1. 790-4 R8 Salt - I highly recommend this rod to anyone looking for what is in my opinion the best current 7wt on the market. I’ve been fortunate enough to use this rod as one of my Bow River streamer rods for a little while now. I have no doubt it would handle light duty pike/bull trout with no drawbacks and of course a wide range of saltwater applications including most “smaller” flats and in-shore species - bonefish, triggers, small redfish, snook, and so on...
I can comfortably say this is the most user friendly 7wt. Sage has made in my lifetime. This rod dominates my saltwater arsenal in weights from 7-11. But the 7wt is truly an effortless casting rod at all ranges, and that’s something that is is hard to say about a lot of bigger streamer/salt rods. As someone who owns over 100 fly rods I already developed a soft spot for the 790-4 R8 salt. You can’t beat the light weight, power, and its overall incredible versatility.
2. Fly-Agra dry fly floatant.
Fly Agra is something I always buy in batches of 3 or 4 because I never want to be caught on the water without it, I like to always have a bottle or 2 within arm's reach! This is the only floatant I use on primarily synthetic dry flies. Typically one pre-treatment in the morning before I put the boat in the water and my client's flies float all the way until lunch comfortably, if not nearly all day!
3. Sage Arbor XL reel
I have added a few of the Arbor XL reels to my personal gear this season. These reels pick up line faster than anything I think I’ve tried before and the ultra fast pick up doesn’t come with any draw backs as they kept the weight down with a narrow spool design. Despite appearing quite large these reels really balance with their intended rod size. The machine work is modern and sexy and I see myself phasing these into my lineup more and more in the next couple years.
4. Patagonia R2 Techface pants.
I’ve worn quite a few different combinations of insulating underwear/pants under my waders in the spring and fall. For whatever reason these were my go to this season. They seemed to be plenty warm for any temps Id ever be fishing in. All that warmth came with very little bulk, which to me is the most important part. In the past I’ve always found myself sacrificing warmth for comfort, and with these R2 tech face pants I found a layer that meant I didn’t really need to sacrifice anything.