A fly angler can never have enough fly fishing tools and accessories. After all, we all love gadgets. What you need on the water and what you want are two different things. Let’s look at what you need.
Line cutters or nippers: you need to trim your tippet after you tie on your fly trim of damage leader and tippet material. You could use scissors but I prefer line nippers as they are lightweight, cheap and easy to sharpen.
Forceps: when you catch a fish you need to remove the hook the best you can without damaging the fish, this can sometimes be difficult when the hook is caught deep in the fish’s mouth. Traditionally we use forceps because you can lock the forceps closed to make hook removal easier. When fishing for saltwater species we tend to use good quality stainless steel long nose pliers. Most fly shops have a range of quality fishing pliers designed specifically for fly fishing.
Hook file: A good quality diamond hook file is a must especially when fishing for saltwater species.
Other tools you may consider would be a landing net, fishing vest, fly boxes etc after that the list just goes on and on. Try to keep it to the necessities otherwise your vest will be so heavy you’ll have trouble carrying it. We carry a wide selection of fly fishing rod and reel from multiple manufacturers, visit our website for more info.
Dry fly fishing
Dry fly-fishing involves the casting of a buoyant fly which look like aquatic insects to even the most discerning fish. In dry fly-fishing, the fly fisher would normally attempt to make the dry fly float along effortlessly with the river flow. This is a superb approach for beginners and it’s a kind of fly-fishing where it’s pretty simple to tell when you have a strike.
Wet fly fishing
Wet fly-fishing is usually employed to fish trout and some other warm-water fish types, and the motion involves the fly fisher casting a fly that employs a little weight to ensure it sinks. The fly fisher should ensure that 1) the fly floats at the same speed as subsurface river flow, or 2) slowly bring the fly across subsurface currents, or 3) pull the fly through still waters. Not for beginners!
Streamer fly fishing
Streamer fly-fishing involves motion where the fly fisher should cast a fly thank sinks, normally one that pretends to be a bait fish… which then comes across the current or retrieves through still water. This method, which is used to catch bigger fish like trout and saltwater species, arguably requires too much skill for a beginner to tackle.
Once you know how you want to fish, choose your tools!
It’s as simple as this! The essential kit you’ll need to get started is a fly rod, a reel, waders and boots, a selection of flies matched to the fish you want, polarized sunglasses and a sun hat. That’s all you’ll need to fly fish the first time, then once you’re in the swing of things you can start looking for line nippers, forceps, different spools and a landing net.
Fly fishing leaders & tippets?
Fly leaders & tippets uncovered… the what, the why & the how.
First question, just what is a tippet? A tippet is a particular gauge monofilament line which should be attached to the end of your leader, then tied to your fly. The tippet is normally the littlest gauge line on your rig and is pretty unseeable to the fish. Adjust your leader weight to the size of the fly.
The only top tips on tippets you need to know.
Usually your tippet will be between two and four feet long and will be exactly the same dimensions, or a bit smaller than, the diameter of the leader tip. There’s a huge benefit using tippets: you’ll extend the life of your leader… and this is crucial, because leaders can be expensive.
The leader, tippet & fly are three hugely crucial components in your fly-fishing experience!
Presentation, presentation, presentation!
Essentially fly fishing is all about presentation… the art of subtly placing a fly in front of a fish and ensuring it looks tasty enough to munch! And the key to that skill is learning the right mix the leader, tippet and fly… this is a crucial element to the perfect fly fishing experience.
Fish don’t care about colours!
Fly lines are usually sold in a selection of colours, from the whitest white to the hottest pink. But it’s important to know this is for your benefit only, so you can see what you’re doing… but to the fish it’s just a black shape, and the shape needs to look like dinner. That’s why you need the leader.
Learn to love your leader!
The leader is affixed to the end of the fly line, enabling you an almost invisible, transparent connection between your line and your fly – keeping the right shape for the fishes food! Most retail sold leaders are made a selection of lengths between 7.5 and 9 feet.
Cast to make your leader fly efficiently!
As you cast, ensure the taper enables your leader to fly through the air more efficiently, coming to rest as subtly as possible on the water surface. As leaders are produced in varying weights and tensions, you’ll find that the right leader weight or you is mostly decided by the size of your fly.
The low down on leaders – an important thing to know…
The majority of leaders are made with tapered monofilament nylon, which results in them being a bigger diameter at the butt end affixed to the fly line, with a smaller diameter at the tip where you tie your tippet or fly.
Leaders
How leaders help you outsmart even the cleverest fish.
All in all, fish are smart animals and they are far less inclined to be tempted by your bait is hanging from the end of a strange looking line, or simply isn’t moving normally. So, fishing leaders are a superb way to ensure you don’t scare fish away. Read on to see how.
A good leader is an invisible leader.
Put simply, leaders enable you to show your bait and hook in the most natural look possible. So the primary objective is securely connect your fishing line to the bait and hook while remaining invisible to the fish. With invisible leader your lure looks natural and you have the upper hand!
For a start, get to grips with tapered fishing leaders.
Tapered fishing leaders are the much preferred fly fishing leaders, because they are well known to work on a huge range of water bodies to be superb to catch freshwater fish like stripers, bass, muskie, trout, and carp.
One sure fire way to nail it with such leaders, use a muskie fishing feature a loop for easy on and off connection to your line, which means you won’t need to mess around setting up your tackle. With a large number of lengths on sale, you’ll find they a perfect choice for true fishing flexibility.
Pay attention to the leader strength & shock absorbance.
By the best monofilament fishing line leader is one that is incredibly strong, with the ability to support up to 100 pounds of weight. Then look for great shock absorbent qualities and a high knot strength, so your line can be simply and surely attached to your tackle.
Above all else, strive to perfect soft, flexible, natural movement.
If you choose a monofilament blend you’ll also enjoy superb abrasion resistance, which means you’ll be able to minimise the risk of your line getting cut by teeth or gills. With quality tools you’ll be able to enact a soft, flexible natural looking line that tricks the smartest of fish.
As long as you make sure establish a tangle-free design, the fly fishing leader will be one of your preferred pieces of kit across both freshwater & saltwater locations! Visit our website now!