Every piece of gear you bring into the backcountry gets carried on your back. When hiking long distances, you need gear that performs at the highest level while taking up the minimum possible space and weight.
This guide covers everything we bring: fly rods, reels, packs, nets, waders, footwear, and our full backpacking kit. At the end, we include a complete 3-day trip gear list so you can dial in your kit before you ever hit the trail. Jump straight to the complete gear list if you'd like.
Fly Rod for Backcountry Fly Fishing
Rod Weight
The weight of fly rod you bring depends on the water you're fishing. For small fish in creeks, this could be the perfect chance to bring that 2-weight rod, while you may want to go as heavy as a 6 or even 7-weight if you're throwing big streamers or fishing larger rivers and lakes where wind and fish size warrant it. Most of the time, your classic 9-foot 4-weight or 5-weight will get the job done.
- 3-weight: Use on small technical streams where delicate presentation is paramount
- 4- or 5-weight: Use as an all-around backcountry workhorse when you plan to fish different types of water
- 6-weight: Use for larger fish, windier conditions, or if you plan to throw streamers seriously
Heavy weight fly rods are usually heavier and have heavier lines and reels, so if you're counting the grams of each piece of gear you may opt towards lighter rod setups.
Rod Length
Rod length is mainly about versatility and the conditions you'll face. Many anglers orient toward shorter rods (under 8'6") in the backcountry; this is useful when fishing small creeks and water with tight casting windows. However, longer rods can be more versatile at times. If all you have is a 9' or 10' rod, don't let length deter you from choosing to bring that rod.
Number of Pieces
Even more important than the weight and length of the rod is how it breaks down. When you bring a standard fly rod into the backcountry, a four-piece rod is the minimum. I’ve carried a two-piece before, and it did about as well as you’d expect: I essentially had a telephone pole sticking out of my pack that got caught on every tree until I finally decided to carry it in my hand. A five or six-piece rod that packs into a tube short enough to fit inside your pack is preferable for technical terrain where a rod tube on the outside of your pack creates snag hazards in dense timber or scrambling terrain. Some telescoping rods exist and may be suited to your needs (although we haven’t personally tried any).
Tenkara in the Backcountry
One fishing style that exploded in popularity a few years back is Tenkara, which uses a fixed, telescoping rod and no reel to fish. I have had a lot of fun on small creeks and lakes with a Tenkara rod, and they are just about the lightest, most packable options for backcountry fishing. If you are primarily a backpacker who is thinking about starting to fish on your trips, they are a great learning tool as well. If your fishing trip is going to have more of a fishing focus and you don’t want to limit your casting range or capabilities, a standard rod and reel setup is probably a better option.
Should You Carry a Fly Rod Tube While Backpacking?
To carry your rod, some anglers choose to go without a tube and just bring it in their rod sock, risking a break, while others bite the bullet and pack a heavy rod tube that often weighs well over a pound. The unfortunate truth is that neither option is great. To fix this, we’re working on an ultralight fly rod tube concept that we can’t wait to bring to market later this summer. Stay tuned!
Should You Bring Multiple Rods?
Typically, if we’re going on a serious multi-day backpacking trip with a focus on fishing, we are always bringing two rods. This has several advantages. First, you’ll minimize the amount of time you’ll spend re-rigging by allowing each of your rods to specialize (ie streamer rod and dry fly rod, or dry/dropper and nymphing setup). Plus, if you do happen to snap a rod, you can salvage the fishing portion of your trip with the second rod. If you’re only planning on fishing one lake or destination and you are willing to risk breaking your rod and not getting to fish the rest of the trip, then you can certainly choose to go lighter and stick to one rod.
The choice of rods you bring depends on whether there will be a chance to target big fish in this destination. If so, my go-to is a 6-weight paired with a sinking line and a 4-weight with a floating line. I’ll use the 6-weight for stripping streamers deeper in alpine lakes and the 4-weight for both stillwater and river presentations. If not, then something like a 3- or 4-weight and 5-weight would be perfect.
Our Fly Rod Recommendations
We don’t review fly rods for a living, and everyone has their own personal preferences. That said, my all-time favorite fly rod for fishing most streams and lakes backcountry is the Redington Classic Trout in the 8’6” 4-weight. It casts wonderfully, is super light and durable, it is in a great price tier for a rod you would feel comfortable bringing backpacking (about $200 now), and I have landed trophy trout using it.
If you are chasing larger fish, want to throw streamers, or are fishing somewhere very windy (like your average alpine lake), you should probably consider bringing a fast-action 9’ 5-weight or 6-weight of your choice. We won’t list one option in this class because there are so many reviews and shops out there to help you choose.
Fly Reel and Fly Line for Backcountry Fishing
For backcountry trout fishing, reel selection is the place to save weight without sacrificing meaningful performance. A simple click-pawl reel weighs significantly less than a large-arbor disc drag system. The not-so-secret secret is that in most freshwater fishing situations, reels are simply line holders and aren’t crucial to landing fish. This is especially true in alpine lakes and smaller creeks, where there is less current to warrant a sophisticated drag.
A weight-forward floating line covers 90% of backcountry situations. We use these to fish dry flies and indicator rigs on creeks and alpine lakes. The remaining 10% (deep lakes and larger fish) requires a second spool with a sink tip or intermediate line to fish effectively. If fishing is a high priority and you know you’ll be hitting a deep lake, a sinking setup is worth bringing, even at the expense of added weight.
If you bring a spare rod as a backup and don’t plan to have two rods rigged up to fish at once, you may consider saving weight by only packing one reel that fits both rods.
Our Fly Reel Recommendation
Think simple, cheap, light reels. One great option is the Redington Zero reel in a 4/5 (currently $109.99), but similar offerings from other brands should be just as good. The lightweight reel will balance out light fly rods that you bring to the backcountry. Any weight-forward floating fly line should be just fine if it is matched to your rod.
Leaders, Tippets, and Accessories for Backcountry Fly Fishing
On a floating line, 9-foot 3x–4x leaders are appropriate for most situations. Here's a quick tippet guide for the backcountry:
- 0x: Big streamers (5"+ flies) targeting browns in backcountry canyons
- 2x: Larger dries and standard streamers
- 4x: The all-purpose spool that covers most backcountry trout scenarios
- 6x: Tiny flies requiring light tippet
Backcountry fish are often skittish, but they don’t typically require 7x tippet to fool. Even 5x-6x tippet is rarely necessary to avoid spooking fish; rather, we use that for very small flies that require light line.
Backcountry Fishing Packs
The pack you fish out of in the front country is more than likely inappropriate for the backcountry (or at a minimum, less than ideal). Full-size hip packs, chest rigs, and vests are too bulky and large to squeeze into your main backpack on a backpacking trip. They’re better options for long day hikes, but they still have more volume than you need. Backcountry fly kits are simple: 1-2 fly boxes, 2-3 spools of tippet, nippers, floatant, pliers, an indicator or two and some leader. Packs that have the capacity to carry way more than this are dangerous, as you’ll be tempted to fill the entire thing!
We designed our Thorofare Clip Kits to solve this problem. This Clip Kit holds all your essentials: nippers, pliers, tippet, floatant, indicators, leaders, and a fishing license. It has a large sheepskin patch for swapping out rigs and holding flies in between tying, and comes with durable clips that allow it to attach anywhere – a belt, pants and shorts, or waders. We fish exclusively with the Thorofare Clip Kit in a backcountry setting. For fly storage, we typically just tuck a fly box or two into our pocket while fishing in a backcountry setting. The cheap, small, lightweight plastic fly boxes you can find at most shops are perfect for this.
Do You Need a Net for Backcountry Fly Fishing?
We’ll state it here plainly: bring a net when backcountry fishing! Nets are important for two reasons.
1. You'll need it for bigger fish. While alpine lakes and small creeks certainly hold small fish, they harbor some lunkers, too. When you hook into a 22-inch cutthroat above 10,000 feet, you’re gonna want a landing net, especially if you want to document your catch with a photo. Even if you’re planning on keeping your catch, nets help land the fish successfully.
2. It protects the fish and the fishery. While we have no problem catching, keeping, and eating fish when it’s legal, if you are planning to return a fish to the water, you owe it a proper release. Using a net (as opposed to simply grabbing a fish or worse – dragging it across the shore) is a great way to improve survival rates and maintain the health of the fishery.
Historically, a net is one of the largest pain points when fishing the backcountry. They were too heavy, and most importantly, they occupy a huge amount of space in a pack and stick out awkwardly while hiking. That’s why we invented the Thorofare Net – a collapsible fly fishing net built for backpacking. Our patented folding design lets you pack a full-size landing net into your backpack without sacrificing space, weight, or performance — no more choosing between going light and landing fish properly.
At just 13.3 oz, it's one of the lightest packable fly fishing nets on the market, and it's built tough enough to handle the weight of a cutthroat on a remote alpine lake or a fat brown in a remote canyon. When you're done, it breaks down in seconds and stows in its included mil-spec mesh bag, ready for the hike to the next bend or to slide into your luggage when you're travelling home.
Waders Versus Wet Wading in the Backcountry
There is a narrow set of circumstances where waders make sense in the backcountry. Shoulder season (spring and fall) weather windows often warrant extra wading gear to stay warm and dry. For most of the backcountry season, do yourself a favor and ditch traditional fishing waders. Waders are an extremely bulky, heavy, hard-to-pack piece of gear. Getting wet in cold water is one of the biggest safety hazards of backcountry fly fishing, but that hazard exists in waders or without wearing waders. When you’re just wet-wading in cold water, you’re more likely to stay within your comfort zone, warm up when you need to, and avoid dangerous situations. However, dunking in waders can be highly dangerous and unexpected.
If it’s high summer and the air temps are warm, we always wet wade. Backcountry creeks seldom require deep wading, and alpine lake fishing is often done from rocks. On occasions where wading is necessary (on bigger waters or when a lake drop-off is far from shore), we will bring neoprene wading pants. The latest generations of these pants are skintight, waterproof, and in some cases even breathable. They are a worthy alternative to waders and a great choice in the backcountry if you don’t want to wet wade.
Shoes for Backcountry Fly Fishing
Generally, we never bring full-sized wading boots into the backcountry. Like waders, they are simply too bulky to bring in a pack. If you have wading shoes that are comfortable enough to hike in, then go ahead and wear those as your main shoes if you would like. Generally, I use one of two shoe routes for fishing in the backcountry.
1. Wet wade in your hiking shoes. Commit to wet feet and hike in trail runners. This works especially well when the approach involves lots of water crossings anyway. After fishing, swap into lightweight camp shoes like Crocs or sandals.
2. Keep your hiking shoes dry. Wear sandals for both fishing and camp. Bring your hiking shoes for the approach and keep them dry the whole trip.
Light, simple shoes like Bedrock Sandals (better for navigating camp terrain) or Crocs (better for camp comfort) make for an excellent second pair of footwear.
The Complete Gear List for a 3-Day Backcountry Fishing Trip
This is the specific list we pack for a standard three-day wilderness trip. Every item is here because it earns its weight. Our general philosophy is that you should bring only items that you will actually use and have a real reason to bring. For instance, most people bring too many clothes. This can be one of the best ways to cut weight in your pack—we think it’s better to be smelly than to have extra weight. Also, think of gear items that are multipurpose. For instance, a foam sleeping pad doubles as a chair; we never bring chairs along. The lightest possible version of an item you can bring is just to leave it at home. If you choose to cut weight in some areas, then it is easier to carry the extra weight of your fishing gear. Just don’t cut out essential safety items; make sure you will be warm enough to not only survive the night but to be comfortable sleeping.
Of course, all gear is a personal decision, and you may think that there’s no way you’re going to go without a specific item that you don’t have on this list. Or, you may not have some of these things. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. You can always find cheap substitutes for stuff or make a choice that meets your needs. Really nice gear is great to have but is by no means necessary; some of our favorite items are super cheap.
Fishing Gear
- Rod: 4-weight (add a 6-weight if you want to bring a second option for larger flies and bigger fish).
- Rod Tube: Thorofare rod tube (coming soon!)
- Reel: a simple reel lined with weight-forward floating line. Bring an extra spool with sinking line or an additional reel to match your second rod.
- Fly boxes: (2 lightweight fly boxes— dry flies and nymphs/streamers)
- Tippet: 2x, 4x, and 6x (depending on what flies you are planning to throw)
- Leader: 9-foot 4x, one spare
- Nippers & forceps
- Indicators (if planning to indicator nymph; using large dry flies in a dry-dropper rig is often an appropriate indicator)
- Split shot (if nymphing). Note that wilderness areas are very well-preserved areas, so we strongly encourage using non-lead split shot to avoid introducing toxins into our wilderness waterways. Also, in most smaller waters you should be able to avoid split shot entirely.
- Thorofare Clip Kit
- Thorofare Net
- Wading pants/waders depending on conditions (we may bring neither if it’s going to be hot out).
Backpack
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· A backpack designed for backpacking with 55-65L storage (the less storage, the less weight you will end up bringing!) We have personally tried the Gossamer Gear Mariposa and Osprey Exos
Shelter and Sleep
- Tent: 3-season backpacking tent
- Sleeping bag or quilt: Rated to at least 15°F below your expected low temperature (typically 30°F-rated for summer mountain trips)
- Sleeping pad: we love the basic foam pads from Therm-a-Rest; they will never pop, they are super light and you can use them as a chair
Clothing
- 1 short sleeve hiking shirt
- 1 long sleeve hiking shirt or sun hoody. Ideally this can protect from bugs if needed.
- 1 pair hiking shorts (think lightweight running shorts.
- 1 pair light hiking pants.
- 2 pairs underwear. Make sure this is breathable, athletic underwear.
- 2 pairs socks. We love Darn Tough socks. You can add some sock liners like Injinji’s if you want.
- Puffer jacket OR lightweight fleece (depending on temperatures; only bring both if you will need significant layers for temps at night; see sleeping clothes below)
- Rain jacket/shell: Best to bring one along even if you don’t expect rain.
- Sleeping clothes: Long underwear, wool undershirt, and dry pair of socks. It is best to have clothes to wear while you sleep that are different from your hiking clothes.
- Hat/sunglasses. Don’t forget these – it is very bright up in the mountains.
Footwear
- Hiking shoes: Either trail runners if you are going with a more ultralight approach, or a more significant hiking shoe or boot. Heavy boots are unnecessary over most terrain, but some people just like them more. You’re going to struggle to hike 20 miles in a day with heavy boots on. We use the Altra Lone Peak and the Oboz Sawtooth.
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Camp shoes: Usually something very lightweight that will strap on the outside of your pack is ideal. Ideally, this will double as shoes you can fish in, or you will be wading and fishing in your hiking shoes and then drying off in these camp shoes. We like Crocs and Bedrock sandals.
Food and Water
- Water filter: Sawyer Squeeze or equivalent — non-negotiable
- Water bottles: If you are going to a place where water sources are abundant, about 2L storage is usually sufficient and convenient for when you need to cook/clean. If you will need to do long water carries (for most of a day, or longer than a day), then you need to add more storage, potentially up to 4-6 L for 1 day between water sources in warm conditions. If it is extremely hot out, don’t go somewhere without water sources. I love using Smart water bottles—they are ultralight, durable, and you can screw on a Sawyer squeeze and filter directly from the bottle. When you do this, keep and mark one bottle as a “dirty bottle” that you use to filter water sources into your other bottles.
- Cooking kit: Ultralight stove, 3.5 oz gas canister, titanium pot, spork, small multitool or cloth for hot lids, biodegradable soap, and small sponge
- Bear bag: Ursack with smell-proof liner in most areas; hard-sided canister where required
- Food! This is an area that is too broad to tackle in this article. For now, we’ll leave you with some sage trail wisdom: always eat the best thing in your food bag, because that way you’re always eating the best thing in your food bag.
Personal Hygiene
- Standard stuff you need (travel toothbrush, toothpaste, medicines, menstrual products, etc.)
- Deodorant if you want (to each their own!)
- Bathroom kit: toilet paper, trowel, and hand sanitizer. Some areas may have regulations requiring you to pack out waste, so check before you go.
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Accessories
- Sunscreen and lip balm; bug spray
- Bandana or buff
- Trekking poles (we strongly recommended tehse for hiking long distances. They help lighten the load on your knees, keep your footing over rough terrain, and make hiking easier).
Navigation and Safety
- Downloaded offline maps on onX or Gaia GPS
- Paper topo map of the drainage
- Compass
- Satellite communicator (Garmin inReach Mini or equivalent. Soon, smartphones will have reliable satellite connectivity, but as of this writing we are still carrying an inReach).
- First aid kit
Our Specific Gear Picks
When we planned to hike the CDT, we invested in ultralight gear because saving weight compounds dramatically when you are hiking for thousands of miles. These are the specific backpacking gear items we have used and continue to use on our trips. While buying the best gear we could was worth it, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good here. Everyone is on a different budget for whatever trip you want to take, and you absolutely do not need high-end ultralight gear for most things you bring. For gender-specific items (like clothes), we only have experience with the men's version so you'll only see those listed here. We assume the women's version of that piece of gear is equally solid.
Additional packing resource: The REI Backpacking Checklist is a solid reference for essential non-fishing gear.