Dear Santa,

I’ve been a very good boy in 2016. Well, maybe “very good“ is exaggerating just a wee bit. Will “not too bad” suffice? And sadly, I’m a little too old to sit on your knee. Still, the holidays are right around the corner and I wanted to share my Christmas list with you while you still have time to pull everything together. Who knows, maybe some of my friends will want to copy and paste this list, and then send it to you. Or maybe they’ll decide to share it with someone who wants to give them a really incredible gift under the mistletoe. (If you haven’t heard, putting a Christmas list together is extra hard work.) So without further ado, here’s my 2016 fly fishing Christmas wish list.

Montana Fly Company Flyweight Fly Box ($18 - $24)

I want a new fly box. One that won’t go away. One that floats like a cork, and holds my flies all day. Okay, enough of the Huey Lewis sing-along. But I could definitely use one of the new MFC Flyweight boxes, with magnetic latches and an incredibly buoyant personality.

YETI Rambler 20 oz. Tumbler ($29)

Who doesn’t want perfection in an insulated stainless steel cup?

The Tacky Tube ($18)

Sometimes low-tech is the way to go. Not this time, though. The Tacky Tube, which features neodymium magnets and silicon slits in a beefy polycarbonate tube frame, is a little fly-holding gem that’s doing its best to make the fly patch obsolete. Plus, it will definitely fit in my Christmas stocking. (Tacky makes killer fly boxes as well.)

Orvis Helios 2 Covert 5-weight 9' Fly Rod ($850)

If Jimi Hendrix had lived to take up fly fishing, the Helios 2 Covert may well have become his rod of choice. And since I occasionally sing Hendrix songs on the river, it’s only fair that I fish the same rod he obviously would have fallen in love with.

Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line ($129)

I need a handful of new fly lines, and America’s pre-eminent fly line manufacturer is pushing the envelope once again with its Amplitude series.

Sage 590-4 MOD Fly Rod ($850)

This is one of the world’s sweetest dry fly rods, with an incredibly alluring action and cosmetics that bring to mind the Incredible Hulk.

Fishpond Thunderhead Submersible Duffel ($299)

Sometimes I simply need to keep my stuff dry. Friends say the Fishpond Thunderhead submersible duffel is bombproof. Knowing Fishpond, I have absolutely no doubt that’s true.

Costa West Bay Sunglasses ($159)

Sadly, some of us need help looking good on the water. No one is ever going to mistake me for Brad Pitt - and I’m bummed that Robert Redford, who’s in his 80s now, looks way better than I do in my 50s - but I’ll wager that Costa’s West Bays would be a perfect, not to mention stylish, companion on the river.

Patagonia Nano Air Jacket ($249)

The world’s most comfortable high-performance jacket is a natural on the trout stream.

Orvis Drift Hooded Jacket ($189)

Seriously, who doesn’t want to stay warm and happy when they’re fishing in cold weather? Orvis' Drift Hooded Jacket is a killer choice for cold weather.

Adipose Boatworks Flow Skiff ($$$)

I sold my last driftboat almost 20 years ago. Now that my son is almost old enough to row me down the river, isn’t it time for a new one?

One last thing, Santa. One of my all-time favorite anglers, Yvon Chouinard, makes the point that the vast majority of us have too much stuff. He’s right about that. And at the same time, shouldn’t we stop turning Christmas into a commercial enterprise? So let’s do a 180, skip my gifts this year, and focus on taking care of the folks who really need you to swing by on Christmas Eve.

Thank you!

Todd