Fly Fishing Equipment - The Basics For the Beginner

"What fly fishing equipment should I get?" I'm often asked that question by folk who are interested in learning how to fly fish. Sometimes, it seems so complicated. "Is it expensive?" is the second most often asked question.

Let's start with the second question first. While you can spend thousands of dollars on gear, you don't need to nor should you spend more than a couple of hundred dollars if you're just starting out. Depending on what conditions you will be fishing, you might even get away with less than that, too. I recommend that you speak with casting instructor who knows your area and what conditions you'll be fishing in at first. That person will be able to put you on the right track as to the specifics of what gear you should have.

To answer the question about what fly fishing equipment you'll need to get started, here are the basics. You can of course purchase much more, but why not wait before spending lots of money to find out if you'll enjoy the sport in the first place?

A fly rod A reel that will hold the line Line (usually a floating line will do fine if you're targeting small to medium size rivers) 8 lb. test monofilament that you will use for leader material Flies Clippers Sunglasses

Optional equipment when you are starting out:

Waders to keep you dry if fishing rivers A vest or bag to carry gear (and perhaps your lunch and a flask filled with something to drink if you are so inclined) Landing Net

And that's about it. The conditions you will fish will dictate the length of your rod as well as the weight of the line you will be casting. Most beginners can get away with selecting a rod in the 8 to 9 foot range and 5-6 line weight (wt.). Unless you will be after big fish, you can get by with a very inexpensive fly reel. All it does in most cases is hold the line for you. In many situations where the target fish are trout, you likely wont even need to use the drag on your reel. In most cases, tension is applied to the line with your hand.

Although many fly anglers have all sorts of systems for determining the correct leader thickness and taper, don't worry about that for now. Because the lure in fly fishing are very light weight, you are using the weight of the fly line and the ability of the rod to power the line forward when you cast your fly. Therefore, fly line is much thicker than the monofilament used in spinning or baitcast fishing. That's where the monofilament or leader comes in - it is tied to the end of the fly line, generally an 8 foot length is fine, and to the other end of the leader, you will tie your fly.

Although it is fun to tie your own flies, at this point it is probably best to obtain some from someone you know that ties up flies, or purchase them for a shop that sells them. If it is a local shop, they will be able to advise you as to what patterns that will be most likely to entice the fish to hit. At first, stick with nymphs or wet flies. Dry fly fishing can be a lot of fun, but I'd recommend learning to cast and catch fish with a fly rod using nymphs.

Sunglasses are a must when fly fishing! The last thing you want to do is damage your eye with a misplaced cast and a fly stuck in your eyeball. Think safety first, no matter what you are doing. If you have decided to also purchase a pair of waders, make sure you are familiar with the water you will be wading in.

There are a number of resources available to you to help you decide what fly fishing gear is best for you. Read reviews of the gear that is available to you, talk to other fly anglers, and perhaps the best advice of all: Hire a fly fishing instructor for at least a half day. This will help prevent you from forming bad habits that will be difficult to break later on.

Shakespeare Single Action Fly Combo
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SAGE 3800CF fly reel, 3850CFR

Redington Crosswater 4/5/6 Fly Reel Fly fishing Fishing
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Cascade Large Arbor Fly Reel Graphite Body for 7/9 Line - Okuma Fishing Tackle 1B-CS-7/9, Fishing Reels
- Cascade Large Arbor Fly Reel Graphite Body for 7/9 Line by Okuma Fishing Tackle, model 1B-CS-7/9, UPC 739998125326, in Fishing R...

Fly Fishing Reel

What is the best fishing rod and reel for trout fishing(both fly and spinning)?

Fly rod is hands down an Orvis Zero Gravity Helios - even though it will set you back $750 I cannot think of a rod in all my years (35+)
of fly fishing that even comes close. If you want to spend alot less and still have a real good one think of the ECHO series of rods starting at $149.
Spinning - Any 5'6" fast action rod made by St. Croix or Loomis will be
the absolute ticket for fishing all but the largest of rivers. On the large waters, go with a 7' fast action of St. Croix or Loomis and you'll be fine.

Understanding Different Types of Fishing Reels

Before you head to the store with your money and start shopping for fishing reels, you need to think long and hard about what you need. If you're familiar with what's available, you already know that the selection is pretty wide and can be hard to navigate. That's why your best course of action is to begin at home with some research and go into the store ready already knowing what type of fishing reels will work best for your specific needs.

Let's look at those different types of fishing reels.

Fishing Reels: Casting

Casting fishing reels are used for exactly what the name suggests. If you're doing mostly inshore fishing and you need to get that bait or lure into the water, you're going to probably focus on these types of reels. They actually have a fairly long history in fishing and most were developed from some early, popular models that developed in the 19th century.

Within casting reels, you'll also find level winding and non-level winding varieties. The one you choose depends mostly on what feels right for you so test out a few different models of each before settling on your preference.

Fishing Reels: Spinning

Another popular type of fishing reels is the spinning ones. These reels first hit the United States when they were introduced hear during the mid 20th century from Europe. After that, their popularity among fishers exploded and they continue to be a popular choice for inshore fishing. One major advantage is cost. You'll spend a lot less on these types of fishing feels than either of the ones listed below. Keep in mind that these types of fishing reels come in two types as well: open face and closed face. Again, you'll want to do some hands-on testing at your favorite fishing ground to see which variation works best for you.

Fishing Reels: Fly

If you're planning on doing any fly fishing, then you'll want to choose these types of fishing reels for your needs. Nothing else will work quite as well for most fishers. These reels tend to be narrower even when they have larger spool diameters. Most also don't have gearing. As fly fishing has become more popular, the price of these reels has begun to increase so keep that in mind when you're beginning to search for the right fishing reels for your needs.

Fishing Reels: Trolling

These are the best reels to use if you're interested in doing some deep water or bottom fishing, such as for catfish and similar species of fish. Although in many ways they look like fly fishing reels, you'll probably notice that they are larger and have wider diameters. Prices on these types of fishing reels, which are primarily designed for offshore fishing, can be a bit steep. However, if you're serious about catching certain fish then you're absolutely going to need to make the investment.

Remember as you're searching for fishing reels your best choice is to browse online at shops like Sea Isle Tackle.

About the Author

Fishing Reels
Sea Isle Tackle has been proudly serving the saltwater fishing community for over 45 years. Since opening day in 1962, we have dedicated ourself to providing the finest fishing tackle and Shimano Reels the industry has to offer. Sea Isle Tackle has a great selection of
Fishing Reels
.

Fly Fishing Reel

Fly Fishing How To

How much must one spend to get a quality saltwater fly fishing reel?

I need a resonably priced reel for chasing Tarpon, Snook, and Bonefish. Brand names would be appreciated.

Okuma makes a decent reel for saltwater applications and you could match that up with decent saltwater rod as well. I would get an 8wt or a 9wt. Go to FAOL or outdoorbest.zerofrorums - flyfishing section and search archived posts and ask some questions. I would not target tarpon with anything less than a 10wt rod and reel with a good line. The 8wt or 9wt will cross between salt and freshwater fishing if you want to target peacock bass in Florida or largemouth basss as well. Based on your budget, say $250 look at Cabelas and Bass Pro combos for 8wt and 9wt. Good luck

Fly Fishing How To

Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing Spoken Here!

Fly Fishing is a very old method of fishing that is particularly effective for hauling in trout. Ponds, small streams, rivers and lakes are best for trout. Fly fishing is tantalizingly unique in that the bait is artificial flies made by tying, fur, yarn, feathers, foam, or almost anything else that can be made to look like a fly onto a hook as bait. The best way to learn how to tie flies is to talk with anglers who have become experts over time or you could attend a fly tying school.

Dry fly fishing and wet fly fishing are the two forms of fly-fishing. Dry fly fishing is the most familiar and is regarded as the classic form. Using the dry fly fishing technique, the angler casts the fly upstream hoping that the trout will rise up and bite the fly as it passes overhead. Wet fly-fishing involves fishing beneath the surface of the water and can be divided into lures fishing, true wet fly-fishing and nymph fishing.

Fly-fishing tackle, and fly-fishing reels and rods are all commonly used fly-fishing equipment. Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, California, Idaho and more recently New Mexico are all popular fly-fishing areas in the U.S.. British Columbia and Alberta are also very popular.

The popularity of fly-fishing has increased dramatically in recent years. It is definitely a fast growing sport and it’s easy to see why; it’s relaxing, enjoyable and rewarding. Usually, fly-fishing anglers practice the sport in the most beautiful areas of the world. Fly-fishermen worldwide are known to have an on going love affair with their sport.

Beginning fly-fishing anglers may have difficulty learning the sport. Probably the best place to learn is a fly-fishing school or from a fly-fisherman that is willing to take you on as a student. There are also a number of excellent fly-fishing courses on the Internet. The school you choose should teach the techniques, strategies, and tactics used in fly-fishing.

Before you get hipdeep in any water, you should learn about the various fish you’ll be casting for, learn the basics of casting and how to read the water, you’ll want to know how to take care of your gear and how to tie knots, and maybe you’ll even want to learn a little about hatches and entomology.

This sport is a life-long source of endless delight. You will live to feel the hairs on the back of your neck tingle as you watch a trout looking upstream for the fly you’ve just cast.

About the Author

Lanie Dills is the creator Fly Fishing Ontario. If you would like to know more about online ecourses on fly fishing, visit: ultimate fly fishing secrets of the pros - fly fishing ontario

Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing Products

Fly Fishing for Dummies

Clueless about fly fishing?
Me too!
I have been really curious about this sport for some time now. I've seen it done countless of times.

Tried it. Failed.

People have endlessly and tirelessly, with their utmost patience and understanding tried to rub off some fly fishing skills on me - but to no avail.

I have resorted to reading, for now. I decided that whatever I can't do, I might as well LEARN - even just in theory. It helps. I think of my self right now as "A work in progress".

Let's all learn the basics. DEFINITION OF TERMS!
A brief definition about some terms I need to know about fly fishing.

What is Fly Fishing?
Fly fishing is an ancient and distinct angling method, developed primarily for salmonids (trout and salmon, mostly) and now extended to other species such as pike, bass, and carp, as well as a wide range of salt water species.

Fly casting is gripping or holding a fly rod correctly and to adopt the correct stance to maintain comfort and balance. The most basic rule to casting is based on the way a clock looks. Your head points straight up to 12:00, your cast (the tip of your rod) should go back to 10:00 and then forward to 2:00, releasing your line at the end of the forward motion. It is a common mistake to dip the rod below those two positions and almost always ends in a line tangle!

Angler. (Does that have anything to do with Math? I hate Math!)
That would be YOU silly! Someday, IF you learn how to fly fish, you will be called an angler. A person catching fish or shellfish with no intent to sell, this includes people keeping the catch or people that practice the "Catch and Release" method (highly recommended).

The Essentials - If you don't have a complete list of these, you're NOT Fly Fishing!

Fly Fishing rods are long, thin, flexible rods sometimes made of bamboo, but more recently from man-made materials. Fly rods tend to have large diameter eyes (or guides) spaced along the rod to help control the movement of relatively thick fly line. To aid in the freedom of movement required to skillfully cast with a fly rod, there is usually little to no butt (handle) extending below the fishing reel. Although fly rods are mainly used for casting from fixed positions, they can also be used for trolling for fish.

Fishing Reel is a device used for the deployment and retrieval of fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. They are used in conjunction with the fly rod and are attached to the base or handle of the rod.

Fishing line is any cord made for fishing. Important parameters of a fishing line are its length, material, and weight (thicker, sturdier lines are more visible to fish). The refractive index is also important—lines with a refractive index similar to water are almost invisible to fish. The most important parameter in deciding what line to use is its strength. This is the amount of weight the line can hold before snapping. One must balance the trade-off between strength and visibility.

Flies as Bait? Are you kidding?
Flies or Artificial flies are constructed — "tied" onto a hook with thread, fur, feathers and other materials — in sizes and colors to match naturally occurring food or simply to excite a fish. And to add more confusion, the names of flies: Wet and dry flies, nymphs, scuds, eggs, streamers, steelheads, bass flies, salmon flies,and saltwater flies.

You will be considered a well equipped fly fisher if you bring waders, wading boots, vest net, polarized sunglasses to protect your eyes and see through the reflection on the water, a hat for the harsh sun, sun block and bug dope (bug repellant) - if you don't want to be eaten alive by bugs before you even catch a fish!

Armed with the stuff I read, I went about to experience Fly Fishing without even going near a body of water.

Wondering how?

A site that sells fly fishing products - with pretty pictures too! - Riverbum.com

About the Author

She is a webmaster for Riverbum.com. Riverbum.com sells fly fishing flies, gears, and accessories on-line. They constantly innovate themselves to give their customers the best products they can offer for unreasonably low prices. They love fly fishing, and it shows!

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