Fishing Fly Forum Article

Fly Fishing Equipment: What You Need for Success

Fly fisherman have tackle boxes and closets dedicated to their equipment. And while a person can list dozens of “necessities” for a fishing trip, a fisherman really only needs a few essentials.

Obviously, everyone needs a fly rod if he plans on fly fishing. A good rod will be anywhere from 6 to 10 feet long. New fisherman should note that no other piece of equipment is more important than this rod, so if you have a liberal budget, give this road financial priority.

Ironically, while some will tell you that you cannot fish without a reel, you can. Many a successful fly fisherman has landed a nice fish without the mess of a reel. He just knows how to move his line. A reel does come in handy, though, for those seeking out the larger fish. This is especially important to warm water and saltwater fisherman.

Fly line comes in a variety of strengths but in a standard length. You will usually find it in 90 foot lengths but with weights depending on the pounds you are planning on landing. Fishermen rate their line according to grain, with 7000 grains equaling one pound. You can cast a heavier line farther and obviously land bigger fish, so this works best for those windy days. Lighter line obviously costs less and can work well on calm days when searching for smaller fish. You can even buy line in two styles: level and tapered.

Fishermen searching for Moby Dick utilize backing: an extra line that will give you more than the desired 90 feet of line. Though some might tell you that you really dont need this extra line, one reel will cost you only a few bucks, and it gives fishermen the security of knowing that if they do catch a big fish, they can land him with ease thanks to their extra line.

To affix your fly to your line, you will need a leader: a piece of transparent material that attaches to both elements. The leader will be as short as 6 feet and as long as 15 feet, just depending on what youre looking for. They have ratings based on a variety of things, from the diameter of the line, to the lines breaking point, to different business classifications.

Finally, no one can fly fish without a fly. Flies are basically artificial bait for the fish. Though no fly is alive or ever was, a good fly fisherman tries to either create or pick a fly that looks alive, because no fish wants to eat a dead bug. Flies will range in style from mimicking frogs to shrimp. Creative fly fishermen create their own flies from scratch using felt, wire, and even feathers.

So we can see that really no one needs a big closet for his fly fishing materials. In the end, fly fishing shouldnt take over the whole house but should still make its owner smile.