Fishing Q&A

fly fishing?

iam wanting to try and use a very old wooden fly reel that use to belong to my gt grand dad, but havenot got a rod for it what would you think is the best outfit to try and get hold of and what would it cost as we are only going fishing with the kids during the sum hols in the lake district, i dont want to spend a fourtune,my gt gd used to fish a lot of comps for the darlington brown trout club and ihave paper clippings and trophys documenting his wins. it just seems right to try out thr reel once again thanks for any help, oh his name James f pickering.

Public Comments

1. Read"Fly Fishing" by J.R. Hartley.
2. The reel on a fly rod is not used that much so the weight of the reel needs to be balanced with the rod. Low end rods that will function fine for your use can be purchased used at a highly reduced price. check ebay for deals on older equipment and check for local people to avoid shipping charges
3. Any good hollow fiberglass rod should do the trick. A nine foot rod would be about right for a novice. After you get a good casting arm and want a better rod, go to the biggest supply store you can find and try every fly rod in the place. Once you are experienced you will be able to tell what works best for you, but start out with a cheapy if you aren't sure you are going to stick with it! JS
4. Its good that you've got a fly fishing history, fly fishing is a great way to pass the time, introducing kids to the sport is even better, Ive been taking my son and now he is hooked too. Anyway to answer your question, the best rod i think for your reel would be a split cane rod. However they are expensive if you aren't using it often, so long as its a standard reel seat i see no reason why a budget fly rod wouldn't accommodate it. Cortland has some cheap options from mullarkeys fishing. If you want to use it then that's fine but i personally would keep it and buy a budget fly reel, this will prevent any damage to it and also it will mean you can keep it for years to come. These rods should fit, but i cant guarantee without a picture of the reel and actually seeing the size of the reel seat. I suggest a 7wt fly rod for most fishing in the lake district, i assume you will be fishing the bigger lakes, nymphs fished on a floating line close in should get results. This is an excellent rod for the price and very low in price too http://www.mullarkeys.co.uk/fishing/fishing-rods-(including-kits-and-combos)/trout-fly-fishing-rods/0/cortland/7822/ Dont forget you will need a fishing licence http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/fish/399730/?version=1&lang=_e More info on fly fishing is available here http://www.animatedknots.com/indexfishing.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com
5. If it's an old wooden reel, perhaps you should get it valued before you use it. Antique reels fetch a lot of money and there's always a collector willing to buy. Be careful with it, it may be worth something.
6. i agree with churie78 get it valued first.. you can pick up complete flyfishing at most tackle shops for a small sum( i picked up a 9ft rod with reel and flys for £10 from www.askari-fishing.co.uk) so i could try my hand at flyfishing with out spending to much
7. there is a big market for old fishing equipment I wouldn't take a chance a ruining it. You can buy a fly fishing combo rod and reel fairly cheap these days, especially on ebay. You can check here: http://flyfishingsupplies.blogspot.com
8. Get a Cabela Traditional. It's cheap, my buddy and I bought one each before we met each other and we have fancier rods like Sages, but the Tradtional works fine and Cabela guarantees their stuff for a year, even if you just don't like it. Later it makes a good backup or loaner rod if you buy more rods.