Getting Started Fly Fishing

As I sit and type this, it’s 29 degrees outside and not likely to get much warmer today.  The wind all morning has been a steady 8-10 mph.  Hardly the kind of weather that gives fishermen the urge to grab a rod and hit the stream.  This is fly tying weather.  This weather is perfect for going through your fishing gear and doing off-season maintenance like cleaning and dressing fly line and re-sorting flies in their proper places in your fly boxes.

I figure today is a good day to address a question I get asked quite often, “what do I need to get started in fly fishing?”

My buddy CT fly fishing on the Yellowstone River near Gardiner, Montana

Before I get started, let me tell you how I got into fly fishing.  When I grew up, trout fishing was done in one of two ways:  Using bait (worms, crickets, salmon eggs, etc), or using spinners like the Mepps Aglia or the Panther Martin.  I’ve filled many a stringer with an ultralight rod and reel and a gold bladed Mepps spinner.  That’s what my friends and I had been brought up on.

Then one afternoon, my best friend and I went to a local stream to catch some trout, just like we had dozens of times before.  But this time, instead of a spinning outfit, he had a fly rod in his hand.  I don’t remember the details of the fish caught, but I know he outfished me by several trout.  I had never been so badly trounced on the trout stream.  I left the stream that day with a new respect for fly fishermen and more than a little bit of curiosity about how it all worked.

It wasn’t long after that, his dad took both of us fly fishing for panfish.  He brought me a rod and an assortment of panfish flies.  He demonstrated to me how to cast and how to set the hook and then he turned me loose.  It was summertime and the river was warm and wading easy.  I couldn’t believe how many fish I caught.  After that day, I knew I wanted to be a fly fisherman.

Trout aren't the only species you can target while fly fishing.  Bedding bluegill with a fly rod provide some of the most fun you can have afield.  

My parents bought me my first fly fishing setup as a gift when I graduated high school, a 6wt Cortland rod and fly reel with a weight forward double tapered line, and from that rod and reel, my fly fishing career began.

Now, back to our question.  What do you need to get started fly fishing?  Let’s start with the basics:
Rod
Reel
Fly Line
Leader/tippet
Flies

That’s it.  That’s technically all you need to get started fly fishing.  There’s a world of gear that will make your life easier and your trips more enjoyable, but we’ll get there later.  Let’s examine the basics.

The Rod

As you would expect when entering a new hobby like fly fishing, there are hundreds of choices to be made and the task of choosing the “right” rod can seem daunting.  I’ll help you narrow down the choices.  Get a 5 weight rod around 9 feet long.  If this is your first rod, get one that best bridges the gap between ultralight and heavyweight.  The appropriate 5wt rod will allow you to delicately cast dry flies and will also handle throwing streamers and double-nymph rigs with a strike indicator.  The rod will also have enough backbone to handle larger fish like trophy trout and largemouth bass.  A 5wt rod will let you fish rivers and streams as well as the larger water on lakes and ponds.
Let your budget dictate what you get.  If you’ve walked into a fly shop and gotten sticker shock when you saw the prices of new rods, don’t panic.  I suggest you get the best gear you can afford, but there are some very good rods that won’t break the bank.  Big box stores like Bass Pro and Cabelas offer in-house models that are usually affordable and of good quality.  Rod makers like Echo, Fenwick, Redington, TFO and St. Croix all offer rods that are affordable and of decent quality.  Most reputable rod makers offer a warranty.  Make sure your rod does.  Broken fly rods are a part of life and though it’s never convenient to break a rod, it’s reassuring to know that it will be replaced in the event it does happen.

The Reel

Here is where you can save the  most money.  Unless you are targeting large, fast sportfish like striped bass or saltwater species like tarpon, you don’t need to break the bank on your reel.  In most trout fishing situations, a reel is nothing more than a glorified line holder.  If you’re on a budget, spend your money on rod and line.  If money is no object, then by all means, get the $500 reel.  But in my 25 years of fly fishing, I’ve been taken into the backing (all of my fly line was pulled off by a fish) only once, by a giant largemouth bass.  I can’t recall a single time that I’ve lost a fish because of my reel.  While several makers offer reels under $100, Cabelas Wind River reels steal the title of best bang for your buck at around $30.

The Line

If you saved your money by finding a cheap reel, you can now spend it on quality line.  Perhaps more with fly line than any other aspect of the sport, you get what you pay for.  Good fly line isn’t cheap and cheap fly line isn’t good.  You’re going to want to spend at least $50 and often, a great fly line will run closer to $100.  But it’s a long term investment.  If you take care of it and keep it cleaned and treated, fly line will last for many years.  I’ve been a big fan of Scientific Angler for as long as I can remember.  Other reputable line makers like Orvis, Rio, and Cortland make lines for every application.  Just make sure you get a line that matches your rod weight.

The Leader

Leader is the material that you tie to your fly line so that you have something to actually present a fly that fish will take.  Leader material is most often a tapered nylon monofilament line. Taper is important in presentation.  A tapered line will turn over more efficiently and make a more delicate presentation.  Years ago, fly fishermen built their own leaders with several sections of progressively smaller diameter lines knotted together to form a taper.  Technology has progressed now and factory tapered lines are readily available and cheap.  Personally, I prefer a furled thread leader for dry fly fishing.  Now, to truly understand the intricacies of leader/fly combinations would take several chapters of a book.  I’ll give you some very basic generalities when selecting leaders.  Dry flies require long, supple leaders.  Streamers require short, stiff leaders.  Most of my dry fly leaders are no longer than 9 feet.  Extremely technical fishing like that found on a spring creek or a slow, clear tailwater might require 12 or even 15 foot leaders, but under normal circumstances, 7-10 feet is plenty.

Tippet is the material that that allows you to lengthen your leader, making a better presentation to the fish.  Though it comes in several sizes, I think a spool each of 3x, 4x, and 5x would allow you to target most fish in most situations.  Learn to tie a double surgeon’s knot to attach tippet to leader and you’ll be good to go.

The Flies

Flies are imitations of living creatures.  Created by wrapping combinations of fur, feathers, and synthetic materials around a hook and tying them in such a manner as to resemble a fish’s food source, there are literally thousands of different fly patterns.  If you’ve ever stood over a fly bin in a fly shop and gazed in wonder and confusion at the wide selection, it can be daunting.  Your local fly shop can help you select the flies that are working in your area at that particular time.

There may be thousands to select from, but there are a handful of staples that will work almost anywhere.  I’ve been fortunate enough to have fished all over the country and I’ve learned that my same go-to flies will catch trout everywhere.  Dry flies like the Elk Hair Caddis, Parachute Adams, and Stimulator will catch all but the most technical trout in dry fly situations.  Nymphs such as the Peasant Tail, Hare’s Ear, and beadhead versions of both of them will serve you well.  Throw in a couple Wooly Buggers in olive and black and there aren’t many fish that can resist.  If you’re after warm water species like Bluegill or bass, some popping bugs like those made by Betts are hard to beat.

An assortment of summer bugs like stoneflies and grasshoppers made from fur, feathers, and foam

Some flies are tied to imitate baitfish

Some flies are tied to imitate aquatic insects like this stonefly

Those are the basics, and with everything listed so far, you can target and catch most freshwater species in our waters.  However, there are additional items that you will most likely want to add to your gear.

Waders/Boots 
I didn’t own a pair of waders until I was in college.  Every trout fishing trip was a wet wading trip.  I still wet wade during the summer months, but waders allow you to fish in dry comfort and the more comfortable you are, the longer you can fish.  Wading boots come in a variety of styles, but my favorite boots have felt soles and screw-in metal cleats.  They are comfortable to walk in and offer unmatched traction on slippery river rocks.

Hat/Glasses

So much of fly fishing success is dependent upon your vision.  You must be able to see fish before they see you.  You must be able to see the fly when it's on the water.  If you’ve ever fished in the mid morning or late evening when the sun is glaring on the water, you know that it can be blinding, and it’s hard to fly fish blind.  A hat that can shield your eyes from the sun is an essential piece of gear.  It can also protect you from the inevitable sunburn from a day spent on the water.  Just as important are a pair of polarized sunglasses.  Polarization reduces glare from the sun and allows you to see below the surface of the water and glasses offer your eyes protection from a wayward backcast.

Knife

If you aren't carrying a knife when fishing, or frankly, all the time, what's the matter with you?

Vest

As you begin to accumulate fly fishing gear, you will quickly realize you need a place to store it all.  Traditional fly fishing vests are adorned with several pockets allowing you to carry your gear with you on the stream.  Some fly fishermen (like myself) opt for a chest pack or a sling pack to carry gear in.  It’s a personal preference.  Either is fine.  Here’s a list of things that are currently in my chest pack:

6 fly boxes
Stream thermometer
Fly floatant
Split shot sinkers
4 tippet spools
5 leaders
Strike indicators
Hemostat (for removing hooks from fish)
Clipper tool (for cutting line) on a retractable zinger
Net

For most fishing excursions, this is my carryout list.  If I’m going ultralight and targeting a specific fish or situation, I can eliminate all but 2 fly boxes and a few leaders and tippet spools and can carry most of this in my pockets or on a lanyard and leave the pack at home.

You can carry everything in front of you with a chest pack like mine.

Or like my buddy Jordan, you can opt for a lanyard and keep it spartan

I know you’ve driven by trout water and seen fly fishermen on the stream or seen them standing by their $80,000 vehicle getting into a pair of $1000 waders with their $1500 rod and reel and vest festooned with gear and gadgets.  Don’t be intimidated.  You can do it for much less.  You don’t have to mortgage your home to get started in fly fishing….that comes later, when you decided you want to tie your own flies.