# Fly fishing gear > Fly fishing gear for beginners: rod, reel, line, backing, leader and tippet explained simply, what the class means, the words on the box, and what can wait. Source: https://finnfisk.no/en/fluefiskeutstyr Language: en Alternate: https://finnfisk.no/fluefiskeutstyr (nb-NO) --- Field guide · Fly fishing You need less than the shop would have you believe. Updated 6 October 2026 Here is what you must have to start, what each part does, and what the words on the box mean. The rest can wait until you know what you miss. ## What do you need to start fly fishing? You need a class 5 fly rod of 9 ft, a reel and a floating line of the same class, a leader, tippet and 10 to 15 flies. The tag is what you ask for in the shop. Buy rod, reel and line as a ready-made kit. Then everything has the same class, and the line and backing often come already on the reel. - **Fly rod #5 · 9 ft**: Class 5 and 9 feet, which is 2.7 metres, suits trout and grayling in most of Norway. Pick a four-piece rod. It fits in a backpack. - **Fly reel #5**: The same class as the rod. For trout and grayling the reel mostly holds the line. You need the drag only when a big fish runs. - **Fly line WF5F**: A floating line in class 5. It lies on top of the water, so you can see where it is. You can use it for every fly type in your first year. - **Backing 50–100 m**: Thin, strong line at the core of the reel, under the fly line. It fills the spool and gives you more line if a big fish runs far. - **Leader and tippet 9 ft · 4X–5X**: Buy three ready-made leaders and a spool of tippet the same thickness as the leader’s tip. What those two are is explained further down, under “From the reel to the fly”. - **Flies 10–15**: A few nymphs, a few dry flies and a couple of streamers, in sizes 12 to 16. That lasts a long time. - **Forceps and nippers**: The forceps take the hook out. The nippers cut the leader when you change flies. Hang both on your jacket, so you find them with one hand. - **Polarised glasses and a cap**: The fly passes your head on every cast. Glasses and a cap protect your eyes. Polarised lenses also let you see fish and rocks under the water. - **Floatant**: A little on the dry fly, and it floats much longer. A small bottle lasts a whole season. - **Net with a rubber mesh**: A rubber mesh does not damage the slime layer on the fish, and the fly does not snag in the mesh. ## What does the class of a fly rod mean? The class is a number for how much the first nine metres of the fly line weigh. A low number is light gear, a high number is heavy gear. Rod, reel and line must have the same class. The class of the fly rod, what it suits, and how heavy a fish it handles | Class | Suits | Handles fish | | --- | --- | --- | | 3–4 | Small streams and grayling. Light and delicate, for small flies and clear water. | Up to about 1.5 kg | | 5 | Most trout and grayling. Choose this if you only want one rod. It copes with some wind. | Up to about 3 kg | | 6–7 | Big flies, wind and big trout. Casts heavy streamers and casts into the wind on open water. | 3 to 5 kg | Length: 9 feet suits nearly everywhere. In a small stream with trees around it, 7 to 8 feet is easier to handle. ## From the reel to the fly The backing sits at the core of the reel, then come the fly line, the leader and the tippet, and the fly sits at the very end. This is the order, and this is how you tie the parts together. ### Reel Sits under the handle and holds all the line. This is where you reel in a big fish. Arbor knot to the reel ### Backing The thin line at the core of the spool. You only see it when a fish has taken out the whole fly line. Tied already in a kit, otherwise loop to loop ### Fly line The thick, coloured line you cast with, about 25 to 30 metres long. It is the weight in the cast. Loop to loop ### Leader A clear piece of nylon, as long as the rod. It is thick where it meets the line and thin at the end. It stops the fish seeing the line, and makes the fly land gently. Surgeon’s knot or double uni ### Tippet A thin piece about half a metre long at the end of the leader. Every time you change flies, it gets shorter. Then you tie on new tippet, and the leader lasts much longer. Improved clinch knot ### Fly Tied to the end of the tippet. Replace the tippet before it gets shorter than half a metre. [The knots, step by step](https://finnfisk.no/en/knuteguide) ## What do the words on the box mean? WF5F on the box means a weight-forward line in class 5 that floats. - **WF**: Weight forward. The weight sits at the front of the line. It is the easiest to cast, and the one to choose. - **DT**: Double taper. The line is the same at both ends, so you can reverse it when one end is worn. Good for short, gentle casts. - **F · I · S**: Floating (F), slow-sinking (I, intermediate) or sinking (S). - **ft**: Feet. One foot is 30.5 cm. A 9 ft rod is 2.7 metres. - **#**: The class, or weight. #5 means class 5. If a reel says #4/5, it suits both. - **Action**: How stiff the rod is. Fast is stiff and casts far. Medium is softer and forgives more when your timing is off. Start with medium. - **Large arbor**: The reel has a wide core. It takes in line faster, and the line gets fewer coils. - **X**: The thickness of leader and tippet. The higher the number, the thinner. 4X is about 0.18 mm and 6X about 0.13 mm. - **Hook size**: The higher the number, the smaller the hook. Size 10 is a big fly, 18 is a very small one. - **Tapered**: The leader gets gradually thinner towards the fly. That is what makes it roll out and lay the fly gently on the water. ## What can wait Waders, a sinking line, an expensive rod, many fly boxes, a double-handed rod and fly tying can wait until after your first season. All of this is nice to have. - **Waders**: Much fly fishing works fine from the bank. Buy waders when you know where you want to wade. Then choose rubber soles, which dry faster than felt and carry less disease between watercourses. Always wear a wading belt. It keeps the water out if you fall. - **Sinking line**: You need it only when you want to fish deep in a lake. A floating line with a heavier fly gets you a long way. - **An expensive rod**: You notice the difference only once you cast well. An affordable rod in the right class catches just as many fish in the first year. - **Many fly boxes**: One box with room for nymphs, dry flies and streamers is enough. More boxes mostly means you search longer. - **Double-handed rod**: Is for salmon in big rivers. For trout and grayling it is too heavy and too long. - **Fly tying**: Fun, but no shortcut. Buy your flies in the first year. Then you know which ones you want to tie yourself. ## Common questions ### What should I spend money on first? - The fly line. The line carries the cast, so a good line in the right class makes casting easier than an expensive rod does. Next, polarised glasses, which both protect your eyes and show you the fish. The reel is where you can save the most when you fish for trout and grayling. ### How thick a tippet should I use? - Divide the hook size by three, and you get roughly the right X. A size 12 fly gets 4X, a size 15 to 16 gets 5X, and a size 18 gets 6X. If the water is very clear and the fish are shy, go one number thinner. If the fish are big or there is a lot of weed and rock, go one number thicker. ### Can I use the same fly rod for salmon? - Usually not. Salmon are heavier and stronger, and the rivers are bigger. The usual choice is a single-handed rod in class 8 or 9, or a double-handed rod on big rivers. Salmon fishing also has its own rules: the state fishing fee, a card for the river, and many rivers require your gear to be disinfected. [Guide to salmon fishing](https://finnfisk.no/en/laksefiske) Read next - [Fly fishing Getting started: the cast, the fish and the take](https://finnfisk.no/en/fluefiske) - [Fly guide Flies, class and technique](https://finnfisk.no/en/flueguide) - [Knot guide Nine knots, with diagrams and steps](https://finnfisk.no/en/knuteguide)