Fly Fishing Gear 101
Learning to fly fish can be overwhelming at first. It’s not a sport you can hop into in one day and excel at. It takes years to become comfortable with fly fishing techniques, terminology, and gear.
What gear do you need to get started?
Fly rod and reel
Fly line, leader, and tippet
Flies
Rods and Reels
Fly rods and reels come in different sizes depending on what species of fish you are wanting to target. They range from 00-15 weight (wt). A fly rod's weight is the equivalent to the action of the rod. In conventional fishing, this is known as light action - heavy action rods. One reel typically can cover 2-3 different weights of fly rods. For example, there are 7/8 wt reels that can be used on a 7wt rod or an 8wt. rod.
Examples:
A 5wt rod and reel is the best beginner rod, this is what most people started on, it can handle trout, panfish, and smaller bass.
A 8wt rod and reel would be used for steelhead and northern pike.
A 10wt rod and reel would be used for musky.
These are just a few examples, if there is a specific fish species you want to target reach out to us.
Fly Lines
The first type of line that is added to the fly reel is called backing. The backing is used if fish decide to go on a run. Next, comes the fly line which is heavier and this is what you are casting followed by the leader and the tippet.
Basic styles of fly line
Floating line
Intermediate line that slowly sinks
Sinking line, which comes in different sinking rates
Sink tip line, which typically has a certain length of sinking line at the tip followed by floating line
Leader and Tippet
Leader lengths typically vary from 4.5-9 ft depending on the species of fish you are targeting. If you are targeting northern pike with a sinking line then use a 4.5-foot leader but if you are targeting trout then use a 9 ft leader. Then at the end of the leader, people add a leader extension called tippet. Tippet is a small diameter line that is added to the leader to extend the leader's life since they can be expensive.
Flies
This is where it can get complicated fast. There are three general categories of flies, dry flies, nymphs, and streamers.
Dry flies mimic flying insects that will land and float on the surface of the water.
Nymphs resemble aquatic insects that are often larvae and they are below the surface of the water.
Streamers mimic aquatic life but are often bigger than nymphs. These can range from mimicking leeches to baitfish.
When first starting out it is suggested to ask your local fly store to see what flys work best in your area.
Questions?
Reach out with any questions that you have.
FAQ:
What fly rod/reel do I need for a specific species of fish?
What fly line do I need for different times of the season?
What flies work best for different species of fish?
What size leader and tippet do I need for a specific species of fish?
