As fisherman, we have all been troubled with a time where we wish we were more prepared while on the water. Whether we forgot our net or our nippers, having the necessities is important for our success. If you are new to the sport of fly fishing, walking into a fly shop may be very intimidating. Seeing walls of gear and tools, you may be asking yourself, do I really need all of this? The truth of the matter is, there are a lot of gimmick items that aren’t 100% necessary but nice to have. In this tips and tricks video of the week, Brian Flechsig of Mad River Outfitters breaks down 6 must have accessories for beginner fly-anglers.
Must Have Accessories for Beginners:
1. Nippers
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- Necessary for cutting tag ends, strands of tippet, and opening up the eyes on hooks.
2. Hemostats
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- Great for holding flies while tying your knot or mashing the barb on your hooks. Also the perfect tool for removing flies from the mouth of fish.
3. Fly Floatant
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- Floatant is a must have tool for fishing dry flies. This viscous fluid or powder coats the fly preventing it from sinking beneath the surface.
4. Split Shot
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- Lead or tin weights that can be added to your tippet to aid in getting your flies down faster.
5. Strike Indicators
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- “The fly fisherman’s bobber.” Strike indicators are just that, cork, foam, or yarn that floats on the surface and are used to detect strikes when nymphing.
6. Polarized Eye Wear
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- Arguably one of the most important pieces of equipment when starting out. Polarized glasses cut the glare out of your vision allowing you to see more clearly in the water. Great when trying to find fish or structure.
As mentioned previously, the fly fishing market is flooded with gear, rods, reels, and tools. To ease that overwhelming feeling, having the essentials is all that is necessary when just starting out. Load up the pack with the gear on this list, grab the rod, and hit the river! Tight Lines!
I am just getting into fly fishing late in life (over 50) and find it a bit overwhelming. There is a lot of terminology as well as technique to wrangle. I thought learning to play golf was difficult. Golf is a Sunday stroll compared to this pursuit. Grant’s articles and video are the best I have come across in the hundreds I have watched and read. His work is very approachable and there is something calming in his humble and relaxed approach. If he has any instructional DVD’s available I would like to purchase them in order to watch on television instead of my tiny phone screen.