Holiday Gift Guide with the ZOE ANGLING GROUP

Getting the perfect gift for that special angler in your life can be tricky. Fishing preferences for gear, species, region and water types can leave you choosing from giant shelves and endless possibilities of fishing gear. 

What’s even harder is finding the perfect bait, or lure style, but needing to sift through thousands of brands to find the one that makes the highest quality with strong fishing ethics. 

The Zoe Angling Group is one such company that not only creates high quality tackle that is environmentally friendly to the waters we love, but also focuses on ethically sourced materials and labor as well.

The group’s mission statement is to create sustainable and transformative employment for exploited individuals around the corner and around the world. They pride themselves on paying first world liveable wages to people suffering from exploitation in third world countries. 

They also focus on using non lead based weights and trailing hooks to diminish lead pollution and increase the longevity of the jigs. 

Learn more about ZOE Angling and their incredible mission here

We had the chance to sit down and talk with ZOE about some of their best gift ideas this season for every type of angler and at every price range. 

$10 stocking stuffers

Stealth Hooks 25 pack from sizes 2 to 22

They’re sharp, and every tier needs them. These hooks are made with heavy wire and you can 

choose from several different shapes to expertly match whichever bugs you are replicating on your vice.

Fly Fur in more than a dozen colors

No fly tyer in the history of fly tying was ever disappointed by getting more tying material. These fur strips are 25 square inches, feature half the underfur and twice the overfur giving you a much higher use per inch and they come in over a dozen colors to help match any kind of bait fish in any kind of waters. The fine and coated fibers keep your flies free flowing and not clumped up when wet. 

$20 range

Steelhead Fly Kit: brush: Chromer Purple and fly fur: hot pink or dark purple

An impressive selection of materials to make impressive and effective steelhead flies. The unique brush materials are all synthetic with stainless steel wire. One 12 inch brush section is enough material to tie 8 to 12 flies depending on the size you choose. Add in the pink/purple fur for a truly unique fly that swims perfectly in front of steelhead from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Lakes. 

Bass Fly Kit: brush: Pred 2 White/Chart and fly fur: chartreuse or hot orange

The Zoe Angling Group never forgets about the most popular game fish in the country. The white and chartreuse brush makes both irresistible streamers and thrashing poppers. Pairing the brush with chartreuse, or orange furs will make your fly stand out to a predator fish’s vision and help mimic gliding bait fish fins. Don't limit yourself to just bass with these materials, however, as the color selection is optimal for most freshwater predators, like pike, walleye and musky.

Saltwater/Redfish Fly Kit: brush: Charly Sand/Red and fly fur: tan or rust

The charly sand/red 5D brush is ideal for redfish, tarpon, bonefish, and other saltwater species. If you are looking for the perfect material for imitating crabs, mullet and shrimp then look no further to the combo of these brushes and a tan, or rust fur pairing. 

You can check out this favorite crab pattern from ZOE Angling's Chris Allen, here, which is sure to impress that special redfish, permit, or bonefish in your life.

Steelhead Jig Kit: jig 1: Purple Reaper, jig 2: Black Magic

Every steelhead angler, whether fly or conventional anglers, have their own long held beliefs regarding colors. Purple, however, may be the one constant that every steelheader can agree upon. 

Purple is one of the most visible colors at depth. After other colors disappear the purple reaper pattern keeps showing off. Even hard core bass anglers make sure purple gets ample playing time, and commonly shows up in soft plastic colors. Regardless if you are bass or a chromer angler, you can and should make this conventional jig part of your regular repertoire.

Bass Jig Kit: jig 1: Tornado Target Tequila Sunrise, jig 2: Bearded Mullet Shadling

This conventional jig is a confidence pattern pairing up orange and chartreuse, two tried and true colors for bass and walleye. Though there is some contrast, the colors go naturally together, creating a jig that is asking to get devoured. Whether it’s at sunrise or sunset, is for you to decide.

Saltwater/Redfish Jig Kit: jig 1: Fire and Ice, jig 2: The Rave

1. Chartreuse and white are a color combo that have accounted for untold numbers of fish caught. There’s something about these colors that entices practically the entire spectrum of predatory fish, especially in the salt. The little copper flash and a red head spice things up even more. This is one will stay on your line for multiple trips in a row.

2. Purple and chartreuse have long been a favorite of steelhead anglers, but the bull reds and seatrout love it too. Combine the high visibility of purple with the supreme attraction of chartreuse and you have a deadly jig that you will pull out of your box first.

$45 RANGE

Wasatch Tools Flush Cutters - the ideal tool for cutting Fair Flies 5D Brushes. Exclusive for FishBrain - free brush with the purchase of Flush Cutters!

These 5" cutters with carbide tip inserts are made for snipping through wires with ease. These are especially helpful when tying with 5D brushes. They are not spring loaded, either, which gives you maximum control.  

$99 RANGE

3T Toolkit - beautiful display box with 3 premiere Wasatch Tools: Bobbin, Scissors, and bodkin. 

For those looking to dip their feet into fly tying, or for the experienced tier looking for something unique to add to their bench.

This kit features hair wing scissors, bodkin/half-hitch tool, and the standard ceramic bobbin, this functional, beautifully encased, and high quality tool kit is sure to excite yourself, or a loved one into jumping back on the vice. 

Now let's go fishing. We'll bring the bass jigs.

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