What fly gear would you recommend?

[Spydeyrch]

So I have been wanting to get into fly fishing for sometime now. But it seems that whenever I am going to purchase the gear (rod, reel, & line), something always happens. My kids have to go to the doctors, my wife wants to go on vacation, the van needs a tune up, etc. So I have been trying to get some fly gear for like 9 months now!!

But the good thing is that all this time has allowed me to give some good thought to what I really want and to read a lot of you guys' posts, etc. Which has been extremely helpful!!! :clap::clap:

I was going to buy my gear from a small town, small store up in Welches. It is on the way up to Mt. Hood from Sandy. Right next to Zig Zag. Here is their website:

The Fly Shop

Anywho, I stopped by one day on my way back down from Trillium and asked about a basic beginner's setup: rod, reel, & line. (I have plenty of flies.) The sales rep said that a basic setup would run from $170 - $230 and includes rod, reel, & line. The rod had a lifetime guarantee. He said no matter what happens to it (broken in the car, fish breaks it, kids break it, etc etc,) it was fixable. Just had to pay for shipping & handling. I don't remember the exact brand and model of the rod or reel. But it was either a two or three piece 9' 5/6 weight rod. The reel looked like it had a pretty decent drag system. I really liked the setup and the price that it was offered for.

I have also seen a number of rods and even some rod & reel combos in the local stores (Bi-mart, Dicks Sporting Goods, Sports Authorities, etc) for some pretty cheap prices: $30 - $115. But they don't have lifetime guarantees So I am tempted to just get something cheap for now while I learn the basic ins & outs of fly fishing. But at the same time, I am worried that if I go with the cheap stuff to just get me by, that I really will be handicapping myself during my initial learning experience. Yet at the same time, due to my lack of experience and lack of knowledge, would a $230 setup be used to it's full extent or would it be over-board and a waste of time/money?

My hobbies are: computer maintenance/construction, rock climbing, alpine climbing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, horse back riding, and more. For all those activities, the better the gear, the better the experience and I know, based upon my years of experience, what gear is the best and the best prices for them.

But when it comes to fly fishing gear, I am like a little kid again!! And I don't know what to do.

Do you see my dilemma?:think:

I am the kind of person that likes to be sure of the decisions I make. I generally don't like to make on-the-fly (get it, hehehehe) :lol::lol: decisions when it comes to the gear I use for my hobbies.

So I come to you all, the experienced group of fishers, with the hope that you'll be able to help me. ray:ray:

So what would you all recommend? Any brands, models, price ranges? Would a $50 or $60 rod with a $20 reel be just fine for the first little while or would you recommend something else?

I think that the most I would be willing to spend is around $250, and that would have to include everything: rod, reel, line, and if possible a carrying tube.

Thanks in advance for you help, opinions, advice, and recommendations.

And sorry about the long post.

-Spydey

P.S. It could be that I am just over analyzing the situation. I tend to do that sometimes and bothers the heck out of my wife, hahahaha :lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[halibuthitman]

you sir need to take a drive up to Cabellas.. or simply go buy one of the redington packages for $99 AND STAY OUT OF THAT FLY SHOP!! fly shops are like strip clubs, never go in one for the first time by yourself.. and be ready to walk out a lot poorer and with glitter all over you... wait a second...? glitter? ok back on track.. the power of a flyshop sadsack to make you feel inferior and over sell you is legendary... they sell you the rod, line and reel for sqaut... but then sell you $78234 worth of flys leaders boxes vests and ****.. I am of the opinion that the st. croix packages for $150 at cabellas are the best starter packages out there.. you can move up to a Thomas&Thomas and a Hardy reel next year

 

[Troutski]

Combos are everywhere...

Combos are everywhere...

Check out Cabelas, they have a very nice beginners set up for under 70.00 and they come with a very tight warranty. When I started fly angling I cruised the garage sales and picked up a sweet Fenwick fiberglass 6 wt. that has served me well. Since then I have up graded my gear several times - but I keep going back to the glass rod. The most important thing is stay within your budget and smile you are in for a transformation of biblical proportions; I prefer nymph angling over dry flies, but I am in to the catching part. Fish feed 90% of the time under the surface, I like this method; a personal thing to be sure. I know fly anglers that concentrate on the dry fly style, they say there is just something about a surface strike. Anyway you have chosen a walk down a very historical road, fly angling is truly an art form...tight lines to you

Chuck

 

[bigsteel]

TFO would be a good rod to start with,,not sure if your going after steelhead or trout but for trout i would go with a 9 foot 5weight.i would go with the rod that has lifetime warranty,,forget those bimart specials when it comes to fly gear...dont spend a lot of money on a FANCY reel either,all it does is hold line and if your trout fishing its FUN to leave the drag completely off.get yourself some floating line and youll be in business.......it would be nice to know what brand and model you were looking at:think::think:

 

[halibuthitman]

yeah, your pretty much screwed... do you enjoy golf?

 

[bigsteel]

yeah, your pretty much screwed... do you enjoy golf?

hehehehe fly fishing is endless possibilities,,I LOVE IT

 

[halibuthitman]

TFO would be a good rod to start with,,not sure if your going after steelhead or trout but for trout i would go with a 9 foot 5weight.i would go with the rod that has lifetime warranty,,forget those bimart specials when it comes to fly gear...dont spend a lot of money on a FANCY reel either,all it does is hold line and if your trout fishing its FUN to leave the drag completely off.get yourself some floating line and youll be in business.......it would be nice to know what brand and model you were looking at:think::think:

oh its sages japanese built begginer set... a $50 rod in a $200 tube.. comes with a free sticker for your window though!

 

[bigsteel]

oh its sages japanese built begginer set... a $50 rod in a $200 tube.. comes with a free sticker for your window though!

:lol::lol::lol:
im not much of a sage guy but thats funny

 

[Spydeyrch]

You guys are cracking me up!!!!! :lol::lol: I am bustin' up at the seams!! I can just imagine my wife's face if I were to walk in with glitter on my face, and tears on my cheacks, all stary-eyed. :shock::shock: I would probably saying something like: "She was the most beautiful I have ever seen. She brought me to my knees and all I wanted to do was handle her. She begged me to set her free and let her fly... ray:" I would probably get slapped on the face several times until I explained that I was talking about a fly rod and not another woman.... hahahaha

Yeah, I forgot that during the last 9 months, I have gone online to cabelas and taken a look at their rods and reels. They seemed to have some pretty nice gear, but again, I don't really know the distinguishing features/factors of fly gear. The prices seemed pretty nice and reasonable. The closest location I think is in Olympia, WA. Although they are going to open a new location in Springfield, OR!!!!!

I have bought a few things from cabelas in the past and have enjoyed their products. I just like to handle and feel the product before I put the money into it. I know I could always buy it, try it, and return it if needs be.

oh its sages japanese built begginer set... a $50 rod in a $200 tube.. comes with a free sticker for your window though!

Ummm, yeah....... a sticker is TOTALLY worth it!!! :lol:

@bigsteel, I am primarily going after trout. :dance:

@halibuthitman, Golf??? .... :think: Nope not really. I think it is quite boring to watch and play .... unless you make like cool special rules and you're with a bunch of friends. rules like: you can only hit the ball adam sandler style!!! or other crazy things like that. That makes it fun. :lol:

@troutsk, yup, I would have to agree with you on the historical part. Ever since I was a young kid (cause I am still young just not a kid anymore (my wife would disagree about the kid part, hehehe :lol) and saw fly fisherman on a camping trip my dad & I took to Yellowstone I have been very intrigued by it. Then when I went down to Yosemite to do a little climbing, I saw some fly fishers on the rivers and streams there too. They just looked so ..... :think: .... peaceful and tranquil. It looked very 'zen'. Climbing to me is one of my 'zens' and the attraction to fly fishing hit me at a young age because of the zen aspect.

Plus there have been some many times while fishing that the idea pops into my head: This would be much easier with a fly rod. Why don't I have one yet????

So I have been watching videos online about fly fishing. Last night I watch some Orwin (sp?) podcasts and I was drooling at the end!!!! :shock:

I find myself dreaming about fly fishing. My wife woke me up the other night saying that I smacked her a few times in my sleep. I was dreaming about fly fishing so it was kind of funny. hahaha

So I need to take the plundge and just do it!!!

Thanks everyone for your input. I will most likely go with the offerings from cabelas. although I will checkout that suggestion about TFO. Thanks for that!

I had read that FW (forward weighted?) line is a good beginner's line. Why would I want floating line vs. FW? Or does FW line also float but it just has more weight in the front of the line to help transfer the action of casting for longer and more precise casts?

Thanks again for all your help!!! You guys have been very helpful and have made me laugh a little too. :clap::clap::dance::dance:

-Spydey

 

[eggs]

I bet he quoted you for TFO stuff(signature 5wt and prism 5/6 reel and if you buy a rod reel combo they give you backing and line free= $180).. and it's good i have the same setup in 8wt and love it. I actually love The Fly Shop.... those guys are always going out of their way to help me, staying late so I can pickup something, only counting half the flies I buy, giving my advice even without buying anything that day. The Cabelas deal is good, but I like having the option to be able to walk into the shop and say "hey why is this going on?" "with this rod can I run this sink tip?".... hell I was givin shooting line, shooting head, everything from someone on this forum.. I took it all up there and they spooled and rigged it all up for me and tossed in backing for NO cost and it took the guy like 1/2 hour to untangle my ball of shooting line and make sure all the knots were tight/glued. You can't get that online and you are helping a local business.

I would have them set you up with something in the $170 range(they don't sell crap up there) and ask them if they can toss in a fly box and some flies to get you started since you are strapped for cash and decided to spend your money with them instead of online.

 

[Irishrover]

The first piece of valuable equipment to purchase is the Curtis Creek Manifesto, a great little publication about fly fishing on the "how to" level by Seridian Anderson. Cost about $8 a Bi Mart. It will get you going.

Next for rod selection for a start go with a 9' 5wt if it's trout you are after. My first, what I would call a good rod was a St Croix that cost $90. The reel was a Pfluger Medalist that ran about $25. An extra spool runs about $12. I'd go with a double taper floating line on the reel.

You could head to a fly shop or Fishermans Marines Supply and check out a few rods. Don't buy just check them out. If you find one that you like check out Cabelas online and see if they have that paticular rod and see who had the better deal.

Fly fishing is a fun way to go, and it can be an inexpensive way to fish. You don't need a $500 rod and all the stuff that comes with it.

As for the Flyshop in Welches I've been going there for about 25 years and have been treated well. However in general I've been to other fly shops and it took a week to get all that glitter off.

If you are out in the Sandy area and want to try out a rod or two send me a PM. Perhaps we could talk Eggs into coming along.

 

[ninja2010]

You don't need a $500 rod and all the stuff that comes with it.

yeah, but one eventually ends up with several rods totalling $500 anyway... heheh.

i'm not much of a trout angler so i'm no help. but if you need to know a bit about double handed rods for long distance, heavy sink tips to cast dead chicken kinda setup, give me a shout.

 

[ICamel49]

I like having the option to be able to walk into the shop and say "hey why is this going on?" "with this rod can I run this sink tip?" You can't get that online and you are helping a local business.
I would have them set you up with something in the $170 range(they don't sell crap up there) and ask them if they can toss in a fly box and some flies to get you started since you are strapped for cash and decided to spend your money with them instead of online.

What eggs wrote:clap:

You can't test cast a setup online, and buying a rod without knowing how it feels/casts is like................well, lets leave that to the imagination:lol: A good request to seal the deal with the fly shop would be to ask for some free casting lessons with the purchase. You won't be able to get that online either.

 

[Spydeyrch]

I bet he quoted you for TFO stuff(signature 5wt and prism 5/6 reel and if you buy a rod reel combo they give you backing and line free= $180).. and it's good i have the same setup in 8wt and love it. I actually love The Fly Shop.... those guys are always going out of their way to help me, staying late so I can pickup something, only counting half the flies I buy, giving my advice even without buying anything that day. The Cabelas deal is good, but I like having the option to be able to walk into the shop and say "hey why is this going on?" "with this rod can I run this sink tip?".... hell I was givin shooting line, shooting head, everything from someone on this forum.. I took it all up there and they spooled and rigged it all up for me and tossed in backing for NO cost and it took the guy like 1/2 hour to untangle my ball of shooting line and make sure all the knots were tight/glued. You can't get that online and you are helping a local business.

I would have them set you up with something in the $170 range(they don't sell crap up there) and ask them if they can toss in a fly box and some flies to get you started since you are strapped for cash and decided to spend your money with them instead of online.

Yeah, they did seem very knowledgable and even gave me some local holes to hit on the sandy and salmon just up the road from where they are located. And I didn't even buy anything from them! I always like to try to support local businesses.

As far as the fly box goes and the flies, I have a nice little collection of flies. I also have a nice fly box/tackle box. It is a tackle bag. It is kind of like those old fannie packs, but it has a should strap. Also, the hip-belt has a little pocket, one on each side. There is a main pocket and then on the outer front, there is a little pocket with a velco piece of foam designed for holding flies. Also, all the pockets close via magnets. It is a pretty nice bag. Lightweight, comfortable, and wasn't too $$$$. It was around $60 or $70.

What I could really use is a fishing vest!!! Do you think they would throw one of those in for free? hahahaha probably not.

-Spydey

 

[Spydeyrch]

What eggs wrote:clap:

You can't test cast a setup online, and buying a rod without knowing how it feels/casts is like................well, lets leave that to the imagination:lol: A good request to seal the deal with the fly shop would be to ask for some free casting lessons with the purchase. You won't be able to get that online either.

Yeah, see, that is one of the things that I like to do. When I go climbing, I like the hands-on approach. Computer stuff, well, I have worked with computers since I was ten, so I know the ins & outs. hiking, again, personal experience with hands-on apporach.

But if I go with on-line approach, no hands-on before I buy.

Thanks everyone for the advice. It really does help to be able to talk through the questiosn that I have and get other people's input. Thanks!

-Spydey

P.S. so maybe instead of the free vest (hahaha) I could get some free casting lessons? Nice idea there!! I will have to try that!!

 

[Spydeyrch]

The first piece of valuable equipment to perchase is the Curtis Creek Manifesto, a great little publication about fly fishing on the "how to" level by Seridian Anderson. Cost about $8 a Bi Mart. It will get you going.

Next for rod selection for a start go with a 9' 5wt if it's trout you are after. My first, what I would call a good rod was a St Croix that cost $90. The reel was a Pfluger Medalist that ran about $25. An extra spool runs about $12. I'd go with a double taper floating line on the reel.

As for the Flyshop in Welches I've been going there for about 25 years and have been treated well. However in general I've been to other fly shops and it took a week to get all that glitter off.

If you are out in the Sandy area and want to try out a rod or two send me a PM. Perhaps we could talk Eggs into coming along.

Yeah, I was looking to get some good books. I have been hitting up my local library for the last few weeks getting any and all books on fishing and fly fishing that I can find. I was watching some pod cast last night. The guest speaker was a gentleman that wrote a book called: (forgive me about the title, I don't remember it exactly) Prospecting a Trout ..... or something along those lines. I am hoping to find it and puchase it.

Once I get my gear, I will send you a PM and see if you want to hit some local streams up there. It may have to be lakes though as trout season ends Oct. 31st.

Thanks!!

-Spydey

EDIT: I found the book online. It is titled: The Orvis Guide to Prospecting for Trout: How to Catch Fish When There's No Hatch to Match, Revised Edition. The author is: Tom Rosenbauer. The pod casts were amazing!!

 

[halibuthitman]

I forgot about the tfo rods.. and I would agree with eggs they are a pretty good buy, I also suggest the double taper for a beginner. and lord almighty guys.. im not slammin your fly shop.. im just tryin to warn the poor guy of the credit card nitemare addictions like flyshops and dancing trout can cause. eggs, I didn't give you a shooter.. shoulda been a double t?:think:

 

[Sinkline]

.

 

[Spydeyrch]

Spydey, if you are only gonna buy one all-purpose trout rod make it a 9' 6wt. The 6wt will cover everything from large fish to small, and will throw heavy sinkers for stillwater yet is still delicate enough for smaller stream use. If you are only gonna fish streams then a 9' 5wt might be the better choice.

Make sure that whatever reel you choose it balances well with the rod. Reels come in a variety of weights and choosing one that balances well with your chosen rod enhances casting.

I like St. Croix rods and consider them a pretty good dollar value in some models. I like Rio lines, leaders, and tippet material.

Thanks Sinkline for the tips. I was planning on going with either a 6 or a 5. I would prefer to do stream/creek/river fishing, but with the close of the trout season coming up Oct 31st, (sad day, what a sad sad day) I will have to stick to lakes until the season opens up again.

Oh, and nice brown in your avatar picture!!!

-Spydey

 

[eggs]

I forgot about the tfo rods.. and I would agree with eggs they are a pretty good buy, I also suggest the double taper for a beginner. and lord almighty guys.. im not slammin your fly shop.. im just tryin to warn the poor guy of the credit card nitemare addictions like flyshops and dancing trout can cause. eggs, I didn't give you a shooter.. shoulda been a double t?:think:

bought an 8wt tfo for steelhead.. ninja hooked up the line from his collection of line from 0-900 grain all 1 inch longer then the other...