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Choosing the Right Fly Fishing Combo

Posted by loopfly on March 14th, 2009 No Comments Printer-Friendly

Fly Fishing Combo

As a newbie into the world of fly fishing, it is always important for me to get the best equipment for my money, and this includes any hobby that I get started in. So I set out on a task to locate the best fly fishing combo package I could find, and after a few weeks of research here is what I found.

First off I learned that fly fishing was much more involved than the fishing that most of us are familiar with, fly fishing is not your lazy afternoon sitting on a dock, drinking beer with our line in the water waiting for a bite.  Fly fishing take practice and dedication, but to most fly fishing enthusiasts it is well worth the learning curve in the end.

Choosing a good fly fishing combo might seem easy, but for me, I like to buy quality equipment that will last for a long time the first go around, instead of buying something cheap, and having to replace it after it breaks, 3-6 months down the road.  Not knowing anything about fly fishing, choosing the right fly fishing combo was not an easy task.

There are several types of fly fishing rods, and which one you choose is a matter of personal preference, your style, and basically which one you are most comfortable with.  Let's go into the different types of fly fishing rods that are available.flyfishing-combo

  • Bamboo fly fishing rods - These were some of the first kinds of fly fishing rods on the market, and are used by most fly fishing purists.  The pros of bamboo fly fishing rods are, they are light weight and flexible, this makes for a slow action rod which is perfect for the more refined method of fly fishing. The cons of the Bamboo fly fishing rod is they are among the most expensive rods that you can buy.
  • Graphite fly fishing rods - As a Beginner looking at graphite fly fishing rods, you will want to bring someone with experience to help you choose the right one. Graphite rods tend to be much stiffer than there bamboo counterparts, but effective nonetheless.  Graphite is a very strong material, and many beginners like the performance that they get from graphite fly fishing rods.
  • Fiberglass fly fishing rods - It doesn't matter if you are fishing the traditional way or picking up the hobby of fly fishing, fiberglass fishing rods can be found in abundance almost anywhere.  The pros of fiberglass fly fishing rods are, they are strong and flexible, which make them a perfect material for fishing rods. The cons is that compared to the other two types of fly fishing rods, fiberglass is much heavier.  Drawbacks might be some tired arms at the end of the day, although they still remain a popular choice due to there low cost.

 

Now lets go into fly fishing reels, so that we may put together the perfect fly fishing combo for our situation.

Fly Fishing reels are much different than your typical bait reel, fly reels require a little more work on the fisherman's part in laying out the line, and then controlling the movement with the opposite hand.  It might take a while to get the hang of casting a fly reel, especially if you are from a traditional fishing background.

First off the construction of your fly fishing is important and which type you choose will depend on the type of fly fishing you will be doing.  Graphite is a great material if you plan on freshwater fishing in a stream or river type setting.  If you plan on doing any salt or brackish water fishing then you might opt for the corrosive resistant stainless steel type fly fishing reel.

Does Size matter?  According to fly fisherman, when putting together your dream fly fishing combo, it most certainly does.  The larger the spool is on your reel, the faster your line retrieval will be, and not to mention, better line handling.  The most important thing is you want the reel you choose to fit comfortably in your hand.

  • Single action fly fishing reels are the most common, and also the most simplest to operate, for every crank of the handle you will get one rotation of the spool.  There are also multiple reels where your line retrieval will be quicker due to one crank of the handle turns the spool 2 or more times.
  • Automatic action fly fishing reels are the easiest to use, but in exchange for ease of use, they are harder to maintain.  In automatic action fly fishing reels, a flick of a switch will retrieve your line automatically.

Purist fly fishing reels have no drag, which might be ideal for smaller fish, although if you are looking to land a whopper, you will need some type of drag or braking system on your fly fishing reel.  

So there you have the best and worst features of fly fishing rods and fly fishing reels so that you might put together the perfect fly fishing combo for yourself. Always in the end consider the overall weight of your fly fishing combo.


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