Want to have a successful fly fishing trip? Then you will need to have the right kind of gear, and a few fly fishing secrets wouldn’t hurt either! You will need to make sure that you have the right kind of fly fishing rod, reel, and tackle to complete your fly fishing gear. You can purchase all of your gear at a local sportings good store or you can order from online websites if you choose. Any other needs such as fishing nets, fly line, fishing vests, and miscellaneous fly fishing gear can also be bought at that time as well. You should think about what kind of flies you want to use depending on what kind of fish you will be after, what the conditions might be, and whether or not you want to tie your own as well.

Rods
In California a 5 or 6 weight rod is the staple. It suits our streams, rivers and lakes well. It’s a good weight for both trout and bass. I use a 5 weight so I can feel more. I have 6 and 8 weight rods as well, but rarely use them. If you can afford it, get a 3, 4 or 5 piece rod. Better for traveling. You will spend money on the rod if you want something you will want to fish with more than one season.

Rods are defined by the weight of fly line they throw (what weight line can fully “load” them for maximum spring). A 5 wt rod throws a 5 weight line. Perfect for trout. A huge trout will make you work to play it all the way in, but that’s the challenge.

Besides the weight of the rod, there’s the action. I like a medium action rod. This type has a strong base/backbone so I have something to fight a hooked fish with, and has a medium to fast bending rate at the tip. I like it for both dry fly fishing (fly floats on top) and nymph fishing (fly drifts underwater) as it seems to allow me to feel the line well. This is totally a matter of personal taste, experience and perhaps what goes well with your casting style. Someone who is committed to only fishing dry flies will want a fast action rod as it picks the dry off the water faster, making less drag on the surface (so as not to scare the fish) and keeps the fly drier longer.

Most experienced fly fishermen choose to tie their own flies. Many various materials can be used to tie your own flies such as fibers, fur, feathers, etc. The art of tying your own flies can be learned fairly quickly, and will most gain you more success in the long run. If you do choose to forego the fly tying yourself, you can purchase flies that are already tied for you. Just stop in a fly shop close to where you want to fish and ask what’s working.

Reel
If you need to save $, this is the place to do it. You rarely need a great reel with a fabulous drag system. Most fish don’t take you into the backing, or make you use the drag. I usually apply manual drag with my left hand on the fly line itself as I strip it in, or on the rim of the reel as the fish takes line out. Again, the weight of the reel matters as it needs to be “balanced” on your rod making it easy to cast and lighter is still better. Lightness and drag systems are the price points for reels. A cheap reel runs less than $50. On the other hand, a light and smooth reel is a thing of beauty. A reel you can use forever like a Ross (mid-price but high end value) will run around $200.

Flyline with backing
There are two main kinds of fly lines, floating and sinking. There are derivatives of both, forward-weighted, shooting heads, fast sinking, slow sinking, etc. You don’t put weights on a fly line and the fly is usually no heavier than the bug it is imitating. So you need something else to apply the weight to the rod, creating the spring that casts the line. The fly line itself provides that weight. Start with a forward-weighted, floating line that matches the weight of your fly rod. Behind the fly line, you will have cotton backing. It is thinner and since you never cast it, it is perfect for distance incase you get a fish that really goes on a run. It has no to minimal weight, more like monofiliment line. Fly lines run around $40, but you will probably get one free with the rod/reel combo.

Leader
Between the thick fly line and the fly is a section of clear line of tapering weight called a leader. It can be 20lb test near the fly line and 3lb test at the fly.
Nymph or wet flies like streamers are fished on a shorter leader, usually 9 ft. And can be a little thicker. I usually fish a 9 ft 3.5 or 4 lb test leader with nymphs. Dry flies are fished on a longer, lighter leader since more is visible when it is sitting on top of the water. 12 foot leaders are standard. Very spooky fish or very clear small streams might require a 15 foot leader. Leaders for dries can go down to 1 lb test at the tip. I usually fish 2.5 to 3.5 12 ft leaders for dries.

Tippet
Since most of us send plenty of time casting into bushes, trees, etc or lose flies under the water, magically snapping them off while casting or changing the fly often since it must be the fly and not my presentation of same that is spooking the fish… you must carry tippet material. The tippet is the thinnest part of the leader closest to the fly. I carry 3 small spools of line in 3 weights: 5 lb, 4 lb and 3 lb. When I lose some line on the leader for one of the reasons listed above, I tie some more on so I can maintain the length I need to fish, and use the different weights depending on which section I am needing to lengthen.

Flies
This is a huge subject. There are trout flies and bass flies, steelhead, salmon and shad flies. There are probably shark flies.
The point is to be enough of an entomologist to present something the fish might be used to seeing in their envirnoment. Type of bug, color, size are all important. I often turn over the rocks in the stream to see if there are light or dark stonefly nymphs, catch at least one caddis to see if it is light or dark, tan or green belly, etc. I learned the most about the bugs when I started to learn to tie my own flies.

Vests
Get one with lots of pockets and the yoke of mine is cut to distribute the weight across my back and not dig into my shoulders no matter how loaded up I get.
There are lightweight, mesh vests, short vests for “heavy wading”… just a good basic one is around $70.

So once you get all your fly fishing gear in order, learn to tie your own flies, and learn a few of the secrets to having a successful fly fishing trip, then you are ready to start out on your expedition. Fly fishing can be some of the most exciting type of fishing, and is great for people who can’t stand to sit there patiently waiting for the fish to come to them. You will get to experience some of the most beautiful scenery while catching some of the best fish you will ever find!