"...don't forget your Rod Licence ! "
When you bought your fly reel, you may have bought one that was described as left-hand wind, right-hand wind or switchable between left and right hand. Which then do you choose? If you are right handed, there is a lot to be said for sticking to the traditional right-hand wind. If left handed, then set your reel up for left-hand winding. It may seem curious to have to change hands when you want to use the reel but, unless you hook a really big fish, most fish are not played on the reel, but by holding the line itself.
The reel's prime purpose in life is to hold the line tidily and conveniently. It makes sense to hold the rod in your strongest or dominant hand while playing a fish. The other reason to have the handle of the reel on your outside is that if you find that your rod turns in your hand as you cast - something that does happen - if the handle is on the side of the reel nearest to your body and the rod turns anti-clockwise (for a right hander) then the line can get caught round the handle and cause all sorts of problems.
Before winding the fly line on to the reel, you must put on some backing which is used to fill up the reel and, if you catch a big fish, you may find that the fly line itself is not long enough. Backing is usually braided line of about 20lbs (9.5kg) breaking strain. Some reels will have information with them detailing how much backing to put on them, depending on the weight of the fly line that you have bought. If this is the case, then life is easy.
If you don't know how much backing to use, then you will have to wind on the fly line (noting which end is which, i.e. the reel end or the fly end), attach the backing to the end and wind on enough backing to fill the reel to within about 3/16" (5mm) of the lip of the spool. Cut the backing line to length. You will now have to reverse the process! Strip the backing off and try to keep it in large loops - to reduce the risk of subsequent tangles - followed by the fly line.
Don't be in too much of a hurry as it is only too easy to get in a muddle with knots and tangles in both backing and fly line and you could end up having to discard either or both. The knot to use to attach the backing to the reel spool is the Arbor Knot (see illustration). Tie an overhand knot in the end of the line and tighten it. Then using the end of the line with the knot in it, tie another overhand knot around the length of the line. Pull that tight so that both knots are tight against each other and the loop round the spool is tight as well.
Now you can start to wind-on the backing line. Make sure that it is wound on to the bottom of the spool and that you are winding it in the right direction. Just before you get to the end of the backing, attach your fly line. Make sure that you attach the right end. With a double taper line either end can be used but with a forward taper (weight forward) line, you must use the reel-end of the line. The best knot to use here is the Nail Knot (see illustration).
There are a number of ways to fix your leader to the end of the fly line. It does not make a great deal of difference if you use tapered, braided leaders or one-piece or knotted leaders. Whatever method you choose, make sure that the join is a smooth as possible, so that it cannot get snagged in the top rod ring. My preferred method is to use the Needle Knot (pictured below) . The other knot to use is the Nail Knot (as above).
When you are at the waterside and ready to start fishing, after you have assembled the rod and fixed the reel in the reel seat, the easiest way to thread the line is to take the end of the fly line itself, double back the leader and thread the end of the line through the guides. This is much quicker and easier than trying to thread the thin nylon of the end of the leader. As you thread the line, the leader will follow along behind.
You now need to attach the tippet, the final piece of the leader to which the fly is attached. A good knot for making loops in the ends of leaders, whether braided or monofilament, is the surgeon's loop. This is quick to do and has the advantage that it is as easy to undo if you want or need to change your leader.
Fly fishing is not short of knots. My advice to the tyro angler is to learn two or three different knots, find out which serve you best and stick to that knot or knots. Different nylons and leader materials work better with some knots than others. When tying any knot in leader material, always moisten the knot with some spit before pulling or drawing it tight. This both lubricates the knot and perhaps more important, prevents the nylon from overheating through friction which can weaken the material.
There is a large choice of knots for tying flies onto the end of the leader tippet : the half blood knot, tucked half blood knot (see illustration) and turle knot are all well-proven favourites. The tucked half blood knot (clinch knot) is a firm favourite as the extra tuck does increase its efficiency. All knots should be tested with a firm pull before casting.
Flies need putting in boxes: dry flies, wet flies, nymphs and lures can all be put in the same box or each category of fly or lure can have its own box. The best approach is to have separate boxes for dry flies and wet flies and aim to have different boxes for lures and nymphs. It is sensible to keep the different patterns together and to arrange them in hook size. This will make selecting a particular fly that much easier as well as helping with stock control.
Flies do get lost and damaged or broken and should be replaced as soon as possible. Whether you have chosen a waistcoat or tackle bag, you need to store all your tackle so that the items used most are ready to hand. Scissors or line clippers can be attached to the front of a waistcoat with a zinger or pin-on reel. This is a spring-loaded device with a retractable length of wire or nylon: in use pull the scissors and line out of the reel. Then when you let, go the line is retracted out of the way.
Fly boxes should be stored in the front pockets of the waistcoat which are usually the right size to take a fly box. Spare spools of nylon can be kept in smaller pockets, perhaps on the top part of the waistcoat. Your polarised glasses will warrant a pocket of their own, to prevent them from being scratched or suffering worse damage. It is worth a reminder to new fly fishermen that polarised glasses not only make it easier to see fish in the water, but perhaps more important, they also protect your eyes from damage by a wayward fly if a cast goes wrong.
After the initial fishing expedition you will, no doubt, move things around. But once you have found the best place to keep things, leave well alone. All my equipment stays in exactly the same place from one end of the season to the next, and from season to season. This way I know exactly where everything is without having to think. This saves valuable fishing time if you have to replace a fly quickly or tie on a new tippet.
Landing nets are not the easiest piece of equipment to carry. Some nets have a clip on them which can be used to clip them on to the webbing strap of a tackle bag or a belt. Others are available that can be clipped to a loop on the back of a waistcoat. Stillwater fishermen may prefer a fixed net that can be stuck into the bank. Don't forget to pick it up when you move on to a new spot!
One piece of equipment that must be stored so that it comes to hand readily is your priest. If you are going to be killing the fish you catch, you must carry a priest so that you can dispatch your catch as quickly and humanely as possible. A stone or the end of your landing net handle are not the right things to try to use.
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