In 2017, almost 50 million Americans participated in freshwater, saltwater, and fly fishing. The largest share of fishing participants went on four to eleven trips, but a small percentage went on fishing outings more than 104 times a year.
From bait required, to reel rods, fishing lines, tackle boxes, and more, the gear required for fishing can be endless. There are hundreds of fishing stores with thousands of fishing products out there. What about fly fishing makes it stand out when looking for gear like rod reels, fly rods, and other items provided by fly fishing brands? What are some of the most notable differences between gear used in fly fishing and gear used in traditional spin fishing?
Attach a lure (or “fly”) to a line, cast it in the water, and you have the basics of fly fishing. While spin casting with a spin reel is how many people fish, fly fishing involves different gear, including custom fly reels and rods. The rods are lightweight and longer than a traditional spin reel, and often times they use mock casting. Rather than using live bait, fly fishing involves very lightweight fake bait to imitate food, also known as the “fly” in fly fishing. The fishing line for fly fishing is typically heavier than what you would find on a spin reel. This allows the proper weight to cast (since the bait is of a lighter weight). With that being said, the rod reels also have to be of a different quality and strength when it comes to material in order to maintain the weight of the line when reeling in.
While on any fishing trip or outing, the main goal is to catch fish, right? With fly fishing, fishermen want more of a challenge in this generally more difficult form of fishing (than spin fishing) and try to catch as many fish as possible in the process.
Fly fishing does take some trial and error, so being educated and learning how to fly fish is just part of the process. Being provided with the right gear, from rod reels to fly fishing outfits, sage fly reels, and more, will make the experience more pure, peaceful, and smooth, even if it is your first time fly fishing!
