Fly Fishing has been a favourite sport of many for centuries, including myself, although for me it has been centuries quite yet. While this method of angling is generally used for catching trout and salmon, many other fish species are targeted also, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and chain pickerel being a few I love to fly fish for.

Some I have yet to try is fly fishing for saltwater species. I would love to make a few casts for some shallow water species like the snook. Not sure if I would survive a round with a tarpon but I would be willing to give it a shot too. I’m pretty sure my little fly rod would give out before I would, so I would have to get a new fly rod and of course saltwater tackle.

Fly Fishing Equipment Types And Uses

Waders – Fly fishing waders are essential to keep the fisher dry and warm. The main types of waders are either the full body wader or hip waders for shallow waters.
Body waders come in either high tech lightweight materials or in neoprene, the latter being best in cold conditions.

Reels – Your choice of fly reel will be determined on where you fish and the type of fish you decide to target. If you plan on fishing small streams the best setup will be a three to five weight combination of rod and reel. For the most, an fly rod, reel and line combination of seven to nine will handle bigger fish found in lakes or larger rivers. Fly fishing for gamefish like marlin require serious fly fishing equipment with high quality reels such as big game sage fly reels

Rods – In the same way as fly reels, your rod needs to be matched to the conditions and target fish. Fly rods are weighted from numbers one through to twelve, one being ultra light and twelve being very strong and heavy. Your fly rod and lines are the most important fishing tools, always buy the best you can afford, I can highly recommend sage fly fishing equipment.

Fly Fishing Vessels – Other than using a traditional runabout boat there are there flotation devices to allow the fly fisher to get closer and quietly to his prey. These include float tubes and single man pontoon boats.

Fly Lines – Appointing the correct line for the fly rod and reel is also significant. Without properly matching your fly fishing equipment you will not get the best casting distance. By using for instance a number 7 rod and a number three line is a poor match and will cause casting problems, therefore all of your lines, reels and rods must match to the relative weight number. While reels aren’t so important, the line and rod should be the same, or you can get by buy using one weight different. With a quality no 7 rod for example you should be able to cast a number eight fly line with ease.

It’s not always easy to get out fly fishing so when I do I like to have every thing matched so I have the best possible time on the water.

It can be really tough to fish when your fly fishing gear isn’t matched. I’ve have used other people’s gear that wasn’t matched and they seem to have to work a lot harder than I do with my gear.

Note: Fly fishing without matching gear isn’t going to stop you from catching fish most of the time it just makes it tougher and for me it can even wear me out too fast and cut my days short.

So this post is more about making the experience better as well.

What Fly Fishing Gear is Important To Me

• Fly Fishing Rods
• Fly Fishing Reels
• Fly Fishing Line

My Fly Fishing Rods

Over the past 45 years of fishing I have used what I could afford. Heck my first fishing rod was a metal rod used to hold up an electric fence and it worked to catch me a lot of catfish. My foster brother set it up for me to fish catfish in the river at the back of our farm. I caught many great meals with that metal rod. Never tried to use it as a fly rod though.

I only started using a fly rod once I moved to New Brunswick and for most of the years since I have used the same ole 8 weight fly rod. Again I was using what I could afford and an 8 weight was going to work for both large and small fish.

I have never broken my fly rod in the 20 or so years I have had it and I have fought some big fish and tough conditions. That’s not to say I haven’t lost a lot of fish but my fly rod, as cheap as it was those many years ago always met the challenge.

So you can see that it’s not vital to have the best of the best fly fishing equipment to have years of fun. I am living proof of that.

I took a new friend fly fishing for Atlantic salmon about a month ago and he was telling me that he has fly rods for different conditions. I believe he has a 4, 5 and 8 weight fly rod so the next time we go out fly fishing  I want to try his 4 weight rod to see if that’s the one I will be buying for myself by next year’s fishing season.

I must say that my more than 20 year old 8 weight is still awesome and the only thing that is wrong with it is the cork handle has seen better days.

My Fly Fishing Reels

Back when I bought that fly rod I also matched it with a fly reel that came with two spools so I could put on two different fly line setups. Matching the fly rod and fly reel makes for easier use of the rod while using less energy to cast and fight your fish.

I remember my first day on the water fishing brook trout with my new setup. I caught and landed my first brookie with it. I set the rod down to take a picture of the rod and trout but the front of the spool hit a little stone and broke it. Thankfully I had the second spool setup similar to what I was already using.

The second reel was ready to go in about 3 minutes flat and I am happy to say that the second spool was only just replaced this year (2009) but not because I broke it, it was just because I wanted to treat myself to a new fly reel after not being able to go fishing for 5 years after a servere heart attack.

I guess my point is that even an inexpensive fly reel can do the job for many years so the price isn’t always important but in my opinion matching the fly reel to your fly rod is important.

Fly Fishing Line

Having two spools was going to allow me to have two different fly lines. I t would only take me a couple of minutes to change them and I was back fishing. Well that was the plan until I broke the first spool and had to start using the second spool on day one with my new fly rod.

I don’t replace my fly line very often, but I do try to keep it clean so that they do last longer and I make them last a few years at least.

I prefer to use floating line as I am a real lover of top water fly fishing. It just tends to keep my heart beat up.

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To make the most of the any sport you play, make sure that you have the right equipment so you can enjoy the experience fully. This is no different when it comes to fly fishing gear because you have to have the right stuff in order to do it right and to even give yourself a shot at catching something. From the tackle to the rods, having the right supply of fly fishing gear is highly important.

When you have the incorrect fly fishing gear you shouldn’t even go fly fishing, you won’t catch anything of any importance. When you begin to build your collection of fly fishing gear you might find yourself a little perplexed as to what you need to buy. By reading through magazines and books about fly fishing gear you will find helpful tips on what gear you might need. These places will have ample information that will make the most of your fly fishing trip.

Time To Start Purchasing The Goods

If your money situation can afford it, it is always best to start out by purchasing a brand new rod as a part of your fly fishing gear. Old or used rods wouldn’t be a wise choice for your first experience of fly fishing, not only will your experience be ruined but your rod will be broken as well. If you use brand new fly fishing gear, your chances of your equipment lasting longer are much better than used gear. It always feels good to have new items that can be apart of your exciting fly fishing adventure.

You may want to check out popular fly fishing sites when you want to stock up on your fly fishing gear, so you can have the best quality of gear for your money. Not only are these types of places known for giving the best deals on fly fishing gear but they also are known for having an incredible variety for you to pick from. The variety of fly fishing gear that you will need will defiantly make your fly fishing trip better. 

To make the most of the any sport you play, make sure that you have the right equipment so you can enjoy the experience fully. If you want to catch something when you’re fly fishing, it is recommended to have the correct gear. From the tackle to the rods, having the right supply of fly fishing gear is highly important.

When you dont have the right kind of fly fishing gear, you shouldn’t even attempt to go fly fishing because you wont catch anything. The problem is though, when you’re beginning to build your collection, you may be a little puzzled as to what you should and should not buy. By reading through magazines and books about fly fishing gear you will find helpful tips on what gear you might need. These items will have the information to make your fly fishing trip even more memorable.

Time To Start Purchasing The Goods

If your money situation can afford it, it is always best to start out by purchasing a brand new rod as a part of your fly fishing gear. While used rods can serve you great, you certainly would not want some of your first experiences fly fishing ruined because the old rod you bought broke. If you go fly fishing with brand new gear the chances of your equipment lasting a while are greater. It always feels good to have new items that can be apart of your exciting fly fishing adventure.

When it comes to stocking up on the rest of your fly fishing gear, most people would agree that you should check out some well known fishing sites in order to get the most for your money. These types of places are known for giving the best deals around and having a great variety of items as well. A large variety of fly fishing gear will make sure that you have everything you need for your fishing trip. 

Image by Roche Photo via Flickr Several pieces of equipment are used in the sport of fly fishing. One of these is the fly line. It is the piece which is cast in fly fishing since the flies used in this method of angling are virtually weightless.

Modern-day fly lines are made of a tough braided or a monofilament core which is wrapped in a thick layer of plastic. They also come in a variety of models which are used in different kinds of environments.

There are lines that can be used in seawater then there are those that can be used in cold temperatures. Each specific model ensures maximum effectiveness when used in the environment it was designed for.

Fly lines come in different sizes. These sizes are not only important in buying lines but also in determining the rods they can be used with. It is because a line’s size is always matched with the weight of the rod. So for example, a #7 line is to be used with a rod of 7wt.

Aside from the line, another consideration when buying a line is the taper. Some lines have a taper at one end while others are tapered on both ends.

The advantage of the latter over single-tapered lines is that the other side can still be used when the other one is worn out.

Also, the taper has an influence on how well it can be cast. A heavier taper can be cast easier which is why it is recommended for beginners.

Image by AA7JC via Flickr There is probably nothing more complicated in fly fishing equipment than the artificial flies. Flies are the ones used to attract the fishs attention and play a major role in catching a fish.

Although its purpose may be straightforward, there is nothing straightforward in choosing the right fly for the right fish.

In the past, choosing a fly is easy enough because there are specific flies for a specific fish.

For example, a trout fly is to be used exclusively on trout and a salmon fly on salmon. But in the present, there are more specific flies that cater to the varying diets of a particular fish.

So for example, a trout does not only have a singular trout fly, but also has flies that imitate frogs, worms, etc.

Another source of confusion, at least for beginners, is that categories of US fly types are named differently than their British counterparts.

For example, what are called dry flies in the United States are simply called dries in the UK.

But despite the difference in taxonomy, they usually have the same set of sub-categories. Again using the dry flies as an example, the sub-category of mayflies can be found in both categories.

Aside from its different types, flies also differ in sizes. Usually, a fly’s size ranges from #2 to #22 with the former being the largest.

Not to worry though as the confusion can be resolved by a good advice from reputable and experienced fly fishing equipment vendors. It is always a good idea to ask them when in doubt of which type of fly to buy when one goes fly fishing.