Ultimate Guide to Fly Fishing for Beginners

Introduction

Fly fishing, one of the most relaxing and enjoyable ways to fish. Also, one of the most intimidating and difficult to learn .

When I first started fly fishing there weren’t any complete guides out there to learn from.

This article is written for you, the beginner to have a place to come that covers all the information you need to get started.

This is a decently in depth article, that has a lot of links to other articles that also contain a lot of info. If you need to go back and read it again and again. Be sure to share this on your social media to help other beginners out.

Thanks for being here

Lets get to it

Chapter 1: How is Fly Fishing Different

The Different Rods and gear

When it comes to fly fishing, the gear and everything is so different than say mountain lake fishing, or bass fishing.

This is the first thing you will notice when you start fly fishing.

You might also be confused at the gear and what its for.

Why is the reel different? Why don’t you need sinkers or why does the reel not have a typical spinning reel spool and handle?

These were all the questions you will have.

The reel is very different, and we will touch on this more in Chapter 3 where I talk about fly reels and rods in more detail, but as far as a birds eye approach to this lets touch on that here.

The spool is larger, the reel is constructed so differently as you can see in the images below

As you can tell the spool, handle and overall look is very different. This is because when you fly fish you aren’t depending on the spool to unwind the line, you unwind it and then use the small handle to help you reel it in when a fish takes the fly.

Fly fishing rods are typically much thinner and more flexible than other rods. This is because they are used to create momentum for the line to carry the fly out during a cast.

Other rods don’t have to be as flexible because the weight of the bait typically does the job of casting.

Check out chapter 3 for more details on the rods.

The approach

This is another are that you will notice is WAY different.

With fly fishing you are focused on a few different techniques dependent on what fly you are using, ultimately though you are accomplishing the same thing as you would fishing with a lure but with fly fishing you are going about it in a different way.

With fly fishing the focus is on smaller types of food and it is typically done in moving water wheras most other kinds of fishing are in standing water.

You can use dry flies and iminate flies on the top of the water, or you can use wet flies and imitate insects in various life stages underneath the surface of the water.

We will talk more on the different types of flies in chapter 5.

The Experience

Wow, the first time I experienced fly fishing was awesome. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t cast that fly out there to save my life the first few hours, but it was still so relaxing!

Standing out in the moving water of the Provo River in Utah was just an amazing feeling. There is something about being in the water like that while casting the fly that just helps you relax from your every day stressors.

Since then, every single time I have been fly fishing that ssame feeling comes over me and I can’t help but relax and enjoy the day.

As I mentioned, it can be incredibly frustrating and difficult to learn how to cast and fly fish correctly, but if you accept that it will take a few outings to start to get it then that will help you enjoy the process much more.

Fly fishing is much more active then any other fishing, so you are constantly engaged in what you are doing and completely in the moment.

It really is a relaxing way to fish.

The type of water 

Typically when you think of fly fishing your mind probably goes right to a river.

This is true, most fly fishing happens in a river and this is because of the ways that wet flies and streamers work, but you could also technically use them in standing water as well.

Fly fishing in standing water with anything but dry flies is a lot more work and may not be worth it when you compare it to the river.

With wet flies you really are mimicking larval or nymph stage of the insects life cycle and that lives about 12 inches below the water surface and moves through the water. That is why it is so easy in the river, you can cast it out and let the nymph fly sit 12 inches below the surface and float down the river.

It would be tougher to get the right movement of a nymph in standing water.

Dry flies are used on top of the water to mimic regular flies like we think of them, so this may be easier on standing water, but still not as effective as on the moving water in a river.

Using the weight of the line to cast

With spin fishing you are able to use the weight of the lure or bait/sinkers to cast.

This is different with fly fishing, the fly on the end of the line weights next to nothing so it won’t pull your line out and help you cast.

This is why there are three different lines tied to each other on your basic fly fishing set up.

The heavy portion of the line is called the fly line. This is designed to give some weight to the line and really create the momentum for the leader and tippet to loop up and propel the fly away from you in a cast.

This will be discussed more in both the casting and the fly line chapters.

This section is just to help you understand that the fly line is what helps you cast in fly fishing vs the bait/lure in other types of fishing.

The species

I always thought about fly fishing as essentially fishing for trout. This is somewhat true because trout is the most common fish that is fished for using fly fishing.

There are a ton of other species that can be caught by fly fishing though.

Examples are: Bass, Pike, snook, Salmon, and muskee, this is not an entire list by any means, but all these species of fish would take a fly if it was presented to them.

Sure, the different types of trout are the most common ones caught when fly fishing, but if you prefer to fish for other species then you may still be able to catch them by fly fishing.

Closing thoughts

You are in for a treat by fly fishing. I remember the first day I fly fished with so much detail. As horrendous as I am sure my casting and understanding of fly fishing was, it was a blast and it continues to be a blast each time I go out.

Welcome to the world of fly fishing.

I hope this guide can serve you well and help you know the things I didn’t know when I first went fly fishing, that way you won’t get the funny looks I got!

This guide is made up of chapters, so click the individual chapter below to go to it and learn more. Within each chapter, if you are ready to purchase the gear mentioned, you will be able to click over to other articles and see the best gear in that category and in-depth reviews of them.

Be careful, it can be a rabbit hole of information.

Most importantly, get out and fish!

Chapter 2: How to Cast: The basics

What it takes to cast

Casting when fly fishing is an art in and of itself.

It requires smooth motion to create a loop in the line and propel the lightweight fly out to a precise area.

It is tough to cast as first, but it does get a lot easier over time.

Casting in fly fishing as mentioned briefly above is designed to use the weight of the line to help get the fly out where you want it to get to.

There are different weight of lines and these are more for the type of fish you are going after, but overall the fly line or backing is much thicker and heavier than your monofilament or braided line on a spinning rod.

This is simply because you need some weight to create the momentum to get the fly out where you want it to land.

Fly line set ups are designed in such a way to put the weight in the backing then the thickness and size tapers off as you get closer to the fly and this helps with creating the momentum and force to cast the fly.

Fly Line Set up

I have mentioned it a few times so far, but building momentum is really the key to casting in fly fishing.

Pictures of fly fishing always shows the angler making this great loop with their line, and that is because the loop in the line is a natural shape that takes place as you get your casting skills down because that is the way the backing line propels the leader and tippet.

The perfect loop

The loop transfers all the force from the heavier line to the smaller ones without weight and pushes the fly out to where you want it to go.

Once you get your casting skills down the loop will form naturally.

One thing to remember is casting in fly fishing can be super tough at first. Don’t get discouraged, just keep practicing and keep trying to improve and you will get there.

It is a very different style of fishing compared spinning or baitcasting and it just takes practice, but it is worth it!

One more thing before we get to the different kinds of casts, don’t slap the water with the tip of the fishing pole or with the fly.

My brother that got me interested in fly fishing told me a story of when he first went fishing and he would slap the top of the water with his fishing line, and all the guys in the river near him took time to teach him how to actually do it haha, so don’t slap the water.

Roll Cast

The roll cast is great for those times when you are in tight quarters.

This is called the roll cast because your line will “unroll” right over the top of the water.

Here are the steps:

• 1. Bring rod back, in line with your ear and slightly outside of your shoulder, at a slight angle away from your body.
• 2. Move rod forward in an arc (casting motion) and when the rod is right in front of your shoulder and your upper arm is straightening out, flick the wrist.
• 3. Have your arm and wrist make a hard stop at an angle where the rod is going straight out from you, and not toward the water. (toward the water results in a slap)

Over Head Cast

This is the basic cast of fly fishing and the one most people learn first

The action of the overhead is very similar to the roll cast, except you have the room to take your hand further back in the backcast.

Here are the steps:

1. Bring the rod back into a backcast, stop it around 10 or  11 o clock. (when the rod is pointed back behind your shoulder)
2. Let the line straighten out behind you
3. Keep the rod slightly angled out from your body
4. Move your hand forward, quickly stopping and flicking your wrist in the 1-2 o clock position
5. Angle the rod out from you, not towards the water on the forecast
6. Allow the line to unfold and roll out onto the water.

This is basically the same as the roll cast, just overall most movement in the back and for cast because you have the room with this cast to do that, wheras the roll cast is for tighter areas.

False Casting

This type of casting is used to let out more line, build momentum, or to get the water off of a dry fly.

You cast back and forth without ever actually presenting the fly to the target area.

Steps:

1. Bring the rod back into a backcast, stopping at about 10-11 o clock behind you
2. Allow the line to straighten out behind you
3. Cast forward into a forecast, stop abruptly at 1-2 o clock in front of you, don’t flick your wrist,
4. Keep the rod upwards, not outwards
5. Allow the line to straighten out
6. Repeat the above steps as much as desired to accomplish your goal

As mentioned this is really good for building momentum or drying out the fly.

Check out the video below on false casting, it is a few minutes in, so stick with it.

Tuck Cast

The Tuck cast is for the heavier flies or the flies that have more material on them and because of this create more drag as they move through the air.

This is done by following a basic overhead cast as outline above.

The main difference is:

1. When you come forward into the forcast, overpower the rod and really accelerate it
2. Abruptly stop the rod and flick the wrist quickly
3. Still aim the rod out, not down

This is basically an overhead cast, with a more aggressive forecast to help push the fly through the air.

There is no video on this one, because it really is just an over the head cast, with more acceleration and a more abrupt stop on the forecast.

Reach Cast

This cast is for those times where you need to add extra line to the landing spot of the fly, particularly for situations in which the river you are in has multiple speeds of water flow.

Steps:

1. Draw out extra line and let it sit loosly in the hand that is not holding the rod
2. Perform a basic overhead cast, but before you flick the wrist
3. Let your arm drop out to the right if you want more line downstream
4. OR come acrossed your body and drop the arm to the left (if you are right handed)to allow water to drop upstream.
5. After letting your arm drop to the side, allow the line to slowly come out of your hand that is not performing the cast

This is a confusing cast to explain, watch the video below for more information.

Sidearm Casting

This is a great way to cast when there is high winds, overhanging vegetation, or you are close to other anglers behind you.

This cast using the same principles as the overhead casting above, just on a tilted plane out to the side.

Steps to perform sidearm casting:

1. Instead of overhead, tilt out to 45 degrees to the side
2. Bring your arm back into a backcast, stop abruptly at about 30 degree angle behind you
3. Allow the line to straighten out
4. Cast forward into a forecast
5. Stop your arm at about a 30 degree angle in front of you
6. Flick your wrist as oyu would with a overhead cast
7. Allow line to unroll and place the fly where you want to

Watch this video to help you learn the basics of side arm casting

Wind Casting

This is tough. Casting into the wind can be a super difficult thing to do for two reasons. The first is the fly runs the risk of snagging onto you if you are doing overhead casts.

The second is, it is just plain difficult to place a fly and get your line moved around accurately with a head wind, so your line ends up bunching together and you can’t place the fly where you want to.

For casting into the wind, you are going to be doing a side arm cast as outlined above. The big difference is you will also get your body lower and really focus on keeping the line below the wind.

The video does a great job of showing you how to cast into a headwind, and it also goes into detail on casting into many different windy conditions (side wind, back wind, wind at your shoulder, etc.) it is a great video, so be sure to watch it all the way through.

Closing thoughts: Tough, but worth it

Alright, if you haven’t been out fishing yet and you are reading this guide before you do, then just know that first few hours is going to just plain suck.

You will struggling and wonder why in the world you bought all that fly gear if you just hate every second of it.

Please keep going, if you think there is any part of you that will enjoy fly fishing keep on fishing.

It gets a lot easier and even though the casting is a giant pain and the learning curve so steep, it is so worth it.

Casting gets easier over time and then once you get the hang of that you will get so much stress relief by standing out in the flowing water and casting back and forth. Fly fishing is one of the most relaxing ways to fish in my opinion, so don’t give up.

Chapter 3: Fly Fishing Gear

Choosing a Rod

Before we jump into the very specific details of what you should be looking for in a fly rod, we need to discuss some of the basic principles of what the fly rod is used for.

Casting and landing fish: So this is the same a most spinning or other casting rods right? This is a basic universal purpose of all fishing rods.

A main difference with fly rods is that they have the capability of placing the fly in a very specific place. This is a term called bait or line control. Fly rods are exceptional at allowing you to control very small changes in the placement of the line or fly once you get skilled enough to do it.

So in summary, the fly rod is for casting, landing fish, and ultimately placing the fly and the line where you want it to be.

Another key point before we get into the nitty gritty details of fly rods is to determine what you will be fishing for. This makes a difference because fly rods come in different lengths, actions, and powers and knowing this before hand will help out a ton! Check out the table below to know the basics of what you need for what species you plan on fishing for.

Species	Weight
Panfish	0-4
Trout	4-6
Bass (large and Small)	5-9
Carp	6-10
Salmon	8-10
Pike/Musky	8-12
Striped Bass	8-12
Saltwater Species	>10

Length: How Long are Fly Rods?

Choosing the length of the fly rod can be tough, that is why I prefer to keep it super simple and choose one in the 8-9 foot range.

They make fly rods in the 7-11 foot range typically, so as you can see choosing the right length would be difficult.

If you plan on fishing heavier flies, fishing in the wind a lot, or fishing with heavier line and making long casts then go for the 9 foot rod.

If you are doing some plain old river fly fishing then go for the 8-8.5 foot rod, as it is a great all around rod.

Keep it simple with choosing the rod length and get an 8-8.5 foot rod. This will do all the basic casts you need when getting started.

Material: What is the best fly rod material?

Fly rods are typically made of:

• Graphite
• Fiber glass
• Bamboo

The majority of fly rods are made of graphite, since it has good strength as well as flexibility. Fiberglass used to be the most popular material, but it has since been replaced by graphite.

You may also see a composite of graphite and fiberglass, this is because graphite has a lot of strength to it, but fiberglass has more flexibility, so when you do a composite of them and make a 70/30 mix or whatever proportion there is then you get the best of both worlds.

Action: What does the action of a fishing rod mean?

Fishing Rod Action refers to how much of the rod bends when you put pressure on the tip of it. Also, it refers to how quickly the rod will return back to a neutral position after it is bent and let go.

Actions are typically read as slow, medium, fast, or a combination of those.

The construction material and construction process are typically what affect the rod action.

Quick Summary:

• Slow Action: Bends all the way to the handle
• Moderate Action: Bends half way
• Fast Action: upper 1/3-1/4 of the rod
• Extra Fast Action: Just the tip bends

Slow Action Rod

These rods bend all the way down to the handle. They are good for fishing smaller fish and allow a good fight to take place. The reason these are good for smaller fish, is because these rods set the hook less aggressively so it won’t rip the lip/jaw off of the little fish.

Moderate Action Rod

These rods bend about half way down the rod. This amount of flexion allows you to fish for both smaller and medium sized species. This is the most versatile action to have on your rod because it will set the hook quick and with good force, but won’t set it so hard that you injure the smaller species. This is a great all around action.

Fast Action Rod

These rods bend very litte, typically only the upper ¼-1/3 of the rod will bend. This means the hook will set quicker and more forcefully. This is a great type of rod to have for the heavier or larger species that also swim in the weeks and muck. Because of how quickly the hook sets, it will allow you to get the fishes head up and out of the weeds much quicker.

Think musky, pike, and largemouth bass when it comes to fast action rods.

Extra Fast Action Rod

These rods will only bend at the tip of the rod usually.  Up to this point we have focused on the speed that the hook will set. With the extra fast actions the focus is on the sensitivity and the things you do with the rod.

Extra fast rods have  more sensitivity to them, obviously this is also based on what the rod is made of, but the action is also important.

Extra fast actions are also really good for any live bait fishing, or when you are focused on jigging.

Power: What is fishing rod power?

The rods power describes a rods resistance to bending under a given amount of pressure.

This is primarily important when it comes to the weight of the lure/fly you are using.

The rod power is less focused on then action.

The power is typically reported as ultra light, light, medium, heavy, extra heavy, and any combination of those.

We won’t focus a ton of the power, just because this is more of a spinning/casting rod vs fly rod thing. It is incorporated into fly rods, but not as much as the others.

If your fly is 1 ounce then a heavy power is usually used, then if it is about ½ ounce then you will use light to medium power rods.

That is really all you need to know for fly fishing rods and power.

When it comes to fly fishing, focus more on the action than the power.

Handles: Fly Rod Handle Types

The three main kinds of material are

• Cork
• EVA
• Shrink Tape

Cork is one of the more common kinds of fly rod handles. This is a super soft handle that is also able to maintain the sensitivity when a fish hits.

Cork is one of the more popular ones.

EVA has become more and more popular over the years. It is a synthetic foam material that has plenty of give and comfort to the handle, while also maintaining a lot of firmness and sensitivity, all of which are important to maintain.

Here is a full article on what EVA is and how it is made.

Shrink wrap is easily put over the top of another material. For example, some manufacturers will put the shrink wrap over the top of EVA or cork, and this will maintain the comfort and sensitivity that EVA and cork have, while also protecting and maintaining the material by putting all the exposure on the shrink tape as opposed to the underlying material.

If you are looking for a great starter rod then check out this TFO NXT combo review, this is a great beginner rod and reel combo.

Guides

The guides is one part of the fly rod that is so easy to forget about.

Truth is, the guides have to hold up to a lot of stress, friction, and do it smoothly.

Each one of these guides is designed for a specific purpose, and nearly all fly rods will have all three kinds of guides on them, as they each have a specific purpose.

Stripping Guides

These are the largest of the three types and are typically positioned closer to the handle of the rod. These are the large ring guide that often have an insert in them. They are typically titanium or stainless steel and then the insert can be a variety of materials.  The purpose of the insert is to reduce friction and provide a smooth surface for your line to slide acrossed.

These are designed to handle a lot of stress and hence are on the stiffer rod section and closer to the handle.

Don’t hook your fly onto these, it can damage the insert and affect performance.

Snake Guides

These are the twisted guides that and simple pieces of metal that have a twisted wire appearance to them. These are typically made out of titanium or stainless steel and serve to simpley guide the line without adding significant weight to the rod.

Knots and other bulky sections of line can get caught on these guides rather easily, so when your line is stuck and won’t let out, check these guides first.

Tip Tops

This is the last kind of guide we will talk about. This type of guide is located at the very tip of your rod. These are important because they add weight to the end of the rod while also transferring all the force from the tip of the rod down to the next section when you land a fish.

When thinking about guides there are three things to discuss beyond the kind of guides that we already have talked about. You need to consider the guide size, spacing, and then overall care for the guides.

Guide Size

There are a few important things when it comes to guide size. Larger guides have less line friction, but they add more weight and decrease line control.

Having a smaller guide (in terms of smaller circle) will keep the line tighter and ultimately make your cast more precise, but it creates more friction.

Rod manufacturers have to find the right balance of size and weight to maximize the control while reducing the friction as much as possible.

Guide Spacing

The key to this is to have the fewest guides on a rod that will produce good control and good transfer of force.

The guides are so important for controlling the cast and transferring force when reeling a fish in. The issue with more guides is that they add weight to your rod. So, rod manufacturers try to reduce the total amount while placing them in the best spot possible for maintain control and transfer of force.

There are mathematical ways to do this, and then some companies just take the rod out and test, test, test how it feels when they cast and reel in weight.

Rest assured either way, guide location has been thought of.

Reel Seat

This is the part of your rod where the reel will attach to it. You will place the reel into the two areas with space for it then there is a thread behind where you place the reel and you will turn the nut until the reel is tightly in place.

Some people will have the reel seat custom made and attach it to the rod, others use the reel seat that came with their rod.

Either way, just ensure the seat makes a snug connection between the rod and the reel, so you don’t loose a reel wading in the river.

Choosing a Reel

There are so many things to consider when choosing a reel. As a beginner fly fisherman this can be overwhelming for sure.

We will go over the biggest things to remember when choosing your reel. Ultiamtely though, you may feel like doing what a lot of new fly fisherman do and pick yourself up a combo set up, and this is completely reasonable, it is what I did when I first got into fly fishing.

This section is for those of you that decide not to get a combo and instead decide to piece your set up together yourself.

Construction

There are a few options to choose from when it comes to the construction process of the reel itself.

The high end reels are made form fully machined aluminum.

Other methods are to use cast aluminum and resin molds.

When it comes to strength and weight combined, a fully machined aluminum reel is the best out there.

This means that there is essentially a block of solid aluminum and it is put into a machined cutter to laser out the cuts, making the reel one entire reel without any assembled pieces.

Cast aluminum is exactly what it sounds like. Alumunim is heated up then poured into a cast, and the reel is assembled from pieces of aluminum after they cool into their shapes and pieces.

Hen resin molding is the cheapest. This is the same process as the cast aluminum, but with a resin.

Material

Fly reels are made from are aluminum, stainless steel, and resin.

Stainless steel is used less often because of the weight and the risk of corrosion.

Resin is weak and can actually break if dropped onto a rock, so this is avoided in the reels that are worth anything typically.

Aluminum is the mainstay when it comes to constructing a reel that is lightweight and strong.

Aluminum also helps to avoid corrosion that is inevitable with something like stainless steel.

Long story short, get yourself a fully machined cut aluminum reel.

Weight

Reel weights are the same as the rod weight. Meaning reel weights are reported in 5 weight, 6 weight etc.

Unlike rods though, fly reels typically come in dual weights. Instead of the reel coming in just 5 weight it will come in 4/5 weight (both 4 and 5 weight).

This means you will typically see the reel weights reported as 4/5,5/6,6/7 etc.

The weight of the reel is really the size of the area that can accommodate the line. If you buy a 5 weight reel that means it is made to accommodate 5 weight fly line.

The important things to remember when buying a specific weight fly reel is that the weight matches your rod and that your fly line matches the reel weight.

Basically, all the weights match between the rod, reel, and line.

Drag system

There are two different kinds of drag on a fly reel.

First though, drag is the resistance the fish will feel when they pull the line after you hook them. Drag allows the fish to pull line off of the reel, but not freely.

The first drag system is the click and pawl set up. This is a set of gears and a pin that create the resistance. This is the style on all of the older reels and has fallen out of favor in the past few years for the newer disc drag.

Disc drag is a set up of washers and pads that as the friction increases these will begin to expand and put pressure on each other, this is what creates the resistance when the fish decides to take off with line.

Drag systems aren’t as important on fly reels, as they are on spinning or casting reels. With fly fishing your hand is in contact with the fly line when you land a fish, so typically you are using your hand somewhat to reel them in.

Choosing your boots

There really is quite a bit to consider when it comes to choosing your wading boots.

Here are the things I like to make sure of:

• Rubber sole  (some have felt soles… Not sure why)
• Studded (this helps a ton with grip on wet river rocks)
• Lightweight
• Quick drying upper material (synthetic microfiber)
• Multiple drain ports
• High ankle support

Those are the main things to look for when you are trying to find a good pair of wading boots. Others will look for general fishing shoes, if you plan on wading at all though make sure you have real wading boots on with all the features mentioned above.

Choosing the pack

This really is a matter of preference.

There are vest packs, side packs, backpacks, and as always you don’t have to have a pack with you, as sometimes I will keep snips, pliers, and a net attached to my waders and that is it.

There are so many different options, so I won’t go into great detail here. Just find one that you like and fits your gear good.

Chapter 4: Fly Fishing Line

Purpose of the fishing line

Fly line is heavier and has a taper to it on purpose. There are four basic kinds of line on a fly rod. The line thickness and weight tapers as you get closer to the fly.

The weighted line functions to transfer the energy from the cast of the rod to the line,  which propels the fly out to the area you want it to go.

The four parts of the line: Backing Fly line, leader, tippet, then fly

At the most basic level, there are four kinds of line on a fly reel.

Backing Line

• The line that is the thickest and is closest to the reel is the backing line. This is a heavier and thicker line that really serves as the weight and is so key to the casting of the fly.

Fly Line

• Next is the fly line, this is heavy and thick and serves a similar purpose as the backing line. When anyone refers to the “fly line” this is what they are talking about.

Leader

• The next section that will be surgeon knot tied onto the fly line is the leader. This is a section of line that is a little bit thicker than your typical fishing line. This serves as an attachment and a way to transfer the energy from the fly line to the tippet.

Tippet

• Then finally the section you will tie the fly to is the tippet. This is the thinnest section and is your typical fishing line. This section is lightweight, and you won’t be able to see it in the water.

The tippet is what will ultimately present the fly to the fish, so you want it to be invisible and lightweight. If it has any weight to it, then your fly will move in unnatural ways, and if it has color to it that may cast a shadow and make the nervous fish take off or worse, spit your fly out.

Fly line weight

Fly lines come in various lengths, that are indicated as 1-14. The larger the number, the heavier the line.

This brings up a common question that I am sure you will or have already asked yourself, what line is the right line to use?

This is highly dependent on what species of fish you will be going after.

If you are gonna be chasing after the larger fish, then you will need a heavier weight and you will need a higher number. If you intend on doing this then you should really try and get a rod/reel combo that matches the line weight. For example if you pick a 8 weight line, then you would be wise to get a rod and reel that are 7-9 weight.

This matches the strength, and it also comes down to room. Many of the reels that are rated higher weights, have more room on the spool to put the heavier lines, so if you have a reel that is a smaller weight, you might not be able to get enough line on it.

Fly line length

We will touch on the four types of line most fly reels have on them, and within each section talk about the lengths that most set ups typically have.

Backing line: Is the first line attached to your reel and is the heaviest and thickest.  For trout 50-100 yards of 12lb backing line would be more than adequate. If your reel is tight on room you could likely get away with 25-50 yards of12 lb backing.

Fly line: This is the next line after the backing, it is heavier and helps with the casting just like the backing line does. You want about 30 yards of fly line after the 25-50 yards of backing.

Leader: Typically you want about 9-12 feet of leader attached to the fly line. This line helps to delicately place the fly in the right spot, while also maintaining some weight and helping to cast the fly appropriately.

Tippet: This is the last section of line and is where you will tie the fly on. This is the shortest section of line, it is clear in color and should float. This helps you place your fly lightly where you want it. You want about 2-4 feet of tippet.

The majority of fly lines you can buy come in 100 ft sections.

Fly line tapers

Tapering of the fly line, means how the weight is distributed throughout the line.

There are three basic kinds of fly line taper, forward, double taper, and a level taper.

The most common kind of taper is the forward taper. This means that toward the end of the fly line it will thicken up and then thin back out where the leader attaches. This helps keep the weight “forward” and will help with the trajectory and overall effectiveness of your cast. This is the easiest to work with and most common fly line you will see. This type of line helps with casting decent distances.

The next kind is the double taper. This thickens up in the middle of the line, and is quite a bit thicker than the forward taper.

This is great line for more delicate casting and when you want to present the fly to a fish that is easily spooked. This line helps your fly land softly on the water.

Then the last is a level taper. This is the least common kind of fly line, because it is not as effective. It has a single thickness to it from start to finish. It is typically the cheaper line that you see in the “for sale” area of your local shop.  I don’t recommend you use this line.

Floating Line

This is the most common kind of line you will see. This is designed to do exactly what it sounds like, float. This will float from the backing to the leader. This is a great line for beginners to use and is the most common line you will see.

Sinking line

Sinking line, well sinks.

This is important because as you will learn with fly fishing, most of the time it is important to fish below the surface of the water since that is where the majority of feeding occurs.

Sinking line will help pull your fly down under the surface and into the right area for the fish to see.

This line comes in different ratings called IPS or (inches per second)

• 1.5-4.5 is slow and good for shallow waters
• 5-7.5 is fast
• >8.0 is very fast

If you are fishing in a shallow river, then floating line is fine. If you plan on fishing lakes and ponds then you might want your line to sink. The deeper the water, the fast you want your IPS rating to be on the sinking line.

If you are just starting out, I recommend that you stick with the floating line, but as you get more advanced you can play around with the sinking line and see how it does for you.

Sinking tip line

Surprise surprise, the tip sinks in this kind of line. This is the best of both worlds, as the sinking line is nice for those fish that feed deeper, but floating line makes recasting easier.

Once again, I would plan on sticking with floating line until you develop some more skill, but this is a great kind of line and one that I have used after I got my casting down, as it can cause a little change in approach on the recast.

That is a ton of information, go back through it and focus on the little summary points that I give throughout.

Chapter 5: The Flies

Dry flies

This is the kind of fly we all think about when we think fly fishing. These are flies that sit on top of the water and mimic an insect landing on the surface of the water.

Typically, dry flies are made to resemble the adult stage of the wet flies, which are larval and nymph stages of an insects life cycle.

Fishing with dry flies can be frustrating and difficult to master. Using dry flies requires great placement, finesse, and honestly just some experience to learn how to do it.

It is a ton of fun though once you get it down, and if you hit it at the right time of year you can really have a hayday with the fish.

Here are some images of the typical dry flies, but do some research on the dry flies that work in your area as insects and what the fish like are very different from one area to the next.

Wet Flies

This will be the most common fly you will use, especially if you plan on trout fishing. The reason for this is because trout do about 80% of their feeding below the water surface, and wet flies are called wet flies because they go under the water surface and get wet.

These are made to represent the hatch, nymph, larval and other earlier stages of the insects life cycle.

The wet fly will be fished anywhere from just below the surface of the water to a couple feet below the surface of the water.

Make sure you have plenty of these in your box. If the fish are really on the feed, then it honestly won’t matter what wet fly you are using, but if the fish are preoccupied or it’s the wrong time of day then you will struggle to get hits.

Streamers

Streamers are bigger flies that are fished on an active retrieve. This means they are fished with you stripping the line to bring it in for another cast.

These are meant to imitate baitfish, crayfish, leeches, and larger aquatic insects.

These are essentially the fly fishing equivalent to conventional lures.

Because you are actively moving the streamer the strikes and lands are typically very explosive. Streamers are great if you are in new waters and aren’t sure what the fish are after, because you can cover a lot of water with these.

Streamer fishing is one of my favorite ways to fly fish because it is much more exciting that other methods and is a lot more active, which is great for the impatient people like me.

These are designed to be fished in murky deeper waters. So after a rainstorm is the perfect time, or when you see lots of underwater cover and deep pockets.

Chapter 6: The Waders

The purpose of waders

A lot of fly fishing is done with you being out in the water, not all of it, but most of it.

I don’t know about you, but I personally don’t want to get soaking wet when I am out there enjoying some fly fishing.

Waders protect my legs, hips and most importantly my feet from getting wet and soggy throughout the day.

They can also provide me some buoyancy if I am in deeper water, and allow for water proof storage of keys, phone, and other important things.

Most sets of waders have clips and Velcro on the chest to allow for quick access to the things you use most while fishing, so you don’t have to dig around for them.

Choosing a good set

This is a brief and basic review of what to look for when you are buying waders.

Focus on these few things when trying to select a good pair of waders.

The first is the construction material. If you are fishing in warmer climates then you should focus on nylon waders, and try to get around a 4-6 ply on the material. These are breathable and flexible, which will allow a lot of movement and make your day more enjoyable.

If you are planning on fishing in cold weather, then you should consider neoprene. This material is less breathable and will hold your body heat in better.

Next, look at the amount of seams in the waders. More seams means more chances for them to break. If you can have fewer seams then that will usually turn out better for you.

Another are of focus should be the feet. Neoprene is the best option for the feet, and make sure that the area from the ankle to the foot is double taped and the seams are joined completely. This is an area that will be submerged in water pretty much throughout the entire day, so good construction in the feet is very important.

How long do waders last?

This is a super common question, and honestly the response is that it depends.

If you do a lot of hiking to get to your fishing spot in your waders then they will wear out sooner. Also if you do a lot of bending over or other movements while in the waders that will stress the seams and they won’t last as long.

Some pairs of waders will last 300+ days and up to a couple years, while others will wear out in a few months.

Ultimately it depends on the quality of wader as well as how rough you are on the set of waders.

Key things to think about

Here is a basic list that is a quick review of the important things to think about when buying a pair of waders:

• The material they are made of
• How many Seams
• The suspenders
• Chest patches
• Waterproof zippers
• Buoyancy belt
• Neoprene feet with double tape
• Extra support on the knees

Closing thoughts

Finding a good pair or waders at a good price is tough sometimes. Having a good pair of waders is so important though, it can make all the difference to how comfortable and efficient you are throughout the day on the river.

 Check out this review of the Hellbender Frogg Togg Waders. This is a great set that have extra material in all the right areas and will get the job done comfortably.

I hope this short review of waders is helpful to you.

Check out the next chapter where we put everything together and provide some final tips for you to hit the water effectively.

Chapter 7: Wrapping it up

Selecting the gear

So at this point you have read a ton of information. It is probably a little bit of information overload for you right?

Go back and read this guide again, then click over to the links and do more in depth reviews where available.

By doing that you will be educated and informed enough to get your combo set up and get out on the river!

There are a ton of articles on this website so be sure to check them out if your questions haven’t been completely answered by this in depth guide.

Knowing the casts

Knowing how to cast is far more important than knowing the names and specific techniques of each kind of cast.

For your first few times out on the water just focus on getting the motion of casting down. As you get the motion of casting down and become more and more familiar with your rod, reel, and fly line you can start to practice and understand the other kinds of casts.

Then before you know it, you will be a master of the fly.

Understanding the flies

This is so important.

Everything else that you have read above is all nice,  but there are so many variations of it.

The flies are what you really need to understand.

Go back to that chapter and go over the different flies multiple times.

Then you need to look at what flies work in your area.

Great tricks for this is to look at what insects are around while you fish, what nymph are underneath the rocks in the river, ultimately look around. Try and match the fly you are using to what you see on the water, and you can’t go wrong.

Get out and do it

Practice, practice, practice!

Fly fishing requires practice and patience. This is not the same as baitcasting or spinning rod/reel fishing. Fly fishing requires patience and practice.

Hopefully this article has been helpful for you, now get out there and get to fishing!

Thanks for reading

Sean