Fishing Q&A - Best route to get into fly fishing???

Best route to get into fly fishing???

I am interested in getting into fly fishing because I have a vacation home close to the white river and I was wondering what do I need to do? What is a good entry level rod and reel combo? I have seen one by White River Fly Shop at bass pro for under a $100.... Also how could I learn? Books, DVDs, or Lessons??

Public Comments

Many fly shops offer classes, ranging from introductory to advanced. I would find the closest one to you and go for it. Also, the Art of Fly Fishing is a good read with diagrams, instructions, and techniques that are fairly well explained. I'm sure there are some other people out there with more indepth answers.
When I got into fly fishing, I made the mistake of purchasing a "starter combo" which consisted of a low-end fiberglass rod, cheap reel, and a level-weight line. I did catch some fish, and thought I was doing fine until I upgraded my equipment. I can tell you that the MOST IMPORTANT part of the setup is your fly line. I recommend a weight-forward, floating line. You CANNOT learn to cast until you get away from level-weight fly lines. A cheap WF line works fine, I don't see any difference in the $20 and $60+ lines except that the more expensive ones take a little longer to get waterlogged (and they still work reasonably well when they're wet), and maybe a couple of feet of casting distance. The rod and reel don't need to be too extravagant. I think a rod with a stiffer action is easier to cast with (anything from a medium-fast or faster), and the only thing I look for in a reel is a good drag system and one with interchangeable spools. White River sells a great reel, the HC III for $40 which is more than adequate. I bought a cheap Temple Fork Outfitters rod from Cabela's for about $50 which is just amazing, but even my crappy $20 fiberglass rod performs well with the other components. I will tell you that a heavier rod/line is always easier to learn with, and is much easier to cast into the wind and get good distance out of. I like to overload my rod, and I use the next line weight up (I have an 8-weight rod and a 9-weight line). This helps me feel my rod "loading" on the backcast much better, and again helps in cutting through the wind and casting distance. If this is too heavy for the fish you're after (trout, for example), you can go lighter, but I'd recommend at least a 6-weight rod, because they're versatile enough that you can step up to bigger fish (bass and such) if you want to, without having to buy all new equipment. Learning to fly fish isn't as hard as people make it out to be. I learned from a book, and that was good enough that I have a decent cast and am regularly catching fish. A video might be better, but definitely the best way to learn is to fish with another experienced fly fisher who has some patience. When you buy your fly tackle, have the guy at the fly shop set up your reel for you. He'll put the appropriate amount/type of backing on it, get the line on right, and make sure all the leader and tippet knots are good. It doesn't cost anything, and saves a lot of time and hassle. Other than the basic rod, reel, and line, there's not a lot you need to buy. I would DEFINITELY recommend that you buy a knot-tying tool, a fly line cleaner/lubricant, and if you're not fishing from the bank, a cheap net. I don't own the special vests or any of that; I don't even have a fly box. The only other thing I recommend is some fly dressing, if you plan on fishing dry flies. You can catch plenty without it, but it's really hard to keep a fly on the surface for any time at all without it.
Well let me say its great you want to start fly fishing, there are lots of OK fly rods and reels combos for the price you listed, its a great method of catching trout and your lucky to have the white river to fish, lets see how i can help you, firstly combos that i recommend, this is a little over budget but well worth it, it should see you good and happy fishing for a long time. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_96767_175001003_175000000_175001000_175-1-3 If you find out the area of the river your fishing you can figure the line weight, for small wild browns and small dries a 3wt or 4wt would be ideal. If your hitting the bigger rainbow trout then anything up to a 6-7 wt would be ideal, if you decide to look for a rod your self you need a medium to fast action, not a tip action as you're just starting out. The rods mentioned by your self aren't ad rods but if i were you and you can afford to go with the TFO rod. If you really don't mind spending allot and want the best combo for a beginner then the sage launch is the way to go, i gave my son one of these to start with and it has a good tip action that will cope with an in-experienced caster. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_90951_175001003_175000000_175001000_175-1-3 Its easy to start fly fishing, buy your self a combo you cana fford and it will take off from there, this site is VERY helpful, read through the WHOLE of it and you will be started in no-time http://www.sexyloops.com/beginners/index.shtml You may also want to look at flies to use, you can get lots of info here, and if you want join the blog where you can ask angler in your local community how the fishing is going and what to catch them on at the white river. http://www.virtualflybox.com/ You will need a fly line, a floating line will cover you for 99% of the time and you may want to move onto intermediates, sink tips, slime lines, DT, fast sinking etc later on. When you buy a fly line make sure its WF=weight forward, it will be easy for you to cast. One last thing i will say even if you only spend a little amount on a fly rod, buy a quality fly line, they may be expensive but you can tell the difference, after all its the fly line that takes out your fly and leader. Quality lines are RIO, Airflo, Sage, Orvis. This was taken from a question i answered on the fly and tippet and leader, its important and you can learn allot from this, reading is the key to learning about fly fishing! You might also like to look at this, taken from another fly fishing question very similar to yours. From the end of the fly line down to the fly, follow these steps and you should catch. For tippet material you have a large choice because first there are leaders then there are tippets for general fishing tippet i use fluorocarbon as its invisible in all water and suitable for saltwater too, for makes i always go for airflo sight free g3 which i generally buy from cabelas, second are leaders these are tapered towards the tip and help yo achieve a better turnover (cast and presentation) these i don't often use but when i do i use Cortland fine trout leaders in clear, these are good for a beginner such as your self as the dont often need changeing and help you cast further than before with a neat presentation what i will say is dont use flourocarbon for dry flies as it will make them sink, you can use it so long as you put a floatant on your dry such as gherkes gink or loon, aquel i buy lots of my gear from cabelas and bass pro firstly airflo tippet http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0043719317701a&navCount=1&podId=0043719&parentId=cat600599&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat20431-cat20439-cat600599&catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat600599&hasJS=true Leaders and cabelas own brand is fine for this(helps your cast and presentation http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20431-cat20439-cat602042_TGP&rid=&indexId=cat602042&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=4&parentType=index&parentId=cat602042&id=0011215 gink floatant (better than loon) http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=&id=0011254310859a&navCount=7&podId=0011254&parentId=cat600029&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat600029&hasJS=true Dry flies that should work in your area http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?id=0030430&navCount=10&parentId=cat20528&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20528&rid= * when you use a tippet for freshwater i generally go for about 5lb but as a beginner you can use up to 10lb with airflo g3 and still catch. I would try mainly nypmhs however if you arent confident in dry fly fishing or if the trout arent rising, some great flies to try for a beginner like yourself would be The Pheasant atil nymph, anything from size 12-14 hares ear nymph same sizes, also a gold bead head version can work equally well, when fished closer to the bottom. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?id=0018101&navCount=15&parentId=cat20530&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20530&rid= These can also work well fished very close to the bottom on a floating line, try a co-polymer leader http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jsp?id=0030347&navCount=19&parentId=cat20530&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=MainCatcat20431-cat20441-cat20530&parentType=index&indexId=cat20530&rid= The san Juan worm is one to try, fish it singly with a almost static retrieve, twitching it every minute or so. if all else fails you may want to try a woolly bugger like this (it has built in flash to add a little more appeal) http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20431-cat20441-cat380001&rid=&indexId=cat380001&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=23&parentType=index&parentId=cat380001&id=0023260 Hope this is of help.
"...and was wondering what do I need to do?" Tons of info on the internet...some of it is even quite good. Visit some fly fishing site forums, read, and even ask some questions. There is also the long-forgotten, outdated, but reliable, public library. Got a dedicated fly shop nearby or within a reasonable distance? See what they suggest. Better yet, see what introductory classes they offer...and if the staff is competent. In short, getting started is much easier today than it's ever been. Much more info available. "Books, DVDs, Lessons?" Depends on how you learn best. Some skills, such as equipment selection and knot tying, are described best in books. For learning the fundamentals of a good cast, there really is no substitute for one-on-one time with a competent angler. Books and other media don't answer questions well. "What is a good entry level rod/reel?" You'll be happier if you see your rod/reel choice in person first. Don't mail order blindly. Bass Pro isn't dedicated to fly fishing, and their poor quality/selection of fly tackle is evidence of this. I would never recommend anyone go the White River route, especially for a first purchase. Stick with a dedicated fly shop where fly fishing is their only business, a shop where you'll be supported with actual fly fishing knowledge & experience. Bubba may know plastic baits & Carolina rigging, but don't bother asking him what hatches you can expect, the best method for fishing a dropper, or even something as basic as how to properly set up a balanced fly outfit. Something else...If you revealed where you're at and allowed email contact through Yahoo Answers, you might have been contacted by an experienced fly fisher near you. Getting invited out for some time on the water and some basic casting instruction before making your purchase would have been a great opportunity. Otherwise, don't rush to make your purchase. If you buy wrong, you'll likely get discouraged and not stick with it.
My recommendation for a rod is a Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) 5 wt 9 foot. THis is a good versatile rod, I have been fishing for 25 years and it is a great rod for the money (100-150$) For reels, the Okuma SLV is a good light aluminum reel with a great drag, I got mine on ebay for 40 $ I use a RIo mainsteam fly line, casts great, paid 28.00. Check the local fly shops, a lot of them have lessons either free, or for not much money. Learning from a live person is best, and DVDs are good because you can watch over and over. Books are a little harder, you really have to see and feel what is going on. Also- see if there is a local flyfishing club, make friends with an oldtimer and get them to take you under their wing. Good luck