Fly fishing involves a number of line types differing in material, diameter, and strength. Backing, fly line, leaders, tippet… it can get confusing. In this guide we’ll cover their purpose and how to combine them to make the most effective fly fishing rigs. Let’s dive in!
Building blocks
The Standard Fly Line System is comprised of Backing, Fly Line, a Leader, and Tippet. The nymph and streamer rigs will also require a few other accessories (strike indicators, splitshot, sinking leader) For specific details on each of these building blocks see The Gear section.
Moving forward, our fly line system will provide a foundation for all the rigs we will cover. Refer back to the diagram above as needed.
The type of flies you decide to use (dry vs nymph vs streamer) determines what rig to set up. After covering a few basic knots, we will take a deeper dive into each fly type and their appropriate set ups.