An Introduction to the Basics of Fly Fishing: The Equipment

Fly fishing angling is arguably one of the more difficult fishing techniques to learn, it takes focus and precision along with patience to master. With the help from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, we will go over basic points, in the next few posts, to becoming a fly-fishing expert.

So, let’s start off with the equipment. The basic equipment needed for fly-fishing includes a rod, reel, and fly line.
Unlike “normal” fishing, for fly-fishing, anglers use flies. “Flies are small, lightweight artificial lures that are too light to cast with spinning tackle.” The weight of a fly is comparable to that of a leaf.

The fly line is what “propels the fly forward during the cast,” it is incased in plastic, allowing it to float on the water. The leader is what connects the fly to the fly line. It is a piece of plastic, widely known as a monofilament line, which due to its lightweight, does not splash much water.

If you were not aware, the majority of fly rods are longer and more flexible than spinning rods. The fly rod must have the ability to bend forward, flinging the fly line forward. In addition, the fly reel is not like a normal spinning reel, since its main purpose is to supply extra line, not for casting.

Knowing the basic equipment needed to become an expert fly-fisher is the first step in mastering this angling technique. Next time, we will delve into the idea behind fly-fishing!