Buyers Guide: Technical Clothing

Comfort is key! A day on the river is best spent in comfortable clothing. New materials and advanced coatings create clothing that will keep you on the water during any weather pattern. New material blends feature quick dry technology and sun protection. Some manufacturers even offer shirts treated to repel biting insects. Custom-tailored designs offer strategic ventilation and specialized tapers for added comfort during extreme conditions and extended periods of casting. While colors may be a fashionable trend, we suggest you choose neutral colors to help camouflage your approach when stalking weary fish.

Technical fishing pants feature dry fast materials to keep you comfortable even when you wade a little too deep. Some pants are designed with a swimsuit lining for anglers who prefer to wet wade. Other models feature zip off legs that convert the pants into shorts. While many of pants have numerous add-ons, many anglers prefer a minimalist approach because fly line always seems to snag on any loose clasps.

As simple as it may sound, be sure to equip yourself with a baseball hat or bucket hat. Besides added sun protection, a hat will protect you from errant casts and help you see fish better.

During the winter, proper layering is the key to staying warm. Appropriate layers will help whisk away moisture from your skin while also holding your body warmth in to keep you warm. WindStopper® polar fleece will not only keep you warm it will also stop the wind.

Buyers Guide: Wading Gear

The increased popularity of fly fishing has benefited the industry by placing an emphasis on both comfort and function. This new trend is most evident in the advancement in wader technology. Neoprene waders, commonly referred to as Rubber Pants, are old technology. Today, the fly fishing industry overwhelming prefers breathable, lightweight waders. Not only are these waders more comfortable, they are also more functional during various fishing conditions and locales.

Gore-Tex®

Top of the line lightweight waders feature Gore-Tex® linings for increased comfort and breathability. The Gore-Tex® lining helps wick away moisture to keep you cool during the summer and warm in the winter. Moderately priced lightweights use a waterproof coating to mimic a Gore-Tex® membrane.

For Winter Conditions

Many anglers believe neoprene waders will keep them warmer during winter fishing; however, using proper layering with lightweight waders will keep you warm and comfortable even in the coldest temperatures. Similar to modern ski wear technology, lightweight waders use your body heat to keep you warm.

Fitting

When fitting lightweight waders, you should have enough room to comfortably crouch to land a fish or be able to traverse a fence. Be sure to have enough room throughout the waders to add extra layers for more warmth.

Wading Boots

Once you choose a pair of waders, you need to select a quality pair of wading boots. Your boots should be comfortable enough to hike into a river and to wade extended hours. Besides comfort, your boots need to have ample room for wool socks and room to wiggle your toes to avoid numbing. Finally, the boots need to offer sufficient stability to secure your ankles over unstable terrain and slippery riverbeds.

The sole of a wading boot aids your ability to safely wade various riverbeds. Traditional felt soles are the industry standard and provide traction on all surfaces. AquaStealth® technology is the newest sole for wading boots. This traction technology collects less mud and snow and grips even the slipperiest rocks. Both types of soles can be fitted with metal spikes for even more traction to cut through slime covered rocks; however, metal spikes will ruin the inside of a drift boat, so you need to remove the spikes before a float trip.

Buyers Guide: Flies

The most intimidating part of fly fishing for many novice anglers is the seemingly countless fly patterns available. Cutthroat Anglers alone stocks over 2,500 individual patterns. While there is no "go to" fly for trout fishing, the easiest way to start filling your fly box is to purchase what you need for the day you plan to fish.

When to Buy

We suggest you wait to purchase your flies until you are at a local fly shop. Local shops will be able to provide you with updated fishing conditions to narrow your fly choice to a few specific patterns. If you purchase your flies in bulk before heading to the river chances are you will end up with a majority of fly patterns that will not maximize your hook up percentage.

Build Your Fly Boxes Gradually

Cutthroat Anglers hosts over one thousand days of guided fly fishing trips per year, and less than 1% of our clients arrive with the exact patterns necessary to match the specific hatch they will encounter during their respective day on the river. Until you stock hundreds of different fly patterns in your personal inventory, we recommend you purchase a few specialized patterns each time you fish a new river or an old favorite under new conditions.

The more you fish, the more flies you will compile until eventually you build a respectable collection. Our guides usually carry hundreds of different fly patterns in their vest when they hit the river, and still they will purchase a few local patterns when they travel to a new river.

Buyers Guide: Choosing the Right Fly Line

Trout fishing has two line categories - Double Taper (DT) and Weight Forward (WF). DT lines have identical tapers at each end. This means when one end wears out, you can flip it over and use the other end. WF lines have a long running line section that taper into a much thicker head area. These tapers cannot be flipped over.

Performance Advantages

Each line type has its own performance advantages. DT lines are good for roll casting, and delicate presentation in small line weights. WF lines are typically easier to cast and come in more variations for special purposes. WF variations include, wind-cutters, bass and pike tapers, triangle tapers, spring creek tapers and more. WF lines typically cast better both at short and long distances and present the fly more delicately.

Advanced Coatings and Specialized Tapers

Different lines have different price points. More expensive fly lines feature advanced coatings and specialized tapers. The specific materials and coatings used for a line greatly determine the performance of a fly line. Top quality fly lines will float higher and cast much easier than less expensive lines.

Our Recommendation

On average, we sell WF fly lines 9 to 1 over DT fly lines. Today’s fly lines utilize advanced coatings that result in your fly line lasting longer than lines produced a decade ago. Since WF lines are more versatile, we recommend anglers match the appropriate WF line to their respective rod. Any member of our staff will gladly recommend a line appropriate for your rod.

Buyers Guide: Choosing a Fly Real

Like most fly fishing equipment, you get what you pay for in a fly reel. But the question is how much do you need. Most trout fishermen rarely require a very high-tech reel. The majority of the time, we are using the reel for line storage. Anodized coatings, machined components, sealed bearings, and precision balanced reels are not necessary for the average trout angler. The most important thing is that the reel does not over-spin.

Spring & Pawl vs Disc Drag

There are basically two types of fly reels - spring and pawl and disc drag. Spring and pawl is an old technology and not nearly as adjustable as a disc drag. A disc drag can be finely tuned to specific settings to match different tippets.

The More You Pay…

The more you pay for the reel the more durable it will be. Not only are higher end reels more precisely machined, they are also built with superior materials. Expensive reels usually weigh less, which helps balance your rod and ease casting strain on your arm.

The Demands of Saltwater

Saltwater anglers require high-end reels to combat the corrosive environment and the speedster fish. The necessary, high-end features are evident in the price point between trout reels and saltwater reels. Trout reels range from under $100 to around $500 for the top of the line. On the other hand, saltwater reels start at over $200 and quickly breach $1000 in price.

Buyers Guide: Which Rod is Right for You?

Today's fly rod is a technological marvel. Years of research and development result in finely tuned casting tools. Rod prices start below $100 and can quickly rise to well above $1,000. Anglers are presented a mind-boggling array of choices when choosing a fly rod. What price range? Two-piece or multi-piece? What species are you going to target? What rod action best fits your casting stroke and angling needs?

A fly rod’s price is determined by many factors. High-end rods include superior components, unique tapers, advanced actions, and extensive research and development. Many entry-level rods benefit from the research used to create the high priced rods; however, the materials are standard quality compared to high-end rods.

Multi-Piece Rods

Before graphite, multi-piece rods were a necessary evil for those traveling or backpacking. The performance suffered significantly. The introduction of graphite and advanced production leveled the playing field. Multi-piece rods now perform as well as two-piece rods. Today, the primary differences are price and weight. Multi-piece rods cost more and weigh slightly more. So, before you purchase a rod, consider the fishing environment you will primarily fish. Will you travel with the rod? Backpack to a high mountain lake or secluded stream? If so, a four-piece rod may be the best option.

Match the Rod to the Environment and Species

Unfortunately, no one rod will cover every imaginable fishing environment. Specific species and sizes require unique rods. Consider playing 18 holes of golf with only one club. Your score would be less than desirable. Similar to golf, the more fisheries you choose to fish the more rods you will need in your arsenal. A 9-foot 5-weight or 6-weight rod is the traditional size fly rods used for targeting trout in Colorado.

Fly Rod Action

Any angler who performs sufficient research before buying a rod will certainly learn that different rods feature different actions. The action of the rod describes which section of the rod flexes and loads the rod. Again, consider a golf example. Professional golfers prefer stiff flex shafts in their clubs to maximize their equipment’s performance. High handicap golfers usually have lower swing speeds and need more forgiving equipment. The weekend golfer is usually outfitted with a softer flex club shaft. A similar example can be used for skiers. Hour glass tapers and softer flex skis are designed to increase the enjoyment level for novice skiers; while extreme skiers need stiffer skis to maximize turns and speed.

The same is true for fly rods. High-end rods feature fast actions with sensitive tips for maximum distance casts that are gentle enough to protect micro tippets. Fast action rods can power through the wind or subtly present a dry fly. These rods are the most versatile, but also carry the highest price tags. Slower action rods are more forgiving for anglers with weaker casting strokes. These rods require more time to properly load the rod and are recommended for novice anglers.

Try Before You Buy

Many fly shops offer rental equipment and demos to allow you to test drive new rods in real-world circumstances. At a minimum, you should cast a rod in an open field before purchasing. Keep in mind, even a high-end rod will not mask a weak casting stroke, so you should work on improving your mechanics before upgrading to a superior rod.