If you love spending time outdoors, you might have an itch for fun and adventure. So, when it comes to immersing yourself in nature, several activities such as fly fishing can quench your thirst for a thrilling experience.
According to an article published by Take Me Fishing, fly fishing offers numerous psychological benefits such as happiness, excitement, a boost in self-esteem, and improved confidence, to name a few. Therefore, if you are planning on engaging in this meditative yet spectacular activity, you are going to need some fly fishing gear. However, if you are not sure what kind of gear you need to equip yourself for your upcoming adventure, below is an essential checklist to keep in mind.
Fly rod
Assuming that you already have a fishing license, you should start putting a fly rod on top of your fly fishing gear checklist. There are various flying rod weights, and they are categorised to 0-12 weights, with zero as the most miniature and 12 as the biggest.
- Zero to two weight rods– these are suitable for small trouts and panfishes. These are commonly eight feet and below, and their shortened length makes them perfect for casting in tight areas with many branches and trees.
- Three to five weight rods– these are perfect for more prominent bass and trouts and are typically nine to ten feet in length.
- Six or seven weight rods– these are a better option for handling larger fish, casting longer distances, and turning over larger flies.
- Eight to ten weight rods– these are great for pikes, steelheads, salmons, and basses. Furthermore, these rods are perfect for saltwater gamefish such as tarpon, bonefish, and striped bass.
Fly lines
Your fly line weights must correspond to your fly rod’s weight. So, suppose you have a five-weight fly rod; you should get a five-weight line to match it. The only variations here are tapers, mini modifications in weight and gauge in a singular line, and thickness.
- Floating lines– these are the most generally used freshwater fly lines. These lines cast efficiently, float on the surface, and commonly utilise rivers and lakes when fish are foraging near the surface. Such lines come in various tapers which optimise exhibition, mending and releasing heftier fliers.
- Intermediate lines– these lines are thicker and gradually drop in the water. Such lines are beneficial when you are casting into a stiff breeze or fishing just below the surface of the water.
- Full sinking lines– these are employed when fishing well beneath the water’s surface for fish that are foraging deep in the water column.
Fly reels
Like how your fly line should correspond to your rod, your fly reel should counterbalance your fly rod and efficiently control your fly line and backing.
For instance, if you have a six-weight fly rod, you would have to get a six-weight fly reel to use with your fly rod.
Flies
The flies are crucial in your fishing gear as they will be the ones that would lure fish into biting. Therefore, you should use flies suitable to use in either saltwater or freshwater.
For instance, you might want to look for dry flies, hoppers, nymphs, streamers, and poppers.
In a nutshell, you will need more supplies than what is on the list above before fly fishing. However, if you are a beginner on the lookout for the essentials, it would be best to invest in a good-quality fly rod, fly lines, fly reels and flies to equip you on your fly fishing journey better.
