The system of fly fishing was designed to allow you to cast a virtually weightless fly onto the water where the fish are.
There are many variations and setups for particular fish, but the fly fishing rig has six essential components.
Those components are the fly rod, reel, backing line, fly line, leader, and fly. It is the different combinations of these components that make endless possibilities for whatever type of fishing one may do, from ocean to stream, from salmon to trout.
The main characteristic of a fly rod is its length and flexibility. The rod is designed to be a part of the delivery system that interacts with the line to get the fly to the water, and control the fly while on the water. Fly rods are typically much longer than a typical spin cast rod and are weighted according to the type of fishing being done and the line being used.
The fly reel is one of the simplest reels you can get. The reel's main purpose is for line storage that will be let out of reeled in when catching a fish. Unlike a spin cast rod, the reel sits at the butt of the fly rod. There is a basic drag system that can be set to control how much tension is needed to strip line out.
The backing is a strong braided type of line that goes on the reel first. Typically 40 to 50 yards of 15-20 lb strength backing line goes on the fly reel first. This provides a strong attachment for the fly line that goes on next, and also provides a buffer if too much of the fly line is let out into the water if a fish is caught.
The fly line is the most important line on the real. It's the weight of the fly line that enables you to get the fly effectively on the water. The fly line is gauged by "weight" and "taper". The weight is the heaviness of the fly line and the taper is degree by which the fly line goes from thicker to thinner from the beginning to end of the line.
The leader is the clear piece of line that is tied to the end of the fly line. It allows for a smooth delivery of the fly to the water. The fly leader is also tapered, so that when casting, the heavier end toward the fly line will set down, and the skinnier end attached to the fly will gently come down into the water. This allows for less ripples to scare away the fish.
The fly is attached to the end of the leader. Flies can generally be divided into two categories. Dry flies which float on top of the water and require a fish to rise from the water and strike, and wet flies, which sink beneath the surface of the water and mimic food that the fish will feed on.
The art of fly fishing is presenting a particular fly for a particular fish in a manner that mimics a food source in its natural surroundings. As these variables change, more knowledge much be gathered to hone your skills as a fly fisherman.
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