There definitely is a market; as a group women spend ~$20 million USD on fly fishing soft goods alone. That said I suspect a large portion of that spend is on equipment designed for men. It is very difficult for a retail store to stock an equal amount of gear for women when women are making up only 10-15% of customers and without the stores being willing to stock it, manufacturers are reluctant to develop more gear.

There is actually a decent amount of gear available for women, it is just hard to find in one place. Without having a readily available and better fitting alternative the manufacturer will not see the drop in sales that would force them to innovate. As of today I think the best option would be an online store that offers a selection of women’s gear from a variety of manufacturers, not just the one item found in many fly shops.

All this considered I suspect that fly fishing will see a surge similar to women’s mountain biking; 5-10 years ago you could barely find any gear (bikes or clothes) specifically for female riders. Today, while still not 1:1 men’s to women’s, there is an excellent selection from an array of manufacturers at local bike shops. Keep telling people about your needs, specifically at the fly shop level. Once they see the increased demand (and lost sales) the shops will be asking for more options from the manufacturers.

-Dan

The needs I see are:

fishing shirts of the quality of good men’s shirts (I’d buy men’s small sizes, but stores rarely carry small in men’s). I’ve bought women’s fishing shirts from Bass Pro and Cabela’s, and they look like crap after a few washings–even if you take care to wash them in a cold, gentle cycle.

Packs that don’t pile up junk on the bosum –the pack I’m designing would work for men or women, by the way, but it is inspired by the desire not to have stuff all over my chest. Sling packs and waist packs are a great option when you’re not wading to your waist, but just won’t do in many wading situations. And keep in mind that when someone who is 5’2″ is in waist-deep water, six-footers are standing only thigh-deep at the same depth. That’s also why I find vests to be unsatisfactory–they are too big to begin with, then end up being soggy and wet around the bottoms. They’re also hot in warm weather.

ACCURATE sizing and descriptions are needed in all women’s clothing, not just sporting goods. And as others have noted, descriptions need to point out whether boots are sized to allow for a thick pair of socks under the neoprene socks, or whether you need to order a size or two larger. Does a wader described as fitting a 40″ pair of hips have enough room for a heavy insulative layer, or is it a very roomy size that will leave the wearer wallowing in excess fabric? The lack of useful information like this makes mail
ordering gear very aggravating.

I haven’t found a problem with rods and reels, although I find fishing with my 8 wt to be tiring and prefer my lighter rods. That’s more of a lack of fitness problem than an equipment problem–I just don’t do much in my life that prepares me to cast an 8 wt for 8 hours without feeling fatigued.

Indeed the women specific gear is less than exciting; for example a lot of the wading boots do not bother adjust for the “generally” narrower foot size of women. There are plenty of areas for improvement. That said, I am happy to hear that you have had any problems using the existing gear on the market. Cheers!