Match Fly Fishing Lines

Heading onto the water with a box of flies and a good quality rod can be the start of a great day of fishing. However, you want to make sure the fly fishing lines on the reel are designed for the type of fishing you will be doing. Similar to fly fishing rod, fly fishing lines are rated by weight and the larger the fish you target, the larger the line you will need to withstand the challenge the larger species will present when hooked.

Most fly fishing lines are categorized by weight with one through five being exceptionally light for use with light rods for short, accurate casting. They are ideal for small rivers and streams where the accuracy of fly placement is more important than the distance of the cast. They can also be used for casting under obstacles such as tree limbs or shrubs. A short rod, about eight or nine feet can also provide excellent casting accuracy when used with light fly fishing lines.

For the beginning, fly fishing lines with a weight between six and nine are good for casting further, where obstacles are few and far between. Used with a medium strength fly rod, these fly fishing lines can be snet further, but will have less accuracy than the lighter lines have.

Heavier Lines Needed For Heavier Fish

While stories abound about huge fish being harvested on light tackle, to guard against telling stories about the one that got away, heavier lines will be needed for heavier fish. Fly fishing lines weighted between 10 and 15 are typically used for larger game fish between 40 and 150 pounds, but they also require larger reels on which the line can be stored.

Many of the original fly fishing lines were made of cotton, but it tends to rot quickly after becoming wet. Most of today's fly fishing lines are coated in plastic to protect it from the elements. The reels are also larger to accommodate not only the line but the leader and the backing and depending on where you are fishing, they can add upwards of 300-yards to the line on the reel.

Just as the rod and reel should be matched to the type of fishing, fly fishing lines must be matched to the rod as well. Lighter rods for accurate casting will require lighter lines and conversely, larger, heavier fly fishing rods will need heavier lines in order to be cast by the heaver rods.

Fly Fishing Rod Combo Makes Fishing More Fun

When folks head for the water to drench some flies they want to make sure they have the right fly fishing rod combo for the type of fishing they will be doing. Unlike bait casting or spin casting, when fishing with flies you can't use the same rod and reel no matter what type of lure you are using. Sure, you want line rated for heavier loads when angling for bigger fish, but the rod and reel can remain the same simply by changing bales of line.

It is a different game when fly fishing, as the flexibility of the rod and the weight of the line has everything to do with how well you can cast the fly in front of the fish. The right fly fishing rod combo can make it easier to cast from under trees and around bushes without leaving flies stuck in the branches. The reel used on your fly fishing rod combo will only come into play when you switch to heavier lines and a longer backing is required, typically for fishing for big game fish.

When first learning how to fish with flies, it is better to start with a medium fly fishing rod combo of average length. With a rod between eight and nine feet and medium flexibility, you can learn to cast the line quicker and with greater accuracy. However, as your expertise increase you can move to lighter or heavier fly fishing rod combos to match the fish you are after.

Rod Size Should Match Target Fish

When fishing in shallow lakes or steams and believing most of what you catch will be small, using a lightweight fly fishing rod combo allows for more accurate casting as well as offering a better feel for when the fly is bumped by the fish. A lightweight fishing rod will be fairly stiff except for the tip of the rod. To complete the fly fishing rod combo, a light line should also be used, making the casting more exact.

Longer casting will require a fly fishing rod combo that allows the rod to flex from the middle to the tip with a rated weight between six and nine. Matching line will easily whip out onto the water during the casting procedure, and while accuracy may be less than desired, it does off a better chance of getting the line further out onto a lake or a wide river.

Hints for Selecting Fly Fishing Rods

When it comes to fly fishing rods, there are three primary characteristics to consider like the length and weight of the rod as well as the type of action you want to experience. If you are relatively new to the world of fly fishing, it is important to understand what these three characteristics mean so that you can choose amongst the different fly fishing rods available.

Weight of the Rod

When the weight of fly fishing rods are referred to, it is not necessarily an actual weight as in pounds or grams but a numbering system. This system ranges from 1 to 14 and choosing your rod is fairly easy as long as you keep in mind the type of fish you are angling for as well as the average size of the fish.

For instance, with fly fishing rods, the lower weight numbers are typically reserved for catching the smaller fish like brim, pan fish and other comparably small species. The larger the fish you want to catch, the larger the number weight of the fishing rods, like a 10 to 14 for tarpon, large salmon and other sport salt water fishing.

Length of the Rod

There are three basic lengths to choose from when you are researching fly fishing rods and they are 7, 8 or 9 foot. A short rod is best when you are in areas that only lend itself to short casts such as river or creek banks which are lined with trees or other obstacles. Long fly fishing rods are great for lakes or even the open ocean where you do not have to worry about the line tangling with obstacles.

Action Speed of the Rod

Fly fishing rods come in fast, medium and slow action speeds and these are embodied into the properties of the rods. For instance, slow action rods are very flexible which is great for tightly confined casting areas but not so great for windy conditions or catching large fish.

A fast rod is typically rigid and unyielding, except at the tip which allows for a longer cast, fishing in windy conditions and catching large fish. You can also cast larger flies to attract the larger fish but it is not a good option when you are a beginner or fishing a small stream.

Medium action fly fishing rods are a safe bet because they have some flexibility and are versatile in various fishing conditions as well as for catching a variety of fish species. If you are a beginner and unsure where you plan to fly fish, a medium action rod is your best bet, unless you have specific conditions near your fishing area that would be best for slow or fast action fly fishing rods.

Selection of Fly Fishing Tackle

When it comes to fly fishing tackle, quite a few items fall within this category, each performing a different task in fly fishing. The word “tackle” refers to all of the paraphernalia necessary to fish such as the rod, reel, hooks, flies, fishing line, waders and more. The list is actually quite extensive when it comes to fly fishing tackle because they differ depending on the type of water and fish you are angling for.

Two Basic Types that Influence Choice

When it comes to choosing your fly fishing tackle, first you have to decide what type of fly fishing to do – saltwater or freshwater. While some equipment is the same, a few pieces of fly fishing tackle will be quite different like the flies as well as the rod itself.

With the flies, most are created by hand using materials that resemble the favorite food of the fish whether it is insects, larvae or even worms. Obviously, the saltwater fish eat slightly different things from the freshwater variety so the flies or lures would be one part of the fly fishing tackle that is different.

The rods tend to be a bit different as well when it comes to shopping for fly fishing tackle for saltwater or freshwater components. With saltwater, you would want to choose a short rod made from strong metal alloys as the shorter length provides better leverage for snagging the larger fish and the alloy is not corrosive from repeated exposure to saltwater.

Choosing your Gear

Fly fishing tackle is best bought in person, at least when you are new to the sport, so that you can physically test the products and learn more about what to look for in terms of your fishing needs. The fishing rod, reel and line are three definite “in person” purchases as these are the most crucial to your fishing success.

These particular fly fishing tackle items can greatly differ obviously between the different types of fishing but also when considering the type of fish you wish to catch as well. You can catch salmon, trout and bass in streams as well oceans and not only are the conditions different, but their size and weight as well from location to location. Therefore, you have to keep the size of the fish in mind when selecting your fly fishing tackle.

All in all fly fishing tackle can be quite complicated to the newbie fly fisherman so it is important to purchase your supplies in person at a store that sells outdoor and sporting equipment. That way, a knowledgeable salesman can guide you through the essentials of fly fishing tackle – what is needed now to get started and what can wait until you have more experience.

Casting Is The Most Important Part Of Fly Fishing

Seasoned fly fishermen usually say the same thing when confronted on the question of how to fly fish – get your casting technique down for maximum fish catching. Unlike regular rod and reel fishing where the weight at the end of the line is what helps the line exit the reel, it is the weight of the fly fishing line itself which brings the fly lure right to the fish.

Setting Up for Practice

Before heading to a fishing hole, you will want to practice on how to fly fish cast in a large grassy or dirt packed area. Cement and asphalt are not great surfaces to practice your casting as the rough surfaces could ruin your fishing line. Tie a bright piece of colored yard at the end of your line or even a brightly colored lure so that you can see what your fly is doing during the process.

After tying the yarn or fly onto the line, the next step in learning how to fly fish is to pull out about 20-25 feet of line out of the fly reel and lay it on the grassy area next to you. You need this amount of “play” in the line so that you have something to negotiate lightly through the water.

Get a Grip

Learning to hold the fishing rod in preparation for casting out the line is the next step in how to fly fish. While the rod is in your hand, put your thumb on the top of the rod grip and keep it on the top as this provides you with better accuracy as well as force in your cast. Also, the butt of the rod should be perpendicular to your wrist and forearm and kept under.

Make sure the line is through your rod in learning how to fly fish and then pull about 20 feet of it and place it on the ground to the right hand side. Holding your rod in a grip, the opposite hand grasps the extended line tightly for better casting momentum. Once you are comfortable in this phase, you can start to experiment with different casting when learning how to fly fish.

The Cast

The actual cast itself is next for the lesson on how to fly fish and you must use efficient movements for a successful turn. Flick the rod back a bit to a 45 degree angle, which is about the 2:00 o'clock position and then hold it. This causes an abrupt stop at 45 degree angle mark so your fishing line will shoot backwards.

Next on the how to fly fish list is flicking your wrist back to the 2 p.m. position as this action will cause the fishing line to fly forward out in front of you. If you did everything correctly, the fishing line would have straightened out and landed with ease rather than a plop. If your tied fly on the end of your fishing line made a distinct straight down dive into the water, then you did not learn how to fly fish properly. The line should extend out into the water and with a tugging motion, you learn to lightly tug on the line so that the fly appears to be skipping across the water rather than sinking in it. It takes patience and plenty of time to effectively learn how to fly fish, so unless you are gifted, don't be surprised that you do not catch anything the first few fly fishing trips.

Basics To Learn To Fly Fish

One of the toughest things about learning to fish with flies is casting the bait onto the water so that it lands where the fish are swimming around, looking for food. Understanding how the equipment works, as opposed to traditional fishing equipment is an important step to learn to fly fish, and figuring out how to cast the line instead of a lure can be challenge. Most flies feel almost weightless and the tendency is to cast the fly and let the line trail. When you learn to fly fish you have to learn to cast the line and let the fly follow it to the water.

A large open field or grassy area is the best place to learn to fly fish as casting will take a lot of practice. Casting your line onto a driveway of concrete, blacktop or stones can destroy the line as it rides over the rough surface. It is also not necessary to attach a fly to the line to practice, as the idea is to cast the line and the added weight will not affect your control of the cast.

You may need to learn to fly fish with different types of rods, reels and fly line if you plan to fish in different areas. Different weights and flexibility of rods are typically used for different types of fishing.

Use A Rod Designed For Your Type Of Fishing

Fly fishing rods are made in essentially three weights, with those designated as one through five usually used for accurate casting. These are excellent for casting from around shrubs or trees and when you learn to fly fish for these conditions, using a lighter line will also help the casts be more accurate. Rods weights of six through nine are generally used for longer casting, specifically into lakes where obstacles are not a concern.

Trying to hook heavier fish on flies requires larger rods, such as those rated 10, 11 or even 15 to be able to withstand the weight of a hooked fish. If you learn to fly fish using larger rods and line there will be a transition period if you switch to lighter equipment for smaller fish in smaller bodies of water.

While you can find numerous resources about equipment and flies and when to use them in which climates, when you learn to fly fish you will want to devote most of your outdoor time with the rod and reel, figuring out how to get the line to land exactly where you want it to go.

Saltwater Fly Fishing Tackle Advice

Saltwater Fly Fishing Tackle Advice

As the sport of fly fishing continues to become more popular, experienced anglers are trading in their spin casting reels and heavy-duty poles for saltwater fly fishing tackle and going after the big game fish. The flies being used will be determined by the time of year and the species of fish targeted, with the rod and reel being the most important parts of the saltwater fly fishing tackle taken to the ocean.

The cost of quality saltwater fly fishing tackle can be expensive for durable items, with rods ranging from $100 to $500 or more. With most fly fishing rods it is true that you get what you pay for, but for those just starting out fly fishing in salt water, spending a fortune on saltwater fly fishing tackle just to see if you like it is considered foolish. Spending about $100 on a rod will be enough to determine if it is something you want to continue.

When selecting a fly fishing rod, you will want one that is capable of fighting and lifting a heavy fish. Fishing in the deep oceans, it is not unusual to hook a tarpon that can weight between 40 and 150 pounds, something that could spell trouble for smaller rods. Your saltwater fly fishing tackle should include a 10-15 weight rod, about 8.5 to nine-foot long with a bend that goes from the butt to the tip.

Reel Needs To Hold Plenty Of Line

Another important piece of the saltwater fly fishing tackle is the reel and there are many varieties to choose from, including those large enough to hold all the line you might need. Consider that the reel will need to hold between 100 and 300 yards of backing, 15-feet of leader and another 150 yards of 10 to 15 weight line, the reel will need to be larger than those used in mountain streams for trout.

Reel measurements are announced in three areas, the inside and outside diameter of the reel and the width. When choosing saltwater fly fishing tackle, the best reel will be at least three-inches wide and large enough to hold all the line. Additionally, you will want a reel that allows for rapid reeling in, at least 11-inches per revolution of the handle, for when that giant tarpon decides to turn and take a run at your boat.

Tall of your saltwater fly fishing tackle will need to be durable against the harsh environment of fishing in saltwater. Remember, that as the temperature rises, the effects of corrosion on the line and reel will be accelerated.