Articles- Fly Fishing Fundamentals

Fly fishing is purely a personal and manual method of sportfishing that involves the casting, presentation, and manipulation of an artificial fly to hook, fight, and land fish. Fly fishing is unique because the tackle components of the rod, reel, line, leader, and fly are used differently from the ways the tackle is used in other popular angling methods such as spin-casting, spinning, and bait-casting. In fly fishing, a fly rod is used to cast a length of handheld, weighted line that propels an almost weightless lure (the fly) to a particular fishing area.

Other methods use a propelled weighted lure to pull an almost weightless line off the reel to a particular fishing area. For maximum performance in casting, the power and stiffness of the fly rod must match the weight of the line. A fly line that is too light will not load the rod enough to propel the line effectively, and a line that is too heavy will overload the rod, which creates an exaggerated bend in the rod and lowers casting efficiency. Most rod manufacturers indicate the recommended line size on the rod just above the handle (Petralia 59).

The action of the rod also plays an important role. The action is the speed at which the rod flexes and unflexes and largely determined by the shape of the taper. A fast or ultra fast-action rod, with the flex concentrated in the tip section, is most suited for a torpedo taper or weight-forward line. The speed at which the tip returns to the unflexed position and the reserve of strength in the butt section provide a greater line speed, making it possible to cast greater distances (Ruel 66).

For most fishing conditions, a fly rod between 7 ½ and 9 feet long and designed to cast a 4 or 5 weight line is best for the beginner. This combination is light, sensitive, and provides ample power to cast from 20 to 50 feet. Use a shorter rod for fishing small rivers or streams that have overhung shoreline trees or brush because it will make it easier to place the fly accurately. Long rods, however, provide greater casting power and line control.

The primary function of a fly reel is to contain the backing, the fly line, and the leader. Other functions are to retrieve line and aid in fighting fish. While fighting a fish, the reel provides a variable degree of resistance called drag. The drag helps tire a strong-swimming fish as it pulls line off the reel. A fly reel, unlike spinning or casting reels, performs no casting functions.

A well designed fly reel should be lightweight and corrosion resistant. It should have adjustable drag settings to prevent line from free-spooling when it is pulled out by the angler or the fish. It is also important for the reel to be as light as possible and at the same time solid, dependable and adequate for the type of fishing to be done. "Pay special attention to your reel so that it will last a good long time. Properly maintained, a quality reel should provide many seasons of dependable service" (Ruel 17).

In his book, L. L. Bean Fly Fishing Handbook, Whitlock states "the fly line, with its linear casting weight, is the key component of the fly-tackle system" (2). They come in different weights and shapes and a rainbow of colors. Some float, others sink, and some do a little of both. Most fly lines are between 80 and 100 feet long. They are made of a core of braided Dacron covered with a sheath of plastic. The sheath may contain minute air bubbles to make it buoyant, or it may contain powdered lead to make it sink.

The fly line has enough weight to carry the artificial fly to its target. But, if it is too heavy, it will cause too much disturbance on the water which may spook the fish. The lighter it is the more delicate a fly fisherman can be in presenting the fly. Fly lines also have different densities. "The floating line, buoyant to ride on top of the water, is usually the first line a beginning fly fisher purchases" (Whitlock 4). The intermediate line is just slightly heavier than water so it sinks slowly. There are also sinking lines which sink completely under water. Some sinking lines have heavier densities causing the fly line to sink faster and farther down in the water.

To set up a proper fly fishing tackle system, the beginner fly fisherman will need a fly rod, fly reel, backing, fly line, leader and tippet, and a fly. The connections that will be made are: 1) Backing to reel; 2) Backing to fly line; 3) Leader to fly line; 4) Tippet to leader tip; 5) Tippet end to fly. It is also important to learn the knots of the fly-line system. To join these parts effectively, there are five connections. For four of these connections, the same knot is used. This knot is called the uni-knot. For the other connection, the tippet to leader, use the double surgeon's knot. Whitlock states that "strong, small, smooth, easy-to-make junctions are absolutely necessary for high performance" (12).