It’s never been easier to take up the sport of fly fishing. Affordable rod packages combined with free instructional videos and content on the internet makes it simple to get up and running. Outside of the rod packages, new anglers will need a few basic accessories, flies and a means of carrying everything. At Frontier Anglers, we have it all and can help put together custom fly packages based on your region.
Start with the Rod, Reel & Line
The essential rod, reel and line was once a bit of an issue for new anglers. Matching the correct sizes and getting setup at a reasonable cost was difficult. That is not the case now and we have excellent package options at great prices. Orvis and Echo both have great kit options, especially for general trout fishing. A 5-weight or 6-weight package is perfect for new anglers. Kits come with a weight forward floating line, leader and a high quality reel. It’s all spooled and ready to use right out of the box. The Echo Traverse is a favorite kit and the Orvis Clearwater is also excellent.
Must Have Fly Fishing Accessories
After the rod is rigged and ready, a few other accessories come into play.
Tippet and Leaders - Trout anglers will need 4x and 5x tippet and tapered leaders to cover most situations. Including 3x and 6x will ensure they can fish tiny dry flies and streamers as well.
Floatant - Dry flies quickly become waterlogged and will lose performance. A simple bottle of floatant only costs a few bucks and it will keep flies floating for much longer.
Nippers - Cutting line is necessary throughout the day and a high quality pair of nippers should always be available.
Forceps - Pinching barbs and unhooking fish requires forceps. It’s always nice to have a backup set in the truck as well so consider getting a few pairs.
Net - Landing fish is possible by hand but a quality rubber net makes a huge difference. Get a good net that clips to a pack or vest.
Fly boxes - Flies accumulate quickly and it’s good to have a few boxes for various sizes and styles of flies.
Fly Fishing Pack Options
All of this stuff needs a place to live and numerous pack styles are available. A vest or hip pack is ideal when getting started. Fishpond, Simms, Orvis and a few other brands have excellent options available. The Fishpond sling and waist packs are fantastic with great features to keep everything organized. They also seem to last forever.
Every Angler Needs Flies
The last and most obvious need is the little thing that actually catches fish. Flies are important and they will be fished hard and lost on occasion so it pays to stock up. Start with the foam attractor style dry flies like the Chubby Chernobyl then move to more specific dry flies like the parachute adams and elk hair caddis. Throw in some nymphs like the pheasant tail and prince nymph then add a few streamers like wooly buggers and muddler minnows. These basics will cover a wide range of trout fishing situations and the angler will add many more patterns as they learn and evolve.