All posts by Leonard Schoenberger

Leonard Schoenberger is the founder and editor of The Wading List. He has fished all his life and is particularly interested in checking out new fly fishing gear. His goal is to offer his readers all the information they need to make a good purchase they will enjoy. Learn more about Leonard.

fly rod action explained

Rod action describes where a fly rod flexes when it loads under casting motion. A fast-action rod flexes primarily near the tip. A medium-action rod...

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what is a tippet

A tippet is the thin terminal section of a fly fishing leader, the last two to three feet where the fly is tied. It is the deliberately weakest link in...

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fly fishing for beginners

Fly fishing differs from spin or bait fishing in one mechanical fact: the lure is too light to cast on its own, so the angler casts a weighted line and...

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fly fishing bonefish

Bonefish (Albula vulpes) are amphidromous flats fish that move onto shallow tropical sand and mud flats with the incoming tide to root out benthic...

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how to tie a clinch knot

The clinch knot is the terminal connection that ties the tippet to the fly. Two versions exist: the standard clinch, which retains roughly 75 to 80...

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Best 5 Weight Fly Rod

If you ask a guide, an AI overview, or a forum what the single most useful fly rod in existence is, the answer comes back the same: a 9-foot 5-weight....

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Best Fly Reels

A fly reel is not the casting tool. The rod is the spring that loads and releases the line, and the line itself is the weight that travels through the...

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Best Fly Lines

A fly line is not the string between the rod and the fly. It is the projectile. In spin and bait fishing the lure carries the cast: a dense plug or jig...

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Best Spey Rods

A spey rod is a two-handed fly rod that loads against the water rather than against the air. Instead of an aerial backcast unfurling behind the angler,...

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Best Fly Fishing Packs

A fly fishing pack carries a specific load under a specific constraint that generic hiking and outdoor packs do not solve for. The angler is standing...

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