All Aboard for the Best About Cruising!

Even if this sounds like an overwhelming undertaking, understanding saltwater fly fishing basics is not really that difficult. This certainly has been a great deal published about saltwater fly fishing. In fact, you will find more information about accessories, and it may feel like you have been inundated with information if you have never picked up a fly rod. However, just like any other fishing, fly fishing can be complicated or as simple as you would like to make it. However, understand that you do not need a lot of knowledge or equipment to start successfully. In fact, you do not even need to invest significant amounts of your savings on equipment. Here are the basic equipment needs that will help you get started.

It should go without saying that the first thing you will need is a decent fly rod. Most saltwater anglers will tell you that anything lighter than the seven weight rod is not a good idea. In fact, typically an eight or nine weight is a great place to start. This is equally as true the average saltwater fish in the Northeast such as bluefish and striped bass. Rod lengths have become fairly standardized at about 9 feet. This length allows you to leverage you need to cast the line without a lot of effort and still remain easy to handle. A good quality rod should cost you somewhere around $100 and local tackle shop.

The reel is the next important piece of equipment that you will need. It must match your rod. If you bought an eight weight rod, you will need an eight weight reel. Saltwater applications typically mean that you will want a large arbor reel. These reels are wider and deeper in the spooling area, allowing room for the fly line as well as additional fly line backing. This will help if you hook into a large fish that decides to take off on you. A good fly reel with an excellent system can be purchased for well under $100.

The next part of your tackle should be fly line and backing. There is no need to use expensive lines in the beginning. Your line weight should match your fishing rod and reel, and it is preferable that you go with a floating weight forward line. You will not need sinking lines until much later. The majority of your spool should be filled with the fly line backing before the fly line is attached. The best fishing line for this is Dacron, typically weighted for 20 to 30 pound test. It would be prudent to ask a tackle shop that has line winding equipment to put the appropriate amount of backing onto your reel and then attach the fly line to the backing.

The next piece of tackle that will be required is a leader. Made either from monofilament line or fluorocarbon line, leaders are typically the same length as your fishing rod, and are attached to your fly line before you tie the fly. Your local retailer should be able to recommend ideal leader sizes for the type of fish that you will be attempting to catch. It is important to remember that leaders are generally tapered, which allows them to unfurl at the end of the cast.

Talk to others who fish locally for deciding which type of flies to use. As a general rule of thumb, a small selection of surface flies and streamers are usually sufficient. For those just starting out, the employees in a local tackle shop can provide this information. After you have been fishing a few times, you will start to figure out what works best for you.

When you are out saltwater fishing it is important to make sure you have the right supplies. Some of the most popular brands include Shimano Reels, Penn Reels, and Daiwa Saltwater Reels.

Share This

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at 9:06 am and is filed under JetSki. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.