Selecting the Right Tackle
by: Brett Fogle
One of the most important things to consider when fly fishing is
choosing your tackle the right way. Many people overlook this
important factor and start with the wrong assumptions. They first
buy the rod, then the line to match the rod, then the reel and
then they buy the flies they will need to fish. The fact is the
flies are the most important in determining weather or not you
will be catching any fish.
The tackle selection process should go as follows:
First you must select the correct flies that you will be using to
catch the type of fish you will be attempting to catch. The type
of fly that is abundant in that particular environment. We will
get into the types of flies to use in the right environment later
on in the book. For now, accept that the fly should be chosen
first.
Lines:
Once the fly assortment has been chosen, the next logical
progression should be the line that will be used to catch the
fish. The major between fly fishing, spinning and plug casting,
is that with the last two types of tackle, the lure is used as a
weight that drags the line from the reel to the target point of
fishing. Flies are almost weightless, so you will need something
to haul the line to the target area. That weight is the fly line,
which can be linked to an unrolling sinker. Just before the stop
of the back cast and the forward cast, the line is straight. On
the stop the line begins unrolling, transporting the fly to the
target area.
There are four basic types of fly lines: Level taper, double
taper, weight forward and shooting taper. Now, within these four
tapers there are many variations. Some companies produce several
hundred of fly lines. The good thing however, is that once you
decide what type of fishing you will be doing, you’ll be using
only a specific type of line.
Lines are given numbers from 1-15, and the most commonly used
lines are numbered 3-12 in weight. As a rule the first 30 feet of
a line is weighted and this line must be matched to the rod for
optimum casting. Since most anglers have a variety of different
outfits, each outfit is then matched to a different line to match
each rod.
As a rule, most manufacturers will have a label attached to each
reel, which will usually indicate the lines’ weight or number.
Brett Fogle is the publisher of Fly Fishing Secrets, an insiders
guide to flyfishing tips and techniques of the pros. To sign up
for free flyfishing tips and other articles, please visit
www.fly-fishing-secrets.com
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See Also:
Index of All Hunting & Fishing Articles
Index of All Sports Articles
