranchero Backpack is the perfect companion. This rugged, durable backpack is built to withstand the elements, keeping gear organized and protected, whether she's hiking to a remote fishing spot or spending a day on the river. And while it hardy enough to be her fishing pack, it’s designed more as a daily commuter backpack. It’s Mystery-Ranch influenced front and top zippers offer full access to the main compartment, and it has two – yes two – laptop sleeves. I’ve been using this pack for several weeks love how my laptop and iPad can travel safely without shifting and slamming. It can accommodate everything from fly boxes and extra layers to snacks and drinks, while the comfortable straps ensure easy carrying, even when fully loaded.

$275 | scheels.com

Simms Women's Latitude Hoody

The Simms Women's Latitude Hoody is a lightweight, breathable hoody designed for long days on the water, offering UPF 50 sun protection. Its moisture-wicking fabric keeps her cool and dry, even in warm weather, while the comfortable hood provides added protection. The stylish design and versatile functionality make it perfect for layering or wearing on its own, ensuring she's comfortable and protected no matter the conditions. Whether she's casting from the shore or reeling in a big one from the boat, the Simms Latitude Hoody is a must-have for any fishing adventure. And Simms also just launched its new Recast program, so she can sell her old Simms hoody.

$130 | simmsfishing.com

Helinox Field Desk

For the mom who enjoys the comforts of home while embracing the outdoors, the Helinox Field Desk is a game-changer. This lightweight, portable desk sets up in seconds, providing a stable surface for tying flies, organizing tackle, or simply enjoying a riverside picnic. Couple it with a Crazy Creek-style packable chair, which fits in the box, and you have a darn comfortable riverside office. Whether she's setting up camp for a multi-day backcountry trip or simply needing a surface to organize her gear for the day, the Helinox Field Desk offers a touch of convenience and organization.

$180 | helinox.com

Injinji socks

Whether wading or hiking to remote fishing spots, Injinji socks are a critical piece to comfort. These innovative socks feature a unique five-toe design that prevents blisters and promotes proper toe alignment. The Women's Liner socks provide a thin, moisture-wicking base layer, while the Hiker Crew socks offer added cushioning and support for longer treks. This combination keeps her feet dry, comfortable, and protected, allowing her to focus on what matters most: the fishing.

$29 | injinji.com

Heybike Electric Bicycles

A light-blue Heybike electronic bike. — $999-$2,499 | heybike.com

If you’re looking to spoil mom this year, consider a Heybike e-bike to help her unlock new fishing adventures. These electric bikes make it easy to reach remote fishing spots, navigate trails, and cover more ground with less effort. Whether she's hauling gear to a favorite riverbank or discovering hidden fishing holes, a Heybike provides a smooth, comfortable ride. With various models designed for different terrains, she can choose the perfect e-bike to suit her needs. It's the perfect way to combine her love of fishing with the joy of outdoor exploration.

$999-$2,499 | heybike.com

PACT Outdoors Pack Out Bathroom Kit

For the environmentally conscious mom, the PACT Outdoors Pack Out Bathroom Kit is a thoughtful and practical gift. These kits provide a responsible and convenient way to manage human waste in the outdoors, ensuring she can enjoy the fishing while minimizing her impact on the environment. The kits include everything needed for a sanitary and Leave No Trace-compliant bathroom experience, including compostable wipes, dig tools, and specialized soil. Whether she drew a permit for Montana’s Smith River or is simply planning a day by the river, the PACT kit promotes responsible outdoor practices.

$33 | pactoutdoors.com

Bajío Annette Sunglasses

The Bajío Annette sunglasses aren't just fashion frames; they're packed with Bajío's fish-spotting technology. The polarized LAPIS™ lenses cut through harsh glare, reduce eye strain, and enhance clarity, allowing mom to see deeper into the water and spot cruising trout or hidden structure with ease. Featuring wide light-blocking temples, these shades prove she doesn't have to choose between looking great and fishing effectively. Available in three frame colors, and seven colors in glass or polycarbonate lenses.

$259 | bajiosunglasses.com

LifeStraw Go Series Tumbler

For the mom who appreciates clean water, the Lifestraw Go Series Tumbler is the ultimate hydration companion. This insulated stainless steel tumbler keeps her favorite beverages cold for hours, ensuring refreshment is always within reach on long days by the water. But the real magic lies within: An integrated Lifestraw filter purifies water on the go, allowing her to safely hydrate from any stream or river. The Lifestraw Go Series Tumbler is a gift that speaks to both her passion and her well-being.

$49.95 | lifestraw.com

Fly Tier's Bench: Bakko's Phat Azz Hopper

How-To/Techniques

Fly Tier's Bench: Bakko's Phat Azz Hopper

Kyle Bakko is a new Umpqua Feather Merchants signature tier, and his patterns stand out for their practicality and creativity. Bakko's use of multilayered foam bodies and foam cutters, and his eye for accuracy and proportion, make his flies stand out in the increasingly crowded new-fly world. His Phat Azz Hopper has an incredibly creative head, and while designed to suspend heavy droppers, trout also smash it on top. But we could have just as easily run his unusual Big Sky Hopper pattern, which is tied on a jig hook. In fact, we could have blindly chosen any one of his new flies for the Fly Tier's Bench. Bakko does a lot of float fishing, and his usual method includes a dry/dropper rig on rivers like the Stillwater, Shoshone, and Yellowstone. Big droppers like Pat's Rubber Legs or crayfish imitations require a buoyant dry to hold them up, and Bakko was unsatisfied with previous offerings, so he set about to create a magnum foam hopper that would do the job.

Gear

Fly Tier's Bench: How to Tie Craven's Lil Bit Nymph

Sometimes the hardest part of perfecting a new fly is knowing when to stop tinkering and call it good. One of Craven's favorite mentors, John Barr, epitomizes this trait and there is nary a material in any of his flies that doesn't have a good reason to be there. The same goes for Pat Dorsey and Lance Egan. Their flies are minimalistic in materials, simple to tie, and mimic naturals without any unnecessary window dressing. His latest offering, dubbed the ᾽Lil Bit, does not feature complicated tying tricks or unusual materials, but is a simple and easy-to-tie nymph that catches trout like crazy.