Fly Casting - Equipment and Techniques

As with most forms of fishing you will need to know about the equipment, in particular the rod, reel and line. Tackle suitable for other forms of fishing is generally not suitable for fly fishing.

The fly rod is the means by which to deliver the fly in a cast, the line and is the tension controller after the fish has been hooked. Rods are usually made from either phenol impregnated bamboo, hollowed fibreglass and carbon fibre or graphite. The only real difference between these types for the beginner are the cost and the maintenance methods. The fibreglass rod is recommended for the beginner, basically due to the lower cost. The beginner can master his casting technique without incurring large costs. The rod should weigh about 140 grams and should have 7 line guides as well as the tip. The reel seat should be at the very end of the butt, with no projection to inhibit casting or to tangle the line.

G were made of plaited pure silk impregnated with pure linseed oil, which was allowed to harden. Plastic coated lines have been in almost universal use since the introduction of synthetics. The lines are made from woven nylon or terylene centre with a breaking strain of 10 kg (22 lbs). A plastic material containing air bubbles coats the centre, the quantity of bubbles being varied to make the line either float or sink. The control with this type of manufacturing enables the sinking lines to be either fast, medium or slow and come in varying colours according to their use.

The lines are also tapered and the various tapers are suitable for varying types of casts, the double tapered line being the most widely used. The weight of the line is the controlling factor when seeking a balanced combination between the rod and line. The standard identifying system now is use is a combination of a numbers and letters. Which stand for weight and type of line. Rod manufacturers usually indicate which weight line is best suited to each rod, the graphite rod being more versatile than the cane or glass rods. The code DT6F indicates a size 6 double taper, floating line; DT6S a sinking line of the same style and weight.

The fly line is usually quite bulky and brightly coloured and to avoid scaring the fish by the splash and the bright colour, a leader should be used to separate the line and the fly. This leader is a tapered monofilament line and continues the taper from the line down to the fly. Reels are necessary but not an important part of the gear, basically they are just a storage device for the line. The line is controlled by hand and wound on the reel when not in use. The weight od the rod and reel should be such that it feels balanced An incorrectly weighted road and reel will lead to inaccurate casts and a very frustrated fisherman. A reel should be of sufficient size to hold a good quantity of line and have a good line guard.

Safety is paramount and the learner should not practice casting with a fly on the line unless the point, barb and bend have been removed. A substitute for a fly is even better. No need for water to practice your casts and a football ground or park will suffice so long as the surface is grassed and the line isn't being retrieved across gravel or dirt.

The three fundamentals for casting a fly are: the rod acts as a long spring, the whole line acts as the weight or sinker or lure of other types of fishing and the timing of the action.