Once you’ve picked out your fly rod (see Choosing the Right Fly Rod Part 1 and Part 2 for more information), choosing a fly reel is your next step. You’ll often hear that the fly reel is not a very important aspect of the fly fishing gear. I would have to disagree. I feel that a quality fly reel is essential for when you hook into that fish of a lifetime and all that stands between you and that monster of a fish is your gear. [Read more…]
Fly Rod Action Advantages and Disadvantages – Fly Fishing Basics
In previous articles about choosing the right fly rod (Part 1, Part 2), I discussed a few of the key points in determining the right fly rod for you in your course of learning the fly fishing basics and how to fly fish. One of these key points was the fly rod action. Those actions were fast, medium/progressive, and slow. Each of these fly rod actions have basic advantages and disadvantages that allow you to be used more efficiently in certain circumstances and not in others. I’d like to discuss some of those advantages and disadvantages today. [Read more…]
Choosing the Right Fly Rod Part 2 – Fly Fishing Basics
In Part 1 of Choosing the Right Fly Rod, we looked at two of the key points in choosing your first fly rod. Those two points were fly rod line weight and the fly rod action. In this second part we will take a look at what to look out for in fly rod length and in the materials that fly rods are built with and how those make a difference. Finally we’ll summarize what I consider to be the best choice for your first fly rod to help you with learning the fly fishing basics.
Choosing the Right Fly Rod Part 1 – Fly Fishing Basics
So you’re interested in learning the fly fishing basics and how to fly fish, and now you have decided to pursue the sport and purchase some equipment. If you’ve read my earlier article on the essential equipment to get started fly fishing, you will know that one of the first main purchases is the fly rod. However, if you’ve browsed online or through your local retailer, you will no doubt have noticed that there are a multitude of options that you could spend your hard-earned money on. How do you decide between them all? In part one of this article I’ll give an overview of two of the key points to look out for as well as some helpful tips to help you in choosing the right fly rod for starting out. [Read more…]
The Three Main Types of Flies to Fly Fish for Trout – Fly Fishing Basics
You probably can’t do much fly fishing without the fly. But which one do you choose? When learning how to fly fish, that question is one of the tough ones, but to help you determine just what to tie on the end of your line, we’ll discuss the three main fly types for trout: the dry fly, nymphs, and streamers. Fly fishing for trout includes vast varieties of flies available for you to try and catch that elusive fish, having a solid understanding of each different type and when they are used can mean the difference between catching the most fish of your life or heading home skunked. [Read more…]