Who wants to spend a great deal on any hobby when they really don't need to? Fly-fishing can be an expensive hobby to pick up, even though it can be loads of fun and furnish hours of entertainment and relaxation. Knowing when to trim costs and when you shouldn't, can take a far smaller chunk out of your pocketbook. It isn't that hard to protect your budget when buying the equipment for fly-fishing though.

Let's start with the basics; rod, reel, and line. Fly-fishing is an exacting sport. Trying it with a second rate pole and line is almost begging for disaster. So called 'package deals' where all three are sold together for a very small price should be avoided, if you want to really enjoy yourself, have success, and get into fly fishing.

It does cost more to buy a quality pole and line, especially if purchased separately. But why purchase anything at all if you are only setting yourself up for failure? For a beginning fly fisherman, the one thing that can cause them to give it all up is to try a dozen times without ever having so much as a single strike. That amounts to wasting money, not saving it.

Note: A good reel doesn't have to be fancy, so it doesn't figure into the equation as much as the pole and line do.

Still, there are ways that money can be saved on rods, reels, and line. Examples are online sites like eBay or Craigslist, and even second hand sites. Used items, well cared for, can cost even less than package deals because they aren't new, yet you won't be trying to fish with a fishing pole version of a baseball bat. An example is a recent auction for an old but very well maintained Fenwick fly rod. The pole was sold for a little less than $50, while purchasing a new Fenwick of lesser quality will run between $200 and $300.

Side gear is a consideration, too. A tackle box or creel is almost a necessity. This keeps the leader, flies, and similar items together, while allowing you a place to put the fish. They don't need to be expensive, though. A simple $2 plastic toolbox will work fine until something better can be purchased, perhaps at a yard sale.

Cut out the 'must have' items that many fishermen may tell you that are absolute musts. Hip waders, special boots and fishing vests are nothing more than fluff. They aren't needed, they don't help you catch fish, and they are an additional expense to bear if you get them. Many extremely successful fly fishermen have never used any of these. What is difficult about wading into a river wearing jeans and tennis shoes? In the middle of June or July when the temperatures are high, it is actually refreshing.

The flies can also be expensive. To counter this, learn to tie your own. It takes time and effort, but it becomes progressively easier to do as you work at it, and the cost will be a fraction of what you pay to purchase at the store. Remember too that the flies don't have to look like the commercially bought flies for them to be effective. Some of the best fishing flies have been mistakes.

Don't take this wrong. To have success and to enjoy yourself when fly fishing will take an investment. This is true of almost everything in life. But there are concrete ways that you can save your budget when purchasing fly fishing gear, and many of them are so simple that it will amaze even the seasoned fly fisherman.

Learn more about this author, Rex Trulove.
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