Now that you’ve decided to dive into the fly fishing game, it’s time to gather the proper equipment. Choosing the proper fly reel will depend on the species you seek.

There are multiplying reels that turn the spool two to three times for every revolution of the reel handle and in many case these older style reels are heavy with many mechanical parts to rust and break while offering reduced line capacity.

Auto-matic reels have a spring tension device that respools line by depressing a lever activating a spring and like multiplying reels, are heavy with many parts to break or rust.

Both of these types reels see little use these days with most choosing a simple single action fly reel which is basically a spool within a frame connected by posts with or without a drag system.

Small reels and tiny fly rods for small trout or pan fishing don’t require lots of line capacity or elaborate drag systems. As the intended quarry grows larger, a heavier duty reel with increased line capacity and a good drag system is a must.

Fly reels not only store the fly line and mono leader but in larger models for bigger species the fly line backing as well. Fly line backing line is used not only because a hooked fish might run out all of the fly line but also to fill the reel spool and to bring the fly line properly up to near the spool edge.

When setting up a fly reel, the backing line is spooled on the reel first which is then tied to the end of the fly line. After spooling on the fly line the leader is attached to the end. Backing line “backs up” the actually fly line which is only 90-100 feet long and when hooked to a truck like a tarpon, disappears quickly during the fish’s many strong runs. Obviously without backing line the fight would be over quickly. Fly line backing can be made from Dacron or other line materials like simple mono or even today’s braided lines.

A typical tarpon-sized single action fly reel would contain 200-300 yards of 20 to 30-pound test backing line, a 100-foot 10 12 weight fly line and the mono leader. Because of braided lines high strength and thin diameter, a higher pound break strength backing line can easily be used.

When setting up an 8 weight outfit for redfish, snook, even largemouth bass, use the same test backing but you won’t need a reel with that much backing capacity, but always enough to fill the spool properly.

Simple small freshwater reels often have no drags or very crude simple ones. All the drag you need is applied by finger pressure on the line or by cupping the spool as the fish takes out line. A quality fly reel intended for larger game will have a high quality drag system.

Modern day high quality fly reels from manufacturers like Tibor, Nautilus, Hatch and Ross, are all machined from solid bar stock with the spool riding on ball bearings. These beautiful pieces of high tech machine art come with a hefty price tag as well with a Tibor Signature model rated for 11-12 weight lines setting you back about $900 plus tax.

On the other end are great value reels by Echo and others that are in the $40 to $100 price range and are fine for a snook set-up.

A big investment isn’t required to start fly fishing. These days a typical decent quality spinning outfit costs $200-$300. Companies like Temple Fork, Orvis and Echo sell complete fly rod starter outfits, rod, reel, fly line, leader material, for around $300.

Saltwater fly fishing is a blast and easy to learn. Learn from a friend, YouTube or take our reasonably priced 2-hour, one-on-one and all-inclusive beginner’s course with everything provided

Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. Contact him at 239-282-9434 or captgeorget3@aol.com.