Fly fishing gear can be exceptionally expensive, but that does not mean you have to spend that much money. Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for. If you are looking at getting started with fly fishing, I would suggest buying lower to mid expensive gear, then if you like fly fishing, you can upgrade as time goes on. The other reason for this, the more experience you get, the better you will be at understanding exactly what you are looking for in your gear. Everyone is different and has different wants.  

Gear you will absolutely want to have in order to start fly fishing:

Fly rod. I would suggest a 5/6 weight as an all-around good rod.

Fly reel. I would go with a 5/6 reel weight to match your fly rod and make sure it has a disc drag system with a large arbor. The arbor is the part where the fly line rolls up.

Fly line. You want to make sure the fly line matches your reel and rod weights, so a 5/6 will be good. I would go with 50-100 feet but aim more towards the 100 feet.  

Fly line backing. This is what is reeled up on your reel before your fly line. It is your insurance policy if you catch a large fish that ends up pulling out all your fly line. This should be 100 yards in length.

Leaders. Leaders are tapered line that connect to your fly line. They start out thick where they connect to your fly line, then they get smaller to the end where you tie on your fly. If you are dry fly fishing, 15-foot 3x leaders are good. If you are nymphing, I would go with a 9-foot 3x leader.

Flies. You can have all the fly fishing gear in the world, but if you don’t have the right flies, you won’t be catching any fish. A good assortment of flies is key to your success.

Gear that isn’t a must have but makes catching fish way easier and more likely.  

Tippet. Tippet is small line that you connect from one fly to another fly. This makes it so you can run 2 or 3 fly setups which drastically increases your chance of catching fish, especially when nymphing. 1x, 2x, or 3x tippet works great for beginners.

Fly fishing net. Fish are constantly lost, right when you are in the middle of grabbing them out of the water. This is because when you bend over, your fly line goes lose and the fly often pops out of the fish’s mouth. With a net, you can keep your fly line tight, and scoop the fish up.

Strike indicators. These little guys are bobbers for fly fishing when nymphing. They act as an indicator and to control the depth of where you want your hooks.

Fly case. Having your flies organized in a fly case is super important for time management. When you are at the water, you want to be fishing for as long as possible. Finding the right fly quickly is imperative.  

Flotant. Flotant is liquid that you rub on your dry flies to help them float.

Clippers and pliers. Clippers are great to snip off excess line and the pliers help when taking flies out of the fish’s mouth.

Split shot. Split shot or weights will help your flies and line to sink. This is to get your fly into the water column that the fish are at.  

Waders. Waders are waterproof pants and boots that you can wear to stand in the water. They work extremely well if the water is cold.  

Fly vest or pack. All your little fly fishing accessories need to go somewhere. A fly vest or pouch makes everything organized and easily accessible.