Besides obvious gear like your rod, reel, creel, and net, do you have some pet items that you would be lost trying to fish without? Probably every fly fisher has, and often they are things most people don't associate with angling.

As for myself, I try to make sure one pocket contains an ignition point file, a piece of inner tube rubber, a short length of lead wire, and a nail clipper. They are not only useful but inexpensive and easily procured to boot.

In fly casting, the line itself is thrown. The leader and fly are carried along and made to lie out ahead as the line settles to the water.

Because the weight of the line energizes the rod, fly lines of necessity are bulkier than those used for spinning or casting.

Most of us have heard fly fishers say, "Long casts are fine, but it's hard to set the hook with so much line out".

Whether in or on the water, a fly line is almost always curved by wind or current or both. With much line out, this belly combined with a fly rod's natural flexibility and the line's bulk does make it harder to set the hook by a solid pull.

Any fly fisher knows that it is normal for the best fish to rise at the extreme range of his casting ability. What most don't realize, however, is that it's not all that hard to catch these fish if the hook point is super sharp.

Instead of trying to pull hard enough to take the belly out of the line, a quick movement of the rod tip will start an impulse through the line that will travel to the fly and twitch it enough to set a sharp hook. Either floating or sunken, the water's resistance to a fly line moving broadside and straightening is great. The line will, however, easily slide longitudinally through the water and move the fly. A hard pull hinders this impulse by forcing the line sidewise against the water.

To prove this to yourself, make a long cast with a bug or popper. Let it sit on the water till the line has taken a curve. Give the rod tip a quick lift, the line curve won't be disturbed but the bug will make a noticeable wake on the water as it moves in response to the tip motion.

Fly hooks should be kept super sharp and this is where the ignition file comes in. Most tackle stores sell good hook sharpeners. These are usually stones or hones and work well with large hooks. On small hooks, however, they will only dress the point's bottom and sides. An ignition point file will let you make and keep a fly hook ultra sharp because it will work inside the gap between the fly body and hook point.

The ones I use are strips of slightly flexible carborundum and are sold in auto supply stores.

Straight leaders are also important in hooking fish that take a fly. Between fishing trips, even when not stored on a reel, they tend to revert to their original coiled shape. This means the leader lies on the water in a series of spirals unless straightened before starting to fish.

Even one or two of these spirals make it hard to set the hook. They absorb the impulse given to the line when you Iift the rod tip and the fly won't move enough so even a sharp hook will take hold.

This is where the inner-tube rubber is used. Fold it around the leader, squeeze tightly and pull the leader through the rubber. Even the most stubborn coils will be straightened.

Do this before the first cast. Super sharp hooks and straight leaders will make you look like an expert when it comes to hooking fish.

At times it is desirable to sink a fly deeper than it will travel unweighted. Split shot, small sinkers, and other devices designed to be used with casting and spinning gear are much too heavy for fly casting.

Lead wire such as is used by fly tiers to weight fly bodies is much better. Sold on spools or cards, it can be bought at tackle stores and fly tying supply houses.

If you fish with a tippet tied to the leader, making a simple over-hand knot with this wire just above the tippet knot will take the leader down and still let the fly swim free of the bottom.

When long casts are necessary, it may be better to have the lead wire tight against the fly. Above the tippet knot it can act as a buffer between the fly and rod tip and make setting the hook difficult with a long line.

Be sure to nip any projecting wire ends off closely. Otherwise the knot may revolve in the current when retrieved, and twist the leader.

Most uses for the nail clipper are self-evident. Besides cutting lines and leader material, it works wonderfully well for trimming fly hackle and wings. With it you can make a small fly out of a large one, a wet fly out of a dry, and a nymph out of a regular fly. You can remove lead wire without damaging the leader when you no longer want to fish deep.

It's easier to carry than scissors and takes up less room than pliers.