Fly fishing help..

[KelfuN]

hey guys, I'm planning to start fly fishing after my exams are over. I think I will mostly be targetting small trouts, possibly some smallies and panfish, or whatever i can hook onto. I was told to pick up a 5wt 9'..any suggestions?

 

i was also told the most important part of a fly fishing outfit is the fly line...rod and reel don't really matters??

 

 

any help/suggestions would be great guys..

[MJL]

I'm not much a light-action fly guy but from what I've been told, a 5wt is a good all-rounder for some of the smaller species. 8wts are the lightest fly rods I use.

 

In terms of what you should be looking for, I'd recommend a med-fast action fly rod. A med-fast action fly rod is forgiving enough for the newbie caster but will have power in reserve for casting big/heavier flies. When it comes to casting, the fly line AND the rod are important. For the size of fish you're after, the reel will be more of a storage device for the fly line. Any idea on how much you'd like to spend on the outfit?

Edited April 20, 2009 by MJL

[BillM]

I picked up a cheap Temple Forks 2pc 8' 4wt setup last year from BPS. Came all rigged and ready to go. I'm sure it's not the greatest out there, but it's been fine for me. I have landed exactly one fish on it since I started, but I hope to change that this year, lol.

[rover1.5dx]

It really depends on the size of flies and size of fish you're targeting.

 

I have every weight from 0 to 9. Lightest I can get away with to fish bass size poppers would be a 6 weight. For stripping streamers and nymphing on the Grand tailwaters I use a fast action 4wt. For normal dry fly fishing on the same stretch I use a 3 wt (I'll use the zero if there's no wind and flies smaller than 18). For steelhead, 7wt or spey.

 

If you can only have one rod go with a 5 weight. Then your second rod would be an 8 for larger species.

 

However, if you plan on only fishing smaller fish I'd suggest a 4 weight.

 

As far as rods go it's personal choice on rod action (fast, vs. med/fast, vs. med vs. slow). I started off with fast rods, and still use them for salt, but now prefer med/fast rods as my stroke is slower since I started spey casting with a certain brand and style of cast.

 

I completely disagree that any rod is okay. Rod prices vary considerably, and in general, the nicer smoother casting rods cost much more. If you're looking for value there are some very nice Korean made rods for relatively cheap price in comparison to the Sages, Loomis, Scotts, etc. of the world.

 

Line is also very important and needs to be matched to the rod and style of casting.

 

For small fish the reel, arguably, is just for holding line. When you get into steel and salt a drag is more important. Nonetheless, a nice reel is fitting for a nice rod.

 

Welcome to the world of fly fishing.

 

Rover

[kemper]

Ross World Industries has a new series out in the (semi) budget category. I picked up an 8 wt on sale and man is it ever a nice rod.

 

I wouldnt worry about spending coin on a reel for a 5 wt. Really all it does at that state is hold the line. Okuma makes a line of budget reels, and I havent had any trouble with mine.

[DRIFTER_016]

Plenty of good starter outfits around. What kind of $$$$ do you have available?

I used to think that the rod really didn't matter, until I got my first good one that is.

For beginners I think a moderate action rod will help you to learn as they are more forgiving than the faster actioned rods.

As was mentioned the 5wt would be a little light for throwing poppers for bass, but for hucking streamers and buggers it will work fine.

For small stream trout I use a Cabelas PT series 2wt. It's a beautifull little stick. For larger rivers I have 4 and 5 wt Sage RPLs. They are not available any more but they are wicked powerfull little rods. My 4 wt is actually my go to rod for steelhead that average to about 8#.

For larger steelhead in bigger systems I have 7 and 9wt outfits.

 

Here's a couple of chrome mid teen sized HO's caught on my 7wt las fall.

 

 

 

Let us know what kind of money you want to spend and we should be able to help you with some suggestions.

[KelfuN]

im thinking of throwing $150-200 for the entire outfit (rod,reel,lines).

since i already have so many flies and assortment of leaders in differeint lb rating from pinning, i dont think that will be a problem??

 

so i assume a 5-6wt 9' rod would be a good start??

what about lines..i know theres double tapered, weight forward, shooting tapered...im guessing i should pick up floating lines?!

 

what have i got myself into..hahah

[DRIFTER_016]

Your best bet is to buy one of the complete outfits from a decent manufacturer.

 

Here are a few examples from the Cabelas site.

 

Ross

 

Redington

 

Cabelas

 

Keep these in mind while you are looking around places like LeBarons and Bass Pro.

Try and stay away from the real cheapo outfits.

[Dnthmn]

When I was looking for my first fly rod the guys at the local shop had a complete St Croix starter setup for within the price range you mentioned If memory serves correctly it was $159.99 for the 6 wt including rod, reel, fly line, backing, leader and so on. The 8 wt was just under $200.00. I have to pick up some hooks for glo-bug eggs on my way into work tomorrow. If you want I can double check the price and stock availability for you or you can give them a shout. I do suggest a 6 wt as it is a better all around size (little more middle of the road)

 

As for lines a double taper will give you the most bang for your buck as you will be able to turn it around when the time comes. A floating and a sink tip should cover just about whatever you need to start.

 

http://www.anglingsport.com/

 

Good luck in your search.