Words By: Kit Belen

When I first started, there was hardly any information on what to buy and where to buy. There were only a handful of fly fishermen and most of them were not interested to share. So like many others before me, I had to do everything the hard way – learn with whoever I can watch and mostly learn on my own. I soon discovered that putting together a fly fishing outfit was mostly like putting together a puzzle. You will soon realise that you have preferences you need to discover to make it work for you. Putting one piece out of place would give you somewhat of a bad experience, but through it all, if you are committed enough, you will find the pieces of the puzzle yourself and make your experiences more enjoyable.

Navigating the jungle

The very first thing you notice when you look at fly fishing gear is the mention of line weights. As each rod has a rating, the line has a rating and the reels also have a rating.

Without complicating things, the very first thing that you need to know is to balance an outfit; you get the rod, line and reel with the same rating. So, let’s say you want a starter outfit – something you can use anywhere and catch almost anything – look no further than a 9wt.

The fly line does a few things; it’s the part of the fly casting system that you cast, as the flies themselves are nearly weightless. The lines come in a few varieties, but the main ones are floating (meaning, the line floats), intermediate (sinks very slowly) and sinking (speaks for itself). The best line to get as your first is the floating; this is the easiest to cast. Although I have to say, the most useful one is almost always the intermediate line.

The rods are the part of the system that to me is the most complicated. It is what propels the line and I find it complicated because this is where you start with your preference. Generally, the stiffer the rod (fast action) the farther the potential cast. However, not everyone can cast a fast rod. It takes a little juggling until you find what is right for you, regardless of the brand, keeping in mind that the rods are not cheap; it is an expensive juggling act for most people. The best way around this is to look for people that have different rods and ask to cast them and then you would find out what suits you the most. A medium action rod is the path of least resistance; however, there is a danger of the rod being outgrown fast.

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The reel, for me, is the least complicated of the system. You basically get one with a good drag system, if you can find one with a sealed drag (which means the whole system is encased and isn’t as prone to saltwater intrusion) even better and one that holds at least 200m of 10-15kg backing (a length of fishing line that comes after the fly line, which is mostly only 100ft in length, some fish will run and take you to your backing, but most of the fish you encounter will not get you there).

The leader in fly fishing is tapered, meaning the section that attaches to the fly line is thicker than the section that you tie your fly onto. This has something to do with the transfer of energy from the fly line to the leader, which enables your fly to turn and roll out to straighten when you present the fly to the fish. They each carry a weight and at times labelled after the fish that they are designed to catch. Although you can make your own, it’s better to purchase a few to get you going; bonefish leaders rated at 12lbs or 6kg is a good place to start.

A selection of flies to start (clouser minnows and crazy charlies will catch almost anything that swims!) and all that’s left is to put the backing on the reel, attach the fly line and leader, attach the reel to the rod and you are ready to learn how to cast.

Casting

The best way to learn how to cast is to find someone who knows how to cast and learn from him/her. The second best thing is YouTube. As I am self-taught, I feel that I am not really qualified to teach people. Fly casting is like the golf swing; you can easily learn bad habits and these are more often than not harder to get rid of than learning better form from the start.

Where to fish

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You can fly fish almost everywhere you can use spinning gear, just make sure you have enough room for a back cast, and that it’s not crowded to avoid accidents.

Yas Island is a prime location with a lot of possible places for anyone to explore, as are the mangrove areas of Umm Al Quwain. Across the border, Oman offers a lot of possibilities and is only a committed drive away.

If you are not shy of boats, a charter with Soolyman or East Coast Charters, both having experience with fly fishing offshore, can help you catch some good dorado off the coast of Fujairah.

Where to buy

Barracuda Dubai has a selection of Orvis rods, reels, lines, leaders as well as flies. Ocean Active at the Garden Centre has some gear as well. Aside from these two options, you can find some deals in the US online shops and eBay.

Parting cast

Everything in fly fishing will be a challenge – from the cast to catching consistently. Just when you think the fish is hooked well, things could easily go wrong and it will throw the hook before you could react. Fly fishing takes commitment, perseverance and a whole lot of patience. It is not the most efficient way of catching fish; in fact, it just very well may be the least efficient of all. It is also very expensive as good gear commands a premium price. It is not for everyone, not because of the price, but because of the learning curves involved. Learning how to cast a decent distance would take a long time (about a year on average). Casting a fly rod is undoubtedly one of the most frustrating things you will learn (or not), and it’s the experience that make a lot of people give up.