By Jerry Gibbs

Flies | Rods | Reels | Lines and Leaders | Essential Accoutrements

You Look Fly! ESSENTIAL ACCOUTREMENTS FOR ANGLING IN HIGH STYLE Given that you'll likely be parked in one soggy spot for who knows how long, your most important piece of gear apart from a trout rig is a reliable set of waders. Patagonia's SST Breathable Waders ($300; 800-638-6464) utilize a waterproof-breathable membrane sandwiched between an outer layer of supple polyester and an inner layer of wicking nylon. They shed water impressively, which prevents the fabric from becoming soaked and thus keeps you feeling as sprightly as is possible in such a getup. Pair the SST's pajama feet with Patagonia's felt-treaded Wading Shoe ($125), which has thick rubber over the toe and heel to offer surprisingly good protection given its light weight. Up top, even the most rudimentary collection of flies and gadgets overflows shirt pockets, so you'll need something like the water-repellent Simms Master Vest ($140; 406-585-3557). It features breathable shoulder padding, built-in clipper retractors, and more pockets than you're likely to need. Regardless of the storage space at your disposal, it's wise to consolidate your tools. SOG's S60 Powerlock stainless steel multitool ($80; 888-764-2378) has them all: cutters, scissors, file, pliers, and even a ruler to ensure that you never have to resort to telling fish stories. And the finishing touch for any serious angler is a pair of polarized sunglasses, such as Costa del Mar's Sport Aviators ($136; 800-447-3700). They cut 100 percent of ultraviolet rays as well as the mirror-glare of the water surface. The protective side shields ($6) give these shades a certain Patton-cum-Florida-retiree je ne sais quoi, but never mind: The only audience that matters is the trout that you're about to scoop up. —J.G.

Small wonder, then, that the widest panoply of fly tackle targets these fish. Today's trout rigs easily outperform those of just a few years back. Graphite rods are lighter and stronger, reels boast finer precision and finishes, and lines cast farther and last longer. In assembling a trout outfit, you want a line that matches your rod, and a reel with a smooth drag, or brake. Reels fall into two classes: those with pawl drags, which tend to be inexpensive and work fine for all but the largest fish, and those with pricier disk drags, which start up with little resistance when a fish runs, thus protecting gossamer leader tippets from breaking.

The most important order of business, however, is settling on a rod. The waters you ply should determine its length and the weight of the line it takes. Wade deep enough into the sport and you'll wind up with a quiver of rods, but for outings on big western rivers and open streams, you'll want the nearest thing to a universal trout rod—a nine-footer designed for five-weight line. Those with an eastern skew, perhaps a product of working small Catskills streams, will favor an 8.5-foot rod. Hit narrow tree-cloaked headwaters in any region and your best bet is an eight-footer for three- or four-weight line. And if shooting hopper imitations from a drift boat or dredging wooly buggers is your thing, you'll treasure a nine-footer that can handle six- or seven-weight line.

The next decision, choosing between a two-piece rod and a three- or four-piece configuration, is purely a matter of preference. The former style is infinitesimally lighter and appeals to traditionalists, while the latter cost slightly more and are easier to pack. As for performance, ask someone at a good shop about a rod's action: Slower-action rods bend progressively from tip to butt, making them more predictable and easier to cast because you can better feel the rod loading as it curls under the weight of the line. Faster rods have a stiffer midsection with a flexible tip, letting you both flick dry flies and send heavier imitations over extensive distances. We've selected six exemplary trout rods from the hundreds available, as well as a sampling of reels and lines to go with them. The rest is up to you.

Orvis Silver Label TL At 8.5 feet, the five-weight Silver Label TL (two-piece, $350; four-piece, $395) is perfect for fishing midsize streams like New York's Beaverkill, where you need to lay down dry flies with a just-so presentation. Rather than wrapping the graphite in one constant taper, Orvis's engineers added and subtracted material at critical points to fine-tune the action. Consequently, the butt has good lifting power, but the tip is speedy.

Sage 490 DS2 Discovery Though the folks at Sage think of it as merely an entry-level model, the nine-foot, four-weight Discovery (two-piece only, $205) has many of the attributes of a higher-priced rod. To wit: a reel seat that's cleverly designed with an insert that looks like wood (it's veneer) and an overall lustrous brown finish. Its stiffness progresses gradually from tip to butt, giving it an even, slow action and allowing you the sort of silky control it takes to deposit a nymph into a tough-to-reach stream pocket.

Powell Legacy Advance The nine-foot, five-weight Legacy (two-piece, $420; four-piece, $470) represents an interesting blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology. The nickel-silver reel seat, with its red madrona wood insert, is strictly classic, while the catchy cobalt finish and oversize guides (to easily pass knots) are decidedly contemporary. Likewise, the Legacy's action is betwixt and between the other rods we tested: It's neither superslow nor superfast, but it may just be the ideal all-arounder.

G. Loomis GLX Whereas most rods are made of aerospace by-products, G. Loomis uses a high-modulus graphite it developed especially for fly-fishing. The real difference is that the stuff has a superior strength-to-weight ratio. The resulting rods weigh less and snap back faster than rods of standard graphite, juicing up your line speed. For instance, pick up the fast, 2.9-ounce nine-foot for five-weight model and you'll think you're holding a rod meant for much lighter line—yet it still has the guts to launch small streamers. Of course, you pay for the innovation: The two-piece costs $555, and the four-piece is a nice, round $600.

L.L. Bean Double L If you long for a rod that can sling a line with the velocity of a Roger Clemens heater, try the nine-foot, seven-weight Double L (two-piece, $340; four-piece, $395). The fast-action Double L is plenty stiff in the butt without requiring major-league muscle to wield it, though you might need Clemens's timing to get the most out of it. With enough skill you can easily toss big streamers and the like while wading chest-deep. As a bonus, it'll even handle small saltwater game in tidal currents.

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Scientific Anglers 2L The 2L ($120) single-caliper disk-drag reel starts up smoothly, and its brake pads retain 80 percent of their force when wet. The cast aluminum frame and spool are coated with a corrosion-proof epoxy and fit together tightly so as not to catch your line.

STH Turbine Disc 2 The STH Turbine Disc 2 ($300) uses two mechanisms to put the brakes on wayward prey. The first comes from a miniature turbine immersed in oil, which starts with a whisper but offers more resistance as the fish runs. The second, which you can call into action if you run up against a particularly stubborn brute, is a conventional Teflon/stainless steel disk.

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• Muddler Minnow
• Royal Wulff
• Wooly Bugger
• Hare's Ear
• Pale Morning Dun
• Zonker
• Quick Sight Ant

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Jerry Gibbs lives on Vermont's Lake Memphremagog and fishes all over the world.
PHOTOS: Clay Ellis