Gear for beginners

Want to learn fly fishing but not sure where to start? Hope this short guide helps..

Here is a quick guide to get you on the water fishing for trout, salmon and other fish:

Rods and Reels

A good starter rod might be a rod and reel outfit.  You can get his from any number of big outdoor stores or independent fly fishing stores.

A 9ft, 5 weight rod is a good all rounder for starting out.  Once  you get on the river for a while, you may want to get different size rods for the different waters and types of fish you might be fishing.  Click here for more info on rod weights vs fish v

Waders and Boots

Waders normally come separate from boots.  

Boots can come with felt, without studs and with studs – depending on where you might fish. For Maine I like studded as it makes me feel more secure wading over slippy rocks.  I purchased mine without studs and later added them myself simply by screwing them in. 

Wading Stick

You don’t need this but for me, it is a must have.  Really gives me more confidence wading, especially in new waters. These come foldable and fold out automatically when you need it.  They attach to your belt normally.

Nets

Of course, when you catch your prized trout, salmon, bass, you need a net to help land your fish before you release it.  A rubber net is recommended for safe handling of the fish.  More on handling fish later….

Sling Pack, Vest, Chest Pack, Lanyard

Again, personal preference how you want to carry your gear such as line, tippet, flies, indicators, clippers, etc. 

What goes in your choice of garment for your gear?  Examples:

Obviously your fly box.  Tapered leaders are handy while you learn your knots for adding your own leader/tippet, clippers for cutting your line. Forceps/pliers for helping get the hook out if you need to and for flattening the barbs on your hook for quick catch and release.  And tippet for quickly extending your line and changing for different flies.   More on that later. For beginners, I recommend using tapered leaders for ease of use. 

Knots – I have selected the best videos I could  – Videos to show some great knots for fly fishing..

Clothing

Dress according to weather. Layers are always good.  Choose colors that blend in with the environment..

 

Hope this helps. Comment below if I’ve missed anything blazingly obvious.