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What You Need To Get Started
Note: these are essentials for fishing both lakes and streams, there are plenty of extras that you will probably get overtime.
There are many options for watercraft, one is a normal rowboat, also called a johnboat, you could also use a float tube, pontoon boat, kickboat, or in some situations a motorboat. The cheapest option is a float tube, ands the most expensive would be the motorboat and then pontoon boat, with kickboat's and rowboats in between.
Float tubes range from $50 to $350. Float tubes have the advantage of being lightweight and very portable. You can pack them into alpine lakes. Most weigh less than 5 lbs. you also sit low in the water and as a result, aren't blown around by the wind very much. Some disadvantages are the fact that don't have a good viewpoint of the water in front of you. You are so low to the water that all you can see is the glare. Plus, the float tube is very very slow and it is hard to get in and out of the water. Float tubes only need one anchor that can be as light as one lb.
Rowboats or Johnboat's can range anywhere from $50 to $500. You can find aluminum boats in the classifieds for pretty cheap, they also sell fiberglass and wood boats. The wood is the least practical choice as it weighs the most and requires the most maintance. Fiberglass falls in between the wood and aluminum in most categories. The advantages of a boat are that you stay dry, a good flat bottom boat is also very stable and can go very shallow. You also can see more in the water because you have a higher viewpoint than other options. Some disadvantages are the fact that it is heavy and usually requires 2 people to carry. Plus you can only use boats at drive to areas. Any relatively long walk that isn't a flat slope and doesn't have a path cleared is not a place you can go with a boat. Boats are usually pretty fast compared to other options. A boat requires two anchors at least 8 lbs each.
Pontoon/Kickboats have 2 air filled pontoons and a seat. The pontoon boat use oars and the kickboat you can use either oars or fins. Pontoons have seats that are above the water, while kickboat's have only your legs submerged. Some advantages of these types of boats are the facts that you can row them, this makes them fairly fast. They can almost be as fast as rowboats. Plus they are lighter than regular boats and can be carried by only one person. They are sort of heavy at around 40lbs and can't be hiked in to alpine lakes. I guess technically you could but you would probably exhausted when you got there and it would take you 3 times as long to get there. Kickboat's are more portable than pontoons and probably could be packed into lakes but it would still add a lot of weight to your pack. Both boats only require one anchor that should be at least 3 lbs.
PFD's or Life Vest should always be used while on the water. They sell inflating ones for anywhere between $70 to $130. Depending one what style and if you ge that automatic or manual fill. The downside to these is that they are really expensive and require a rearming kit every time you use them, the kit cost around $20. The advantage is that they take up virtually no space and don't get in the way.
You can always go with the normal foam life vest that are pretty cheap and don't require any extra money to be put into them. The problem is they are very bulky and get in the way. As a result, they usually end up on the shore or on the bottom of the boat.
Fins are used to propel yourself in float tubes and sometimes pontoon boats. The cheapest ones are around $25 and usually aren't very efficient. The most expensive one are force fins which go from $125 to $150. They put little strain on your legs and give you the most power of any fins. There are plenty of fins in between these. Some fins fit over only your waders and others make you where your wading's boots. Some of the nicer models are adjustable and let you use either.
Waders are basically used for one thing, to keep you dry. There are 3 main kinds, neoprene, breathables, and lightweight. Neopreme waders are a type of rubber that is very flexible, durable, and warm. They range from $50 to about $400 dollars. The most popular thicknesses are 3mm and 5mm. 3 is best for spring and fall while 5mm is best for winter. The cheaper waders often leak after a couple years while the nicer ones can stay waterproof for over 15. The cheap ones have short limited warranties while the expensive one have long warranties. The problem with neopreme is that it is sometime too warm and isn't breathable. In summer you usually get a soaking of sweat on your legs and you can get pretty warm on the water.
Breathable waders are becoming more and more popular. They aren't as warm as neopreme and as a result are rarely ever used for winter, early spring, and late fall. They are most often used in the summer when wader is warm. Breathables let moisture(sweat) out while keeping you dry. These are the better option for when fishing in warm water, they just make for a more comfortable fishing trip. These waders are usually more expensive and range from $100 to $500, the nicest waders are made out of gortex and have lifelong warranties. You ge twhat you pay for, just like with neopreme.
Lightweight waders are very cheap and basically are a combination of the negatives of other waders. They provide little insulation and are only good in warm water, yet they aren't breathable and soak you with sweat. The advantage of these waders are there the lightest and most easily pack-able for all the waders, they are very cheap ranging from $10 to $50. They aren't very durable though and you usually go through them pretty quickly.
Wading Boots are usually only for rivers and sometimes in a float tube. They are Boots that go over your waders and give you support while wading and traction. Felt soles are the most common, they are good for gripping algae covered rocks in the stream, which is most common in the streams of the westside cascades. There are also studded soles for aquatic plants or really thick algae, there is also studded felt soles which is a cross between the two. Rubber soles are also out there but i think they are inferior to the others. Wading boots range from $30 to $200. The more expensive boots have more stability, fit your foot better, and are much more durable. There are also wet wading boots and sandals that are cheap and are used without waders. These usually run about $40 but some of the more popular brands like Simms have sandals that cost up to $90.
The Fly Rod is the most important part of fly fishing, in my opinion. Rods are rated by their weight. This isn't the actual weight of the rod though. For example, for 6 inch trout you would want to use something like a 3 weight. But for a 15 lb Steelhead you would want to use a much heavier rod like a 9 weight or 10 weight. Rods ranged from 00wt to 14wt. There are literally hundreds of brands of rod out there. Some of the most popular are Sage, Redington, St Croix, Winston, TFO, Plueger, G Loomis, Thomas & Thomas, Scott, Orvis, and ElkHorn. Basically, graphite are the rods you want to buy, they are the best rods for the money. The Bamboo poles are way to expensive and really just collector items,and the fiberglass rods are simply outdated. Rods range from $30 to $1000. The nicer rods have really good warranties. My recommendation is to go with TFO rods, there warranty is outstanding, i have broken my rod 2 times over the past summer. They replaced it no questions asked with quick service. Every fisherman is different and certain rods suit certain people. The nicer rods are usually lighter, they fit better to your hand and are well balanced, they are easy to cast, and are very sensitive. The cheap rods are exactly the opposite. The length of rods is also important, sometime when your fishing a small stream with brush you need a short rod like 6' 6". In some occasions you need a long rod to more easily control a lot of line, either for fishing a fly deep or when you need a really long cast. These situations call for rods up to 12' 6". Most often you will need a rod around 8' 6" or 9'. The action of the rod can also be important, this is a subject i don't know a whole lot about, but from what i know, actions are either slow, medium slow, medium, medium fast, or fast. The fast actions rods are for experienced casters who want to maximize their casting distance. Other than that, as far as i know, it is just a personal preference of what type of rods suits you.
Here's a list of what types of rods i would use in certain situations:
-00 weight= Anything that requires a delicate presentation with small dry flies, usually on spring creeks.
-0 weight= Same thing as 00 weight.
-1 weight= Same thing as 00 weight.
-2 weight= Same thing as 00 weight
-3 weight= stream dry fly fishing or beaver pond fishing
-4 weight= Nymphing on lakes or streams, cna be used as a dry fly rod too. Good all-around rod.
-5 weight= The standard lake fishing rods for most situations, standard rod for fishing rivers where fish aren't huge but still decent size. Can be used as a light bass rod.
-6 weight= God rod for fishing on lakes or rivers with a wind, a good bass rod, some anadromous fishing such as Pink Salmon and Sea run Cutthroats.
Those are the only rods I'm familiar with, the rods form 7-14weight are used for large freshwater fish, salmon/steelhead, and saltwater fishing.
Unlike spinning outfits and baitcasting outfits, reels do not play a big part in fly fishing. There are basically line holders, for lighter fish you don't even need a drag, when dealing with bigger fish like large salmon, steelhead, and saltwater fishing, a good reel is needed with a good drag. But if your just fishing for trout or panfish. A fairly cheap reel is all that's needed, something like a $40-$50 reel is adequate. You also need spare spools to load different types of line on, spools usually cost a little under half of the cost of the reel. It should be easy to change from one spool to the other. Usually 2 or 3 spare spools are needed, occasionally 5 or 6. Reels are rated just like fly rods, by weights. A 5 weight reel should go with a 5 weight rod. That isn't always the case though, my Okuma Sierra 4/5 wt reel fits my 3 weight rod as well as my 5 weight. so you will just have to see how you think each reel fits each of your rods, you just have to make sure it is balanced. Otherwise casting will put a huge strain on your arm.
At first you may think Fly Lines are just like other fishing lines, but just bigger. That couldn't be farther form the truth. Fly lines are also rated in weights just like reels and rods, just like with reels, a 5 wt line should go with a 5 wt rod and a 5 wt reel. Occasionally you will overline by one in wind to give it more punch, for example, you can put a 6 wt line on a 5 wt rod in wind to keep the wind from messing with it as much as possible. Fly lines have special tapers to them, this is to help with casting and presentation, the two types of main tapers are weight forward and double tapered. Weight forward lines are most common, they are always used for sinking lines and most floating lines. The only time double tapers are used are when you don't have to cast far and a delicate presentation is required. Double tapers are usually used on rods 3wt and under. That isn't always the case though. fly lines range from $25 to $65 dollars, good fly lines have a slicker surface that reduces friction when it slides through the guides. They also last longer, cheap fly lines will crack and floating fly lines will absorb water over time. Good fly lines are also very supple and have low memory, a coiled fly line is a pain to cast and will constantly tangle. It is a good investment to get a fly line of decent quality, cortland 444 fly lines are usually the best value at around $40-$50 dollars. The cheaper fly lines simply don't cut it.
Leaders are the line that connect the fly line to the tippet which connects to the fly. Leaders are tapered to help the fly turnover. They are usually clear pieces of monofilament. These are rated by width of the fly line at the tip. The scale ranges from 0x all the way to 8x. 0x is the heaviest and is only used on really big fish. 1x is only used with big flies. 2x is used when fishing a subsurface and using a fly that fairly big. 3x is used on most sized flies subsurface. 4x is usually used when fishing a dry fly of average size. 5x and up is only used for fishing small flies or when the fish are line shy and wont go for anything bigger. Most leaders are 7.5' for subsurface and 9' for dry flies, there are many exceptions though, leaders go as short as 4' when fishing really deep, and as long as 16' when fishing to easily spooked line shy fish, or when fishing really deep using a floating line and the leader sitting vertical in the water. Leaders are pretty cheap at around $3 per leader, you will need several leaders for different situation though.
Tippet is a piece of monofilament that connects the fly and the leader, this line is usually about 1/4th of the length as your leader. They are rated the same way as leaders using the 0x-8x scale. The tippet has no taper to it is and is a constant diameter throughout. Tippets are cheap and are sold in rolls of about 30 yards. A tippet is always one size smaller than the leader, for example, a 5x tippet goes with a 4x leader.
A fishing vest holds most of your fly fishing stuff on the water, a good fly fishing vest should have plenty of pockets, fit you right, and be durable. Vest range from $20 to over $150. Some vest are made out of a breathable mesh that is used in warm weather, while some are insulated. I think the cheaper vest work perfectly fine, i don't see a need to buy a $100 vest, i am just one person though and for you it may be different. Different containers can serve the same purpose as a vest when your in a boat. Tackle boxes work fine, you can also use different tool containers. In my opinion, vest are the way to go, i always use a vest and never use a container.
Hook removers can be needle-nose pliers, hemostats aka forceps, or any hook remover gadgets. I think only the first two work well, some come with line cutters on them. Some forceps lock, it is nice when you are having trouble removing a hook, but it isn't necessary. These are pretty cheap, the most expensive will about $10.
Line cutters come in many different forms, they can be included in hook removers, they can be wire cutters, toenail clipper like cutters, or scissors. The most popular for fly fishing is the toenail clipper like cutters, this is because you can be the most precise with these and they are compact. The most expensive these will get is around $10 and they will be as cheap as a dollar.
Hook sharpeners can be anything from rough stones to files. Some of the nicer ones have diamond dust on them for maximum hardness. These are usually only $3 or $4.
Landing nets can be pretty expensive, ranging from $10 to $80. They should be either rubber or mesh, no knotted nets. The knotted nets remove to much slime from the fish and usually harm it. Most nets have a wood frame and the more expensive ones are usually american made and have better wood, these are more durable than the cheaper one. Most of the cheaper nets are mass produced over seas from cheap wood and have low quality control. Some nets are mad out of a metal frame, these are fine but aren't as good as wood. Some nets also have a measuring system, which is very convenient. If you can afford one, buy a more expensive net, if not, the cheap ones will do for now.
Fly floatant is usually a paste that cost around $2 or $3, some are a liquid though, which is just sprayed onto the fly. Fly floatant is necessary on nearly all dry flies.
Strike Indicators can be many things, some are pieces of yarn, floating putty, foam or yarn hemispheres, or a good floating dry fly. Most of these are only $1 or $2.
Fly boxes can be very expensive, up to $80 and as cheap as $5. There are many different styles of boxes, the most popular is foam, some have rubber nubs that hooks fit in between, the more expensive ones have compartments for flies. The cheaper ones are made out of plastic and the more expensive ones are either metal or wood. Rippled foam is better for hackled flies as it protects them better, and flat foam is used for the others. A good fly box should seal out water fairly well, if water continually gets in your fly box, it will rust the hooks. And of course, good fly boxes are always more durable than the cheap ones.
Sun glasses are used for a couple things, shielding your eyes from the sun, and reducing glare if you get polarized sunglasses. You should always get polarized sunglasses because they help a lot in seeing what beneath the water. They range from $20 for the cheap ones, to well over $200 for the expensive ones. The expensive ones have less distortion and are clearer, supposedly. I am a believer in the cheap ones, but many people said they were to until they tried the nice ones. So it's up to you which ones you want. There are also different colors of lenses for different situation, but i wont go into that, if your really interested in this topic, do a search on google. The most important reason for having glasses is to protect your eyes, if you think about it, you have a sharp hooks flying around above your head at 30 mph. If you mess up with your casting stroke that fly could come right at you at even faster than 30mph. If you aren't worried about this, watch this video, then think about it.
Flies
Rory McMahon
Themahon990@gmail.com
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