Fishing Q&A

I just got started fly-fishing...?

I have a rod and reel, waders and boots, but what do I need as far as hooks, leaders, etc...I have been fishing with other people that have everything, but let's say I want to go by myself - what do I need to make sure I have? Thanks in advance! fresh water (Montana & Idaho rivers) My rod is a 5 wt.

Public Comments

1. I'm a beginer just like you and I can tell you what I know which is not allot. Before you hit the river find out what size leader/tippet you need for the rive and be sure to buy extra materials. And find out which flies and which flie sizes you need to buy. As far as hooks you wont need to buy any unless you intend to make the flies yourself. Research your knots on google and memorize them before you hit the river If you intended to fish dry flies then buy some floatant. There are allot of people on here that can tell you a whole lot more than me.
2. You can Buy the Flies and Leaders already made ,these are more convenient. You need an Assortment of Wet and dry Flies and a bottle of Permaflote to dip the Fly in to keep him floating and also a bottle of Permasink to for the Wet fly. You can get a Tapering Leader, that is a Piece of Nylon that gradually gets thinner and you can Attach a thinner piece on to that. The normal amount of Flies to put on Line is three or two.Starting with the biggest Fly and ending with the smallest Fly ,the drop Fly. You Attach youre Leader to Fly LIne by Needle Point. Heat the Needle on a fire or Match and make a hole in flyline and then stick the Leader with Super Glue into Hole. You can do this the Night before better you get someone to do this for you the first time.You need Wet and dry Fly Lines. When you Become an Expert you can make youre own Flies, I suggest you get a good Book on the Subject if you want to go down that Road. Otherwise dont bother just get the Flies that are made up. Ask in the Tackle Shop or a local Angler what is the Best Flies for getting Fish in the Area youre Fishing in. Have Clothes or Towel for drying Hands and a piece of Clothe for drying Flies. Get a Priest its a long piece of Metal or Wood about 5 Inches long essentially its a Club for putting Fish out of its Misery and you Hit it at the back of Head. The Better ones have a Scoop that you put down the Fishes Throat into Stomach to see what kind of Food it likes ,then you will know what kind of Nymph or Fly is taking Fish. Get a Triangular Shaped Fishing Net for picking up Fish that youve caught. Dont forget the Coffee and the Sandwiches,as you could be stuck in the middle of nowhere and might not catch any Fish to eat. Make sure you burn or take Home any useless Nylon dont leave it lying around for Fishes or Animals to entangle themselves in , Respect the Countryside keep it Clean. Good Luck and Tight Lines. PS you need a long nosed pliers and or a Forceps for getting Fly out of Fishes Mouth.
3. I have never been flyfishing but id check the weather channel for flash flood warnings before I go Out For a wealth of info and other sites go to http://www.flyfishing.about.com it will tell u everything you need even how to cast your rod
4. Leaders you can get at the local fly shop along with the right sizes and patterns of flies for your area and time of year. You can also get plenty of invaluable information there. Just ask, they should help you out
5. All you really need to fish is a leader (some come pre-made, that's the easiest) and a few flies. If you will use nymphs you need a strike indicator. The length and weight of the leader and the types of flies will depend on where and when you are fishing. For that information, go to a fly shop near where you want to fish. Other gear you will be glad you have: 1. small scissors or nail clippers for cutting leader 2. hemostats - self-locking forceps for debarbing hooks and releasing fish 3. dry fly floatant There are tons of products and gizmos that aren't really essential. Experience will tell you which of these are worth the money. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money to have fun fly fishing.
6. Make sure you know the stream you are fishing. Your local flyhop should be able to help you in that regard. They *should* know the hatches that are occurring on the stream you're going to fish. Next: once armed with that info, make sure you have the flies you'll need. You'll also want a few attractor patterns (Au Sable Wulff, Adams are 2 of the best) a few general purpose nymphs if nothing is rising (Pheasant tail, of course, and a gold ribbed hare's ear will suffice) and a few wooly boogers as well. Now, you need to balance your equipment. On most fly rods for trout (usually 3,4, or 5 wt) a 9' leader tapered to 5x tippet will suffice (6x on a 3 wt rod) If the size of the fllies are smaller than size 16, you can tie on a piece of 6x tippet, if they are large, you can trim your tippet back. You'll need to have a strike indicator if nymph fishing (especially if you're a beginner) - set the indicator to approx. one and a half the depth of the water you're fishing, if you see it dart, twitch or go under - set the hook. A few very small split shot, some floatant, strike indicators, hemostats, a landing net, a good pair of nippers for trimming tippet, and of course a few spools of tippet material. I would also carry a spare leader in case the one you have becomes tattered beyond repair. Now go out and catch some fish
7. Hi Trazzy, What we first need to know is whether ir not you are fishing salt or fresh water and what weight rod do you have? Candy
8. As far as flies and leaders you need to take into cosideration several things. Flies you want to look at the hatch (Type of Bugs) that will be present in the stream you plan to fish. This varies by location, weather and time of year. Since it's been so cold your best bet would be to pick up some egg paterns, due to the late runs. Or try an elk hair pattern later in the day. Caddis flies might still be a bit to early you'llk want to wait until it warms up. As far as leaders go there are several options. You can get a leader that already consists of the leader and the tippet, which is the smaller piece of line that you attatch your fly to or you can go the route I go and buy seperate leaders and tippets it makes your leader last longer. I assume your using a 5wt line so stick to a 5 or 3 wt leader and tippet. Another thing you will want to purchase is a good line conditioner. Fly line is expensive so you want to take care of it. I use Mucilin, it keeps your line clean and helps with flotation plus it keeps your reel clean which is important. When your headed out make sure you have a decent fly box (don't want to loose those) a good pair of pliers or forceps, and extra leaders and tippets. You may also want to bring along some fly conditioner if you plan on using the same fly for a long period of time, it will keep it in good shape and floating. If you're a beginner you might want to pick up a book on fishing knots or you can easily find them on the web. And last but not least you need a good net and creel(the bag to cary your fish you plan on keeping) I prefer the catch and release nets, the netting is smaller and less harmful to the fish. Remember trout and other salmonoids should be handled as little as possible you do not want to rub off the protective slime they have on their bodies it could injur the fish.