Fly Fishing Setup for JONG

Alright, I know AKPM isn't the only one that knows his jungle cock...

I'm taking a fly fishing class this fall (that's one kick ass elective) but I've only fly fished once, about 5 years ago. So, I'd like to get a rod and reel. Nothing too fancy, but nothing I'm gonna wanna replace after one season as I realize it's crap. I'll probably stick with the sport for quite some time, I already fish and have always wanted to get more into fly fishing. I live in Washington and will most likely fish washington, idaho, western montana. Trout, salmon, blah blah blah...

Any suggestions? What brands? What kind of price range am I lookin at? What other kind of gear will I "need"?

Depending on your streams and cover you might want a smaller rod 8 or 8'6 instead of the 9'.

I always liked 3 peicers which lends nicely to remove the top two sections for fishing ubertight creeks and such.

Sounds like a 5 weight or maybe a 6 for versatility depending on the size of fish around you.

I have a rod just like this and went with a Sage 4wt 8'6 3peice vpslight.

thatll run about 300

then get a reel that holds line

if you want a nice one, ross is nice as is um shit, i forget the name of them now
will edit later for brand

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=44293
For what its worth my dad casts my orginal $150 Diamondback better than his +$300 Sage XP.
Gortex waders like a good xcr ski wear is an expensive but worth while investment.
Just so you know flyfishing is the crack cocaine of fishing. It will make money fly out of your wallet and consume your freetime causing you to forsake a lot of other things.
Then again trout don't live in ugly places.

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Originally Posted by skifishbum

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=44293
For what its worth my dad casts my orginal $150 Diamondback better than his +$300 Sage XP.
Gortex waders like a good xcr ski wear is an expensive but worth while investment.
Just so you know flyfishing is the crack cocaine of fishing. It will make money fly out of your wallet and consume your freetime causing you to forsake a lot of other things.
Then again trout don't live in ugly places.

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Word

Just replace Trout with Snook and Redfish, and you have found my source of addiction. You might not catch as many, but when you do- look out. If I spend a day out bait fishing with no bites, I am pissed. If I come home from fly fishing without one hit, I am still psyched. Something about just casting and hitting the spots you are aiming at is enough for me. Prolly cause I know I am just practicing for the "big one".


As for cheapish rods that cast well and won't be trash when you get better-

It's a repeat for a reason:

Temple Fork

i've always liked 5 weight sage rods, 9', and they can be had for around 200 on ebay and other super discounted stores, but you have to put in some time to find them. As for the reel, i have an orvis one given to me for xmas that i will never replace, ever.

Loomis GL3 in a 9' 5 weight will suit you fine for anything (excluding steelhead) in the west. Get a Fly Logic entry level reel and a weight forward floating line from Cortland. In all the whole setup will less than $300 if you shop around.

just started fly fishing this winter/spring. mostly done saltwater till now. ended up buying waders and boots ($150 total) to start and borrowed the rest. recently bought a 9 foot, 6 weight Sage Launch for about $175. a little more than i wanted to spend but comes with a lifetime guarantee. reel=$30-$70 (to start). line=$50. flies=$.80 or so.
i agree with warthog. just being out there, casting, and looking for fish is a lot of fun regardless of catching anything.

i prefer 6 weight when it is windy and on the bigger water. It's a little much for the smaller streams, but no big deal. I've always used 9', which makes tight small streams challenging, but worth it considering the distance you can cast in the open.

Given the rivers/streams you are going to encounter in eastern wa and in idaho I would think a 5 or 6 weight would be killer. I have a 5 weight that I like for mid size rivers and below. I have to admit I love my 9 weight in coastal rivers during winter.

8.5" 5wt would do you good in my opinion. There are some shops that offer demos. It is always nice to go and see what feels good. You may not know if you are jsut starting, but maybe you cna bring a friend or something to confirm with. Orvis Battenkill Mid arbor reels are pretty nice and around $100. Flylogic makes some nie reels as noted above. Ross are really nice, but pricier.

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Originally Posted by powwrangler

8.5" 5wt would do you good in my opinion. There are some shops that offer demos. It is always nice to go and see what feels good. You may not know if you are jsut starting, but maybe you cna bring a friend or something to confirm with. Orvis Battenkill Mid arbor reels are pretty nice and around $100. Flylogic makes some nie reels as noted above. Ross are really nice, but pricier.

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Be careful with demos not all companies will lifetime war. demo rods G Loomis for one.

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Originally Posted by warthog

Temple Fork

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These are super popular in Oz for SWF too. Good price and great reputation. My next rod will probably be a TFO. My go-to rod at the moment is a Thomas & Thomas Vector. Excellent, but not a starter rod ($$).

Rod and reel are important decisions, but you also asked about other gear you will need, so hold on to your sombrero;

waders; basic $100, Cloudveil 8x (drool) $450. I bought a pair of Dan Bailey Barebones breathables for 120 bucks that lasted me 4 yrs hard fishing

boots; 50-100 I like Chota

gravel gaurds; (if not built into waders) 10

line; 35-60 Weight Forward taper for all around trout

leader 5

tippet 3x-5x should get ya started, say 20

flies 1.50 per, then you'll start tying to save money but soon discover that is an entirely new money pit

polarized glasses 40-200

vest or chest pack go cheap

nippers 5

hemostat 10

fly box go cheap

The guy who taught me how to fly fish told me the most important thing I could do was to learn my knots BEFORE I hit the river. Sucks having to have your buddy do a blood knot for you every time.

oh yeah, better stay away from Montana, whirling disease killed all the fish;)

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Originally Posted by Lexi-Bell

oh yeah, better stay away from Montana, whirling disease killed all the fish;)

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Yeah for sure, no trout left in the tuck! Better stick too stealhead and salmon in WA and ID. Probabaly want to go with a larger weight rod then, more like an eight weight. BWAHAHAHAHAHAH

Otherwise good starter info.

Check out Temple Fork Rods-cheap not to heavy, unconditional replacement-made in Korea but great for the beginner. You can get a signifiant quiver going for cheap.

5 wt Cabelas 5pc stowaway with pflueger medalist real and WF floating line. 20 pound backing, make your leaders yourself I like maxima butt sections and rio tippet. setup should be less then 150 dollars

I'll hook you up with some flies for about 50 cents a fly if you want.

DON'T BUY SAGE I saw 5 sages break on fish in a month and they are overpriced to hell.

If you want to buy from your local fly shop look into st croix they are just as good as any super high end rod and have a great warrentee.

A word about reels: I don't know shit, except that pfuelger is cheap and effective just a bit heavy and prone to screws coming out. My medilist has performed as well as any other reel I've tried including ones many many times more expensive.

I might be coming through montana this spring I'll cast a fly with you if I do

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Originally Posted by warthog

Just replace Trout with Snook and Redfish, and you have found my source of addiction.

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Replace Snook and Redfish with Striped Bass, Bluefish, Dorado, Bonito, Yellowfin, and Bluefin tuna and you have mine. ;)

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Originally Posted by likwid

Replace Snook and Redfish with Striped Bass, Bluefish, Dorado, Bonito, Yellowfin, and Bluefin tuna and you have mine. ;)

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Likwid, you live in NE correct? Wanna go fishin sometime??

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Originally Posted by MassLiberal

Likwid, you live in NE correct? Wanna go fishin sometime??

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I'm south shore. :biggrin:

Taking Monday off to head to South County RI to start the striper season.

I'll be poundin sand all summer and hitting the occasional stream for rainbows.

I've spent a lot of my summers working as a fly-fishing guide in western AK and a few years working at a fly-shop in Anchorage and have tried most of what's out there. Here's a few things that have worked for me through lots of trial and error:

If you're fishing smallish water an 8'6" rod can be fun. It's like a little magic wand if you use it right. That said I've definitely shifted toward longer rods. 9'6" and 10" (or longer)are great for line control and mending on almost any body of water when trout fishing, will give you better brush clearance in a lot of situations and will allow roll casting/pseduo spey casting in tight places. They're great for fishing out of a boat too as they give a little more clearance overhead. The disadvantage of longer sticks is that it can be harder to wrangle big fish (not an issue with trout so much but a pain with big salmon) into a boat. Most people use 9' though (i have a few of these too) and seam totally happy. I own a lot of sage rods and really believe that they are at least as good as anything out there if not the best. For an intro set-up, however, I think it's really hard to beat the G.Loomis GL3. Great rod and you can probably find it for less than 300. The cheaper sage's are really nice too. Don't buy a rod without an unconditional warranty. If you break it it's usually 30 or 50 US and you have a new rod in a week or so. For western fishing where wind, heavy streamers, and split-shot can be a big part of the game I find that a faster action rod is better. Keep this in mind when demo casting using just the line. Slower rods will be forgiving but may not handle all that mass. I'm not sure as far as rod weight as all of my fishing since I was a little kid was in AK. Just remember that you're buying a rod to deliver your line and fly. If it's windy and the water is fast (or you need some range on your casts) a 6 or 7 weight will be more fun than a 4 or 5 even if you're catching 10" fish. IMO.

I've seen a ton of broken reels and would say that the most important thing is to get one that made of machined one piece aluminum. Ross is really tough to beat. I've been out of the scene for the last year or so but the Cimarron was always the reel I recommended. Bomb-proof but if it breaks Ross will take care of you. That said, if you're tight on money just get something that holds your line and worry about a better one later.

Gore-tex waders for sure (single most important piece for comfort and, if you get good ones, durable) and, unless you really like the idea, I'd forget about a fishing vest and use a little fanny pack.

Good luck and enjoy!

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Originally Posted by skifishbum

Be careful with demos not all companies will lifetime war. demo rods G Loomis for one.

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I was more tlaking about demo rods for feel. Great point too though.

I like Scott rods too.

Really, this is going to come down to how much money you want to/can spend.

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Originally Posted by 72Twenty

Really, this is going to come down to how much money you want to/can spend.

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yes. And like everything else there's a point of diminishing returns - where the extra performance is expensive, and you need to be either rich and stupid or really good to "notice" it.

I've had good luck with reels in the $100 range, rods in the $200 range. Good waders are nice (I like my patagonia's, cheap at STP), if you use waders. I don't for much of the fishing I do, not a requirement.

...and some sort of listing of hatches/food for the waters you'll be going to. It can help a little with the choice of flies and line weight(s), which in turn, will often save a little time in pointing you to a specific rod, or a category of rods to try before you buy...
$.01

DO NOT SPEND ALOT OF MONEY ON YOUR FIRST SETUP!!!!

In my opion, you should go very cheap for your fist setup. The reason I say this is that after a season or two you will have a much better idea of what you are looking for in a fly rod. Your casting style will be developed and then you will be able to find the rod that fits you best. I would recomend spending your money on a good pair of waders and decent boots. These will last you a long time, and good ones realy make a difference in the long run.
I would go with a temple fork or a cabellas rod. A 9ft 5wt midflex is a good sarting point. As for reel....same thing go real cheap.

Becarefull.....once the addiction sets in, it can be devestating to your checkbook, job, and girlfriend....;)

thread hijack:

masslib....
xmas came early after helpin a buddy out at the two saltwater shows (foxboro and ri)

http://www.ifeelhappy.com/media/plugs.jpg

oooooo

Looking forward to your striper trip??

Been staring out the window wondering if I should bail on work early...

But apparently its still chilly down in Newport, but I gotta go up to Arlington sometime this week to pick up a new rod. (breakaway 1266 10'6" set up for spinning)

pft if you aint casting bamboo.
You aint shit.
AKPM I would have to dissagree reguarding Sage.
Their guide hookup, warranties, and sticks are some of the best in the business. All rods break eventually usually do to operator error.
If you want to be a better caster try and spend time casting to develop good
fundamentals and a strong casting stroke.

Honestly, Scientific Anglers makes some pretty decent "starter" sets for pretty cheap. This gives you a rod, reel, line, etc. Sometimes even a few flies. These are by no means "top of the line" but will work great for you to get the hang of it and learn how to cast, etc. And as you get better and purchase new gear, this always comes in handy when teaching a friend/spouce or as a back up.

Such as:

http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/sc...tem_outfit.jpg

SYSTEM™ 5-WEIGHT 2-PIECE OUTFIT
APPLICATIONS: Trout and panfish
REEL: Concept™ 2 58
ROD: 9' high-modulus graphite | two piece

LINE: Ultra 4 WF-5-F with AST
LEADER: System™ L2L Tapered | Matched to line
BACKING: 100 yd/91.4m | 20 lb.
ELEMENTS: System™ X waterproof fly box | "Fly Fishing Made Easy II" DVD | Tackle assembly booklet


Can find more here:

Scientific Anglers 3M

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Originally Posted by 72Twenty

Honestly, Scientific Anglers makes some pretty decent "starter" sets for pretty cheap.

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I'm glad you had a good experience, mine sucked. The reel seat broke on day 2 - and the rod sucked to cast.

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Originally Posted by cj001f

I'm glad you had a good experience, mine sucked. The reel seat broke on day 2 - and the rod sucked to cast.

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Yeah, unfortunately that happens...

But I actually have a Scientific Anglers 9 ft. / 6 wt. with a S.A. reel an it isn't too bad. I don't use it all that often, though. Mostly in some of the small local lakes and ponds.

I have a handmade rod, made from a graphite sage blank I think. Complete with some mediocre reel. Let me know if you're interested and I'll check up on the specifics and get back to you on the price, probably somewhere around the $100 + shipping mark.

LL bean Quest is the best intro rod on the market. Lifetime warrenty, affordable and casts nice too.
I have a pfleuger supreme 7 wt reel with w/f line and spare spool with floating line I could hook someone up with for $50.00

A week ago I just bought an LLBean Streamlight 4-piece 8'6" 6-wt, my first fly rod. I'm still working on the mechanics of casting, and haven't caught anything yet -- or at least not any fish. Catching trees, however, is easy. I can hook almost any tree, whether 80' tall or a 2" stub. :( Fun sport, though, and I can see it being the perfect thing to cap off an evening of hiking or paddling. You can expect AKPM-quality pictures of my first fish, even if there's not much to dick-wave.

Yeti, go stand in the yard/local school field/local field, attach a small peice of yarn to the end of the tippet and practice your backcast.

You want the line and tippet to be STRAIGHT THE HELL OUT before you bring it foward otherwise you'll hear the signature CRACK and its bye bye fly.

You must master this, and the end of your backcast will be a firm snap of the wrist.

Go take an orvis class or one of the like if you're diggin it after that, fly fishing really is a ton of fun.

On the flip side... Gotta have strong arms when you're hauling 10-12 weight with big freaking tuna streamers tho. But its oh so much fun.

got a chance to go to a couple shops this weekend and talk to a couple real helpful guys. I think i'm kinda leaning toward the combo deal... saw a 9' 5/6 wt cortland, sorry, can't remember which model so that probably makes this useless. It was a full set up (everything but flies), the guy said it was a great outfit for getting started and wouldn't be crap after a couple seasons. I like that fact that it was a 4 piece, I want to be able to take this rod backpacking as I know of some really awesome alpine lakes and streams. They want $210 for the full kit which seems fine to me.

Anyways, the Cortland brand? Input??

Thank you all for everything so far, verrry helpful.

that last post was allll messed up... what can i say, the crack torch burned my fingers.

Here's a link to what I'm ACTUALLY looking at. It's a 6 piece, which seems like it'd be a lot better for backpacking. The shop wants $229 for it (same as this place online but w/o shipping). Lemme know if it's decent... Thanks guys.

http://www.flys-etc.com/cortland.htm

(the 9ft 5/6 wt)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KarlHungus

that last post was allll messed up... what can i say, the crack torch burned my fingers.

Here's a link to what I'm ACTUALLY looking at. It's a 6 piece, which seems like it'd be a lot better for backpacking. The shop wants $229 for it (same as this place online but w/o shipping). Lemme know if it's decent... Thanks guys.

http://www.flys-etc.com/cortland.htm

(the 9ft 5/6 wt)

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i'm not a huge fan of the >2 piece fly rods. i really find you spend lots of time futzing with getting the ferrules lined up straight, making sure the pieces are solidly set together (but not so tight they won't come undone) and the feel of a two piece when casting is just smoother. I'm also a bit bitter because i lost the tip section of a 4 piece last fall walking in to a river and never found it again.

if i really spent lots of time backpacking to fishing (and there is plenty of really good spots in the beartooths) i would get another 4 piece. but if its just a couple trips a year, i would just carry a two piece. also, there aren't many hiking trails around here where you don't have enough head clearance for a 4.5 ft rod tube attached to the outside of your pack.

I just pulled the trigger on a LL Bean Double L Series rod/reel outfit 9 ft 6 wt.
http://cdn.llbean.com/products/sport...ges/M20856.jpg

along with a spare spool and a rapid sink tip line for streamer fishing.
I really wanted to pick up an 8 wt this summer for streamers, salmon flys, hoppers and windy days on the Yellowstone. but losing the tip of my 5 wt changed those plans.