Why It's Important to Have the Right Fishing Gear

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FLY FISHING GEAR 101: THE RIGHT GEAR

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What is fly fishing? The definition according to dictionary is the sport of fishing using a rod and an artificial fly as bait. My definition is the constant technical fluid motion of laying lines in wild waters like pen to paper with custom flies to capture your prey. Fly fishing is a method of fishing using a light weight lures called flies to catch fish. There are three main components to fly fishing which are: a rod, reel, and line. There are a variety and many options for fly fishing gear essentials that compliment the sport. These accessories include such items as tackle, waders, apparel, packs, and live baits. Some of the gear may you may be familiar with, however there will be gear that is unfamiliar and that is what we will learn.

We will break gear down to specifics and look at each aspect such as: fly lines, rods, packs, flies, waders and other accessories.

FLY RODS

Depending on where you will be casting can determine your rod length and rod weight and what you are fishing for.

ROD WEIGHT

ROD WEIGHT	​FISH SPECIES	TRIBUTARY
1-4 weight	Sunfish and all Trout	Small creeks and streams
4-6 weight	Trout	Larger streams and rivers
6-8 weight	Bass, Carp, Light Steelhead, and Salmon	Rivers, lakes and saltwater
8-10 weight	Winter Steelhead and Salmon	Lakes and Saltwater
10-14 weight	Anything larger than Steelhead, Salmon and Saltwater fish species	Lakes and Saltwater

A great beginner rod is a 9 foot, 5-6 weight, this rob is very versatile allowing the user to catch smaller species, however versatile enough to catch larger ones. This rod is great if you are going to fish a variety of settings such as: lakes, creeks and rivers. Let us look at rod lengths. The difference in rod lengths is the casting ability and the distance to cast. Longer rod lengths make it easier to mend your lines. The downsides to longer rod lengths is the maneuverability in small creeks and streams. Shorter rod lengths allow you to maneuver in low overhanging brash and smaller areas with no problem. A 9 foot rod would be the most versatile rod. You will be able to have longer casts and maneuverability. 10-14 foot rods can be essential when casting long distances in more open areas.

ROD TYPES

There are three types of rods single-handed, spey and switch rods.

SINGLE_HANDED

Singe-handed rods are the most common rods used in fly fishing, one that I personally use. There are varying weights and lengths that range from 6 - 10 feet for these rods. These rods area great for the lighter presentations and accurate casting.

SPEY

Spey rods are typically 12 - 14 feet long and they are great for long casts, larger fish. Spey handle heavier lines, bigger fish and flies. You are able to cast longer distances the rods require both hands in order to use them. The Spey rods roll cast which includes a change in direction. The angler will be able to make longer casts without a lot of room for your back casts. The technique is used with long double-handed rods but, can also be used with the traditional single-handed rods. Spey rod casting with a short Skagit head allows you to fish larger waters and cast longer distances despite obstacles behind.

SWITCH RODS

Switch rods are shorter than spey, but longer than single-handed. They are between 10 and 12.5 feet in length. They are cast with 2 hands and used the same as spey rods. These rods have a bit more finesse and cast lighter line weights and flies. You can however cast single handed sometimes. These rods are great for roll casts. You can cast these rods overhead using one hand or you can use the bottom handle with your other hand. However, in todays industry you will find that switch rods are being made in the lighter weights. The weights are 4, 5, and 6 weight, commonly used for trout and smaller steelhead species. The 7 and 8 weight switch rods would be used for winter steelhead.

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LET'S TALK ABOUT ROD ACTION

The actions of the fly rod is the stiffness or flexibility of a rod during casting. There are three main groups just as in bait casters.

ACTION	DESCRIPTION OF ACTION
Slow Action	has little to no spine and it loads through the entire rod
Moderate Action	bends deeper and recovers slower which simply makes casting easier
Fast Action	bends closer to the tip of the rod blank making your lure more sensitive

SLOW ACTION RODS

Slow action fly rods are not powerful rods they load and unload slowly. These rods are great for delicate casts and generate slow line speeds. This rod action does makes the rod forgiving and the easiest for the beginner to use due to being able to time your cast and control the line.

Characteristics:

Very little power

Very flexible; entire shaft

Slow line speed

Rod loads and unloads slower

Easy control of line and accuracy, very forgiving action

Great for short, gentle and accurate casts for small rivers and streams

MODERATE ACTIOSN RODS

Medium actions rods are not powerful just as the slow action rods, they unload and load more slowly as well. These rods are unable to generate line speeds fast, such as the fast action rods. That makes the medium action rods unable to cast long distances. However, like the slower actions rods the slower line speeds allow for more accuracy and forgiveness. This action speed is easier for beginner to use as well.

Characteristics:

Less powerful

More flexible

Intermediate Line Speed

The rod loads and unloads intermediate

More forgiving than a fast-action

Good choice for many waters and for beginners

FAST ACTIONS RODS

Fast actions rods are stiffer than the counterparts slow and moderate action rods. Fast actions rod bends no further than the third of the way to the tip, while slow action rods bend almost to the butt of the rod. Medium action rods should only bend half way to the butt. Fast action rods are more powerful unloading and loading line quickly to generate fast line speeds. These rods store more energy and when cast releases that energy allowing you to cast long distances or cast into the wind with less restriction that slow or moderate action. You must have good timing when casting this rod, which makes these rods difficult to use for a beginner just learning.

Powerful rods

Very little flexibility; only tip of rod flexes

The rod loads and unloads faster

Generates fast line speed

Requires good timing and technique

Difficult at first for beginners

For a beginner it is recommended to start with a moderate action rod. These are versatile and easier to cast than fast actions. The slower the action the more forgiving and easier it is to cast the line.

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LET'S TALK REELS!

Fly reels only have two types which are disc drag and spring-and-pawl. Fly reels come in a variety of colorations and line weights. You can also get left or right handed reels. Be careful when buying a reel on your own many have mistaken fly reel extra spool for a fly reel, however these are exactly as they sound, an extra reel. Spare fly reel spools allow for anglers to switch lines, change set-up, and keep up with the changing water conditions and tributaries.

DISC DRAG REELS

What is a disc drag reel? This is a drag system that uses compressed washers made of a variety of materials that creates friction against the spool in order to apply tension on the fly line. These reels require washers to create the tension. Disc drag reels are much like the disc brakes on your vehicle. These reels produce larger ranges and smoother drags. This is generally used for larger fish due to the drag system for fish that take quick long runs, such as a steelhead or salmon.

SPRING_AND_PAWL REEL

Spring-and-Pawl reel commonly known as the click-and-pawl reel is a spring loaded reel unlike the disc drag reels. Why does it make the clicking sound? This happen when the pawl bounces against the teeth of the fly reels inner gears. These reels require your hand in order to create the tension. Basically in comparison the disc drag reel is an automatic reel and the spring-and-pawl is a manual reel. These reels are not more commonly used and are considered outdates but anglers still love these over the disc drag.

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HOW ABOUT THEM FLY LINES

There are three types of fly lines: floating, sinking and sinking tip. Fly lines are broken down in to five categories, along with weight, color, coating and gravity dependent on the types of fish you wish to catch.

Fly line's weight is distributed throughout its length, it can be from 90 to 105 feet and sometimes more. However, its weight 1 - 15 will be determined by the weight of the front 30 feet of the fly line. You will match your rod and reel weights first, such a a 9 foot 5 weight rod paired with a 4-6 weight reel.

The way that fly lines cast, turn over heavy flies, casts light flies, or casts at long or short distances is through what is called a taper. The line's taper is defined by the differences in the thickness of the line coating. The description of a fly line is described as tip, front taper, belly, rear taper, head and the running line, these elements determine your casting performance. Lets discuss the five categories of a fly line. The fly lines that are most commonly used are the weight forward, and double tapers.

CATAGORIES	​TAPERS	WIDTH& WEIGHT	PERFORMANCE
(L) Level	​No tapers	Same throughout the line	​More difficult to cast and control
(WF) Weight Forward	​Standard taper	Additional weight and thickness in the first 10 yards, remaining line remains constant	Helps larger flies to turn over properly better casting and control
(DT) Double Taper	​Tapered at both end of the line.	First 15 feet widen in diameter, next 60 feet remain constant.	Lighter touch to casting flies but difficult to cast in windy conditions
(ST) Shooting Taper	​Standard to no taper	First 20 feet is heavily weighted, remaining is uniform in weight and width, but it is narrow	​Expert level fly fishing use and tournament use.

FLOATING LINES

Floating fly lines

SINKING LINES

90 percent of fish feed beneath the surface are of a tributary, so you will need to get your lines underwater. Full sinking line is the overall best used for fishing in waters that are still this is designed to get get your flies beneath the waters surface where fish are feeding. There are fly lines that sink evenly or as we say head first, these are the best fly lines. These are used in lakes and ponds. While some sinking fly lines will tend to belly in the middle due to not sinking evenly. This causes a disconnect between the angler and fish, which causes the angler to often times miss the strike of the fish. Even sinking lines provide that connection between angler and fish, this allows for you to detect the strike and successfully catch the fish.

SINKING TIP LINES

Sinking tip lines sound exactly as they are named. These lines are best use in water that is moving such as rivers, creeks, and streams. The first 8 to 15 feet of the line sinks and the rest of the line floats. These are perfect for using nymph flies, mending lines for drag free float, and turning over and sinking large streamers.

One other line that was not mentioned is Salt Water Lines. These lines are buoyant and more dense making them easier to cast in windy conditions.

LEADERS

What is a leader? The leader is the main clear material that is connected to the end of your fly line that connects to the tippet. It is usually heavy weighted and tapers in weight and thickness at the point the tippet attaches. Leaders are generally tapered and constructed of fluorocarbon, monofilament, or co-polymer. Fluorocarbon is best for wet flies, nymphs and lures that sink. Monofilament and the co-polymer are better suited for dry flies that float.

TIPPET

Tippet is a specific gauge of monofilament line that is attached or can be attached to the end of the leader to which your fly attaches. Usually this is the smallest gauge of line on your fly line and is invisible to the fish. The tippet is flexible and allows you fly to float or swim naturally.

BACKING

Fly line backing is the line that extends the total length of line on your fly reel. This line is typically made from Dacron and is in 12 to 30 pound tests strengths. Spools of backing can come in 50 to 1000 yards. This line is attached to the fly reel and the fly line.

So there are some basics of the gear you will need to fly fish. Additional gear such as waders, boots, packs, lanyards, apparel, and nets are really all about functionality and preferences. Brands that I use regularly is FISHPOND, ORVIS, SAGE and REDDINGTON.