In the past few years, an explosion of lower-priced fly rods made in Korea has appeared in shops. These rods possess quality features that mimic their high-priced counterparts and this quality construction helps a young angler get started. Children often shift from interest to interest, warranting a modest first investment. What else will outfit your future fishing partner?
By far the most common size and weight in a beginner setup is an 8 to 9 foot rod, in a five weight. This weight allows a novice caster to deliver a fly accurately, but without requiring much wrist strength or causing fatigue. A five weight also possesses enough rigidity to land typical fish while cushioning the sometimes-fragile tippets.
For much of freshwater stream fishing for trout, the reel is little more than a line storage device that balances the long rod. Single-action reels with simple click drags suit the first outfit. It pays to accept the shop owner’s recommendation for a matching reel, as a reel’s mass varies greatly.
Many shops offer a free fly line when purchasing an outfit, a welcome development, since the cost of some lines now exceeds that of the reel where they reside. Ask the shop to “spool-up” the reel with the line and the required amount of backing. Knowledge of the precisely correct amount of backing is a skill not available to most typical weekend fly anglers, so let the shop make the call.
To connect the fly line to the eventual terminal tackle (flies), a leader is required, and generally a tapered leader in the 9 foot 4X range will work (“X” is the nomenclature for line diameter). You will want to discuss where you fish with the shop, as conditions and average stream width affect leader selection. You can tie flies directly to the leader, but most anglers first affix a short piece of monofilament, known as tippet, to the leader. Tippet sells on a small plastic spool that holds about 30 meters. A typical length of tippet to tie on your leader is two feet. If you are unsure about how to knot the sections together, ask for a demonstration.
For a casual fly angler preparing for Connecticut’s Farmington River on opening day in mid-April, a small selection of flies will do. Since flies tend to get lost in trees and rocks during an outing, you should collect a dozen nymphs or streamers as a minimum. Well-known standards for streamers include olive wooly buggers, black-nosed dace buck tails or an old effective pattern, the Mickey Finn. A useful beginner tactic is to fish two flies, with the trailer being a smaller nymph, such as a size 14 gold-ribbed hare’s ear. Rig the trailer fly on a 15-inch piece of tippet tied on the hook bend of the lead fly, and ask for help with the rigging.
Start your youthful cohort the right way, and cultivate a life-long interest to share.
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