Indicators, packs, and waders, oh my! – PART II
In the last post we talked about rods, reels, waders, boots . . . all the expensive stuff. Now we’re going to talk about some less expensive, but still equally necessary items.
Leaders
What is a leader? This is the (usually) clear line that attaches to the end of your (usually) welded loop at the end of your fly line. They come in different weights, lengths, and compositions. I’m going to keep this basic for now, but I do want to digress for a minute because it’ll make more sense when it comes to tippets. I’d really like for you to consider “tapering” your rig. To know what that means, you have to understand that fly line comes in different weights. Most trout and bass anglers are going to fish between 0x and 6x. Ox lines are “thicker” and have a stronger line strength than a 1x. A 1x is thicker/stronger than a 2x, etc. There are lines that are stronger than 0x and they usually start using normally pounds (break strength), that we’re used to.
When we discuss leaders, most leaders are “knotless” and “tapered” meaning that they are thicker where the welded fly line loop is in comparison to where you tie on your first fly or tippet ring. You can buy these in both monofilament and fluorocarbon. I’ll discuss the differences when we get to tippet, but to get started, just use mono. It’s cheaper and works great for a leader.
Let’ talk about tapering you rig. You’re going to want to buy a range of tippet spools. For Warm water species, you might want 0x-5x, and for trout, you’ll probably want 3x-6x. When we “taper” our rig for trout, as an example. The line might go in this order: 3x leader * Tippet ring * 12" 3x Fluorocarbon Tippet * First Fly * 12" 4x Tippet * Second Fly * 12" 5x Tippet * Third Fly. (Note, each state has it’s own regulation about how many flies you can fish on one rig).
The reason that we do this is because if we snag our third fly and have to break it off, we likely get to keep our first and second fly because the 5x tippet between the second and third flies has a lower break strength (breaks easier) than the 4x between the first and second flies. If we snag our second fly, we at least likely get to keep our first. This isn’t always true, but it works out most of the time.
So, as for leaders, if I’m fishing for bass or larger freshwater fish, I might fish a 1x or 2x leader. If I’m fishing trout on a 5wt rod, I start out with a 3x leader.
My favorite brand of leader is Rio Powerflex Trout monofilament leader. I try to buy them in 3 packs. Others are fine too. The Rio leaders just seem to be the most consistent and hold up the best. Plan on spending $12 for a pack of three. If you taper your rigs and use tippet rings, your leader can last several outings.
Tippet Rings (Surprise!)
Okay, I wasn’t planning on hitting this topic. I will, as with many other things, write another post about tippet rings in the future. First of all, if you don’t know what tippet rings are, you’re not alone. I walked into a local fly shop not too long ago and asked for some tippet rings. I received a blank stare in return. When the employee sheepishly said, “Uh, I don’t think we carry those,” I pointed to a small pack of Umpqua rings about three feet from his head. Much to my humor, he then said, “Oh you meant, TIPPET RINGS, yeah we have THOSE . . .” He clearly didn’t know what they were.
Regardless, many people in the fly fishing community think these are the best thing since graphite rods or sealed drags and they aren’t wrong. These are 2mm-3mm rings that you tie onto the end of your leader. Then you attach a length of tippet (usually 12 to 18 inches) onto the other side of the ring. Now, if you get broken off, snagged, or you simply change your first fly enough to eat away at that first section of tippet, you merely replace it instead of having to snip away at your leader thereby making the leader shorter. Another advantage to tippet rings is that you don’t have to connect your leader and tippet with a blood knot. Finally, I like to place my weight immediately up line from the tippet on the leader itself. This prevents the weight from sliding. So, it’s a win-win.
As for brands, I’d ONLY EVER go with Umpqua, Scientific Angler, or Rio at the publishing of this post. Umpqua’s are dark which is nice, but I like the use of the swivel for retention better on with Rio. Scientific Angler just started producing dark colored rings on a swivel and they look nice. I have a new pack sitting with my gear, but I haven't tried them yet.
For the love of the fish gods, do not use off brands, especially one labeled “Tenkara.” Most of the other brands, emphasis on the one brand, have sharp edges. You tie a knot, you hook a fish, the edges cut right through your line. No more fish. This happened to me on the water and I almost lost my mind until I looked at that “Tenkara” labeled brand up close and could see that these were like razors. It’s a pet peeve of mine when people produce or manufacture a product that they clearly haven’t used or tested. Like, not one person took those rings out the the water or, shoot, even tried to tie a line on in the shop? Really? Ridiculous. I digress.
The point is that tippet rings are a great way to go through less leaders and have your rigs last longer. About $10 get’s you a pack of them. If I only could buy one, I’d buy the Rio. The Umpqua retention device is maddening. Although the Scientific Angler rings look pretty nice. Quick tip, tie your line to the ring BEFORE you remove it from the swivel or holder. Finding a dropped 2mm ring anywhere, let alone on a river bank, is impossible.
Weight
At first blush, this may seem easy, and it is, kind of. The old pinch weights with the wings that you can get from Walmart will work okay. In my experience, they tend to snag more, but you can get them anywhere. The biggest thing is that you want a variety pack of some kind. Fly fishing rigs are more sensitive to weight than, say, a lake setup or ice fishing rig. My favorite is the Dinsmore Non Toxic 6-AA weights. They are lead free which is better for the fish, the water, and if you’re like me and sometimes put your weights in your mouth between taking them out of the dispenser and compressing them to your line, they’ll be safer for you too. I guess I can’t use lead as an excuse for my mental issues anymore . . .
You can pick these up for $18 or so and they will last you a really long time, especially if you reuse your weights. You’ll want to use your forceps to pry the weights apart. Also, remember, the non toxic weights are made of tin and therefore aren’t as heavy so you’ll need to go a bit heavier than your buddy who doesn’t care about a lead free environment; smug it up.
Indicators
You mean a bobber? No, an indicator. What’s the difference? One is more expensive and floats your rig. The other is less expensive and floats your rig. All kidding aside, there are actually some slight differences between an indicator and bobber when it comes to fly fishing. Lake or bait “bobbers” are generally much larger, brighter, and clip on with springs or hook retention devices. “Indicators” on the other hand come in a variety of colors including white and clear, are much smaller overall, and either wrap around your line or have a niftier adjustable retention. This isn’t to say that you couldn’t use a bobber as an indicator and vice versa, but I’d strongly suggest that you use one designed for fly fishing.
Indicators are generally made from plastic, yarn, wool, cork, or soft foam. The plastics are my favorite. I haven’t been able to get yarn or wool to float right yet for me although they are the most sensitive, meaning that you can more easily detect a strike or a change in the direction of your rig. A lot of anglers also swear by the yarn indicators. The foams are interesting, but they are stick on so they aren’t adjustable and leave crud on your line. So, I stick to the plastics and cork. Cork are great, but the rubber where you loop your line is hard to adjust. The two predominant plastic indicators are Thingamabobber and AirLock. The latter of are my favorite of the two because they use a tiny nut and rubber washer to lock it to your line. It’s ingenious and super easy to adjust. Thingamabobber is okay, but it kinks your line and isn’t as easy to adjust. It’s rumored that AirLock is coming out with a new model, so we’ll see what that’s like.
3/4 inch is probably the right size to start out for a new angler. They’re big enough to to see on the water, but no so big they drag your rig around too much. Go with whatever color you want, although you’ll find over time that the clear or white will fish the best. I personally fish with a 1/2 inch clear but it took me a long time to like it, get used to it, and be able to consistently find it on the water.
A pack of 3-4 indicators of any kind will set you back less than $10.
Floatant
I’m not going to spend much time here. This is simply a bottle of oil based goo that you apply to a dry fly to keep it floating. Call it what you want, but it just repels water. Dry Magic and Gink are the two biggest brands. Dry Magic is my favorite. Just put a little bit of this one your dry fly to help it stay afloat.
You’re looking at $10 or less for most floatants.
Nippers
They sure look an awful lot like nail clippers . . . That’s because that is what we used to use. You can use these to “nip” or cut your line when your pulling out tippet or need to cut a tag off a knot. Don’t spend much here to get started. The only “high end” nipper that I like is Abel and they’re right around $100. You can literally find steel nippers for $1. Buy several of them and just throw them away when they get dull. The other reason that you’ll want an actual nipper and not just nail clippers is that almost all nippers come with this tiny little needle looking thing attached to it. I didn’t know what the heck it was when I first started fly fishing, and I was too afraid (insert “proud”) to ask anyone what it was. Turns out, it’s for cleaning out the eye of a hook (sometimes there is leftover head cement) or helping you to undo a tiny knot you accidentally got in your line.
So, spend $5, buy five nippers, and you’ll be set for a while.
Forceps
Don’t you mean pliers? No, they’re forceps, it sounds fancier. Where’s the caviar? Anyway, you’ll want a mildly decent pair of these. Unlike the nippers, don’t get the cheapest you can find. I’m going to talk about how to keep them here in a minute, but you want to get a pair that will last you for a while. I personally like the Umpqua River Grips. They’re grippy and I get a flash of color so everyone can know that I spent extra money on name brand. Man, it’s late and I’m being a bit pithy right now. Please forgive me. These have locking teeth so you can crimp them down onto part of your pack. Forceps will also help you pull off your weights and you can even tie a really cool fisherman’s knot with them (another post for another day).
What to avoid? Really cheap and scissor forceps (they have both jaws and scissors in the jaws and you will unintentionally cut your line . . . in the middle of the river . . . with three flies attached . . . like me). I’m also not a huge fan of the forceps designed for mittens. They just feel weird in my hands. Cheap forceps feel, well, cheap. They have a tendency not to last very long, they rust, and the tolerance in the jaws is usually terrible and misaligned.
Zingers! (BONUS!)
A funny or a “Yo mama” joke? Hardly. These are the little retractors that make all of us anglers sound like cats will bells on while we’re walking through the brush. It’s nice that we don’t startle people though . . . Or maybe they make us feel like we have the angling version of the Batman Utility Belt that our parents never bought us as kids. Either way, these nifty little contraptions not only look like we went off the deep end at the fly shop, they’re functional too!
In all seriousness, they help us not lose stuff in the 43 degree water of our favorite tail water and make it so that some necessary items are easily located. You can go nuts and put everything on a zinger; I’ll be snickering from the parking lot. But there are two things I really like to have on a zinger; my nippers and my forceps. The nippers are too small and you will lose them after you’ve already lost feeling in your hand because you had to revive a fish in the water for too long. Plus, it just makes nippers easy and fast to retrieve. Forceps fall in the water a lot. Just put them on a zinger and you’ll be glad you did.
Zingers can range from about $5 to $30. Just go with the cheapies for now. You’ll eventually want some Fishpond ones because they’re the best, but you don’t need to spend $30 until you’ve become a complete gear whore (yes that’s a real term in fly fishing because it’s a real thing). There’s also a “shop rat” meaning you hang out at a particular fly shop too much and yet you don’t work there. I’m both. Welcome to the club, friend.
Hat
Well duh, you need a hat. Here’s the deal, find a nice trucker hat that’s breathable and comfortable (I like the Flex Fit 110 hats) and just keep it as a dedicated fly fishing hat. You don’t need the ridiculous 3 foot wide had with straps to keep it to your head. If that’s you, you’re either 80 and you can wear whatever you want, or your new.
$15 can get you a good hat. $25 if you want a branded hat.
Polarized Sunglasses
I said this section was all cheap stuff, but this one isn’t so much. First of all, if you “Just have sunglasses,” that’s not good enough. I’m serious. Polarization is so important. Polarization works by cutting out the “glaring” horizontal light waves. This allows you to see better in all kinds of conditions but it really allows you to see better in the water. You’ll be able to see the bottom of the river including that big rock or log that would have sent you scrambling.
So, can I just grab that cheap pair of fishing glasses at Walmart? It says “Fishing Polarized” right on the box! Unfortunately, I wouldn’t. With polarization, you can get decent glasses for $25 to $50. If you want to start with the cheap Walmart pair it’s better than nothing. I’d at least look at Native or Sun Cloud. Both are pretty good. Although, I must admit, that my favorite polarized glasses are Costa Del Mar Glass Lens Sunglasses. They are incredible and make a night and day difference (pun intended). But those will set you back $100 from Sierra Trading Post (http://sierra.com) or even up to $250 from other retailers. You definitely don’t need these now, but just put it on your wish list with the Abel nippers, Scott Fly Rod, Ross Reel, and Fishpond Nomad Net. Sierra usually has some other good fishing glasses at great prices.
Flies
You need some. The end. However, let’s assume you don’t want to go invest in a Peak fly tying vice and start tying flies in your basement just yet. You also might not want to spend $3 per fly at Cabelas. A great way to fill up your box (Which by the way you should by the Cliff’s Day Tripper at some point, but the $2 plastic box will do for now) is to stop in each fly shop that is local to you, ask what’s fishing well and just buy 5-10 flies. Do this a few times and you’ll be set for a while.
If you’re going for trout, you’ll want some midges, emergers, attractor flies (stone flies or leaches), a few dries, and maybe a streamer or two. Don’t go nuts. Bass and other warm water fish will hit on many of these as well although you may want some poppers, wooly buggers, etc. This is why asking your fly shop is so great. They’ll steer you in the right direction, you’ll get some good advice, you’ll add to your box, all while supporting a local small business.
A lot of local fly shops also have “Fly Happy Hour” where flies are half off. Walmart oddly has a decent selection of flies although you won’t (usually) get any good suggestions from the sales clerk. Once you know what you like, you haven’t wanted to start tying yet, you’ll want to look on eBay or at local Fly Fishing expos. Beware, however, that not all flies are tied the same. Some off brand flies will fall apart on you after the first fish. This is another reason why I started tying my own.
Flies can get pretty spendy. Just remember, you don’t need a ton to get started. I spent my first day by myself with a plastic ramekin of just a few flies that a guy at a fly shop off the Taylor River picked out for me. It doesn’t take much.
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So that’s it! I hope you see that you don’t have to go nuts and buy every piece of gear under the sun. In fact, you can see that there are several pieces of gear that you can wait to purchase after you’ve had a few solo days on the water.
Most importantly, out of this post, I hope you see where you should spend your money. It’s too easy to walk into a shop and walk out with a second mortgage or having your credit card company call you thinking that your card was stolen because of the size of the purchase. Get started smart. Follow some, most, or all of the suggestions discussed here for a great beginning to your newest passion.