Just thought I'd see what everyone would say to this. If you were going to Montana or somewhere out west fly fishing for a week, what would be your most important piece of gear? Would you choose your rod, reel, waders, line, or etc. This could be anything you normally use while on an outing. I would have to say my choice would be waders. I just think that on stream comfort and reliability is critical. Interested in some of your replies.

Of course, you need a whole lotta stuff in addition to waders to fish successfully. Indeed you can easily fish without waders (I prefer wading wet, if it's warm enough), but not without a rod, line, and fly. So, in your example, one way to think about it is, "What would I least like to have the airline lose when I show up at my destination?" Presumably, I'd run off to the nearest fly shop and round up a replacement for any essential item. While I agree that being comfortable on the stream is essential, even a cheap pair of waders is likely to keep me dry for the weekend or week (the cheap pair might die after a few weeks, but I'm presumably back home by then), and I might be able to rent a pair if the shop does a lot of newbie guiding. Boots might be more important than the waders, not only because I need them to wade wet, but because a well-broken-in pair of quality boots is tough to replace on the cheap, and breaking in a new pair can be (literally) a pain.

For me, it would have to be my rods. It's why I almost always carry them on the plane. Not that you can't fish effectively with almost ANY rod on the market today. But we become (perhaps irrationally) greatly attached to our own stuff. I hate it when guides rig up their own rods and don't let me fish with my own. There's a comfort in a favorite rod with which you have a history, and nothing affects the quality of a fishing experience more imo. And if you've been doing this for a while, you've got a big investment in rods (typically more than any other equipment) and they may not be on the market any more, making them nearly irreplacable.

Ok, I was including wading boots and waders, and I guess I was also thinking that I'd probably do daylight to dark days with a lot of miles on my feet. Just my opinion, but I think you can get comfortable with a rod quicker than new boots and waders. You did say it right too, you can fish effectively with almost ANY rod. That's why I chose waders.

apparently, patagonia thinks waders are the most important. Of course, their view is slightly bias...

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I'd say I would agree, gotta have dependable, comfortable, and lightweight waders! They do have a couple nice features on the waders that I like! The suspenders seem pretty cool!