Reddit mentions: The best fishing line

It's a broad and general question, so you are likely to get similarly broad advice.

I am assuming you are talking about spin-fishing rather than fly fishing. I'd say:

Get a spinning (not casting) rod, and a spinning (not 'baitcasting') reel. Match your rod to your fish, your reel to your rod, and your line to your reel. The easiest thing to do is buy a combo LIKE THIS because the components are matched already.

If you want to roll-your-own setup:

ROD The rod will say what "weight" it is: ultra-light, Light, ..., heavy). Trout are usually light or ultra-light depending on the size they grow where you are fishing. Unless you know the trout are > 2 lbs. in weight, go with "Light"

REEL The reel should match the rod, look for a 1000 series for Light, or an ultralite for UL. More important though, the spool of the reel will list the how much of which line it can hold in terms of pounds of test. and length. e.g. My ultra-light reel will hold 100 yards of 4 lb. line (still on Imperial measurements here in US). For a Light rod, look for a reel that shows 6 - 8 lb test. About 150 yards of 6 lb is a good target.

LINE Get what is listed on the reel. Monofilament is fine, don't worry about flourocarbon, coated or braided lines.

TIPPET Do get some flourocarbon "tippet" and the smallest barrel swivels you can find. Trout have excellent eyesight, and the tippet is much harder for them to see because it is smaller and flourocarbon is invisible in water. This makes your terminal tackle less 'spooky.' 5x tippet is a good match for 6 lb test. 6x for ultralight. Do this even if you bought the combo above.

RIGGING Generally you will put your main line on the reel's spool and out to a swivel, then a few feet of the lighter, more expensive tippet to your terminal tackle. e.g. My ultralight setup is 4 lb. mono main line to a size 7 swivel and 7x flouro tippet to the terminal tackle. You probably want 6 lb to 5x, and 8 lb. to 5x is totally fine if you buy a combo with 8 lb.

TERMINAL TACKLE For reservoirs you want to use floating bait, tubes/jigs, and lures (inline spinners and/or spoons) from shore. From a boat, same, but more emphasis on spoons. Lures are a blast, but will cost you a LOT of money to acquire a good variety of them. I recommend bait and tubes/jigs if you are just starting out.

Floating Bait If you are shore-fishing, this is going to be your friend. Get some floating bait (real worms, dough, nuggets, etc.) and set up a Carolina Rig. Real worms are the best bait IMO, but they do not float naturally. You have to put air in them with a hypo. If you are just starting out, the artificial baits are fine. Rig it up, throw it in, take the slack out of the line and wait for the lunkers to come get some.

Tubes & Jigs These take more skill, but can produce a lot of fish. If you are fishing snaggy, moving water like rivers I recommend these as the top way to fish (lures are expensive and easy to lose in rivers.) Get a Trout Magnet or Crappie Magnet kit and you have everything you need.

Lures Inline spinners like Panther Martins (esp. the black/yellow dot & yellow/red dot) and Mepps Algias crush Sierra trout, not sure what their Eton comrades prefer. Keep the weight between 1/16 oz. and 1/8 oz. unless the trout are big (match the lure weights that are often listed on your rod) Good spoons here include the Acme Kastmaster, Thomas Bouyant and Super Duper. The rule here that the heavier the lure, the better it casts and the more potentially off-putting it is to a smallish fish like a trout.

Lure Selection The specifics of lure size, color and action can have a big impact on whether you get bites. What works one day may not work the next. This is how you can end up buying a LOT of lures. In general, you want to use light/bright colored lures in clear water and/or bright days and dark lures in turbid water or dimly lit days. THIS THREAD as well as THIS OTHER THREAD has some more detailed info on lure colors, sizes and brands I recommend.

You may also want to check out Fly and Bubble fishing which lets you use a spin rod to cast flies. It's a hoot and pretty effective: Get some adjustable spin floats, some flies and start fly and bubble fishing. Elk Hair Caddis sizes 12 - 18 are good, as are nymphs, and Mayfly imitations. Talk to local fly fishermen to see which bugs are good for your reservoir.

GETTING THE STUFF THAT WORKS Talk to the fishing outfitters near where you fish. They will tell you how the bite is, what the fish like, and where to do your fishing. Invaluable advice to prevent buying the entire world to cover all the bases.

HOW TO FISH This is super situational, but in general trout want to ingest more energy than they expend, i.e. they don't want to die. They like cold water near sources of food (bugs) and cover (rocks, brush, etc.). If you are fishing moving water, take the time to learn to READ THE WATER. Trout use moving water as a conveyor belt that brings them food. In reservoirs, you want to look for spots that are shallow enough to support plants and bugs, with deep water and/or good structure/cover nearby. Trout here will generally be cruising slowly or hanging in the water. Ideally, you will put your bait or lure near enough to entice without spooking them. If the trout are jumping or rising through the surface, they are eating insects from the surface film (emergers or fallen fliers), this would be a great time for the fly and bubble technique mentioned previously.

Generally THERE ARE TONS OF VIDEOS that cover whatever specific scenario you are going to pursue.

The most important technique is getting good at SETTING THE HOOK. It's hard to catch fish if you are bad at this.

FISH HANDLING

Trout are covered in protective slime:

• Wet your hand before touching them to help preserve it
  
• Use a rubber mesh net if you are netting them
  
• NEVER put them on the ground.
  
  Mash the barbs on your hooks if you are doing catch and release.
  
  Hemostats/forceps are the easiest way to remove hooks from fish
  
  Turning the fish upside-down will make them less frantic in their flopping.
  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  
  I hope that helps, have fun!

Hello, welcome back to fishing! I'm going to answer your questions directly, paragraph by paragraph, and then if you have additional questions/concerns answer them as we go.

Rod: For you dad, I would get a medium heavy(MH) fast action 6'6" in whatever you want to afford. I'll tell you right now, any rod will go as far as you need it to. I fish 3-4 days a week, so I don't depend on cheaper equipment. But if you can only afford a $10 shakespear, don't sweat it. For the boy, let him pick something out that he thinks is awesome. Build his interest now, keep his interest later. My daughter's barbie pole has netted a ton of fish this season, and she's had a blast every step of the way because she made the choice.

Where to start: New York DNR - Check this place out for places to fish in your area. Just about every local pond/lake is going to have fish that you can catch. Don't be afraid to post to social media for spot suggestions.

Hooks: Sorry to say, but you and everyone else is going to get poked and stuck with hooks. It's part of the sport. What you can do is be prepared. Buy a light weight first-aid kit and practice patience. Being in a hurry is how I get stuck, EVERY TIME. Don't worry about filing the barbs. Human skin is extremely resilient and the chance of the hooks going all the way through are very rare. It's only happened once in my entire life and I had my brother pull the hook out with pliers. Along the same lines, this is why I do/did the majority of my 4 kids' casting until they were comfortable with the consequences.

Gear:

• Line - Reaction Tackle If you need braid, I would get Reaction. But I would start with like a 4lb mono, middle of the road price, to get started. Until you're comfortable with casting and reeling.
  
  
• Tackle Box - It's a nice box, but I would wait until you know what your needs are going to be. At this point you need a rod, line, hook, bobber, and maybe some weight. A $15 Plano from Bass Pro would give you some extra cash for other pieces of your journey.
  
  
• Hooks - The circle hooks that you linked would be great for catfishing, but a small light weightt bait-holder hook may be a better option. I understand where you're coming from, wanting a variety, but it may not be worth it until you know what you're targeting.
  
  
• Tools - I'd like to add that you will want to pick up some nail clippers or scissors to leave in your bag. Everything else you listed is a good start. Again, your needs may differ so don't get too crazy with buying everything until you know exactly what you're going to want to do.
  
  After reading all of that, the ideal setup for you would look something like this: 6'6" MH Rod with any spinning reel. 75-100YDS of 4LB Monofiliment Line. 24"-36" from the end of the line, you'll have a medium size bobber. 12"-18" from the end of the line, you'll have a 1/8oz split shot sinker. On the end of the line, you'll want a 1/0 bait-holder hook tied on using a palomar knot. On the hook, you'll want about 1/4-1/3 of a night crawler worm, or wax worm. Everything else is just a bonus.
  
  Fishing at the very core, is about being in the outdoors and interacting with nature. Having all this stuff is fun to research, fun to shop, and fun to think about... but at the end of the day if you're not enjoying your time outside, then it's not worth it.
  
  

Here's a copy/paste of one of my comments. Take from it what you benefit from (it's a suggestion for pier fishing)



I'll try to be brief as possible. Also, I'm not sure your experience level, so I apologize if I go over things that are obvious to you.

Basically you need to be aiming for Spanish Mackerel. They are a fucking blast to fish for.

Your set-up will work fine. These fish only get up to around 8-12 pounds, 15 if you're (extremely) lucky. But, bank on your catches being 8-12 pounds (closer to 8).

What you need:

Leader. You'll need to tie 40 or 50 pound monofilament line to your main line. Spanish have razor sharp teeth and will bite off smaller line. I'll go over later how to tie leader to main line. You can just buy the cheap mono line. I keep both 40# and 50# with me. I'll use 40# first, and if I get bit off 2 times, I switch to 50#. But, no need to spend too much money, just grab a spool of 40 or 50 pound. Worth noting, Spanish have eyes of a hawk and can easily be spooked away from lure, that's why I try with 40# first. So, it's a gamble of getting hooked up/ getting bit off between 40 and 50#. I suggest 40#

Lure: Gotcha plugs. Seriously, That's the only lure you need. Spanish love them. You'll also catch other things such as blue runners and possibly king mackerels. Get them at the local walmart down there in Destin (as well as your other fishing needs) prices online are a little high, and walmart has the best prices (believe it or not). Like I said ealier, get about 5 per person, as you will get bit off. But different colors; sometimes spanish will wanna strike white body/ yellow head, where as the next they want gold body/orange head. They also come in metal body and plastic body. I suggest getting both. In the picture of the gotcha plug above i linked is a gold body/ orange head/ metal body, I highllly suggest that, that is my go-to gotcha plug.

You said you already had line, but I suggest getting 12-20lb braided line. Braided line casts far and has better response.

Pliers. Last thing you want is a Spanish biting your finger. Have some pliers so you can pull the hook out of its mouth.

a big cooler. You may want to rent a cooler cart at the pier. It's a hassle to carry a cooler to the end of the pier, and then back full of ice and fish. bring a long cooler with you

food drinks. don't waste 20 minutes of good fishing by having to walk to the front desk to buy a $4 coke and $3 snickers bar, have that shit with you.


Get to the pier before sun break. You want to be on the pier, in your fishing spot ~15 minutes before the sun comes up. As of today, 6:19 AM is sunrise for Destin, FL. So, you want to be walking on the pier to the spot at like 6:05am. Spanish run early in the morning to about 12pm and then head back to deeper water (they return a few hours before sundown, when the water cools off). Can't stress this enough, be there before sunrise.

Here is a video on how to tie your mono leader to your main line.

When you get to the pier, you'll see other guys out there fishing for Spanish, you'll know where to be. generally it's somewhere in the middle of the pier. Just keep an eye on the other guys and watch where they fish and how they do it. When you cast the gotcha, you'll retrieve it fast with somewhat of a jerk here and there.

So, to recap, hopefully put 12-20lb braid on your rig. Tie with uni-knot 40-50lb mono leader to you main line. Tie gotcha plug to leader (no swivels or anything, just line tied to line tied to lure). be in middle of pier before sunrise. Cast as far as you can, retrieve lure fast with some jerking.

Oh, and when you leave the pier, wash your poles off with the water hose at the entrance to the pier. Especially with your gear that is not designed for saltwater. Saltwater is very corrosive and will lock your reel up if not washed off your reel when done. But, don't wash the reel too much and clean the lubricant inside of it. Just a simple wash will do.


extra: while you're at walmart, get a lure called a sabiki rig. looks like this or this (get sabiki brand, not cheap stuff) Tie to your line, and add a weight to the end. Go near a pilling and drop it to the very bottom, then real up a few cranks and manually bring your pole up and down (tip of pole going up and down about 4 foot). It's always good fun to catch 4-5 fish at the same time. Most of the time it's fish you throw back, but fun none the less. If you were fishing for King mackerel you would do this to catch live bait. You'll see the Korean people on the pier doing this


Most importantly, have fun. If you take my advice, you're bound to have fun! I'll be in Panama city here in about a week and will be fishing non-stop. update me with some pictures of fish!

edit: Here is the gear I suggest for Saltwater fishing from pier (with capabilities of surf fishing)

Pole: Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2

Reel: Penn Battle II 4000

Line: Power Pro Braided Fishing Line 20lb/300yards I use moss green. Color choice is up to you. High vidiabilty colors (yellow for example) do help when fishing on a crowded pier. People can see where you are casted at. Helps reduce hook ups with other fisherman.

I'm not sure what exactly you call that old line, I've seen it before but I'm not familiar with the name for it.
So I don't know if its quite like what you're after, but you could try some braided nylon "squidding line." This is what I found on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-Fishing-Line-12-NS-50-108-G-13-Squidding/dp/B0084OM7F0 (I hope links to amazon are allowed, I didn't see a rule prohibiting it).

​

Then there is, of course, good old braided dacron, which is thicker and softer than modern braids. I've used the Tuf-line in green fleck as main line for big Penns that I use for bottom fishing. I think I've seen it available in black or plain white as well.

Or you could also consider using some modern super braid fishing line (in heavier tests so that its thicker like what is on the reel you pictured). You can get it in black, dark green, white, grey, etc.


I don't know if any of those suggestions would be quite like the original line, although I suspect the squidding line is closest/exactly the same. I've bought old reels like yours pictured and they had squidding line on them.


Maybe some of that helps you. Great looking reels too!

The most basic all around set up I would recommend for fishing in a lake would be to go buy some crankbaits, jerkbaits, a couple topwater lures (I recommend jitterbugs, and poppers), and some softplastic worms and worm hooks (they have the little angled shaft by the eye of the hook). Get some 12lb monofilament fishing line (it's good for mostly everything you'll catch in a lake).
Also, get some hooks and splitshot sinkers.

In terms of color for the baits, try to mimic the types of baitfish that are in the lake you're fishing at. Shad are pretty common in lakes near me, so 2/3 of my tackle box are filled with shad colored crankbaits and jerkbaits. Bluegill colored bait is always good because most lakes are full of bluegill.

That should help you target almost anything you could want to catch in a lake until you start getting more experience. Once you get more experience you can start tweaking things and buying more specialized stuff. But with the stuff I told you to buy, you really just have to locate the fish and you should be able to catch them.

EDIT:

Here's a pretty good assortment of hardbait to get you started. I'm not sure how wonderful the quality is, but they should catch fish for you and give you a foundation to build on until you get some more experience.

these and these are pretty decent rubber lures that will work for a wide variety of fish. Buy these hooks for them and these weights to help get your rubber lures to the bottom of the lake.

A package of bait hooks like these will help you catch stuff like catfish and bluegill using live bait. [Bobbers] (http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-Floats-Assortment-1-Inch/dp/B0009V5QEA/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1462166419&sr=1-1&keywords=Bobber) are pretty good for catching bluegill as well. Catfish suck food off of the bottom of the lake at night, so skip on the bobber if you're fishing for those and I wouldn't waste time fishing for them in the day time.

And some basic 12 pound fishing line. Stick to the clear stuff.

All that gear should help you get started. There shouldn't be a fish in a lake that you can't catch using that stuff.

Sure! 40-ish bucks worth of hooks swivels and weights and braided mainline and mono leader. 5 bucks worth of powerbait(worms are free if you wanna dig) 30 dollars a year for fishing license(depending on what state you live in). Carpool with a couple friends to a lake or river, if one has a boat that's cool but you don't need one. A 30 dollar rod and reel set works. Don't need a 400 dollar rod to catch 2 pound trout. If you go once a week and catch a few fish then you more than break even. Start out cost is low as well as accruing expenses. You only need to keep buying bait and a yearly fishing license

Lines: [braided main line] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OPKT9I0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - [Mono leader line] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T7WAN4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Hooks: [#8 baithooks] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0186XEATY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Sinkers: [assorted sinker set] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009V2R2E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Swivels: [These even have swivels, which aren't pictured] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YMJ6ONC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - [heres a picture of the snaps] (http://i.imgur.com/BJeHUso.jpg)

Powerbait: [Take your pick of different colors and scents to see what works where you fish at] (https://www.amazon.com/Berkley-Powerbait-Glitter-Rainblow-1-75-Ounce/dp/B0000AV1L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478070992&sr=8-1&keywords=powerbait)

Rod and reel:[If you go to an outdoors store you can find even cheaper] (https://www.amazon.com/Okuma-Spinning-Combo-Medium-7-Feet/dp/B00LV00CZG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1478070582&sr=8-4&keywords=fishing%2Brod%2Band%2Breel&th=1&psc=1)

All of those one time expenses comes up to 63.30, that includes a rod and reel, lines, hooks, weights, sinkers, snap swivels and a jar of bait. The only thing you need to buy after that is bait every now and again for 4~ dollars

As for the license, it depends where you are, some places it's as cheap at 9 dollars a year, some places its 40.

As for getting my monies worth, I think I do, fresh fish is expensive. That's not even including the experience of it. I love going out into nature and relaxing with friends, catching a few fish and eating them for dinner is pretty fun

Can't go wrong with the Ugly Sticks for the price, however you might want to go down a weight... medium heavy (MH) is a bit much for the species you're targeting unless you're using really large lures and mostly going for big carp, and heavy is way too much. It'll be pretty stiff and with lighter line result in larger fish being more likely to break you off vs a medium action which will flex more when fighting the fish. You could even go medium light if you're catching more smaller walleye, crappie, and rock bass. I do prefer the Ugly Stik Elite over the GX2 though, they're 10 bucks more but lighter with a nice cork handle. Either way is fine though. Also, you mention casting rods and spinning reels... that won't work, you will need either a spinning rod and spinning reel (which is what I would go with) or a baitcaster reel and a casting rod (which is harder to get used to).

The reel you're looking at is not one I've used personally, but they're quite popular and most people love them here, so from everything I've heard it will be a fine choice. I use mostly Penn reels which I've been very happy with, and the compatible Penn would be the new Fierce II which is also a good choice.

If I were buying a new all around use freshwater setup today, here is what I would buy... I'm posting the Amazon link because it's easy to find, but you can get this stuff most anywhere:

Penn Fierce II Spinning Reel size 2500 or 3000. I use the Battle II line which is just a step up, but the Fierce is reliable and durable as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Penn-FRCII4000-Fierce-Spinning-Reel/dp/B011LVCGA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487770336&sr=8-1&keywords=penn%2Bfierce%2B2&th=1&psc=1

Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Rod - this is a matter of preference, but I like a 7' rod for casting out a bit farther, 2 piece for easy transport, in medium power so it has some flex to help with casting and fighting larger fish on lighter line.

https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Elite-Spinning-2-Piece-7-Feet/dp/B00QJ4IE6S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487770384&sr=8-1&keywords=ugly%2Bstick%2Belite&th=1&psc=1

My choice for line (either way you go reel wise) would probably be 8-10lb mono, like this one, or 15-20 braid. If you get an extra spool for the reel you buy, you can have both.

https://www.amazon.com/Stren-Monofilament-Fishing-10-Pound-Fluorescent/dp/B00LDYHTQU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487770474&sr=8-1&keywords=stren%2Bmono%2B10lb&th=1&psc=1

Would this work for salt and fresh? (Sorry I like to keep things simple.)

Spiderwire Stealth Braid Fishing Line, Blue Camouflage, 300 yd/30 lb https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011LVH0MM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_CpfYxb835EYB7

After work if I am not to tired I will watch videos on how to put the line. I like seeing how it's done to make sure I will be doing it right. My girlfriend will order the 5000 or the Spinfisher 4500 tomorrow. (So I am beyond excited, I was dying for a new exciting hobby. I am just ready to catch some big red fish or even a shark at the St. Johns river.) I told her to get either, both seem to be great reels. I want a boat so bad now, I'll just rent one for now. I like the idea of buying a kyak, but fishing on a kyak at a beach doesn't seem smart for me. The florida waves are relentless, and I don't know how to swim. For lakes and rivers a kyak is perfect, I wouldn't use it where there's sharks. After I buy my rod that's the next thing I'll save up for, or I'll just wait for my income tax. Who knows I might just find a cheap nice boat? Only time can tell.

Crimping beads! Awesome! That would be a great solution. I'll bet they'd work well.

Fishing line is actually plastic filament, like this. When I was a kid and went fishing with my uncle, I remember it only coming in clear, but evidently they're now making it in colours. If you've ever seen the clear plastic "invisible" thread at a fabric or craft store, it is similar only thicker and stronger.

Oooo...now I have ideas! Thank for the inspiration!

although i dont own that reel, i have a few that size range. i have never loaded them with 6lb mono, it just seemed too bulky to me. yeah they are rated for 10lb mono, but the fish i am hunting for (perch and trout) with that rod/reel dont need 6lb or 10lb mono... they dont strike that hard that i need the shock factor of mono.

i spool with 4lb flouro and it allows for good fishing. i also find that the Stren Flouro has good shock strike factor for the bigger trout. i did not have good luck with the berkley stuff, but it may have also been old line when i bought it.

the smaller reel will make you happy, it really will... my 5'6" light action with a tiny Pfluger President is my true love when it comes to fishing. it is so light, i can control the light line so much nicer, makes fishing pan fish easy, and a switch to trout fast and efficient, seeing as it is just a lure switch and not a line switch.

Paracord is "dynamic" meaning it has lots of stretch, up to 30%, it's designed to catch a person falling out of the sky after all. If you need shock resistance it's perfect. for other stuff not so much, your bag will loosen and fall off your pack if you tie it with PC and your tarp may be on the ground by morning. Also Nylon absorbs and loses strength in water, and it sinks. Learn to tie a tautline hitch in case you have to use it on something you need to keep tight.

I have some cord made from Spectra, climbers call it a static line because it doesn't stretch. It's just trade name for high molecular weight polyethylene and is super strong so tiny diameter for the strength and ultra lightweight. Here's the first hit , 1.8mm (about 1/16") for 350#. It would be good for tent guy lines, rigging, hauling a load or maybe hanging a bear bag you don't want on the ground in the morning, lol
Anything small you tie onto a person is going to cut so make up some kind of a rig, maybe using multiple lengths to disperse the weight? or using a belt ot something

Kevlar is super strong, low stretch, plus cut resistance, which might be either good or bad depending.

Just plain old nylon mason's line is really handy for little stuff and it's cheap

Significantly more expensive per foot, but Spectra-cord is pretty awesome (Amazon): 1.9mm diameter, 550lb breaking strength. Also, won't degrade in the sun.

Hoboy. Got a couple that I've tried and used in emergency situations.

First, you need a knife. No matter what. I recommend the Gerber Gator. Mine has been holding strong for the last 8 years, and I always keep it in my pocket, unless I'm flying somewhere. Holds a serious edge, no matter how you abuse it.

Water is a big deal. I have these stashed in my BOB, my car, and a couple floating around the house. Used one on a camping trip, drank boiled water from a murky stream, water tasted delicious and I didn't get any bugs from it, so there you go.

Flashlights are important. This is where you might scoff: The best handheld lights I've purchased are, hands down, these cheap things from the 99 Cent Only stores. We used them during the big blackout of 2010 here in Dallas, aka the Snowpocalypse. My house was without power for 5 days. Hand-cranked, bright as hell, durable, and cost a buck each. Amazing little lights. I went out and bought 10 more of them after that. They're now in every room of the house, and I have given them to friends as gifts.

Aside from flashlights, we used a Coleman Rechargeable in the main living room as well. I sing the praises of this light all the time, and show it off to friends. Comes with both a wall charger, and a car charger. Both chargers tuck into the base for easy storage. This light, on the low setting, is rated for 10 hours, but we used it for 14 hours one night without draining the battery. Low is good enough to read by. High Setting, however, is literally painful to look at directly. If you need it, this lamp can get amazingly BRIGHT, impressively so when you realize it only has one LED bulb. During the blackout, we charged it during the day in my car. Great investment.

Tying materials are damned important, says this guy who loves bushcraft and has seen a couple of disasters firsthand. Get you the following:

• Paracord
  
• 20# test fishing line
  
• Heavy duty cotton thread
  
  They're inexpensive, and if you ever need them, YOU WILL be happy to have them on hand.
  
  Get thee to an Army/Navy Surplus and buy a shit-ton of cheap P38 can openers. Fuck buying them online, unless it's bulk - my Surplus store sells them at $.20 a pop, or 6 for a dollar. I always keep one on my keychain. They're absolutely invaluable.
  
  A good DC inverter for 12v car sockets turns any car into an instant, medium-powered generator. I keep one in my car, as does my wife.
  
  Buy a handcuff key and keep it on your keychain, along with a mini LED light and a P38. Never know when you might have to use it.
  
  FIREMAKING TOOLS ARE A MUST. Bic lighters, Magnesium/striker fire blocks, waterproof matches, hell, I once started a campfire with a magnifying glass. Keep fire tools handy and ready.
  
  Aside from all that, I can only note the following: Lightsticks, a first aid kit, bottled water, a machete, a good length of proper boat anchor rope, blah blah, normal survival shit.

Redington Crosswater combo ($132 with Prime)

If he likes smallmouth and catches them in his favorite creeks then get the 6wt. If he prefers trout then get the 9' 5wt option. This rod in a 6wt will also work for pond/lake fishing for bass. If he went to a bigger river then he would do fine with it as well, whether wading or in a boat.

He will also need a leader and some tippet. For $8.61 you can get him an individual leader, or for $16 you can get him the three pack. For tippet, if you get him the 8 pound leader then you should get him the 8 pound tippet for $7.57.

For leader longevity he will want tippet rings for $11.72. This will allow him to use his leaders for much longer rather than needing to re-buy leaders sooner. I know we're outside of your budget at this point past the leader, but if you can swing it then all of these things will provide what he needs outside of flies. Maybe someone else is getting him presents and could supplement the rest. Sometimes fly rod combos will come with leaders, but I didn't see it mentioned on the Crosswater combo. You'll notice I tailored it more to bass. If you find out he's more of a trout guy, then read on.

For $10.78 you can get a 3-pack of 9' 4x leaders. He can fish small streamers and nymphs with these, but would want a thinner leader for dry flies. For creeks he will probably fish small streamers and nymphs most of the time anyways, so this is a good choice (in my opinion). You'll still want the tippet rings listed above to make the leader purchase last a long time. For tippet, a spool of 4x tippet material for $11.43. The tippet prices seem high to me so you might want to dig around some more for options.

Other doodads to consider would be nippers and a zinger, hemostats, and a net. Teeth are a substitute for nippers, but biting through fishing line does wear your teeth. Hemostats aren't as necessary if he pinches the barbs on his hooks. You can get away with not using a net, but it is easier on the fish and the fisherman to use one.

Hopefully this helps and points you in the right direction. If you have questions just send me a message.

I just picked some up from Amazon. I don't believe they are too badly priced.

https://www.amazon.com/Rio-Tippet-Ring-Pack-Small/dp/B0160BRFDC/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1485841921&sr=1-1&keywords=tippit%2Brings&th=1&psc=1