Fly Fishing Gear | Prepare For Spring

If you’re like me you cant wait till the winter weather breaks so you can get back to your fly-fishing. During these colder weather periods is the ideal time to gather up your fly fishing gear and get it ready to go for spring. This is the time your can identify if you need to replace anything or need to buy something extra. Before you go out and buy expensive fly fishing gear from Orvis, Bass Pro Shops or some other high end bait and tackle shop, give eBay a try. In most area's this is the off-season and there are many eBay sellers out there that bought up clearance items and off loading them on eBay. This is the time to get some great bargains on your fly lines, flies, waders etc. I ran across this fly fishing supply site the other day while I was doing my shopping. Its nothing fancy but the guy has several custom eBay searches specifically targeting fly-fishing. Check it out if you like. Don’t forget to check your local sporting goods stores for bargains as well. This is the time of year they are setting up their new selection of fly fishing gear for the up coming season. You can get excellent buys on last years model fly rods and reels. Don’t wait until spring to prepare for the season, that's when you should be on the river not in the store.

Fly Fishing Gear For Beginners | Fly Fishing Safety

Here are a few fly fishing tips on safety. Fly fishing beginners, as well as, the experienced fly fisherman needs to be concerned with safety. Besides the possibility of hooking yourself or another member of your party, fishing in rivers and streams can be quite dangerous at times and caution should always be taken. Any time you enter a stream be on the lookout for sudden drop offs or deep pockets of water. During spring fishing and when the water is muddy often these hazards are hard to locate. Underwater structure, slippery rocks, submerged logs and many other types of hidden trip hazards can easily ruin what might have otherwise been a wonderful day of fly fishing.

High water conditions and stream currents are often very deceiving. When first entering a stream you should pick an area where you can see the bottom and the water level is not above the knees. I have seen way to many beginning fly fisherman step right off the bank into swift current or water deeper than they expected only to see them face first in the water. Usually those watching just chuckle and poke fun of you for the day, but if you were to hit your head, break a leg.... the fun is over before it starts.
Fatigue is another safety concern that needs to be kept in mind when fishing streams and rivers. It is amazing how much force a rivers current puts on your legs over the course of a day's fishing. Anytime you feel fatigued take a few minutes and head to shore. Accidents happen much more often when your muscles are sore and tired. I personally wear a back support when I fish as the river can take a toll on my lower back. Event the most physically fit fly fisherman can wear out when standing thigh high in fast running water.

Hypothermia is another nasty hazard that can creep up on you, especially if you have a leak in your waders. It doesn’t take long in early spring or late fall, depending on the climate in your area, for your body temperature to start dropping drastically. Always bring a dry set of clothes, blanket and extra towels when fishing during these periods of time when the water is colder.

I didn’t write this to scare the beginning fly fishermen. I just wanted to provide a few fly fishing tips on safety to help ensure your fishing experience is a good one.