fly fishing

[mike_v2v98]

i am planning on taking up fly fishing this year and was wondering if any of you can offer some input<br />i need to buy a fly rod <br />do i need to spend the big money on a rod<br />what is the difference in lengths and weights of the rods<br />thanks for any help

 

[Codedog]

Re: fly fishing

Mike, <br /><br />It depends on what type of fishing you have in mind. Stream fishing for trout, fishing for bass or stripers, or fishing the flats for tarpon? Dry fly, nymphs, or streamers? Small streams or big rivers? The board will be able to make suggestions based on what you want to go after.

 

[mike_v2v98]

Re: fly fishing

most of the fishing i do is for coho and steelhead on the fraser river in british columbia<br />i also do alot of lake fishign trolling and just casting from the boat<br />everyone has told me how the fight of a good salmon on a fly rod is the best fishing there is so i have got to give it a try<br />unfortunatley the kids working in the local sporting goods store will feed you any kind of info to sell you anything<br />id like to get some pointers from all of you before i go out and spend the money on a new rod and real

 

[mike_v2v98]

Re: fly fishing

oh on the lakes im fishign for trout and kokanee

 

[crab bait]

Re: fly fishing

mike , when you buy the rod get help to learn how to cast.. if you buy from a pro shop get lessons thrown in.. tell your instructor this :: take the tip section ONLY,, in your hand.. ty a 6 foot piece of yarn to the top guide. ty an overhand knot in the other end of the yarn... use setup to practice your castin' loops .. i don't care if he's a pro,,, tell him this ... if he never heard of it before ,,, tell him again ,,, if he says no ,,, tell him CRABBAIT says so ... .. it works !!!

 

[mike_v2v98]

Re: fly fishing

i will give this a try crab bait<br />however i still need to purchase a rod<br />and i am unsure what to buy as in lenght and weight<br />what are the diffeerences in the lenght and wait<br />is it a personal preference as to what feels good for the individual person or does the rod have anything to do with the casting

 

[crab bait]

Re: fly fishing

yes to all the above.. if you really have a" WANT TO" then you should get help to learn.. it's the only way.. it's to much money & to much learning to guess ... go to a pro shop for starters... what kinda fishin' you want to do ???

 

[Codedog]

Re: fly fishing

Mike, Don't know the river you mentioned but if going for Steelies, they are ususally in some heavy water and somewhat windy conditions. For a start I would suggest a 7 or even 8 weight rod in an 8 or 9 foot length. Reel is not "important" in fly flingin'. It simply provides some balance for the rod and a place to hang line. For the lakes or smaller streams I would go for a 5 or 6 weight in a 7 or 8 foot length. CrabBait is dead-on. Seek out a pro shop. You'll be surprised how many there are out there. There you will be able to try out different outfits (weights & lengths and lines) and get some excellent guidance. You don't need to spend a fortune to get into it, but my best advice is to stay away from the "packaged specials" that you see at some sporting goods places.

 

[crab bait]

Re: fly fishing

AMEN NU BOAT !!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: fly fishing

Mike, great idea. Fly fishing is fun. Crab bait is right. I would suggest to hit the good pro shop and along with your casting lessons look into fly tying lessons too. I live right near Orvis which has an excellant reputation. <br /><br />Good luck with it.<br /><br />Bob

 

[Newhook]

Re: fly fishing

At least as important as the rod is the line. It has to be matched to the rod and you need to think about whether you want sinking or floating. For casting on the east coast, most use a floating weight-forward line that allows casting in wind. This is for fishing downstream for Atl. salmon, which rise for the fly. Spend a few more dollars on the line and a few less on the rod. Trouters use roughly the same set-up most of the time with a much lighter rod and line; some as light as line weight 2 and 3. Generally the longer the rod the longer the cast except when you are learning where a long rod can be hard to control especially where there are trees around to get caught up in. If you have not tried fly fishing before, don't spend a lot of money on your set. It's like golf. Better clubs or rods are better but you can get a taste for the activity without spending a pile. You'll break a rod by walking on it or falling down or lose it by leaving it on top of the car before you outgrow it and then you can rationally spend some dough. The next step is to find a friend who has some experience or hire a guide the first time you go out. If not, bend the barb down on your hook. It will be easier to get out of your ear-lobe that way,

 

[mike_v2v98]

Re: fly fishing

hahahaha<br />well my daughter has been bugging me to get my ear peirced<br />maybe i will kill 2 birds with one stone<br />lol<br />thanks for all the input youve answered all my questions<br />i have found through a friend a good pro shop to go to that can fit me with what i need<br />its a bit of a drive but will be well worth the time i think<br />thanks again

 

[crab bait]

Re: fly fishing

GET FREE LESSONS INCLUDED B 4 YOU BUY ..... THAT'S THE DEAL ...

 

[DTB]

Re: fly fishing

A six weight 8' rod is perfect for learning as for line don't skimp it's one of the biggest difference makers in casting. Taking a one day course is a really good idea it will save a lot of frustration. Good luck fly fishing once you get into it is a whole lotta fun.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: fly fishing

BUY A GOOD SETUP DON"T SKIMP ON QUALITY AND PRICE. I learned that the hard way. I had a bottom line bargan basement and could not make it work well but it was fun. For my birthday I bit the bullet and spent some money and man the difference. I would also recomend you get some muddler minnows as a starter fly as so far I have caught a bunch of diffrent species on it and don't think from top to bottom there is a wrong way to fish it.