No matter your level of experience or fishing needs, there is no shortage of beginner equipment or more refined rods on the market today to suit every taste and fishing style. Options often depend upon length and weight number (#).

Fly shops typically stock an impressive variety of reel brads to complement the variety of rods on offer.

Rod

The rod is used to cast the fly line out and reach fish. A quality rod should feel like an extension of your arm when casting, so visit a shop with a variety of rods so you can try each one and find one that feels best to you.

Fly rods can be divided into three main actions, which measure how much they bend. A slow action rod will flex and bend more toward its butt section for close-quarter casting in smaller streams or when making delicate presentations without scaring away fish. Guide rings or snake guides distribute force evenly along the rod without adding excess weight or creating loops in line.

Line

Fly lines come in all thicknesses and designs to meet specific types of fly fishing. For instance, some lines utilize “weight-forward” tapering which concentrates weight into the first 30 feet of line for better casting and mends.

Line weight should correspond with rod weight; typically this will range from one weight (1wt) through 16 weight (16wt). Tapered lines also come in various configurations to optimize presentation when casting heavier flies.

Terminal tackle consists of a level leader and tippet section connected by monofilament line to an artificial fly, often made out of monofilament material. Leaders may feature strike indicators to improve strike detection and presentation; reels range from classic click-pawl versions to modern disc drag reels capable of stopping hard fighting fish; reel sizes vary according to arbor diameter size, with larger-sized reels offering quicker retrieves with fewer turns of the handle.

Leader

At its core, the leader serves to protect your line from being caught between fish jaws or bodies and the leader itself. But to create a quality leader requires more than simply wrapping monofilament, fluorocarbon or braided and furled line around your fly – there’s more involved!

Fluorocarbon leaders are popular with anglers due to their virtually invisible appearance in the water, making them perfect for clear conditions and finicky or pressured fish. Unfortunately, manufacturing fluorocarbon is an extremely complex and time-intensive process which has caused many fishers to opt for nylon as an alternative material for leader creation.

Pre-drawn, pre-tied monofilament leaders have come a long way since their monofilament predecessors; now manufacturers specialize in leaders for nymphing, dry fly fishing and any other application imaginable – with less aquatic debris caught between their knots than with monofilaments leaders.

Tippet

Tippet is a thin clear line attached to your fly line that connects directly to the heavy leader for more delicate presentations.

Selecting the proper tippet size involves many considerations. Some of these include water clarity, size of fly and how spooky fish may be. Furthermore, selecting one with high strength-to-diameter ratio is key.

Competition anglers that specialize in nymphing often opt for 6X or 7X tippet sizes because thinner diameter lines allow more movement while decreasing drag. Furthermore, the “X” number scale makes identifying tippet sizes easy because 11 + X equals 11. (11 +x = 4. So 4X is.007″ diameter).

Reel

Fly reels hold both backing line and fly line, which connect to leaders and tippets. Unlike cheaper spin or baitcasting reels, most fly reels use metal components in their drag systems for superior durability in saltwater corrosion environments.

Experienced long liners understand that the ideal fly reel requires minimal energy to start spinning, preventing an increase in resistance that would place unnecessary stress on thin leaders and tippets. Reels with small spools often retain line tightly coils which place extra burdens on thin leaders or cause them to snap off altogether.

Reels can be constructed of aluminum or stainless steel and come equipped with either manual or automatic features, usually set for right-handed retrieval but easily adaptable for left-handed retrieves.