Backing is semi-optional, but it only adds a few dollars to your overall cost while giving you some insurance against bigger fish and making your reel more efficient.

As for the knots between the different line components of your fly fishing system take a look here.

Line care is fairly simple with modern fly lines. In freshwater you basically reel them in and, once they're dry, forget about them. Most, if not all, can be cleaned with warm soapy water and then conditioned with any number of commercially available products.

Oh wow, that's a lot of different knots. Good info!

Ok, I have another nooby question. Hopefully I can ask all of them so the next person who's never fished won't have any left to ask LOL. I was looking at the "completel" combo kits on ebay as well as at bass pro. I was noticing that none of the "complete" combo's mention having tippet line anywhere. It says "all you need to fish", but shouldn't that include tippet material? I've read on here that you can use monofiliment fishing line, but is it not a necessity? I would think you'd want something cheap/easy to replace instead of eating up all your leader line, but these kits seem to want you to think otherwise.

The knotless tapered leaders that most people use to fish with these days actually taper down to the "tippet" section. In other words, those leaders have an integral tippet. Now after a few fly changes, the tippet section of the leader gets cut back far enough that you're into a significantly heavier tippet than where you started. Some folks throw the leader away at that point and get a new one, others tie a new piece of tippet material onto the smaller end of the leader.

Did I say tippet enough times up there? Tippet.

Many people don't use a tapered leader, but instead use a single piece of mono with no taper at all. Others tie their own leaders using successively smaller diameters of fishing line as they go. There are lots of variations.

Ah, so you could tie the mono straight to the fly line and have a combo leader/tippet. Now I see why some say you need to have somebody teach you all this. And probably not just one person, but like, 15 lol.

I use a furled leader with a ring on it. I then tie tippet onto the furled leader. I usually use mono for a tippet. You can use regular mono, or you can buy mono in a tippet roll. (the roll is a whole lot more money though)

I have it too and love it

Toni Rudolf Vlaic

ok I'm confused.
Is this correct, attached to the reel:
backing---flyline---leader---tippet---fly

What purpose does leader serve?
Can you tie mono directly to the flyline?
If your riging up for bass, redfish or stripers can you use braid?
What is a furled leader and how does it work with a ring?
Anyone know of a website that illustrates all of this?

Brad, you've got the correct order listed there.

The leader's purpose is to transfer the energy of the cast from the flyline to the tippet and eventually the fly. Hopefully this energy transfer will result in a cast that lays your fly out in a straight line with a nice quiet presentation. Your mileage may vary, I know mine certainly does.

You can definitely tie mono directly to the flyline and a nail knot works best for that. To make life a little easier, I like to tie a pretty strong piece of mono onto the flyline with a nail knot and then tie a perfection loop onto the end of the mono so that a loop to loop connection can be used to secure the leader to the mono you nail knotted onto the fly line.

Scientific Anglers has a very nice website that illustrates the whole shebang. Click here.

You certainly can use braid, but if you're using single strand leaders, as opposed to furled leaders, then you'll probably be happier with mono or fluoro instead of braid.

A furled leader is made by twisting multiple strands of line (either mono, fluoro, braid, or even fly tying thread) so that it forms a tapered line. Some makers of furled leaders put a small metal ring on the end of the leader where you would tie on the tippet. I'm not a big fan of the ring, instead I prefer to use a perfection loop on the tippet and make a loop to loop connection between it and the furled leader.

Here is a nice video on how to tie the perfection loop.

Here is a good website on making the proper loop to loop connection.

Please keep in mind that all that nonsense above is just my opinion. Everyone has their own way of doing things that fits their particular fishing needs. You've just got to experiment a bit and find what fits yours. I think that's part of the fun of fly fishing.

I hope you find that helpful, Brad. Please post again if there is something that is unclear.

Might I only add that it can work out well to start with using the methods of convention and tradition but then, as one gains experience and knowledge, to begin to work out how it all applies to you and take it from there.

I would stay away from braid and all other standard spinning or casting lines when fly fishing. Those lines typically are not made to the quality tolerances for good leader and tippet material, especially in the smaller sizes.

For bass, stripers, and reds, I'd suggest an Orvis AR (abrasion resistant) leader or tippet. Flourocarbon also works well, in the heavier sizes.

ok i have not seen this ???? yet may be blind though lol.. love fly fishing!! started with a cheep 8'6" two piece 5-6 weight.. think i wont to stay with same weight and go to a 9'! im going to buy a TFO rod !! what is the good and bad between a 2 piece and 4 piece??? i like the size of a four piece.. but is it as strong? thanks for any info!!!!!

These days there is no reason, that I can think of, not to go with a four piece. They have been just as strong as far as I can tell.

Others will post their findings on this point.

Just as strong and they fit in the overhead bin of an airplane. A 4 piece IS my carry-on luggage when I fly. They travel well lashed on to a backpack also (usually rolled inside my sleeping matt).

From what I understand in years past there was a difference in feel and casting between a 2 piece and a 4 piece because of the connections between the pieces (the ferrules). With the advent of graphite rods and modern rod building techniques, those differences are supposed to be a thing of the past.

One thing I learned right here on the good ol' TFF is that if you've got a 4 piece and begin to yearn for the quick assembly of a 2 piece, just don't take the rod all the way apart. Viola: instant 2 piece. If you decide to go this route, be sure to use a bit of beeswax on the ferrules to prevent them from sticking when you do disassemble them.