Fly Fishing Equipment? what you need to know

You only have to take a quick look to see that there is a great deal of fly fishing
equipment available. In this article I want to give you some pointers to help you gather
the fly fishing equipment best suited for your needs.

The fly rod: the first item of fly fishing equipment

There are a few things to consider when adding a rod to your fly fishing equipment. You
could go and purchase a general purpose combo outfit which would be adequate for most
situations, but perfect for none. If you spend little time on the water then this is the least
expensive way to go.

If you are a serious angler, then you need to know that a rod is more than a straight piece
of bamboo, graphite, or whatever, that holds your line. The action of the rod will
determine how the line flows and ultimately how the fly is presented on the water.

Naturally the ability of the angler will have a lot to say in the matter also, but a good
fisherman with a poor rod will struggle to cast well.

Fly rods are designed to carry a fly line of a specific weight, or range of weight. Before
you purchase a rod, you need to consider the type of fishing you will be doing and the
weight of the line suitable for that fishing. Those two issues determine your rod selection.

The smaller the fly you will be fishing, the lighter the line, the lighter the rod you will
use. Target small fish, fish small weight is the general principle here. There are
exceptions of course.

If you regularly fish in windy conditions, consider using a slightly heavier rod and line. A
light rod is a beggar to cast into the wind. If you are fishing for salt water trophies, you'll
need to use a heavy rod and line to handle the conditions.

The weight of the rod is only one of the considerations to make. All rods come with
taper. Taper is the degree of flexibility built into the rod. Tapers come in a range from
fast to slow.

A rod with a fast taper flexes mainly at the top. These rods are great for fishing in tight
spots and windy conditions. A slow tapering rod flexes further down towards the butt
end. If you are using a light leader and need to make delicate presentations, this is the rod
of choice.

A rod with a medium taper is a good all round rod and will enable you cast well in most
situations.

Rods vary in length and again knowledge of where you will do your most fishing is
important in the decision. Generally the larger the space, the longer the rod you need.
Anything less than 8 feet is a short rod and ideal for fishing in confined areas. A rod in
the 8 – 9 foot range is the most commonly used for all situations.

If you are fishing open water or lakes and reservoirs, a longer rod of 9 feet plus, will let
you make long casts and give you plenty of line control. It will also give you an aching
arm at the end of the day until you get used to handling it.

Adding the reel to your fly fishing equipment

It used to be that the reel was just a mechanism to hold your line. Now days, the reel is
just as important a part of your fly fishing equipment as the line itself.

If you have to budget somewhere, the reel is probably the one thing you could get away
with buying a cheaper model. That being said, the better your reel, the less likely it is to
fail on you at a crucial moment.

Before you buy your reel, look to see what line capacity it will hold. The numbers are
either on the reel itself, on the packaging, or on the instructions that are included. They
will read something like this WF+100YDs 14lb. The numbers mean that the reel will
hold 100 yards of weight forward line of 14lb strength.

Many anglers like the larger reels as they are supposed to retain less line memory.
Memory is the curl in the line created by its being wrapped around the reel. A line that
retains memory is hard to cast flat on the water.

Don't forget that in choosing your reel you have to allow for the backing that you will
need to include. About a quarter of your reel's capacity should be given over to the
backing line.

Reels have a drag system. There are two types of drag; the click or ratchet system and the
disc system. The disc is the better system and will handle larger or more aggressive fish.

A caution here, if you are fishing in salt water, you will need a reel suitable for that
purpose. Your freshwater reel is not designed to handle salt water and will quickly
corrode.

Most reels these days are adjustable for left or right handed retrieve, and are easily
changed.

Fly fishing equipment: the line

The line makes up the third consideration in setting up your fly fishing equipment. Fly
lines come in several varieties. You can have a floating line, a sinking line, a weight
forward line, a double tapered line. And fly lines come in different weights as well.

Before you bought your rod, you thought about the conditions you were going to fish and
the line you should use. The line weight must be compatible with the rod weight.

You buy your rod to handle the line; you buy the line to suit the rod. You can get away
with slight variations, but using a heavy line on a light rod will adversely affect your
casting abilities.

Fly lines are not long when compared with other fishing lines. They average from 90 to
about 120 feet. Also, unlike other fishing, it is the line that carries the fly to its
destination.

The most commonly used fly line is the weight forward, floating line. I seldom use any
other as I can fish both wets and dries with this line and I find it easier to cast and control.
The only advantage I can see with the double taper line is that you can reverse it on your
reel if the end begins to wear.

If you are into extreme casting you might consider a shooting head line. But these are
difficult to control when you need to make a short cast or precise presentation.

Sinking lines are recommended if you are fishing the bottom of deep water and need to
get the fly down quickly. You can achieve this with a floating line, a short leader and a
small weight at the head of the fly. Some anglers prefer the sinking line and that is a
matter of choice.

I like to use a colored floating line as it helps me see what is happening on the water. Fly
fishing is a visual sport and seeing the take is important if you want to set the hook. A
sinking line is better to blend into the color of the water so that it does not spook wary
fish.

These three items make up the essential components of your fly fishing equipment. Once
you have purchased these you can begin looking at the accessories you need to get you
out on the water.