Fishing Q&A
Suggestions for the best beginers fly rod?
I am looking for a fly rod to learn with. I am new to fly fish and know little about it. I want to stream fish for brown and rainbow trout. What length, weight, brand etc...also, any suggestions about the type of reel...also any insights on the type of line etc. would be great!
Public Comments
- first of all dont go buy expensive line since you starting out. get some cheap floating line so you can get practice (it works fine, caught over 100 trout on cheap line 2 weeks ago). for rod i would go with sage. sage is a very trustworthy brand. i would get a #5 rod weight. thats for trout. if you like the sport you can go bigger. i got a beautiflu sage for $230 but idk if u wanna spend that. for reels they should be able to set u up in the store. if you need more help check out the source or send me an email. i dont wanna make this long here but i would love to answer any questions you have. im big on fly fishin. good luck : )
- Go down to your local shop and ask to take a couple practice casts with different rods. Any good shop will let you try it before you buy it. Or take a lesson to figure out what type of rod works best for you. There are three ways to measure fly rods, weight, action and length. Most freshwater fly rods are between 4-7 lbs. and 6-8 ft. All fly rods are either medium, medium-fast or fast action. The action just means where the rod tends to bend on the back cast. I personally prefer a 6lbs, 8ft medium action rod; which I find is good for most beginners, but you should really take a lesson to find what is right for you. Reels and line will depend on the rod itself.
- Recommendations: #1 Go to a dedicated fly shop if you have one near you. Avoid discount stores and most chain sporting goods stores. #2 A good length/weight for the new trout angler on most streams would be 8 1/2' for a #5. This would NOT be the rig of choice to swing heavy streamers on large rivers or make delicate presentations on miniscule, overgrown creeks. But it would be practical for just about any other trouting situation. #3 The big names (Winston, Sage, Scott, Orvis, Loomis, etc) all make quality rod series for the guy that isn't ready to drop big bucks on the flagship rods. What they lack in cosmetics is compensated with excellent tapers, good craftsmanship, and support. Some models are US made like their big siblings. #4 A relatively recent tactic in fly rod design and marketing is to produce rods that are quite fast in action. They impress new anglers with their feeling of strength and power. But they usually lack the *feel* that experienced fly anglers want. Some are clubs. Some are nothing more than *underlined* (that is, the mfr states the rod is a 5wt, when in fact it is truly a 6 or even 7wt.). TFO rods come to mind. Avoid them for this reason and more. #5 In connection with the comment #4, think about what your practical fishing distance will be and make sure the rod you select is comfortable casting at that distance. You don't want a cannon for trouting. Don't be duped by parking lot exhibitions of salespeople demonstrating the rod's distance capabilities. #6 For a good, affordable line, look at Cortland's 444 (sometimes called the *peach* line). The 444 is a full length, high quality line with time-tested tapers. It's durable while remaining supple. The finish is excellent and will remain so for numerous seasons with proper care. The price remains fair after many years in production. There are some entry level lines available, but they're shorter in length and lifespan. Your line choice is very important. I'd recommend the purchase of a DT (double taper) line; you'll essentially have two lines to wear out (just reverse the line) rather than the single taper of a WF (weight forward). Yes, there is a reason that line mfrs and fly shops frequently recommend WF lines for situations where a DT will do equally well. Go cheap on the line and you might as well go even cheaper on everything else. #7 You can get by with just about any single-action reel made today. There is no need to spend a lot of money, unless you've got lots to spend and you enjoy using high quality goods. Make sure your reel choice balances the rod. Some cheap reels are quite heavy due to their inferior materials and design and will thus create a rod/reel combo that feels off balance. Drag is unimportant. A click-pawl reel will do just as well as a disc drag model. At about $100, you can purchase reels produced from machined aluminum (like the Orvis BBS). For many years, buying a quality machined reel at such a low price wasn't possible. Now it is. These tend to be lighter than reels produced from alloy castings, and the tolerances and finish tend to be a bit better. If you want to save a few dollars buying something used, the reel would be the place to do so. If you think fly fishing will be an activity you intend to continue, don't get to caught up in buying the perfect outfit initially. Lifelong fly fishers are still searching for "The Outfit" and love the pursuit. Choose items of good quality that fall well within your budget. You can spend the rest of your angling life finding the perfect rods and reels...after you know what suits you the best.
