Another new fly fisherman

[sweetdaddyjones]

I have never fly fished, but I am looking to get into it this fall. The main application will be brookies in small/ shallow mountain streams, although I may use it for river smallies from time to time. I'm hoping to stay at or below $100 on a beginner rig, although I can be persuaded to spend a little more if there really is a benefit that is noticeable for a beginner.

The guy in the BPS fly shop said I should go with an 8'6" rod with 5 line weight and pointed me to a White River combo for $75. I have no idea what 5 line weight means. Is the White River worth anything, or can I get something noticeably better without spending a lot more?

I read the review on the Martin reel, and I've looked at the Pflueger Medalist since I'm partial to Pflueger in general based on my good experiences with their spinning reels. Anything else in that range that I should consider?

As for rods, how does the St. Croix Premier stack up to others in its price range? Is there anything less expensive that I could consider?

Thanks for any and all advice you can pass along.

[gq]

If you are serious about fly fishing and want to try it out I suggest going with a quality lower price rod. Temple fork outfitters I think have a really good deal. Cheaper rods generally have lack of quality which does not allow you to have a smooth cast especially if you are an inexperienced to fly fishing

And if the end you realize fly fishing is not your passion I think they still retain a high resale value due to their warrenty policy. Spend the extra 50 bucks for a nice rod.

but i am not not one to say that cheaper rods won't work as fine. My opinion a nice rod helps you learn casting better since that is one of the most difficult things of fly fishing.

Also it helps to have a mentor, books don't cut it.

[Heavy Doody]

I too recommend spending a little more. I started this year, and made the mistake of buying a Corland combo. This thing came with rod, reel, fly line, backing and a leader for $50! What a waste of money. I turned around and bought a new rod a few months later.

I also agree that Temple Fork Outfitters is a good way to go for beginners.

[SenkoSnack808]

Temple fork makes rod for the guy who wants the high end performance but not the price tag. They build great rods for the money and cabelas has them with their reels in combos. Cabelas fly reels are not like their bass reels they hold up and if kepp up they will last awhile.




Corey

[da house of hardy #1]

buy the house of hardy rods - they are the best in europe... but they are expensive

[da house of hardy #1]

what do you think about redington red rods? is that reel seat from metall?

[backcast]

Line weight in fly fishing is primarily related to what size fly you will be attemping to cast, and to a lesser degree what size fish you will be targeting. Virtually all flies are too light to be cast with casting / spin tackle. The fly must be cast by using the weight of the line, propelled by the rod. Line weights can vary from 0 to 16. Smaller the number the lighter the line / and fly. An 8 wt can cast the smallest fly. A three weight is not capable of carrying many larger flies. A three weight will more subtlly present a very small fly than an 8 weight will.

There is not a precise, universally accepted standard, for exactly measuring fly line weights, and if there was one, not all manufacturers follow it exactly. There are general guidelines. They are sized by the number of grams that the first 30 feet weighs. There is a range that each line weight should fit into. Again this is so they can carry / cast heavier flies as the line weight increases. This is why it is important to match the line weight to the correct weight of rod (rods are made in the same weight ratings as the lines). Most fly lines are about 90 feet long, some longer, so why only weigh the first 30 feet? That is because this is a common amount of line most people have exposed when casting. It is possible to cast much further than 30', but this is done by shooting line at the end of the cast. Experienced casters can cast with much more than 30' of line exposed and may adjust their line weights (not exactly match line to rod weight) for this reason.

The two most important things for you to focus on when starting are to get the correct rod and line weight for the type flies you will be using, and spend a lot more on the line than you expected. Most of the $75 - $100 rods mentioned above will cast much better than you will be able to for some time - if you get a good line. If you try to use a $20 line you are in big trouble - that's right, you need to spend $30 and better yet $50 on a good quality line. Save what you need to on your first rod, and especially reel, and spend that money on a good line. This can not be over empasized.

Now to make matters more confusing they offer may types of line; floating, sinking , sink tip, and in many shapes; weight forward, double taper, and level. Forget all the different types and only get what 80-90% of fly fishers use. Get a "weight forward", floating line ( WF 5 F) - This means; weight forward - 5 weight - floating. Except for the weight, forget about all the other types and tapers (shapes) and only consider WF / floating line. Acutal weight you need will be discussed in a minute. There are a few great line makers - White River is not one of them (IMHO). Buy either a Cortland or Scientific Anglers line to start with and spend at least $30 and better yet $50. Try to avoid buying a kit / combo that has line with it. If you do, trash the line and buy a good line.

What do "weight forward , double taper, and level" mean? These terms are important and refer to the shape or more specifically the taper of the line. You want to start with a WF. Consider trying to throw a spear. A spear that is the exact same diameter and weight from one end to the other will throw OK. One that is a little larger and heavier on the front end will throw better / further/ and track straighter. A weight forward line is made with a tapered diameter. It starts small, and after just a few feet (3-4') starts to get bigger and bigger until the largest diameter is around 12' from the front end. Then it tapers back similarly to the smaller diameter and remains consistent the rest of it's length. The larger forward diameter (the belly of the line) has more weight, and helps you when casting. Level lines were popular only before the manufacturers learned how to build tapers into their lines. These are still made but they are trash. A double taper line still has valuable use, and may be especially good for small stream Brookies, but don't worry about that until after you become an experienced caster.

Now to talk about line and rod weight. Five weight is the most commonly used rod for trout fishing. For bass fishing I would guess thet a 6 - 7 weight is most common. The range to consider for trout rods would be from 0-6 with 3-6 covering 98% of the applications. The range for bass could be 5 -9 wt with 6-8wt covering 85% of the applications. Key factors to consider are; 1) fly size, 2) fly size again, 3) size of water you will fish (casting distance), and 4) size of the fish.

If you are only going to get one rod, and use it for small mountain stream Brookies, and river SM bass, get the five weight. It will be too big to be optimal for the Brookies, and may be too small to be optimal for the SM, unless they are in small streams and generally 2# or less fish. If your Brookie streams are small (30' wide or less) and the fish are generally 12" or less you will do better and have more fun with a 3 or 4 weight. If the SM rivers are large (50' or wider) and you may run into some bigger fish a 6 weight may be better. A five weight will be fine for both if you only want to start with one rod. There are lots of good starter rods for around $100.

Rod length is also important and dependent of size / location of where you fish. By far the most common lengths are 8.5 - 9', and these are great for open areas and making longer casts. If your mountain streams have a lot of cover and brush and only need 15-25' casts you may be much better off with a 7- 7.5' rod.

Reels - for the type of fishing you mentioned the reel will only be a device to store line. Type of drag will never or virtually never matter. I have some $400 fly reels, but you do not need anything like that for the fishing you mentioned. Spend less on your first reel than you do for the line.

Fly fishing is a wonderful way to fish. You can make it as complicated or simple as you want to. However you have to understand and observe some basic , critically important facts or it will be much harder (nearly impossible) to become competent so you can start the fun.
Good Luck

[da house of hardy #1]

backcast,i knew that line is the most important part of flyfishing apparell...and the reel isnt important at all if you catch smaller fish,because it is used to keep the line...if you fight with big fish,than reel is more important

[backcast]

Agreed. When fishing for larger, stronger fish, the reel becomes very important. However, long before mechanical drags evolved to what they are today many large fish were caught using reels with only a clicker drag (essentially almost no drag).

Some of these reels were designed so the angler could use the palm of their hand against the rim of the rotating spool to apply drag.

The role that a quality and correctly selected line plays is always critical, and in my opinion the most important factor. An average rod and reel will allow you to be successful. A bad line will create the largest challenge to overcome.