Starting Out Right

Fly fishing is really an easy sport, if you have the right gear.  Before you get started, determine the kind of fly fishing you intend to do.  For example, you may want to lake fish or fish in large fast moving rivers or fish in small streams.  Your choice will determine the kind of gear you will need.

Match your gear to your fishing environment and you’ll enjoy yourself and catch fish from the start.  A mismatch will cause you undue frustration and you’ll endure lots of casting and not much ‘catching’.

Once you determine the kind of fishing you’ll do, you can find the gear to meet your needs.  Fishing for trout or small mouth bass generally requires small flies that imitate bait fish and insects.  These flies weigh almost nothing and are attached to a lightweight leader and tippet.  The leader is then attached to a ‘front-weighted’ fly line that “shoots” the line and fly to the target and the fish.

For most kinds of trout fishing, a small lightweight fly rod is the ticket.  Smaller rods are easier to cast.  As you cast, your arm and hand accelerate, bending the rod (loading).  When you stop on the cast, the rod releases the stored energy and shoots the line forward.  You’ll be amazed at the accuracy you’ll be able to develop with this kind of set-up.

Fly lines for catching bass and saltwater fish is heavier and requires more powerful rods to cast them.

You can get started with a modest investment as most retailers sell ‘kits’ for new fishermen that run less than $100.

Flies
The challenge and ‘art’ of fly fishing is to present to your prey, a hook that is dressed up to look like a fishes’ natural food.  And, to present it in a way that it acts normally and fools the fish.  As you build your arsenal of flies, you’ll notice a wide variety.  Each fly is designed for a specific purpose or challenge.

Your flies like your rod and reel should enable you to fish a full range of trout environments and situations.  Your fly box(es) should contain dry flies that imitate the hatch and are fished on the surface and nymphs to reach fish that are feeding on the bottom which is where they are over half the time.  You’ll need wet flies when fish are taking insects at mid-depth on their way to the surface.  And finally, you’ll need bait-fish imitations like streamers when you try to get the fish to strike when they’re being very selective and you want them to think your streamer is a predator encroaching on their territory.  If you’re going to fish for other species besides trout, you’ll need to get bass bugs and saltwater flies.

Dry Flies
Dry flies are designed to float on the surface of the water and are made of materials that generally repel water.  The dry fly simulates insects on the surface.  Trout will swim up through fast and deep water if they see something that reminds them of what they have been eating lately and makes them watch the surface.   When fishing a dry fly, sometimes it’s necessary to add ‘dressing’ to the fly.  This is material that you put on the fly prior to getting it wet.  This protectant keeps the fly from taking on moisture and allows it to ride on the surface of the water.

Wet Flies
Wet Flies are designed to sink below the surface and imitate water-born insects that are emerging to the surface to as adults.

Nymphs, Larvae and Pupea
These flies are fished near the bottom.  They imitate immature aquatic insects like: the mayfly nymph and the caddis pupae.

Streamers
Streamers are designed to sink and when retrieved, simulate fish.  Streamers attract strikes because they look like a predator about to encroach on a game fishes’ territory.

Bass Bugs
Bass Bugs are designed to look like frogs, mice and other critters that bass feed on.  Other bass bugs simulate large insects like dragon flies or they imitate imaginary critters that don’t exist.

Saltwater Flies
Saltwater flies can be designed to look like shrimp or crabs but most are built to look like baitfish.

Sizing Flies
Fly sizes are numbered.  The larger the number the smaller the fly.  For example, a size 32 dry fly is extremely small and actually hard to see and a size 4 is very large.  See real size examples below.

Leaders and Tippets
The leader is the connection between the fly line and the fly.  Most leaders are virtually weightless and transparent.  The reason for the lightness and transparency is this is what is closest to the fly and the fish.  You want to fool the fish and with a fine transparent line the fish is more likely to see the fly as a natural element.

Leaders are tapered.  The ‘butt’ is tied to the fly line and tapers to a thin end or tippet. The leader receives energy from the fly rod and fly line which helps propel the fly towards your target.

The fly is tied directly to the end of the leader or tippet.  You can increase the length of your leader by adding tippet material to the tippet end.

Fly RodsPick your fly rod based on the kind of fly fishing you will do. For example, when I’m backbacking, I’ll usually take a 4 piece 7.5′ lightweight rod. I do this for the weight and the length of the rod as I’m usually fishing smaller streams that are lined with trees and need the smaller length so as not to get tangeled up with my lines and flies in the trees. If I’m fishing a fast moving larger river, I’ll take a 9′ rod. There are many web sites (Orvis) that give you very good, detailed information on how to match your rod to the type of fishing you’ll do.

Fly Reels
From the very basic reel that comes with a bundled set to the most exotic reel, they all do the same thing. Ego has a lot to do with what reel you’ll end up with. I have both beat up cheapo reels and very expensive stamped aluminum reels. Mostly, it’s a personal preference although there are features and quality materials on the expensive reels that you won’t find on the minimum base models.