| The real secret for buying fly fishing tackle is to try | | | | mark. It's important that you buy the reel with a |
| your best to have a well balanced combination, that | | | | spare spool or two, this is so you can keep floating |
| is suited to the type of species of fish you are going | | | | line on one and sinking on the other, you can easily |
| after. If fishing for trout then look for rods, reel and | | | | then just swap spools as and when you need. |
| line that will be best suited for the trout, the same | | | | Fly Line is an area that can lead to confusion, don't |
| goes for salmon or even sea bass. | | | | let it! basically as a beginner the only two you need |
| Let's start with rods - Fly rods come in all sorts of | | | | to worry about, the floating and sinking line. Fly lines |
| weights and lengths, and commonly denoted by an | | | | in come in a range of densities, floating, neutral |
| 'AFTM' number, this this tells you the weight of fly | | | | density to slow, medium and fast sinking. Staring out |
| line that the rod is best designed for. If you use the | | | | we can just go for two, a floater for for surface |
| wrong line and overload the rod, or cast a line | | | | feeding fish, and you guessed it a sinker for bottom |
| heavier than the rod is designed for, you can cause | | | | feeders. When you buy the line think about the |
| the rod serious damage. The other extreme is also a | | | | species you are going for, in fact you might consider |
| problem, with too light a line casting becomes very | | | | buying both floating and sinking so you have a choice |
| hard, the light line will not bend and move the rod | | | | of fish to go for, and are always prepared, think |
| enough to make it Cast properly, so it becomes | | | | forward. |
| inflexible and has no whip to cast far out. Placement | | | | The first you need to know something about is the |
| of the fly is of course the aim, to present the flt | | | | weight forward line, the line is heaviest at the fly end |
| precisely were the fish are feeding, so you need a | | | | or front end, and the back half(nearest the rod tip) |
| good casting range. It is therefore essential that you | | | | of the line having a very thin running line, this type of |
| buy a rod that is suitable for your uses, and that it's | | | | line is easier to cast distance. Second is the double |
| matched correctly to the weight of fly line. The | | | | tape,this type of line has the thinnest and lightest |
| following should help to guide you: Usage Rod Length | | | | parts at the ends, it's heavier in the middle.This |
| Line Weight Streams or Small Lakes 8ft - 8ft 6ins | | | | makes it hard to cast distances, and you need to |
| AFTM 5 - 6 Lakes 8ft 6ins - 9ft 6ins AFTM 7 - 8 | | | | practice a technique to cast effectively.The general |
| Large Lakes, Reservoirs 9ft - 10ft AFTM 8 - 9 You | | | | idea is to cast so the middle lands first and the fly |
| can buy Fly rods from around £30 for | | | | end floats and settles on the surface, this allows the |
| beginners, prices can go over £150 for makes | | | | fly to mimic the real fly and tempt surface feeding |
| like Hardy or Orvis, but that's for when you advance | | | | fish. |
| a little, and hopefully become hooked (sorry) on fly | | | | Both lines by the way are around 30 metres in length. |
| fishing, I suggest you go for something like a | | | | Remember the type of line must correspond to the |
| shakespeare priced around £35 to get you | | | | rods ATM number such as AFTM 5/6 or AFTM 7/8 |
| going. | | | | etc, what is needed is our weight forward line to be |
| The next basic piece of kit is the reel, it's really only | | | | the higher of the two Numbers, the double taper |
| a line carrier but it must have certain capabilities.First | | | | lower. For example if your rod is the most common |
| it needs to at least be able to hold your fly line plus | | | | and popular sized 9 ft AFTM 7/8 we would buy an |
| 50 metres of backing, second it needs to suit the rod | | | | AFTM 8 weight forward sinker, plus an AFTM 7 |
| as we've already discussed, so the size and weight is | | | | double tapered floater, this ensures you will not |
| important. Third it needs to be smooth running,sturdy | | | | overload the rod. For prices I'd go for something in |
| but light and it must be simple to maintain. You will | | | | the £15 - £20 area, this should get a |
| need to ensure the reel is in good working order, so | | | | reasonably good quality line, also a spool of around 50 |
| the reel has to be easily dismantled to clean and oil, | | | | metres of backing cost around £3 - £5. |
| nothing destroys line and the reel than grit or mud. | | | | Hopefully this article has given you a simple |
| But all said and done it's really just the line carrier, but | | | | explanation of quite a complex subject, always ask |
| that does not make it any less important. Once again | | | | before buying, normally good fishing shops are run by |
| you do not need to spend a fortune on the reel, in | | | | enthusiasts who normally only only to happy to give |
| fact a good Shakespeare, greys or mustang reel will | | | | good advice. |
| do the job at around the £25 to £40 | | | | Happy fishing. |