Fly Fishing Equipment

When it comes to fly fishing equipment, the consummate fish-tale teller will explain with great authority that a true master can catch the biggest fish with the quill of a bird’s feather and a length of string from an old shirt. No fly fishing gear required.

The rest of us know that a business empire has been founded upon the need for fly fishing equipment, and that using it to our advantage is no great sin.

To satisfy the purists as well as inform any newcomers to the sport of fly fishing, we shall only examine the essentials.

Fly Fishing Rods

“Old school” fly rods are typically made of bamboo, while newer rods are made of graphite or fiberglass. All of them are well-suited to catching a fish in the right hands.

Bamboo rods may require a little more upkeep, and the newer rods will weigh less, but these benefits and drawbacks must be weighed against the personal style and comfort of the angler when choosing his fly fishing rod.

Fly Fishing Reels

Reels are usually considered part of the rod in fishing. But fly fishing reels differ and are often switched out to accommodate a different kind of action, or catch a different kind of fish. The two main differences in this piece of fly fishing equipment involve the type of drag system that is used: either a “spring-and-pawl” or a “disc-drag” system.

The spring-and-pawl is the more traditional of the two, and relies on a simple pinching mechanism to trap the line against the spool. The disc-drag system uses a disc to provide more surface area pressure and so more firmly hold the line in the event you snag the whopper.

The general consensus is that spring-and-pawl is good for smaller fish and disc-drag is better for big catches, due to the greater amount of tension a large fish can put on the line.

Flies

If you want to fly fish you obviously need to have flies. Flies come in many different varieties. The two basic camps are dry flies and wet flies, and deciding which to use depends on how you want to fish: above the water or below.

The traditional fly fishing method depicted in books and films requires the use of dry flies that are flicked across the top of the water to simulate a flying insect. Dry flies are designed to drop below the surface, much like some insects do when they can’t stay aloft.

A good selection of flies is essential fly fishing equipment for any water swatter, and you will want to stock up.

If you’re outfitted with these basic items, the river will surely be your oyster.

Thanks for reading.

Good fishing.

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