Fly-Fishing in the Italian Alps Part 5: The Packing List

It's not the be-all end-all Ultimate Fly Fishing Destination Packing List, but it's what I wound up bringing to Italy, where the trout fishing is much like at home.

Fly-Fishing in the Italian Alps Part 5: The Packing List
In Milan, where the fish on the naviglio grande tempted us for one last cast...

Rewinding through all the prosciutto and melon, the molto bene, bravissimo! best and the scheiße würst...

This time, reviewing a casual packing philosophy and some essential items for fly fishing abroad.

Previously in the Fly Fishing in the Italian Alps series:


A couple of folks have asked for this, so here it is. With some caveats:

I'm a perpetual over-packer. It's one thing I'd like to get better at. And, in anticipation of my big family trip, which included a lot of side quests fly fishing in the Italian alps, where I had never visited before, I wasn't sure exactly what fishing situations I'd find myself in. So, main disclaimer: I probably brought a little more than I needed.

Hopefully this can serve as a basis for your own planning, when you may travel on that once-in-a-lifetime fly fishing destination trip. Salt, the tropics, anadromous fish—those will be totally different scenarios. But for trout in Europe, this is probably all you need.

Key areas

  1. Rods and reels
  2. Flies, terminal tackle, and tools
  3. Waders and clothing
  4. Luggage
  5. Summary

Rods and reels

I knew we’d be nymphing most of the time, so I brought my primary 10’ 3wt nymphIng rod.

I also wanted to fish dry flies, so I brought a 8’6” 4wt. And, of course, a backup rod. In this case, my tenkara.

Reel-wise, I fish the nymph rod with a mono rig, and a double-taper line as a backup in case I want to switch to dries. The 4wt had an extra spool with a WF line.

In hindsight, I could have fished the one tight brushy creek, the only time we fished dry flies, just fine with the 3wt, so I could have left the short 4wt and extra spool at home. And the few times I had to throw streamers with the 3wt, it worked out fine.

  • 10’ 3wt
  • 8’6” 4 wt
  • Tenkara rod and lines
  • Reel with extra spool, with WF4 and DT3 lines loaded

Read all the posts in the Italy 2025 series on fly-fishing in the Italian Alps here. 🇮🇹