Start Fly Fishing - Equipment

When taking up a new hobby, how you start can be the difference between finding enjoyment that lasts a lifetime and an unpleasant experience you don't wish to repeat. Fly fishing is no different and here you will find how we introduce and advise novice fly fishers through those first steps in the learning process.

Firstly, choose a fishery conveniently located for you. Resist the temptation to start on a river or reservoir. Instead select one of the many good quality small stillwaters. Such venues have plenty of space for casting, plus trout are never too far away, giving you a favorable chance of catching those all important early fish.

Having established where we intend to fish, we can select a small set of fly fishing equipment so you can go fly fishing. Our suggested list for beginners includes the following.

Starter Kit

Fly Rod - Rated AFTM 6-7 weight
Reel - Basic fly reel designed to hold 6-7 weight line plus 75+ meters of backing
Fly Line - Weight forward 7 floating fly line
Backing - Spool of polypropylene backing line, connecting fly line to reel
Leader - Spools of 6lb and 8lb breaking strain fluorocarbon line
Fly Box/flies - A small selection of flies to get started (go to fly shop for our selection)
Priest - Implement for dispatching trout you intend to eat
Forceps/snips - Combination for trimming line and unhooking fish.
Landing Net - Means of landing your catch quickly and safely
Floatant/Sinkant - Treatments to make line/flies float or sink as desired

This basic selection is all you need to get started. As with most things in life, you can pay as little or as much as you wish. Starter kits can be purchased from £50 or you could by top brand equipment costing over £1000, the choice is yours. However you can obtain the above equipment for £110 - £160 and have tackle that works well, is pleasant to use and flexible for the occasional foray to a river or reservoir once you have built up your experience.

To ensure you start fly fishing the right way, book a day's tuition with an instructor. We can't vouch for everyone, but our Cast & Catch days cover what you need to start and instructors provide guidance on suitable products. In addition to this, these courses coach novice fly fishers in basic casting and fishing techniques, where to look for trout and what flies to use. This ensures you know how to: -

Select and set up equipment correctly
present flies and fish them effectively
land and handle fish correctly

To discover how to start the right way with Midlands Flyfishing go to fly fishing tuition. For details of fisheries we use and recommend in the Midlands see trout fisheries. Details of other waters located around the UK can easily be found using a local internet search.

Tight Lines

Midlands Flyfishing Team

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