Fly Fishing II - How To Get Started :: The Natural Sportsman

chief writes Fly Fishing II – How to Get Started
By Tim Quinton

Welcome back Natural Sportsman Fly Fishermen! And Women – I call all of you Fly Fishermen, regardless of gender. I figure if that’s OK with Linda Greenlaw (skipper of one of the Andrea Gail’s sister ships in “The Perfect Storm”), then it’s OK with me.
Since becoming a Fly Fisherman 40 years ago I have progressed from novice to professional, and I have helped many of my friends and relatives get started in the sport. That is my goal in this article – to help you Fly Fishermen wannabe’s start your journey on the right foot.
In this installment we’ll talk about equipment: rods, reels, lines, leaders, flies, clothing, and the assorted stuff we use while fly fishing. In the next article we’ll briefly go into the fishing part. Volumes have been written about fly fishing and I’ll just cover the basics. Finally, I’ll touch on my thoughts on conservation and how to make sure future generations can enjoy the sport.

Fly Fishing II – How to Get Started
By Tim Quinton

Welcome back Natural Sportsman Fly Fishermen! And Women – I call all of you Fly Fishermen, regardless of gender. I figure if that’s OK with Linda Greenlaw (skipper of one of the Andrea Gail’s sister ships in “The Perfect Storm”), then it’s OK with me.
Since becoming a Fly Fisherman 40 years ago I have progressed from novice to professional, and I have helped many of my friends and relatives get started in the sport. That is my goal in this article – to help you Fly Fishermen wannabe’s start your journey on the right foot.
In this installment we’ll talk about equipment: rods, reels, lines, leaders, flies, clothing, and the assorted stuff we use while fly fishing. In the next article we’ll briefly go into the fishing part. Volumes have been written about fly fishing and I’ll just cover the basics. Finally, I’ll touch on my thoughts on conservation and how to make sure future generations can enjoy the sport.

Equipment

1. Rods. They come in lengths under 6 feet to 16 feet, for line weights 000 thru 16. Their action is designated as slow, medium, or fast, or a combination (ie: medium fast). They cost anywhere from $30 up to 10’s of thousands of dollars (for a collectible bamboo rod). Most of today’s rods are made from graphite, fiberglass, boron, or bamboo. Here’s what all that means to you, the novice.
The length is what you’d expect – how long is it from the end of the butt to the tip. Most rods sold in the US are from 8 to 10 feet long. However, a growing number of steelhead and salmon fly fishermen in large rivers are using a special type of rod that is 12 – 16 feet long. These are called Spey rods (named after the River Spey in Scotland). These 2-handed rods are designed to cast large flies extremely long distances (casts over 100 feet are common!) with no backcast. They use a modified roll cast, which takes a bit of practice to master, but can really punch out the line.
The weight is a measure of the “strength” of the rod. A triple ought (000) is the lightest rod commercially manufactured today (Sage rod company). It is designed for small streams, fairly small fish, and small flies where an extremely delicate presentation is essential to success. You won’t cast very far with this rod, and forget about accurate casting on a windy day. However, within its limitations it is an effective casting tool. At the other end of the spectrum is the 16 weight. It is designed to chuck large, heavy flies in windy conditions to the largest saltwater species (ie: billfish, tuna). Delicate presentation is not an issue here. In fact, these rods are not so much casting tools as they are fish fighting tools. They can withstand the powerful run of a blue marlin and lift a heavy fish up from the briny deep. These 2 ends of the spectrum are highly specialized, and most fly fishermen will never own one. So how do you choose which weight is right for you? It is a combination of fly size, fish size, and casting conditions. For example, I know I can land a 5 lb trout on a 3 weight rod. But if I am using a large, heavy, wind resistant fly, or if it’s very windy out, I’ll be able to cast more effectively with a 5 or 6 weight rod. Likewise, I can cast a size 2/0 tarpon fly with an 8 weight rod. But if the tarpon are over 40 lbs, I’ll go with a 10 weight (or even a 12 weight for the really big girls) so I don’t exhaust the fish unnecessarily. Generally speaking, the beginner fresh water fly fisherman targeting trout will do well with a 5 weight. For bass, you’ll want to ramp up to a 7 or 8 weight, because you’ll be throwing larger, heavier flies (and also to horse those toads out of thick cover!). The saltwater fisherman will probably want an 8 weight for most species, including: bonefish, redfish, sea trout, baby tarpon (< 30 lbs), etc. These are general guidelines, and you may vary these weights depending on your own specific situations.
The “action” of a rod is a measure of its stiffness – a fast action rod is stiffer than a slow action rod. You can see what this means by bending the rod – a slow action rod will bend all the way down into the butt section, where a fast action rod will bend less in the butt and more in the tip. Each has its pros and cons. A fast action rod will cast farther than a slow action rod, but a slow action rod (because it bends easier) is a better “shock absorber” for fighting large fish and protecting delicate tippets. A medium or medium fast action rod (with a soft tip section) is a good starting place for a beginner. In my experience, a beginner will not put the “oomph” into the cast to sufficiently “load” a fast action rod. Loading the rod is another way of saying “making it bend”; you can’t cast a fly line without making the rod bend. And since a slower action rod bends easier than a fast action rod, it is generally easier for a novice to cast. And, generally speaking again, the lower priced rods are slower action rods (referring to graphite rods).
The rod I learned to cast with was a 7 ft, 5 wt, fiberglass rod made by Fenwick. It cost about $30 (in 1968) and I still have it today. It is a wet noodle compared to some of the graphite rods I own, but it has its place in my trout fishing arsenal. Most modern fly rods are made from graphite (or a graphite – fiberglass composite). They cast well, are light weight, and are relatively inexpensive. Bamboo rods are still made today, but they are relatively expensive, heavier for their length, and have a slower action than graphite. Some traditionalists prefer this action to the man-made graphite. Some of the newer rods are made from Boron (ie: Winston, Wright & McGill) and are fine casting tools. I highly recommend casting several different types and getting one that fits your casting style and budget.

2. Reels. A fly reel has 2 main jobs: hold the fly line and backing when not in use, and pay out line smoothly, under tension, when a fish runs. This second part is called “drag” and I’ll talk about it in a bit.
Fly reels come in many sizes and colors, and are priced to fit any budget. Their sizes are not standardized (like rods and lines) but they will give recommended line weights and backing capacities in their descriptions. For example, I chose a reel recommended to hold a 5 weight line and 100 yards of 20 lb backing for my 5 weight rod. For my 8 weight rod I chose a reel capable of holding an 8 weight line and 200 yards of 30 lb backing. (I’ll cover backing with fly lines in the next section.)
The drag on a fly reel is just like the drag on any other reel – it provides a force that the fish must overcome to pull out line. Drag is relatively unimportant when the quarry is small, but gets really important when chasing the big ones. Generally speaking, the more expensive reels have more advanced drag systems, and will perform better under tougher conditions. There are few things worse in the fly fishing world than having your reel jam up when that “fish of a lifetime” is taking off at Mach 3! You hear 2 things: the SNAP! of the leader and an (expletive deleted) by the fisherman. I advise buying as much reel as you can afford when going after big fish. Another way of imparting drag on the line is to “palm” the reel. Most reels today have an exposed rim on the spool that allows you to exert pressure with your hand to slow the fish’s run. This manual technique takes a little practice to master, but can be very effective.
Most fly reels made today have interchangeable spools that are easily removed and replaced. This is handy when you want to change lines (ie: go from a floating to a sink tip), and can be accomplished right on the stream. Spare spools generally cost about one half the cost of the reel, and they are a good investment.

3. Lines. Fly lines are designated by weight (000 – 16), like rods, and should generally be matched to your rod weight. They are also designated by taper: weight forward, double taper, or level. Finally, they are designed to float, sink, or a combination of the two (called sink tip). If your fly line box says “WF-6-F”, that means it is Weight Forward, 6 weight, and Floating. An “S” at the end would mean it is a full sinking line. A DT-3-F is a Double Taper, and a WF-7-F/S is a sink tip. There are a few variations of this terminology, but these are the most common.
A weight forward line, as the name implies, has the heaviest (thickest) part of the line in the forward section. A typical 90 foot WF line has about 45 feet of thin running line that attaches to the backing. The other end gradually tapers to a thick middle part, then tapers back down to small diameter for the front section that attaches to the leader. A DT line has a thick middle section about 70 feet long that tapers to a thin tip section on both ends, for a total length of from 80 – 90 feet (depending on the manufacturer). For this reason, a DT line is more economical than a WF, in that it is actually 2 lines in one. When one end wears out, simply reverse the line and you have a new tip section to cast with. A level line is a consistent diameter throughout its length. These are mostly used for running lines that a heavier shooting head is attached to. Most of the major fly line manufacturers (Scientific Anglers, RIO, Orvis, etc) have diagrams that show these tapers on their websites.
Most anglers start with a floating line; it generally has the most applications for a variety of conditions (ie: dry flies, nymphs with an indicator, very shallow water). That said, sinking and sink-tip lines are also very useful, and in some cases, crucial to success. I use full sinking lines in lakes or streams where I need to get the fly down under the surface and retrieve it in a fairly straight line. This “straight” retrieve keeps the fly in the fish’s feeding zone for the max amount of time. My favorite full sinking line for stillwaters is called an “intermediate”. It has the slowest sink rate of all sinking lines, and allows you to keep the fly in the upper layer of water for the longest time. You can use sinking lines of various sink rates, depending on how deep the fish are feeding. Likewise with sink tips; they come in various sink rates that will present the fly at different depths. Unlike full sinking lines, they have that floating section behind the sink tip, so they tend to pull the fly upward as they are retrieved. Some insects emerge this way, and this is an effective method of imitating them. Sink tips are also useful when fishing for trout or steelhead in a river where you want to get the fly down deeper than a floating line will allow, but still be able to cast relatively easily. The full sinking line makes it a little more difficult to cast the line when you have to pull it all out of the water.
The backing is the small diameter line that attaches to the reel on one end and the fly line on the other. It is used to fill the spool to a greater diameter (keeps the fly line from getting too coiled), and, more importantly, to provide a safety margin when a large fish takes off on a fast run. Fly lines are from 80 feet to 120 feet in length. A big steelhead can take out that much line in a blink of an eye, so backing is essential for fly fishing for large fish. I recommend putting some backing on all reels; you never know when you’ll need it. Most backing is made from either braided Dacron or gel spun polyethylene. Dacron is fine for most applications: it is fairly durable and relatively inexpensive. For most fresh water fishing I recommend 20 lb Dacron backing; for saltwater or really big freshwater fish go with 30 lb. Gel spun line is much stronger for its diameter – 35 lb gel spun is thinner than 20 lb Dacron. It is also more abrasion resistant and does not stretch. But, it carries a higher price tag. More people are using gel spun lines when they need a larger capacity and stronger line, such as in saltwater.

4. Leaders. The leader is the connection from the fly line to the fly. If you’ve seen fly line, it is immediately apparent why a leader is necessary – you can’t get that fat fly line thru the eye of a hook! The vast majority of leaders are made of either monofilament or fluorocarbon. Mono is cheap, supple, and fairly transparent; it comes in several shades to camouflage the leader if you need to. Fluoro is about 2 – 3 times as expensive as mono, but has some superior qualities. It is almost invisible in the water (its “refractive index” is closer to water’s than mono), it is more abrasion resistant than mono, it sinks faster than mono, and it does not lose any strength when wet (mono can lose up to 10%). Some brands of fluoro are stronger for their diameters than mono. Generally speaking, I use mono for floating flies, and fluoro for sinking flies.
Leader and tippet material is generally spoken of in terms of “X”, such as a 5X tippet. This is a standardized, universal designation that directly relates to the diameter of the line. Like the gauge of a shotgun, the smaller the line the higher the “X” number. For example, that 5X tippet is always .006 inches in diameter. You can always tell the diameter of the X size if you know one of them, because they always add up to 11. 3X is .008 inches, 7X is .004 inches, etc. After you go up to 0X (.011 in.), most material is designated by its diameter. What’s not standardized is breaking strength. Some 5X tippet is 4 lb test, some is 4.5, some is 5, depending on the manufacturer. I usually try to get the strongest tippet for its diameter.
Most leaders are tapered from a thick butt section to a thinner tippet section (with some exceptions); this is so that the energy of the cast is smoothly transferred to the fly, and the fly is gently delivered to the water. The tippet is the part of the leader that the fly is tied to. It can be a separate piece of line knotted to the leader or the end of a smooth, knotless leader. If you tie your fly to it, it’s a tippet. A typical fresh water leader looks like this: a 30 lb butt section that tapers to a 4 lb tippet, for a total length of 9 feet. You can tie your own leaders, using different diameters of line, or you can buy manufactured knotless leaders at your fly shop. Google “Fly Fishing Leader Formulas” and you can find the formula to build any type of leader you need. A common variation from the typical leader is used for tarpon fishing. The leader tapers similar to the standard style, but it has a “shock” or “bite” tippet on the end that the fly is tied to. This is a heavy piece of line that is tied with a special knot to the “class” tippet (the section above the shock, and the weakest part of this leader). The heavy tippet is needed because of the tarpon’s extremely abrasive mouth. Swap a wire piece for the tippet and you have a pike or barracuda leader (their teeth can bite thru most mono/fluoro lines). Leaders can be anywhere from 2 – 20 feet long, but most are 7 1/2 to 12 feet long. The short leaders are used for sinking lines, the very long ones are used for delicate presentations to selective trout, or to suspend a fly deep from a floating line.

5. Flies. All flies can be divided into 2 categories: dry flies (designed to float) and wet flies (designed to sink). There are flies that imitate just about everything that lives in the water, or can find its way into the water by design or disaster. Insects, rodents, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, eggs – they all have flies designed to imitate them.
The most common flies are those that imitate insects. Dry flies that imitate insects are trying to realistically depict the insect after it emerges from the water, when it is laying eggs, when it dies, or when it accidentally gets thrown into the water by some outside force (wind, bird strike, etc). There are many books on the subject of flies, so I won’t go into all the specifics here. Suffice it to say that you should do some research on what bugs you can expect to find on the water you intend to fish, and then make sure you have some flies that match them. There are many resources that can help you with this task: local fly shops (usually the best source), internet web sites, magazines and newspaper articles (again, many are accessible on the internet).
Other life forms can be fished in much the same way as insects – find out what is in your water, and use something that looks like it. Big rainbows on some Alaskan rivers eat a small rodent called a lemming. You can get a fly that imitates one, usually made of deer hair. Throw it near the bank, make it look like a helpless mouse that accidently fell into the water, and hang on!
The bottom line on flies is that you can get as fancy or basic as you like; as long as the fish like them you will be successful. Some tiers try to imitate an insect to such exacting detail that you cannot tell the real one from the imposter. Some of these will work amazingly well; some won’t turn a piscatorial head. Start with the basic patterns for your water, and go from there. In the end, it’s usually more important to make a good presentation than to have an exact replica.

6. Clothing. Look at some of the old, traditional clothing worn by early fly fishers and you’ll see tweed suits and “Sunday-go-to-meetin’” hats. Nobody wears that stuff today, unless you are a guest at an exclusive English chalk stream lodge. Most of us wear something that is comfortable and suits the conditions where we are fishing. Here’s my wardrobe, from top to bottom, for several different fishing situations.
A. Small stream in the woods. Ball cap (to keep the sun out of my eyes and provide shade to my face), long sleeved shirt (roll up sleeves if it’s warm, down if it’s cold), layered fleece (in cold weather), rain jacket (if needed, keep it in your vest if not), fly vest (more about this in equipment section), fleece pants if cool weather, warm weather pants (even shorts) if not, wool or synthetic socks (depending on temps expected), boots, hip, or chest waders (depending on water you are fishing).
B. Larger river in a desert canyon (like my Deschutes River). Only a few changes needed here – substitute a wide brim hat to shade your face and neck, chest waders are usually needed (unless you are wet-wading in the summer, then only wading boots), sun gloves to keep your hands from getting burned. For a shirt you might wear one of the newer moisture wicking materials in warm weather.
C. Florida Keys Flats. Ball cap, full face and neck covering (Simms makes one of these that stretches over your head and covers everything except your eyes; you see a lot of Keys guides wearing these), lightweight, moisture wicking shirt and pants, boats shoes/sandals or flats booties (if you are going to be wading in the sand).
I consider sun glasses as an essential piece of clothing for fly fishing. They do 3 things (in order of importance): they protect your eyes from flying hooks, they protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays, and good polarized lenses will cut the glare and allow you to see through the water to spot fish. I see many people buying cheap sunglasses every day in the fly shop, and they are courting disaster. Over time, these inexpensive ones allow more UV rays into your eyes, and they can be extremely harmful. Buy a good pair, and take care of them. They will last a long time and provide protection for one of your most precious commodities.
Sunscreen isn’t really clothing, but I’ll address it here. Since I spend over 100 days a year fishing, I spend a lot of time out in the sun. My area has about 300 days of sunshine a year, so that really adds up. A good sunscreen can help delay the effects of aging that the sun creates, and can prevent skin cancer. This is especially important when you are fishing in my neck of the woods or in other sunny areas, such as the Keys. I wish I had used more sunscreen when I was younger – I wouldn’t have all these spots on my hands and face now. And remember, tan skin is really sun-damaged skin - ask any dermatologist.
A quick word about waders. Many waders are available these days that are made from a lightweight waterproof material (like Gore-Tex). They breathe well and keep you dry, and are comfortable to wear. They can cost up to $700, but most are much less. I wear mine all year, and you can layer fleece under them to keep you toasty warm in the coldest of water. They are much more versatile than neoprene waders, since neoprenes are really hot in warm weather or if you have to hike a ways into your fishing spot.

7. Assorted Stuff. Look at any fly fisherman’s collection of gadgets and you’ll be amazed that he or she can even wade without sinking! We have lots of them, but they can be divided into several categories to make discussing them easier.
A. Stuff you wear. I usually use a fly vest (made by Simms) to hold most of my gear. It’s handy, easy to wear, and can pack lots of stuff (mine has from 4 – 8 fly boxes, tippet spools, leaders, sink tips that I can loop onto my line if I need to make a quick sink tip line, my fishing license and other documentation I need for guiding, several tools (explained later), floatant (for dry flies), lip balm, sunscreen, insect repellant (keep the high DEET stuff away from your fly line and waders, it will melt them), reading glasses (older eyes need these to tie on small flies), and strike indicators (fancy fly fishing term for “bobber”). In addition, my vest has 2 back compartments where I put a small first aid kit, extra clothes (gloves, rain jacket, knit hat, etc), or my lunch. I also hang a net off the “D” ring at the top of the back. Another thing that is directly related to safety is a wader belt. Most quality chest waders come with them these days, and you should always wear one if you’ll be wading in fast, deep water. It can keep a lot of water from entering your waders if you take a spill, and can mean the difference between life and death. Most fly shops have them, or you can use another belt (that you don’t mind getting wet).
There are other pieces of equipment that can hold all of your stuff besides a vest. Chest packs, back packs, lanyards (hang around your neck with tools and tippet hanging off them), or a combination of these. I’m sticking with my traditional vest because that’s what suits me best. Check out the others to see if you like them better.
B. Tools. On (or in) my vest I have the following tools: nippers (to cut leader & tippet material) with a small pin (for cleaning head cement out of the eyes of hooks), forceps (helps remove hooks from the fish, bends down the hook barb if you are fishing in “barbless only” water), cheap watch, nail knot tool (for tying a leader to fly line, really makes the job fast), hook sharpener, tippet gauge (quickly tell what “x” size tippet you have), thermometer (some insects only hatch at certain water temps, so it can be handy).
As you can see, my vest is pretty well filled up, and it can get heavy. If I am steelhead fishing I don’t need a lot of that stuff, so I just use a small waterproof pack (also made by Simms) that I can sling over my shoulder. Take as much stuff as your fishing requires and you’ll usually do fine.
There are plenty of other gadgets that are available for the fly fisherman – check out your local fly shop and you’ll see many of them. You probably don’t need them all, but some I have found to be indispensible. It’s one of those personal preference things that you will find out by trial and error, and probably have some fun while you’re doing it.
I hope this little guide has helped decode the fly fishing mystique for you, and that you will feel a little more at ease when attempting to fool those wary fish. I’ll leave you with a little poem that I found on a fly fishing equipment website:

“Around the steel no tortur’d worm shall twine, no blood of living insect stain my line; Let me, less cruel,
cast the feather’d hook,
with pliant rod athwart the pebbled brook.
Silent along the mazy margin stray, and with the
fur-wrought fly delude the prey.”
John Gay, Rural Sports, 1720

Tight Lines! Tim