So, you want to start fly fishing but don’t know where to start. You don’t know what fly fishing gear you need as a beginner. You don’t want to spend money on unnecessary items but want to get everything you need to get started in the art of fly fishing properly, this guide is for you!
If you want to get serious about fly fishing, I have outlined some of the most essential items you will need to get started in fly fishing. Some of the items are more necessary than others. However, if you get everything on the list, you will not only have all the basic equipment needed to fly fish but you will also look the part and you will not look like a complete beginner to other fly fishermen.
If you are wondering why fly fishing is so expensive, it doesn’t have to be. As a beginner, you do not have to, nor should you overspend on your fly fishing equipment. As you gain more experience in fly fishing you will begin to develop preferences for brands and equipment that suit your fishing style.
I would recommend getting a fly fishing combo kit or buying some of your equipment second hand if you want to save money fly fishing.
1. Fly Rod
As an aspiring fly fisherman, the first piece of equipment you will need to procure is a fishing rod.
I recommend a 9-10 foot, 5-weight rod as an ideal rod to get started. A 5wt, 9-10 foot rod is light weight enough to have great fights with fish. A rod in this class will be able to deal with most fish such as trout, panfish, grayling and bass.
If you are targeting larger species of fish, you will need a heavier fly fishing rod to cast the bulkier flies and land the bigger fish.
It is all too easy to spend a lot of money on a fly rod. However, there are plenty of great affordable fly rods on offer.
2. Fly Fishing Reel
A fly fishing reel attaches to the bottom of the rod, known as the butt end. The reel is used for holding, retrieving, and distributing your line.
The reel can also be used for playing the fish once you catch one by reeling in all the line and allowing the fish to pull line off the reel when it wants to run. I recommend a reel with a large arbor to retrieve the line quickly.
You should get a reel with spare spools. Think of spare spools as cassette tapes. In the same way, you can quickly change fishing lines and save money by not having to buy lots of reels.
A good reel will last a life time and can be something to pass on to your daughter or son.
3. Fly Fishing Line
Next, you will need some fly line to load up your fly fishing reel. A fly line is essentially plastic-coated string that floats or sinks at various rates to properly present the fly to the fish. Attached to the end of the fly line, you will have a leader and a tippet.
Your fly rod, reel, and line should all have the same weight rating. For example, a 5-weight rod, should use a 5-weight reel loaded with 5 weight fly fishing line.
It is important to note that some reels are “hybrid reels” and can have two different line types (e.g. 5 and a 6-weight).
As a beginner, I suggest getting bright colored lines where possible. Yellow or green are great colors and will be easily visible in the water. You may even see the line move as a fish bites. Do not worry about the line color scaring fish away.
Fly fishing lines come in all sorts of lengths, colors, and sinking rates. Some are designed to be fished for different species of fish, or in different locations as well as in different weather conditions.
I recommend getting a basic 5-weight line. Avoid buying a second hand one unless you have personally inspected it. You do not want to buy a dirty, old, and cracking fishing line. This will not help you catch fish!
4. Leader
The fly fishing leader is attached to your fly fishing line. The leader is a piece of monofilament, that fish cannot see, that is attached to your line.
Leaders come in different lengths and forms. Some leaders are “tapered” while others are “level”.
A tapered leader, as the name suggests, is thinner at one end than at the other end. Conversely, a tapered leader is thinner at the end closest to the fly line.
The most used leaders are between 7’-9’. Leaders also come in different strengths referred to as an “X factor”. The higher the X factor, the thinner the leader will be.
5. Tippet
A tippet is a section of monofilament line attached to the end of a leader and on the other end a fly is attached. The tippet helps to both extend the life of the leader and present the flies in a more natural way as the tippet is thinner than the leader.
A tippet can also be used to tie several flies, a maximum of 3 to 4, to a rig. Beginners should stick to 1 or 2 flies until their cast improves to avoid their rig becoming tangled. Tippets are typically 10’ to 12’ in length.
For trout, a 5lb tippet will be able to handle most fish, you can increase the tippet test strain to 8lb if there are large trout where you are fishing.
6. Strike Indicator
Strike indicators can be an essential part of a fly fisherman’s kit. Strike indicators are important for showing you when a fish is biting, for setting the depth, as well as for presenting the fly to the fish.
I recommend every fly fisherman has a variety of strike indicators ready to use. There are many kinds of strike indicator. They come in different sizes, shapes, colors, and are made from different materials.
7. Flies
At the end of your tippet you will tie on a fishing fly. I recommend having a good selection of the different types of fishing flies in your fly box. You should have some dry flies, nymphs, lures in various colors.
With several fly patterns you will be able to imitate anything the fish are feeding on.
Ask your local fishing shop about the patterns that work best in your local area. If you know any, ask the local fly anglers too. They might even be kind enough to give you a pattern.
There are also several online stores that sell fishing flies online. You will be able to find plenty of affordable killer flies to buy on the net.
8. Fly Box
A fly box is important for properly storing your flies when they are not in use.
There are different fly boxes to choose from, they come in various shapes, sizes, colors and are made in many different materials from wood, plastic, and metal.
I recommend you get a fly box with slotted foam so you can easily add and remove flies from your fly box. Your fly box should be water resistant in case you accidentally drop it into the water. A floating fly box will make it easier to retrieve your fly box from the water if you do drop it.
Your fly box should easily fit in your fly fishing waistcoat so you can access it easily to change flies.
9. Fly Fishing Vest
A fly fishing vest is another important piece of equipment for fishing. A good vest for fly fishing should be waterproof and have plenty of pocket space for keeping fly boxes and tippet spools. It should also be able to hold other accessories such as floatant oil, a priest for dispatching fish, nippers, and forceps.
10. Waders
When you first get started, you may get away with wearing a pair of wellington boots. After a while, you will feel limited and will want to get a good pair of thigh waders or chest waders.
Thigh waders are a good upgrade from welly boots, but you will still not be able to venture too far in the water. Thigh waders could be ideal for those who do not wade much but want to have the option of wading if the fishing situation calls for it.
For most fly fishermen, a pair of chest waders will cover them for most wading situations.
When choosing a pair of chest waders choose a pair made from breathable fabrics and have a good fitting neoprene bootie. If you can, try the waders on before committing to a purchase. Move around in the waders and make sure they are not to too tight in.
11. Wading Boots
Although you may still find waders with built in boots, I recommend getting waders that do not have boots built in to them. Instead, get a pair of waders with neoprene booties and buy a pair of boots to go with them.
Waders with separate wading boots are both more comfortable and safer than waders with built in boots attached to them.
12. Net
A landing net is very important for fishing. Once you have played a fish and bring it towards you catching it by hand can be difficult. You should not drag the fish up the shore and on to the bank as you could injure the fish. If you are going to keep the fish, netting the fish can prevent you from accidentally dropping and releasing your dinner!
The best way to get a hold of the fish is to net it first. A landing net can be clipped on to the back of most fly fishing vests making it easy to carry around with you.
13. Nippers
Nippers are an essential tool for fly fishermen. Sometimes you may loose a fly to a fish and the end of the trippet curls. Other times, the end of the tippet might not fit through the eye of the hook and a clean cut on the end of the tippet is enough for it to fit through the hook.
If you are targeting trout, the tippet will be thin and while you may opt to use your teeth. After repeated chomping on tippets, you may end up damaging your teeth. Also, cutting through the tippet with your teeth can lead to a flat end being created which, as stated above, can make it difficult to fit the tippet through the eye of the hook.
Nippers can cost as little as $10 to $80. They do not need to break the bank. They will soon become an indispensable part of your fly fishing equipment.
14. Retractors/Zingers
Retractors or zingers, as they are also known, are great little gizmos for attaching your snips, forceps and floatant to. You will not have to worry about dropping any of these items in the water as they are secured to your vest.
Your fishing accessories will be in the open and within easy reach to use. I suggest getting them as they will make your life a lot easier. No more having to rummage through your pockets!
15. Priest
If you are planning on keeping the fish you catch, I recommend getting a tool called a priest to dispatch the fish. A priest is a cylindrical weighted piece of wood or piece of metal used to tap the fish on the head to quickly dispatch it.
Using the priest is a good humane way of killing the fish rather than leaving it out of the water and letting it die a slow death. It is a must have tool if you are to keep the fish you catch and with any luck, it will be used often!