PONTOON FLOAT TUBES

A different type of float tube was created to remedy the problems of the traditional float tube, using a pair of air chambers called pontoons that sit on the water on either side of the angler resembling a pontoon boat. By having the two v-shaped pontoons make the pontoon float tube much easier to move in the water and offers much less resistance and drag compared to the traditional float tube. Sitting higher the angler can cast much easier and in cool weather he can stay warmer. Pontoon type float tubes have a higher weight capacity for gear and equipment, although the pontoon tube, with all the advantages, are heavier and are much more expensive.

In the long run, the choice you make will depended on what you can afford and what features you want.
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FLY FISHING FLOAT TUBES

If you are like me, and have wanted a boat for fly fishing, but the expense and up-keep is more than you can afford or want to spend, try a float tube. A float tube is nothing more than an inner-tube with a seat. float tubes have been refined over years, and most very affordable, some costing less than $100. These "one man" boats are fairly easy to maneuver. While sitting in the tube, you simply kick your feet that have swim fins on them. Waders can be worn in colder water. Float tubes are well suited for ponds and lakes, but should not be used in rivers. Always wear personal flotation devices when on the water.

There is a wide variety of sizes and colors many with features to help keep fly fishing gear organized, such as pockets, rod holder and fly holding pads.

traditional float tubes are generally round, which makes it a great fly fishing platform, the shape creates more water resistance although, and this does make it a little slower in maneuvering which will have to be overcome
and will be tiring over course of a day.

Another shape out there is the u shaped tube. this also can be difficult to maneuver.

FLY FISHING REELS

Although the fly fishing reel is some what over looked and kind of boring, it is a very important part of your fly fishing system. This realization will become evident if the reel fails while trying to land that trophy fish.
There are several things to consider when buying a fly fishing reel;

 1. Cheap reels generally break down quickly and have an uneven drag.
 2. If salt water fishing, a multiplying retrieve or automatic retrieve will work well while for fresh water fishing get a single action reel, which is the most common.
 3. Although a click and pawl are nice they are rarely needed anymore. A good disc-drag fly reel is a good choice for all around use.
 4. Since fly reels get wet, insure the reel you purchase is rust proof.
 5. When purchasing a fly reel, it is important to match the weight of the fly reel to the fly line. Match 5wt. fly line with a 5 wt. reel.
 6. Buy an extra spool when purchasing a fly reel, switching from a floating to sinking line can be done quickly and easily, not to mention that if you decide not to get an extra spool, they are usually not available when you do decide to get one.

There are two types of drag systems and three types of retrieval systems.
The original drag system is the spring-and-pawl, and is a very good drag system. With the use of gears inside the fly reel, this allows the fly line to exit the fly reel at a uniform and steady rate. Making it a good drag system for smaller fish and trout. Although the spring and pawl is a very good drag system, it is rapidly being replaced by disc-drag, where a pad inside the fly reel can be adjusted to put more or less tension on the fly line. Using a disc-drag, the tension can be adjusted to almost infinite levels.
For the new or inexperienced angler, the disc-drag system would be the best choice, because the spring-and-pawl are difficult to find and a disc-drag fly reel is equal to or better than the most hideously priced spring-and-pawl model available.
  The SINGLE ACTION reel retrieves the fly line back at a 1:1 ratio. That is one turn of the spool is equal to one turn of the handle. This type of retrieve is the most common, most reliable and the simplest to use.
  A MULTIPLYING FLY REEL with it's confusing network of gears enables the fly line to be retrieved back onto the fly reel significantly faster. One turn of the fly reel handle can equal two or more turns of the spool. At first this speed may seem nice, but these reels can be a bit of a pain when fishing in rivers. Multiplying reels have earned the reputation of being temper mental and awkward to use at times, and make it needlessly difficult to change spools from floating fly line to sinking line.
  The third type of retrieve is the AUTOMATIC fly reel. The fly line is retrieved with a touch of a trigger rather than turning a handle. An automatic reel isn't needed or even wanted when fly fishing in fresh water such as rivers, however it can have uses when fly fishing in salt water or large lakes

FLY FISHING COMFORT

Fly fishing gear is designed for success as well as comfort. Some of this gear includes sunglasses, wading shoes or boots, waders and vests. SUNGLASSES; A pair of inexpensive sunglasses, for the beginner or for dry fly fishing on flat water will work fine. However, sunglasses that will be used for fly fishing moving water, using nymphs or fly fishing in the ocean require a higher quality of of sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses are able to cut through the glare of the reflected sunlight on the water. Cutting through the glare will greatly assist the fly fisherman in locating their dry fly, nymph or sub surface features in the river bottom. Polarized sunglasses with the many tints that are available will increase your visual acuity as well as protect your eyes from those irritating gnats and flies, blowing sand, high wind and other stream-side hazards. After buying an expensive ply fishing rod one piece of gear that is over looked or the least amount spent on is the FLY FISHING VEST. A fly fishing vest is a piece of gear that you will use constantly and wear for extended periods of time, and is a very important piece of fly fishing gear. A number of problems can arise with a fly fishing vest that performs poorly or that poorly organizes your gear, you do not want to wear an uncomfortable vest or waste time rummaging through the vest, the vest should make items handy. A vest of high quality may cost much more than a cheap fly fishing vest, but will last much longer and will perform much better. If you plan to fly fish in streams, rivers or wade out into a shallow lake, a very important piece of equipment is WADERS. When wading in cold water, even on very warm days, exposed skin can become numb, an uncomfortable fly fishing experience can be the end result. There are a variety of waders on the market today, each with it's own benefits and drawbacks. In addition to waders there are wading boots or shoes. The very real risk of twisting an ankle, taking a fall which not only will result in "taking a bath", blowing out a knee for much worse, can be greatly reduced by wearing a quality wading boot. With a pair of polarized sunglasses, good vest and waders or wading boot or shoe, your fly fishing experience will become a bit more relaxing and safer

Fly Fishing

Fly fishing in Montana finds anglers from all over the country doing their best to out smart the fish. Using many varieties of hand tied flies that, for the most part,imitate an insect either flying or swimming.  Some can be made to look like a bait fish or crustaceans, there are others that are known to attract the fish although they do not look like anything in nature.
Flies can be made to float or sink, they range in size from a few millimeters to 30 cm long, most are from 1 to 5 cm.  Flies are tied using colors and patterns that simulate local terrestrial aquatic insects, bait fish or other prey attractive to the target species, usually Trout.
There are many knots used to attach the attach the fly to the leader such as, blood knot, nail knot,surgeons knot, just to name a few.
The leader is then attached to the fly line which is threaded through the eyes on the pole coming to the reel.

Whether you are tying flies, or using them, wading by your self or with a guide, backpacking to your favorite mountain stream or just floating in your tube in a local park, fly fishing in Montana is a great way to relax by yourself or with family and friends, for the day or a week

FLY FISHING CLOTHES

On those blue bird warm days an angler will grab what ever is handy out of the closet and hat rack and head to a favorite fly fishing spot. All too often, as the day wares on, clouds start rolling in and the temperature starts to drop, it starts to rain. On those warm summer days what clothes you wear isn't really that important other than waders and wading boots. When the weather turns cold or it starts to rain or a combination of both, wearing normal street clothes can turn an otherwise nice day of fly fishing into a disaster. Having good quality fly fishing clothes can be the difference in being able to stay out on the river or lake for long periods of time or staying warm in your vehicle wishing you were on the water. So, if these is a possibility of cold weather or rain do yourself a favor and get some quality fly fishing clothes that will keep you warm and dry on those days that are not "warm and dry"

FLY TYING KIT

Introducing a beginner to the hobby of fly tying can be accomplished easily with the purchase of a cost effective fly tying kit.
Most kits generally include all the tools you need to get started tying flies, at least a couple of patterns, a book or two about how to tie flies as well as fur, feathers and other materials that are needed to successfully tie flies.
At first glance, many of these kits look the same, unfortunately not all fly tying kits are created equal. Big differences can be found from one kit to the next. Top quality and use ability of the tools that are included with the fly tying kit, especially the fly tying vise is by far the most important.
Especially true of cheap fly tying vise, poor quality fly tying tools are difficult to use and can be very limiting. The lack of options and ease of use of these fly tying vise can make learning to tie flies much more difficult then it needs to be. When first learning to tie flies with an inexpensive fly tying vise, beginners are frequently frustrated by the extremely limited types of flies that can be tied easily and effectively.
Various fly tying kits that are on the market differ with the amount and quality of the fly tying material found in the kit, so, the more material and tools that are in the fly tying kit, the more expensive the kit will be. With the added materials the beginner will be able to experiment in tying a verity of different types of flies, he/she may even create a brand new fly pattern.

Fly Fishing Rods

1.      

• A critical piece of fly fishing equipment is the fly rod. The wrong type of fly rod is a wonderful way to, potentially, ruin an otherwise fine day of fly fishing. The right fly fishing rod will make the difference between a precise cast and casts that are just wide of their mark or being able to reach that rising trout or being just short. If there is any place to skimp in putting together a fly fishing outfit, the fly rod should not be it. There is a lot of specialized gear that is needed for fly fishing, with all the gear that is available, it can be expensive. For a beginner, purchasing gear for the first time can be daunting. A few things to consider when buying a fly fishing  rod:    Fly fishing Rod Action: putting it simply, a measurement of how flexible the fly fishing rod is. In general terms there re three main actions. Fast action, also referred to as TIP FLEX Fly Rods. Medium action, also referred to as MID-FLEX Fly Rods. Slow Action, also referred to as FULL FLEX Fly Rods. The only flexibility in a fast action or flex tip fly fishing rod is near the tip of the rod, while the rest of the rod remains stiff and basically straight. Fast action fly fishing rods are ideal when long, consistent casts are needed. A fast action fly fishing rod will make it easier and quicker to land large fish. The speed generated with a fast action rod, is easier and more effective in windy conditions. The stiffness of a fast action fly fishing rod makes casting very quick, meaning the more casts made the possibility for catching more fish, however, there are some disadvantages to the fast action fly fishing rod. Due to it's length, it makes it difficult to fish small streams when short casts are needed. They are designed for long powerful casts not short confined casts. Fast action fly fishing rods are stiff and do not absorb some of the strain on a light tippet when fishing wary trout. A fast action fly rod is not a great choice when using light tippets when fishing for trout. Learning to use a fast action fly fishing rod is more difficult and has a higher learning curve than a slower action fly fishing rod. Due to the speed of the fly line, beginners will find a fast action fly fishing  rod is more difficult to handle and may become frustrated because many casts will not go where he or she wants them to go. Basically, the fast action/Flex tip fly fishing rod is for someone who needs to make long consistent casts, fish for very large fish and usually fishing in windy conditions. Medium action or mid action fly fishing rods are the work horse of the fly fishing world. This type of fly fishing rod has a fair amount of flexibility but is still somewhat stiff. Medium action fly fishing rods, when casting, the fly rod will bend for about half of its length, from the middle up to the tip. The lower half will remain fairly stiff. Therefore they are the most popular and are the most versatile of fly fishing rods. In the hand of an experienced fly fisherman, long casts can be made quite adequately and functions well enough to be used when fishing in a spring creek or close fishing conditions. Thus this fly fishing rod can be fished in a wide range of conditions from big rivers to lakes to spring creeks. For the beginner that can buy only one fly rod this is a good choice. Slow action or FULL FLEX tip fly fishing rod means it is a very flexible rod. A slow action fly fishing rod will bend significantly for most of the length of the fly fishing rod. So much so, it will form a shallow U shape at the height of the back cast. Due to the flexibility, these fly fishing rods do not generate much speed so, short very accurate gentle casts can be made. More of the strain of a fish strike can be absorbed with the use of light tippets resulting in fewer lost fish because of breakage. It will be more fun to catch smaller fish with a slow action rod, even a 12 inch fish will feel like a monster.This is a good choice for beginners who will enjoy the forgiving nature and greater control these fly fishing  rods provide.

FLY FISHING LINE

The most confusing part of fly fishing, for a beginner, is the different tapers in fly line, which are all designed for different uses and situations.
For a beginner, deciphering what kind of fly line taper you are looking at can be difficult. Once you get the basics down, it is not that hard to figure out.
                 What is fly line taper anyway?
Tapers are adjustments to the fly line to make the line cast easier and better in different situations. Fly line will not weigh the same or have a uniform thickness throughout the length, thus, "not level". Fine adjustments are often made that either increase the weight or the width in key sections of the line. These adjustments in the fly line greatly add in casting and line control. So the type of taper in a fly line has describes the type of adjustments to the fly line to make casting easier and gives better line control. Remember, the taper is an adjustment or enhancement to the line to make it cast better with easier line control making it more effective. There are several fly line tapers available, the abbreviation for each taper is on the box. The available tapers are;

   Level Taper (L)
   Double Taper (DT)

   Weight Forward Taper (WF)

   Shooting Taper (ST)

Remember these abbreviations when buying your fly line.

LEVEL TAPER (L) this is the easiest to understand, but the least used in fly fishing. Level Taper, due to the even weight and width, float extremely well but are much more difficult to cast and control than other fly lines. It also tends to make kind of a racket when it hits the water. It is the least expensive fly line available. Beginners should stay away from level taper fly line as it is the most difficult to cast and control.

WEIGHT FORWARD (WF) is the most popular fly line as well as being the most expensive. The first 30 feet has extra weight and width built in. The remainder of the fly line will be level, of equal weight and width. With weight forward line larger flies can be used, longer and more effective casts can be made even in windy conditions. It is crucial that the line is put on the reel correctly. You want the added weight and width of the fly line to be on the end not tied to the reel. Also, if the fly line becomes cracked or damaged it cannot be reversed. Weight forward fly line is good for beginners. Long casts, better control and weight forward line is always used when casting heavy things like bass bugs or streamers.

DOUBLE TAPER (DT) has a heavier and thicker middle section and gradually looses both weight and width. The closer it gets to the end of the fly line. What is important to remember about double taper is that it is balanced, both ends of the line weigh the same and each end gradually inreases in width and weight the closer to the middle section of the fly line at an equal rate. The double taper is reversible, should the front of the line become worn out, all you need do is turn it around.

SHOOTING TAPER (ST) fly line was designed for fly casting tournaments. This can explain their function. The first 20 feet is heavily weighted, the remainder is of uniform weight and thickness, but much thinner than a traditional weight forward line. With the extra weight and width of the first 20 feet, in combination with the remaining length of thinner fly line, reduces the drag and air resistance on the fly rod guides. In the hands of an expert, greatly increases the casting distance. While great for long distance casting, shooting taper fly line lacks the delicacy needed for general all around fly fishing. Due to the weight being forward, it can make a racket when it hits the water. Since the back end of the fly line is thinner than the standard fly line, it has a nasty tendency to coil and get knotted up. To avoid this, many anglers use a stripping basket. This fly line is not recommended for a beginner.

Fishing Guide

When planning a guided fishing trip there are some things to consider before booking your trip. 1. Ask for a recent client list that have fished with the guide,then call them. 2. Does the guide fish the waters he guides full time? A guide that fishes every day will know productive patterns better than one that only fishes on the weekend. The guide that fishes not only can show you where the fish are but also allows for an opportunity to educate you further in the techniques. 3. What does the guide furnish? Should you bring your own supplies. This could include water and food. 4. Does he supply the tackle,lures, flies or bait? If not what does he recommend to bring. Buying files, lures and bait is usually more expensive at the fishing area. 5. Does the guide lead instructional trips or is he just a charter? 6. How much gear should you bring? (Tackle, rain gear,poles, etc) 7. What is the cost of the trip, make sure there are no hidden extra costs. 8. How many hours will be spend fishing per day or multiple days. 9. You may need to know if there are half-day guided trips. 10. Is a lunch or shore lunch provided or stop at a lake cafe or marina, should you bring lunch. 11. What kind of boats, and how old are they. Some guides are not equipped for safety or comfort. 12. Do you need a fishing license for the location and if so how is it obtained at what cost. 13. Give the perspective guide a call, find out as much information as you can and to see if you can the guide are compatible. Your views on politics, religion, jokes to name a few may be very different. Armed with as much information as possible, your fishing trip or fishing vacation will be an experience of a life time.

fly fishing line

Fly line comes in many colors, such as bright yellow, fluorescent green, pumpkin orange, just to name a few. With so many different colors which one should you choose?
For a sinking line, generally, it is best to choose a line in the darker colors, such as brown. Although this point is open for debate. most fly fishermen seem to agree that when sub-surface fishing, fish may see the brighter colors better than the dark colored fly lines.
Fishing a floating line, the color of the line is generally immaterial as far as the fish goes. When a fish is looking up, it is bound to see the line, except at night, when a dark line may be beneficial.
When a fish is looking toward the surface of the water it will see the fly line regardless of color, since the line itself is lit up by the sky light which will cause it to cast a shadow. Although arguments arise quite often on this point. Generally, it is best to choose a color YOU can see. Bright colored fly lines are much easier for the angler to see, especially when fly fishing with nymphs.
This is especially true in low light conditions, when seeing the fly line is nearly impossible, the angler must instead rely on the action of the fly line.
There are many codes on fly fishing line boxes around the world to decipher.
Here are some examples of these codes to help when you are looking at them in the store.
DT-4-F: Double taper fly line, with a weight of 4 and it floats
WF-5-F: Weight forward taper fly line, weight of 5, it floats
WF-10-S: Weight forward taper fly line, weight of 10, and is a sinking line.
         How fast the line sinks (it's sink rate) will be listed on the box.
DT-7-F/S: The fly line is a double taper fly line, a weight of 7, is a sinking - tip fly line. The sink rate of the fly lines, as well as how much of it actually sinks, will be listed on the box.
L-5-I: The fly line is a a level taper fly line, weight of 5 and is an intermediate sinking fly line. The sink rate of the fly line will be listed on the box.
ST-6-F: This fly line is a shooting taper fly line, weight of 6, and it floats.
Fly line weight: The weight of the fly line should be the same as the weight of your fly rod and reel. Using the wrong weight of fly line will unbalance a fly rod, resulting in poor casting and a long day on the water.
Fly line taper: The taper of a fly line refers to the enhancement made to the fly line to provide better casting. The most popular taper is weight forward taper, which is the ideal fly line for beginners. The weight forward taper fly line is also the most versatile line available.
Fly line density: Density of a fly line refers to whether or not the line will sink or not. A floating line should always be used by beginners because of the fly line's versatility as because it is the easiest to cast.
Fly line color: For top water fly fishing, get a fly line that is easy for you to see in all light conditions

Fishing Guide

When planning a guided fishing trip there are some things to consider before booking your trip. 1. Ask for a recent client list that have fished with the guide,then call them. 2. Does the guide fish the waters he guides full time? A guide that fishes every day will know productive patterns better than one that only fishes on the weekend. The guide that fishes not only can show you where the fish are but also allows for an opportunity to educate you further in the techniques. 3. What does the guide furnish? Should you bring your own supplies. This could include water and food. 4. Does he supply the tackle,lures, flies or bait? If not what does he recommend to bring. Buying files, lures and bait is usually more expensive at the fishing area. 5. Does the guide lead instructional trips or is he just a charter? 6. How much gear should you bring? (Tackle, rain gear,poles, etc) 7. What is the cost of the trip, make sure there are no hidden extra costs. 8. How many hours will be spend fishing per day or multiple days. 9. You may need to know if there are half-day guided trips. 10. Is a lunch or shore lunch provided or stop at a lake cafe or marina, should you bring lunch. 11. What kind of boats, and how old are they. Some guides are not equipped for safety or comfort. 12. Do you need a fishing license for the location and if so how is it obtained at what cost. 13. Give the perspective guide a call, find out as much information as you can and to see if you can the guide are compatible. Your views on politics, religion, jokes to name a few may be very different. Armed with as much information as possible, your fishing trip or fishing vacation will be an experience of a life time.