Popular Mechanics: The Best Fishing Gifts For The Anglers In Your Life

As a lifelong fisherman who grew up fishing mostly bass in New York’s Finger Lakes region, shorecasting and spearfishing for saltwater species while living in Hawaii, and now mostly fishing for trout in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, I spend an embarrassing amount of money on gear. So like most anglers I know, I appreciate fishing-related gifts—the stuff you want but don’t buy for yourself.

Being surrounded by anglers even more hardcore than I am has also given me decades of experience giving and receiving fishing gifts. I know which gifts are well-intentioned but likely to miss the mark and which ones have a higher spot on wish lists than they do on priority lists. While it’s best to steer clear of core gear such as rods and reels as well as size-dependent stuff like waders and boots, it’s never a bad idea to give that totally unique but slightly unnecessary gift someone would never buy for themselves.

That said, if your angler hints at makes and models and doesn’t care about being surprised, go ahead and buy them that high-end reel they’ve always wanted.

Buying fishing-related gear for friends and family who fish can be intimidating if you’re not an angler yourself, so we’ve assembled a diverse list of gift ideas—for both on the water and off—that don’t require any special knowledge about fishing to be a great fit for the angler in your life.  Read full article here.