10 Essential Items For A New River Trout Fisherman Recommended By Declan Geldar

1.    Rod A good river trout rod that I would recommend would be a Greys GS2 8’6” or 9’ long in length. This rod has a middle to tip action, so it is easy to learn to cast. 2.    Reel You do not have to spend a lot of money on a reel because it is just to hold the line as a trout on a river would rarely pull line of the reel. The reel I would recommend would be a Greys G Series Number 2, this would suit an 8’6” or 9’ rod. 3.    Line When choosing a line you need to look at the line rating on the rod which will have a marking. For example if the rod was rated 5/6 it is best to go for a WF6. Weight Forward lines are easier to cast than double taper as it loads the rod quicker and gives you greater distance if necessary. The line I would choose would be the John Norris twin colour XD trout WF6 floating. 4.    Net A good river net would be the Daiwa Wilderness River Scoop Net, which will handle a decent river fish. 5.    Leaders When fishing on a river you need to use 3lb to 4lb breaking strain as the fish in the rivers are more line shy than in a stocked lake. Greys copolymer is a good leader to use. 6.    Flies The flies you use on a river are wet flies which sink and you can fish them upstream or down. Dry flies which float on the top and Nymphs which sink fast down to the river bed. John Norris does a fly box with 100 river flies in which there is everything for the river. 7.    Waders & Clothing For waders I would buy chest because they give better coverage of the the river, I would go for a felt-stud combination which is good on most terrain. It is worth buying a fly vest because when you are in the river it is best to have your tackle with you. Click here to view our collection of fishing clothing. 8.    Eye Protection You should always wear glasses to protect your eyes. It is best to buy polarized because they take the glare of the water and allow you to spot fish. Click here to see our collection of sunglasses. 9.    Accessories It is useful to have a pair of snips on your fly vest to cut the leader and also a pair of forceps for unhooking fish. 10.    Floatants & Sinkants It is necessary to sink and take the shine of a leader when dry fly fishing, to do this it is best to use the Orvis Mud. You also need to make your dry flies float doing this you need to use Gink which you need to rub into the fly.