It is important to understand the fly fishing basics before buying fly fishing gear. Some of the most seasoned anglers in the world have found that making the transition from spin casting and bait casting to fly fishing with flies an intimidating endeavor. I have been spin and bait casting for over forty years and three years ago tried my hand at fly fishing. Speaking from my own experience it definitely presents some new challenges because fly casting a different skill than spin or bait
casting.
So if you never fished before from this prospective being a beginner is a good thing but, before heading to the store and spending a lot of money on equipment and tackle, you should understand a few of the fly fishing basics that will influence your purchasing decision. Regardless of your fishing experience, remember that when fly fishing, you will cast the line instead of the lure so there is a difference in the casting technique that you may be used to.
Fly fishing rods are longer and more flexible than spinning rods. Fly rods are also available in different lengths and with three basic types of flexibility. Most learning the fly fishing basics will be better served with a med weight (5 -6 weight) fly rod, fly line of the same weight and fly reel. A lot of fly shops and sporting goods stores offer beginner packages with everything you need to get started. At a minimum, look for a package that has fly rod, reel, weight forward floating line and leader.
If you are not positive you will enjoy this sport see if you can find someone who will give you a fly fishing lesson and provide the equipment. If cost is an issue you might want to look for some used equipment and use it to learn the fly fishing basics such as casting and choosing the right flies for the right season in the right area of the country.
Learning Basic Fly Selection
To start with there are basically two types of flies’ anglers can choose from, wet flies and dry flies. Dry flies float on the surface and the fish come to the surface to take the fly. Wet flies on the other hand are heavy and meant to sink in the water to attract fish looking for food in the water or near the bottom. Learning the fly fishing basics on how to hook a fish will be better using surface flies as you can see the fish leaping at the fly and react accordingly.
You will find many tutorials about insects that live in the water and their life cycles. This basic information will help when select the correct fly for the season. Of the fly fishing basics, learning how to select the right fly for the season will help you catch more fish.
You can find more information on fly fishing basics here and other fly fishing tips here.
Reference:
- Learn fly fishing basics here
