Learn How To Fly Fish– What Equipment Do You Need

Learn how to fly fish, something you may have thought about or is a target project you have on your to do list. Here we will discuss the basic requirements that you will need to get going. There are five main components that make up the equipment you need. There are more items that you can purchase after to enhance your experience but these are the basics to learning.

Fly Rod

Usually the most expensive item in the package is a fly rod which is more supple and lighter than a spinning rod. The fly rod allows you to throw the fly line out in front and behind you to perform the basic overhead cast. As a beginner you should opt for a low to budget range rod that is not to fast in action. Each rod has a line rating which will match your line and a usual staring point would be a 10ft 7 weight rod. This will give you a good extension when fishing from a bank or a boat. There are many more line ratings and rod lengths but for now we will concentrate on the best selling and the easiest to learn with option. The action should be middle or medium which allows more time to perform the cast a fast rod or tip action is as it says faster to control to perform the cast and can take time to master this is a rod for an intermediate to advanced caster, I would not recommend it for a beginner.

Fly Reel

The fly reel is basically a container for the line as it is not used the same way as laying line down with a spinning reel. You can safely cast, catch fish and retrieve without having to use the reel at all. However some anglers want to put the line onto the reel to play a fish if it is particularly big. However as a beginner the reel is not as important you can move up in price as you get more experience. It’s like everything in life there is always a good, better and best option, for now the good one will do.

Fly Line

The fly line for me is the most important piece of the whole puzzle as a poorly constructed cheap line will only aid in distressing you when it fails to perform and frustrate you into giving up. I would usually go for a middle of the road line from a reputable company like RIO or Cortland. This will make the act of casting smoother and aid your learning.

Fly Tippet

This is the line that attaches to the end of the fly line and to the fly. It is usually made from clear polymer line that the fish can’t see or find it hard to see and is lighter than the fly line so it doesn’t come down with a splash and spook the fish. There are loads of options here with regard to construction, weight and type but for now plain old monofilament of about 8lb breaking strain will be adequate.

Fly

This is the lure at the end of the line that you want the fish to take. Again for the beginner we are not too worried about type. If anything a piece of wool tied onto the end of the leader is a safer option until you are happy casting and so are not a danger to yourself or your fishing buddy. Once you have managed to get a few simple casts together then you can tie on a fly to try and tempt the fish into taking. Choice of fly is a discussion for another time.

There are other items that you can get for fly fishing but not essential however I would suggest that eye protection is a must not only to protect your vision but when wearing Polaroid lens allows you to see into the water to see the fish and make the experience more enjoyable.

I can tell you once that first fish grabs your fly and takes off at light speed your heart will stop the adrenaline will rush and you will be wider awake than ever before. I never tire from that feeling and it’s what drives us fishermen and women to get to the rivers and lakes time after time. So there you have it my basic guide into the equipment that you will need if you want to learn how to fly fish.