Fly Gear
I love the sport of fly fishing. Like anything else that one truly loves, they want to share it.
So here it goes from the beginning.
How to choose from the unholy amount of rods and rigs, and which one is right for you.
So here it goes from the beginning.
How to choose from the unholy amount of rods and rigs, and which one is right for you.
The First Buy - How to select the right fly rod for the complete "noob"
When looking into the different rod types and weights it can seem pretty confusing, but don't misunderstand that it's possible to learn on any fly rod or combo kit. I'm going to suggest a couple of things to limit your options and keep you in a comfortable price range and higher quality.
- Look for a package that comes with everything you need
- Buy the middle-of-the-road rod weight and line weight
- Don't break the bank, quality in the lower price range can surprise you
(150-300 dollars is the price range you're looking for- just my opinion)
Cheap rods can catch fish, and get this... they can catch just as many fish. I'm not going to sell you anything else. You don't need to overspend on something you may not really get into (But you definitely will). You can find a pretty decent set-up with everything you need to get going for around 100-200 bucks or so. I would stay away from any Wal-Mart kits or 20 dollar cheap combos, they're simply lousy.
Use this intro cheaper rod for the first couple years and then make a decision to upgrade further down the road when fly fishing truly takes a hold on you, and it will. My first rod purchase was a little on the too cheap side but still facilitated me well enough to learn and become an addict. It was the Pflueger starter combo with the plastic reel, it's actually still standing, still catching fish as a back up from time to time. (You can click here for that review in detail)
Nothing against the combo above but you can definitely do a little better than I did for just a bit more.
-like these-
Wildfound's Best 3 Fly Rod starter Combos:
Use this intro cheaper rod for the first couple years and then make a decision to upgrade further down the road when fly fishing truly takes a hold on you, and it will. My first rod purchase was a little on the too cheap side but still facilitated me well enough to learn and become an addict. It was the Pflueger starter combo with the plastic reel, it's actually still standing, still catching fish as a back up from time to time. (You can click here for that review in detail)
Nothing against the combo above but you can definitely do a little better than I did for just a bit more.
-like these-
Wildfound's Best 3 Fly Rod starter Combos:
Fly rods
Fly rods come in a variety of "weights", lengths, and materials. You should select a rod that is in the middle range of weight and I would suggest 9ft. long. They go down to around 7 feet and up to about 11ft in length and range from 2-12 or so in weight. Most starter kits/combos will be 8 1/2 - 9ft anyhow. There are also different styles of casting rods like spey, switch, or regular old single hand. Single hand is the starting point for most folks and I would definitely learn the standard cast on the standard single hand rod first. As far as weight is concerned the beginner needs a weight that is 5-8, I would suggest buying the 5/6 weighted rod simply because it's more forgiving to cast and/or learn on, but a 7 or 8 weight isn't much different in casting action. A set-up with these lengths and weights will allow you to learn to gain distance on your cast and feel the load of the line on your backcast (true medium action rods do this well). As you go down in weight the load is easier to detect but the force generated to gain distance is usually minimal in comparison to the heavier rods, vice versa for the heavier rods, they're stiffer and can send your streamer flying but you need to time your cast and sense the "load" on your back cast, stiff rods simply lose important "sensitivity" for the beginner caster. Tougher to cast the delicate small stuff on heavy-weight rods.
Bottom Line: It's harder to feel your rod load on the stiff heavy weighted rods and difficult to manage on too light of a rod combo. Happy medium.
Another variation is the "action" of the rod, this is the term related to how the rod loads the weight of the line and fly (referred to as load above). Again, shoot for middle of the road here as well. The bend of the rod should be in the middle to upper third to allow for you to transfer power to the terminal tackle and also feel the slightest nibble of a trout when needed. Mid weights and actions appeal to both ends of spectrum, you can always favor one side of the spectrum later on once you get your feet/waders wet.
I would go for a "medium" to "medium-fast" action for the first rod. Believe me, you'll hone into your own casting style and choose what suits you down the road.
Fly rods come in a variety of "weights", lengths, and materials. You should select a rod that is in the middle range of weight and I would suggest 9ft. long. They go down to around 7 feet and up to about 11ft in length and range from 2-12 or so in weight. Most starter kits/combos will be 8 1/2 - 9ft anyhow. There are also different styles of casting rods like spey, switch, or regular old single hand. Single hand is the starting point for most folks and I would definitely learn the standard cast on the standard single hand rod first. As far as weight is concerned the beginner needs a weight that is 5-8, I would suggest buying the 5/6 weighted rod simply because it's more forgiving to cast and/or learn on, but a 7 or 8 weight isn't much different in casting action. A set-up with these lengths and weights will allow you to learn to gain distance on your cast and feel the load of the line on your backcast (true medium action rods do this well). As you go down in weight the load is easier to detect but the force generated to gain distance is usually minimal in comparison to the heavier rods, vice versa for the heavier rods, they're stiffer and can send your streamer flying but you need to time your cast and sense the "load" on your back cast, stiff rods simply lose important "sensitivity" for the beginner caster. Tougher to cast the delicate small stuff on heavy-weight rods.
Bottom Line: It's harder to feel your rod load on the stiff heavy weighted rods and difficult to manage on too light of a rod combo. Happy medium.
Another variation is the "action" of the rod, this is the term related to how the rod loads the weight of the line and fly (referred to as load above). Again, shoot for middle of the road here as well. The bend of the rod should be in the middle to upper third to allow for you to transfer power to the terminal tackle and also feel the slightest nibble of a trout when needed. Mid weights and actions appeal to both ends of spectrum, you can always favor one side of the spectrum later on once you get your feet/waders wet.
I would go for a "medium" to "medium-fast" action for the first rod. Believe me, you'll hone into your own casting style and choose what suits you down the road.
Fly Line
This will probably be the only time you'll hear me say: DON'T GO CHEAP HERE. Especially for the beginner learning to cast can be difficult and so the weight and play of what you're casting can become a huge stumbling block. You need reliable low memory high performance fly line that retains it's dynamic form. (This is the thick colored line that you see spooled around the reel) You will be handling the fly line again and again, grabbing it, stripping it, reeling it, hauling while casting, etc. Having decent fly line is the best way to pick up on casting faster. (One to one instruction wouldn't be a bad idea either)
And remember the fly line is essentially going to stay on the reel for possibly years if taken care of, don't see it as much as a waste of money; but more so as it is an investment in performance.
And remember the fly line is essentially going to stay on the reel for possibly years if taken care of, don't see it as much as a waste of money; but more so as it is an investment in performance.
Setting up the new gear (refer to "knots page" if needed)
Order of Fly Rodding:
- Backing
- Fly Line
- Leader
- Tippet
- fly
Fly Line to Leader Connection
It may not be traditional but I recommend using the loop to loop connection for this step. It looks like this:
The fly line or leader you bought may not have the loops shown in the clip above. That's ok. they're very easy to tie on leaders and make on fly line. The value here is more of efficiency on the water. There are times when you will need different leader types for presentation different types of flies usually dependent on weight.
If you have no loops here you go: (or just use the old nail knot)
For fly line loop- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WRYd7oaeVE
Perfection loop for leader - http://www.animatedknots.com/perfection/
If you have no loops here you go: (or just use the old nail knot)
For fly line loop- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WRYd7oaeVE
Perfection loop for leader - http://www.animatedknots.com/perfection/
That's basically it for the selection and assembly of your new gear, of course there are countless options of other types of gear to pick up along the way. You'll be able to wade through that as you go. You're ready for the stream. Continue on to the next step of plunging into the sport of fly fishing.