This is without a doubt the most important piece of fishing equipment you will ever have.

I get asked a lot what the best this and that is in relation to fishing gear, rods, reel, lines
and flys etc. Many anglers are lead to believe that having the most expensive equipment
will make them better anglers and catch more fish. Now, don’t get me wrong I am not saying fully that some gear wont make you a better angler than other gear. Yes it can but only if the user knows what he or she is doing in the first place to get the most out of that piece of equipment. Some pieces of gear might be finer, softer, stronger depending on the level of components that are used to make up the finished product and this can lead to some advantages. However, its not as important as some commercialisation suggestions may lead us to believe.

If we were to place 2 rods on the ground with 2 different values at each extreme, neither rod will get up and go to the river or lake and catch a fish for us no matter how long we stand and look at it. That is till we put it in our hands, only then does it become a tool for us to fish with. The same can be said for many other fishing products like fly lines, reels etc. You can have the most expensive fly lines and reels but if you don’t know how to make a casting stroke properly then neither will do it for you. If you want to cast long distance the equipment will only get you so far if you don’t have ability and knowledge of
how to double haul then the very best fishing rod, reel and line is useless to you.

The single most important piece of fishing equipment you will ever need or own is on the end of your arm. Your Hand is what makes fishing equipment work and move to do its job right. Now you have to educate it as to what it has to do and feel. These 5 points in the picture is what we constantly teach our youths and those people that come to us for advice when starting off into the fishing journey or looking to improve on any technique. Having a good understanding of these and make sure that they are at the fore of your fishing.

Skill: Develop and improve on your skills base, get casting lessons and work on them. This will improve
your casting a lot better and faster than an expensive rod or set up will. The same applies for all aspects of your fishing, develop skills sets and learn new ones. You can’t buy skill you can only learn it and practice it.
Education: Educate yourself on fishing and all aspects of it. Educate yourself on Fish behaviour, beat management and more important how to use the fishing gear you have. For me travelling was a huge part of my fishing education. Fishing with top level guides and learning from them is very valuable and this is where a lot of my education in fly fishing has come from.
Confidence: Having confidence in what you are doing and how you are fishing is crucial. Through your education journey you will gain confidence in your abilities. Having confidence in the gear you are using is also important and knowing you are getting the max out of your gear.
Knowledge: Your knowledge base is the very foundation of all your fishing skills and will out weight all the importance of having expensive gear. Personal Knowledge and development is part of you becoming a better angler and improve on all aspects of your fishing.
Awareness: Be aware of the areas in your fishing that are letting you down. If turnover, casting, or any of your fishing abilities is letting you down then you need to be aware of it and find the solutions, most often the solutions are education, confidence, skills and knowledge.

Over the years I have seen anglers with very limited equipment and basic stuff catch fish
where ever they go and want. I have seen guys casting huge distances with rods that
can be bought for under 100 euros. This all comes down to my point that a rod is only a
rod until its in someone’s hands and depending on the skill and knowledge of that
person will determine the results of how it works.

If you are looking to get into fly fishing or improve in any area of fishing then begin by improving your knowledge, skills and confidence first. Ask questions to the right source and be aware that some places you will find answers that may not be right and be more commercially based. If you have any questions on fly fishing, getting started or trying to improve let me know and if I can help then I will be glad to share my information. If I don’t have what you need or are looking for i can pint you in the right direction on where to find what you are looking for. After all this is how we all learn by sharing and educating
each other.

Tight Lines
Peter