Fly Fishing Gear Matched for Type of Angling

There are essentially three primary parts of anyone’s fly fishing gear for which few will compromise. Their pole, line and reel are as important to each fly fishing angler as hand tools are to a person who works with their hands. The fly fishing pole can range between six and 16-feet and they are made for a variety of uses. Lightweight equipment for catching smaller fish and heavier weight and thicker poles and line for salt water fishing can be matched to the line for the best casting results.

Fly fishing for larger species of fish will require sturdier poles as well as thicker line and with the thicker line a larger reel will be required to hold enough line to get the fly into the midst of the fight. Fly fishing poles use numbers to designate the size of the line typically used, from zero to 16, and the line used with the fly fishing gear chosen will work together when casting.

For example using a heavy pole designed for heavy fishing, for instance, will not allow the anglers to cast a light line with any accuracy. When choosing the right fly fishing gear that is important to remember as well as the opposite, with which a lighter pole will make casting a heavier line nearly impossible.

Fly Fishing Casts The Line Not The Bait

The importance of matching the fly fishing gear can be better understood when it it realized that with fly fishing, the line is being cast and the light fly on the end follows the line onto the water. In spin casting or bait casting, the lure is heavy enough to drag the line behind it on its flight into the water.

While the angler’s wrist and arm action undulates the line into the water, taking as many as three or four over the top casts to get the line out, traditional casting usually uses a single cast, relying on the weight of the bait to reach the desired location. By matching the size and weight of the fly fishing gear, the angler has better control over the results of the cast.

Type of flies included in the fly fishing gear will also determine on the pole and line being used, but more importantly on the time of year and the species being sought. Different fish prefer different types of bugs and using a realistic-looking bait under the right conditions with the right fly fishing gear can almost guarantee success.