Fly Fishing Gear Varies By Location Being Fished

For most anglers there is little distinction between equipment and gear, but for many fly fishing gear refers to the business end of the sport. That is, everything between the anglers hand and the flies once they get into the water and begin casting. Rod, reel, line, leaders and flies all make up the fly fishing gear that an angler will use to attempt to lure the fish onto their hooks and into the frying pan and the species being sought and the location will determine the type of gear being used.

Some of the earliest fly fishing gear used was a simple pole, about six-feet in length and another six-feet of light line with a fly tied to the end. This would provide the angler only about a 12-foot extension into the water and unless the stream was not too wide, served the purpose. Today, poles can range up to 16-feet in length with reels capable of holding hundreds of feet of line. As the size of the fish being sought increase, so does the size of the fly fishing gear being used.

There is equipment designed for ocean fishing that will be considerably more durable than that used fishing in small, shallow streams. Additionally, the fly fishing gear used in larger, yet shallow lakes, may resemble those used for smaller fish but larger reels will be needed to hold the extra line.

Using Right Line And Reel Combination Important

One of the aspects of your fly fishing gear is make sure it all matches to the type of fishing you are involved in. If you are using larger diameter line for bigger fish, you will need a larger reel, capable of holding enough line. It will also have to be strong enough to win the battle with a larger species of fish.

Using a thin line with fly fishing gear designed for heavier line may not allow the proper casting technique to get your fly out into the water. Subsequently, using a thicker diameter line with a reel designed for small lines will not whip the line out properly, hindering the placement of the fly on the water.

The same holds true with your choice of pole as casting an exceptionally light line with a long rod may not be as easy as using one designed for the size of the rod and the line. While there is always going to be some leeway in the combination of rod, reel and line, keeping your fly fishing gear matched closely will make for a better trip.