Regarding your gear – a big question
Felt soled wading boots are fine for saltwater use. If you are fishing over mud with only felt soles beware of the skating effect they can create. It might be best to pop in some cleats in the heel just to create a little more grip if you do encounter mud. Inevitably you will venture into estuaries as you realise the potential of the fishing… watch out for the ZIPS in your jackets - everyone forgets them until the next time and they are salted solid
The Simms wader is also fine for saltwater use – I use G4’s some of the time. However because it can be a harsher environment i.e. clambering over rocks etc an expensive piece of gear like this might not be the best thing to slip in, maybe a cheaper pair. Rinsing them and your boots with a garden hose will remove the salt from them after each use.
A fly fishing reel for use in saltwater in Ireland doesn’t need to be a huge investment. You do not need a very powerful drag for any of our species, but a smooth control can be necessary when fishing mullet. Carbon composites are a good choice if you are not looking for aesthetics – Loop Evotec CLW, Okuma Airframe, Danica are all available for under 90.00 euros and have proven to last in saltwater with a minimum of care, spools are also very inexpensive.
At the top end if you intend to destination fish as well as fish in Ireland then you might consider Abel, Galvan, Tibor, Nautilus, and Danielsson.
The rod decision is the one where you need to spend some time and most of your investment. Depending on your target species different types may apply – Redington CPX, Scott, Bloke, Sage xi2, the Redington is superb and wont break the bank. If beach fishing is your game then maybe a 12’-0” DH from Thomas and Thomas or a Sage TCR will do the trick. It depends on your application of course
I have also fished and cast with Lefty Krehs Ticrx rods during 2008
http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/rods/ticrx.htmland for the price and guarantee they are truly hard to beat – you might be interested in the DH option on the #7/8 outfit.
Lines – Scientific anglers, Rio, and Teeny plus build a few custom shooting heads attached to an inter running line –
Leaders – Frog hair deep blue, Rio fluorflex + and Varivas all very good.
DON’T FORGET YOUR LINE TRAY..!