Tackle and Accessories, Catch and Release by Jacques Fourie
1. Introduction
Fishing Tackle is, in essence, functional; it should do the job at hand but also do it well. However, humankind cannot help but impose fashion, good looks, and one-upmanship on functionality. When acquiring fly-fishing equipment you should be wary of over embellishment.
The main items needed are a rod, a reel, a fly line or two, some leader and tippet material, flies, a net, and a few other accessories i.e. outdoor clothing and a hat, scissors, floatants, fly boxes, wading boots etc.
In this article I will touch on the basic requirements when one take up river fly-fishing for the first time and these requirements are explained in the following chapters
2. Rods
The first essential is to acquire a properly balanced outfit…..without this balance you will be unable to cast well, and you will certainly not be able to cast accurately.
If you look at any modern fly rod you will find written somewhere on the butt a set of letters and numbers, usually “wt 6/7†or “AFTM 6/7†or even “# 6/7â€. These numbers indicate the rating of the rod – the correct line size with which the rod is matched to cast. This is what we call the “: weight†of the line required to fit the rod. So if you see a rod that has “AFTM 4†it is correct to assume that the line required is “AFTM 4â€. This weight indicates the weight of the first 10 meters of the line.
If you see a rod with a double number on the butt end “AFTM 5/6†it does not mean you can use either a 4 weight or 5 weight lines. What it actually means is that the rod works best with either a 4 weight “double tapered†fly line or a 5weight “weight forward†fly line. The line will be discussed later but I need to mention that the “double tapered†line is easier to cast and would suit the beginner better. It is also more cost effective – as the line could be turned around when the original end becomes worn.
So the question then is “What size rod?†My advice here is to ignore the really cheap stuff and start off by looking at rods in the medium price range (anywhere between R350 and R600).
The all-round trout, yellowfish and bass rod would be an AFTM 5/6. Make sure it is a graphite rod but also make sure that the angling shop includes a rod tube for storage.
3. Reels
In fly-fishing for smallmouth yellowfish and trout as well as any other small species, the function of the reel very seldom goes further than providing a storage location for the fly line. The goal here is then to get a lightweight reel – the reel has nothing to do with balancing the rod.
Once again do not go for the cheap stuff and acquire yourself a medium price range reel which could be anything between R200 and R400. Be sure to acquire a reel with an extra spool as you will be using 2 types’ fly-lines.
4. Line
The most important piece of equipment in a fly fisherman’s arsenal. There is a whole heap of fly line on the market and could be very confusing for the beginner fly fisherman. But, remember the rule discussed in the rods section.
When buying fly line there are also a few letters and numbers on the box. They will follow the format “DT 5 Fâ€. DT stands for “Double Taperedâ€, the 5 indicates the line weight and the “F†would mean that it is a Floating line. Herewith a summary of the codes: L = Level Line (no taper) DT = Double taper (tapered at both ends) and is a good beginners choice ST = Shooting taper or shooting head WF = weight forward taper
The density codes are either “F†for floating line, “S†for sinking line, “I†for intermediate or F/S for sink tip.
If you are starting fly-fishing for the first time, your line requirements are quite straightforward. All you need is a floating line and a medium to fast sinking line. Buy full length lines and not shooting tapers. The “Double Taper†lines are most suitable for learning to cast. In addition to the fly-line you would need backing. When buying your reel and line get the shop to load the backing and the fly-line. Be sure to ask the shop to show you how the backing is tied to the fly line.
Other than the rods and reels – invest in a good quality line: Cortland, Hardy, Airflo and Masterline. This would probably cost you around R500 per line. Remember you need one floating line and one sinking line.
5. Leaders & Tippets
These days it is easy to choose a tapered leader. These leaders are rated in 2 ways: Braking strain By the old “X†system
A 5X line in considerably thinner and thus have a lighter breaking strain than the 2X. Try to get the Tapered leaders with the mat finish.
Tippet, which is at the end of the leader is crucial and may well decide whether you catch fish or not. I use the following rule of thumb: Use the fly size and divide the fly size by 4, and then add one. Example: Fly size 12 divided by 4 = 3, add 1, gives tippet size 4X 6. Essential accessories
I will not go into much detail regarding accessories but will list a few: Sunglasses (NB: Polarized) Nets: Small clip on nets, available from most stores, are sufficient for smallmouth yellows and trout.
7. Releasing Fish
Treat your fish with care, and return it to the water as soon as possible... The best and most simple way to return fish is to use barbless hooks, and simply tweak out the hook without removing the fish from the water. Some trout farms insists on a no release policy – if this is the case a “priest†– club like item is essential
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