Tuesday 14 January 2020

Ten Essential Pieces of Equipment for Fly Fishing

Rod: It is the most obvious pieces of equipment, the rod allows the fly or nymph to be delivered to the correct point in time and space and then it allows the fish to be subdued quickly.

Leader: The leader allows the fly to turn over correctly and present in a delicate manner. For casting distance and delicacy good quality lines matched to the rod can make a huge difference as per white river fly fishing guides. Always the line should be matched correctly.

Line: The line is more important than most people think. It is the line that enables delicate presentation of flies and the casting.

Reel: It is very much possible to fish without one. I know this because I once smashed my reel in the car door and went fly fishing Arkansas for trout with the line in my pocket. It wasn't pretty or easy so a reel is definitely essential.


Polaroid Glasses: For safety reasons these are essential. Without them one should never fish as all it takes is one bad cast, tree or gust of wind to lose an eye. It helps with observation but it is the protection that is most important.

Fly or Nymph: For minimalist fly fisher and only carry 5 or 6 different patterns.

Nippers: It is necessary to take some nippers or scissors on a fishing trip. Forgetting it is not at all acceptable! Biting the line just doesn't work.

Tippet: The tippet is something that joins the fly to the leader. It is possible to tie the fly direct to the leader but if you lose a fly this becomes expensive. Tippets can be varied in length and breaking strain for different conditions.

 Some people often argue that norfork river fly fishing clothing, bags/vests forceps, nets, fly boxes, etc. are all essential - they are not! You can still catch lots of fish without them.