Fly-Fishing Equipment
There are three basic parts to a fly-fishing outfit: the rod, the reel and the line. Rods come in a variety of lengths and weights, depending on your size and the size of the species you intend to fish. For example, a 9 ft, 6-weight rod would be an ideal set up for everything from trout to salmon up to about 5 kg (11 lbs) in size. Longer rods are helpful in casting and manipulating flies into position, especially on rivers and streams.
To handle bigger fish, fly anglers need a much heavier rod such as an 8- or 9-weight rod. Many fly anglers will equip themselves with at least two if not three or more rods of different size and weight in order to maximize their fishing experience. Smaller, lighter rods can be used for fishing small trout or panfish, while longer, heavier ones serve well on rivers to catch big salmon.
When picking up a fly reel, the vast majority of reels (or those worth buying) will be weighted similarly to the way rods are weighted. In fact, reels are made to fit rods. Reels differ in weight simply because of the size difference needed to account for thicker line on larger rods. Also, the weight of the reel needs to match the corresponding rod so that your casting motion is properly balanced.
When fly-fishing lakes, it is necessary to have a floating line in addition to a medium or fast sinking line. The floating line presents dry flies, as well as subsurface wet flies. Dry line can also work well with weighted wet flies. However, a more popular subsurface option is using sink tip line, which is a combination of sinking and floating line where only the end of the fly line sinks. This type of line has a number of advantages, one being the ability to present subsurface flies while retaining the visibility of the fly line on the surface. This helps dramatically in spotting strikes, especially when fishing for trout. One of the best times to surface fish is during the mayfly and caddis hatches, however, trout usually prefer streamers and subsurface flies since they are very reluctant to strike the top of the water.
Medium sinking lines are ideal for fishing wet flies such as nymphs or chironomid pupae near the bottom. The medium sinking line offers the best control when attempting to fish a specific depth. If you do not have a medium sinking line, you can use a longer leader with some weight on your dry line. With a properly weighted fly or leader, this method can produce similar results. This type of presentation is ideal for working a particular depth, such as along a drop-off or along weed beds. Dragonfly, damselfly and even leech patterns can be worked quite effectively this way.
Fast sinking lines are ideal for trolling. If you are not familiar with the lake, trolling a fly is a good way to start. This allows you to cover a lot of distance searching for the ideal spot on the lake. Also, trolling is most effective on lakes with a low population of fish or during the summer doldrums. Woolly Buggers, streamers and leeches are good all-purpose trolling flies. Work the area just off the drop-off in a figure-eight pattern to vary the direction, depth and speed of the fly.
Regardless of which line you run with, you will also need backing and leader. The backing is designed to fill up the spool, as well as to act as reserve for when that fish goes on a hundred metre dash. Most people keep 100 to 150 metres of backing on their reel. The leader is a thinner monofilament line that attaches the thick fly line to the fly. Leaders have a thicker butt that tapers to a thin tippet.
Flies
There are numerous books on fly-fishing techniques and how to choose the best fly for the particular season; however, it is really quite simple. Match the hatch! What you want to do is use a fly that most approximates the insect or baitfish on which the sportfish are feeding. To determine this, spend some time observing the aquatic insects at the lake and try to determine what the fish are rising to and how the insects are moving in the water. If you cannot see the adult insect on the water surface, then try using a small, fine net to scoop up the insects. If you catch a fish, you can also use a throat pump to physically see what the fish are eating. Once you have discovered what type of insect the fish are feeding on, you should try to determine how the insect moves in the water so you can imitate it. For example, is the adult insect sitting motionless on the water or is it rapidly flapping its wings?
Here is a list of recommended flies to include in your fly box. By no means is this exhaustive, but rather a good base to work from:
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Bead Head Nymph
is a variation of the halfback or pheasant tail nymph patterns, but is often a little more versatile. The fly is already weighted so it can be fished easily in streams and lakes with either sinking or floating line. The bead head also is an attractant that often glistens in the water attracting the attention of predatory fish.
Carey Special
is versatile enough to be used in both lakes and streams. Try size 4-8 for trout or 6-12 for salmon in red, green or brown. One of the most popular lake patterns, it is a great searching pattern that can simulate many insects, including dragonfly, mayfly and caddis nymphs, as well as leeches. Smaller flies using a simple strip retrieve with sinking line is best in lakes, while moving water requires a bigger fly that is drifted with quicker strips.
Chironomid (Midge)
has quickly become one of the most important flies in the fly box of a lake angler. Chironomids can be found in many lakes, and they vary in size and colour depending on the lake and time of year. The fly must always be worked very slowly in the part of the water column that depends on the stage of the main hatch that is taking place. The big hatches are mainly in the spring, although they are present all year round.
Doc Spratley
is a general-purpose fly that can imitate most insects and a number of leeches. Perhaps the most popular fly, the large sizes can imitate the dragonfly or damselfly nymphs, while smaller versions are like chironomid pupae. Black is the most versatile, but red, green and brown work, too. Depending on what you want to imitate, you will vary the method of presenting this fly. If you are looking to imitate a dragonfly nymph, stripping the fly in a consistent manner would be appropriate. On the other hand if you are looking to imitate a smaller nymph pattern, a shorter stripping retrieve may be required.
Dragon and Damselfly Nymphs
vary in size and colour. Since they are found everywhere, they should certainly be part of every fly box. There are literally dozens of patterns used throughout the province and your best bet to know what works is to inquire locally before you head out. These nymphs are often worked deep and even off bottom for cruising trout.
Elk Hair Caddis
is a specific caddis imitation fly that revolutionized top water caddis fly fishing. Depending on the time of year your presentations will vary with this type of fly. In the early part of the season, hatching caddis will often flap along the surface attempting to break away. Therefore, your presentation should imitate this. Later in the season when caddis are laying eggs, they will literally smack the water and trout will pounce on them. The key is to be observant of the hatch and what the flies are doing.
Leeches
are a definite must in every fly box since they are found in many lakes. Leech patterns are versatile and great for searching lakes. At times, this is all trout are feeding on. Even if they are feeding on something else, they will rarely pass up a well-presented leech.
Mayfly
patterns vary dramatically in size and colour. During a hatch, trout can sometimes be so picky that they will literally pass up your mayfly if it is a size or two too small or a wrong colour. However, the mayfly hatch is a big part of the open water season and a good variety of this fly is needed in your box, especially early in the season.
Muddler Minnow
imitates a minnow in distress and is the ideal meal for a wide variety of fish. In general, larger fish seem to like bigger presentations of this fly. The fly is mainly worked below the surface although some anglers have been known to put floatant on them and work them on or just below the top of the water for big aggressive fish.
Scud (Shrimp)
patterns, similar to chironomids, vary greatly in size and colour depending on the lake. A good rule of thumb is to use whatever colour the lake bottom is. Working the fly needs patience. It should be allowed to sink close to the bottom and retrieved with slow short strips followed by a short pause. Working closer to shore is better, since shrimp are most often found frolicking here.
Streamer
is a good versatile pattern for all sportfish species as it imitates baitfish or larger meals that most sportfish thrive on. This fly can be almost any size and colour, but the key is that it should have a long sleek profile in the water and be used to fish subsurface. Typically you are looking for a pattern that imitates baitfish.
Tom Thumb
is one of the more popular dry flies. Size is very important to match the current hatch, especially if surface fishing. While the fly can imitate a number of different insects, it is most commonly used as a caddis imitation.
Woolly Bugger
is a good versatile pattern for cutthroat, salmon, steelhead and trout. This fly imitates larger meals such as baitfish or leeches and can be effective in both streams and lakes. While the most popular colours are olive and black, other colours and variations, such as a bead head, can create a good fly for that unique situation.
