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The angler on your holiday gift list is a unique recipient.

Most fly fishers are well equipped with gear. Consumables always run thin, but for the most part, fly fishers stay well stocked. What if they received a fly-fishing gift that made them yearn for spring, just so they can play with their new toy? Vail Valley Anglers stocks everything a fly fisher needs to travel, fish and increase their knowledge. Plus, each a gift will bring a smile to your angler’s face twice.

It is true that even the smallest angling accessory fills a niche. Fly anglers gather gear, lose equipment and wear through products with relative ease. The holidays give loved ones a chance to contribute to the collective with a tool, rod or box of special flies. The best part of giving an angler a fly-fishing gift is the promise that when they open the gift, they will smile. And when they reach for that gift on the river, they will remember receiving the gift and smile again.

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Fly anglers’ vests swell and dangle a mass of metal tools, plastic boxes and spools of line until they themself look like a decorated up yuletide tree, complete with sparkling doodads, flashy decorations and strings of little lights. A lot of those adornments carry meaning. For example, the nippers used on every knot an angler ties that were received in a stocking from a daughter holds worth far beyond mere function.

The managers from Vail Valley Anglers fly shop and I have compiled a gift list for the anglers in your life. These gifts cover a wide range of price points, from simple stocking stuffing items to high end gifts that will be cherished for years to come.

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Consumables are the necessary little things that get used up. Floatant, weights and spools of tippet are examples of consumables all fly anglers devour. Replacing items anglers reach for every time they fish always make for a good gift. The little things are not the only items anglers appreciate.

The gift of a fly rod or reel becomes a cherished possession that will deliver joy for years to come. A high-end fly rod is the gift that rises above more commonly received presents like socks. Not at the stocking stuffer price point wherein kids can purchase for dad, a rod is a special gift from a wife or mother who wants only the best.

Vail Valley Anglers will help you sort out the type of gift guaranteed to bring years of performance and pride. Watch any angler who carries a fine rod and reel to the river that their wife gave them. They hold the rod and carry the reel differently — with care, love and attention. They possess a pride in ownership with a gift that was received from someone they love. That kind of appreciation in a gift is not easily achieved.

Brett Elkman chooses the Stormshadow line of fly-fishing focused travel luggage for his personal travels. The large rolling duffel and rolling carry-on are two standouts from the line. Traveling anglers with gear in bags such as these receive less TSA hassle in the airports.

Emily Dmohowski recommends gear that is practical and works hard. The Simms Pro Nippers, Fishpond Yampa net and Ross Cimarron reel are three examples of reliable, hard working gear. The Sol Tactical Hoody from Skwala is another of her selections that I also highly recommend.

Emily suggests a dozen seasonal flies for keeping it simple. A small Vail Valley Anglers fly box with dry flies chosen just for the Eagle River will be appreciated every time the box is opened.

A guaranteed gift to be treasured for years is a new fly rod. Whether it is the Orvis Clearwater rod kit that comes complete or a top-shelf selection such as the highly desired 50th anniversary edition Radian from Scott, a new rod always delivers smiles.

A guided trip from Vail Valley Anglers is a gift that teaches and enriches any angler’s fly fishing. A guided float or wade trip increases an angler’s knowledge. The anticipation felt waiting for next spring or summer to collect increases the angler’s appreciation of the gift.

Little things gain bigger meaning when wrapped in shiny paper and tied up with a bow. Stop into Vail Valley Anglers for the finest fly fishing gear. Give a gift to be cherished for years to come.

Michael Salomone moved to the Eagle River valley in 1992. He began guiding fly-fishing professionally in 2002. His freelance writing has been published in magazines and websites including, Southwest Fly Fishing, Fly Rod & Reel, Eastern Fly Fishing, On the Fly, FlyLords, the Pointing Dog Journal, Upland Almanac, the Echo website, Vail Valley Anglers and more. He lives on the bank of the Eagle River with his wife, Lori; two daughters, Emily and Ella; and a brace of yellow Labrador retrievers.