Fishing Rods Lines Leader-Tippet

Fishing Reel Backing Fly

FISHING RODS Describing the length, numbering, and material of a rod, is like describing its personality, defects and qualities. Rods are certainly the most important element of the fly fisherman, appreciated to the extent that they can even sometimes become collectable objects. The first rods were made of bamboo, which were then replaced by glass fiber ones, and then these by graphite, in an effort to reduce their weight while giving a higher resistance and flexibility.

A rod is an extension of the arm, and it allows us to cast, give direction to the line and fight the trout. Their numbering, action and length differs depending on the rod.

In numbering, rods go from # 1, used for small fish, to # 8 or 15, for larger waters, even the sea. Its action describes the way the rod bends under pressure. This is related to the material it is made of.

The bamboo rod, for example, is very flexible, and we call this 'slow action.' The graphite rod on the other hand, offers a lesser flexibility, i.e.. it is harder, and we call this 'fast action'.

FISHING REEL The purpose of the reel is to store the line and produce a soft and uninterrupted tension when a relatively big fish tries to escape. It also works as a counterbalance when casting. It is necessary to have a different reel to fish with different types of line. In general, the importance of the reel is directly related to the size and stamina of the fish.

The reel has a pressure system which has two purposes: one to prevent the reel from overturning when one is casting, so avoiding snarls. The second is to tire the fish with the tension of the line while it swims in the opposite direction.

LINES The line, or mouse tail, is the one that will transport the fly by its own weight, to the fish. The line is composed of three parts: the leader, where you tie the fly, the line which allows the fly casting, and the backing, which gives a greater extension to the line.

There are two types of line: the floating line, designed to fish with dry flies, imitating the winged stage of the insect in the water; and the submergible line, which is designed to use with wet flies, imitating the larval stage of the insect.

Within these categories, there are lines with different structures:

Rocket Taper: these are lines with weight in the tip, used to gain distance; they are easy to cast, and they belong to the WF category.

Double Taper: these have the weight in the middle, and thin tips; they are used to fish in streams or small rivers, their main characteristic is their soft and delicate presentation (DT).

Shooting Taper: these have the weight in the tips, and they can give great distance, longer than the rocket taper. They also belong to the WF family.

BACKING As the line has an average of 30 meters, the backing is the insurance. On some occasions, more line is needed to fight a big fish. This is the function of the backing, as the longest component of the line. The leader is not as important as the rod or the line, but sometimes, it is more important than the fly.

LEADER-TIPPETS The leader's function is to carry the fly in its tip, to tease the trout. The leader is made of transparent nylon or monofilament. The translation of 'tippet' is 'tip'.

Tippets are the most important tools in the trick bag of a fly fisherman. An inch either way with its diameter may make the difference between the success or failure of a fishing trip. Leaders are different from the tippet by their length and diameter. Tippets can be identified by their diameters, measured in inches, and are identified by a system called 'X' with a number to specify their diameter.

FLIES A fly may imitate almost anything the fish eats. Trout flies are tied to imitate different varieties of insects, crustaceans or little fish, which the trout feed on.

The best flies are made of leather and feathers on a hook. Flies are tied according to a specific pattern, some of them more than a hundred years old; some others are dreamed up on the spot.

The fly is segmented into different parts: the head, located just behind the hook eye; the body of the fly is most of the hook; the ribs, or abdomen, which, in some flies has a spiral shape; the wings, and the hackle. This allows the dry fly to float, or, in the case of the wet fly, imitate the legs of an insect or a crustacean.

Most fly-fishing is based on the imitation of creatures on which fish feed. Size, form, color and behavior are factors we strive to imitate. The three first points are related to the type of fly pattern we will use, and the last point is the way we use the fly.

Water insects are the base of the trout's food chain. They live as larvae under the water. They hatch into winged adults at a particular time of year, depending on the species. During the hatchings, the insects are extremely vulnerable, giving the trout a moment to feed carefree, which give us the possibility of teasing and catching the fish easily, providing we use the correct fly pattern.