[scooter]

I'm just getting into flyfishing and am looking at a combo. I don't want to spend a lot of money starting out. I'll be fishing for crappies, bluegills, largemouth, and smallmouth, but I'm only going to buy 1 outfit so I'm thinking of a 5wt. Would a 5wt be fine? Also could you suggest a few commercial flies for these species of fish? What about floating or sinking line and brand of line? Can you use regular fishing line as a leader? I was thinking of this combo from basspro White River Fly Shopâ„¢ Hobbs Creekâ„¢ Large Arbor Disc Drag Outfits. The rod is a IM-6, does that mean 6wt? Also when fighting fish do you bring them in by bringing in line with the hand, or do you reel them in? Sorry for all the questions but thanks for all the help.

[ffffg]

i can answer only a couple of your questions. im 6 is a type of material for buiding all different weights of rods.. as to the reel questions i use every means possible to keep the line tight.. if the fish takes a run strait at you it will probably be nessessary to pulll the line in by hand.. its nice to get all the extra line between you and the fish on the reel as soon as possible tho, becouse the loose line youve stripped in can get under foot, or caught up on a weed etc.. any slack between you and the fish or snags on the spare line at your feet can be a lost fish.. the good news is, its not at all like watching tv!!! you will have a great time...dave...

[BigCliff]

If you're going to go after only those species, and don't expect to fish for trout, then I would actually go with a 6wt rod. A 6wt will work better for the larger/heavier flies that work well on bass. Definitely go with a floating line. The best flies to try starting out will be Wooly Buggers in dark colors, size 8. Further down the road, look into getting some Clouser Minnows and some small poppers. ffffg is right about bringing the line in by hand to land fish in most all cases. You use basically the same motion that you would to add action to the fly by stripping line, just with the rod held up in the air, pulling tension against the fish.

[Joni]

Agree on the 6wt. but also seek maybe a med to a med/fast flex. It will help to set the hook along with detecting shy hits.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Scooter,

Because you included Largemouth the 5wt is not the best choice. A 6wt would be the lightest weight rod you should consider. If I was fishing a lot of largemouth I would consider a 7wt or 8wt. Largemouth need large flies and poppers. You can use regular monofillament for a leader if you keep it around 4 feet. A 7' tapered leader would be a better choice. Your best line choice would be a floating, weight-forward line from Scientific Anglers or RIO. They both have a bass taper line. Another choice for bass fishing is a double-taper line if you do a lot of roll casting.

The Hobbs Creek outfit gives you a lot for the money. It would be a good starter setup. The reviews were complimentary but I suspect it is by people with little experience. A large arbor reel is very desirable but you will probably want to upgrade after you get some experience. I have not seen or cast with that outfit so don't know how good it might be.

Frank

[Reactor]

I suggest, as others have, an 8 foot rod in medium or fast action, 6 weight line in either weight forward or rocket taper that floats. A longer rod, 9 ft, would be better unless you plan on fishing small streams. A large arbor reel will be a plus. My favorite flies for panfish are small streamers in size 10. I tie hundreds of them just for this purpose. I try to always carry some light, dark and very bright colors. I start with one color and try others if I am not catching many fish. Bass will hit these flies but larger ones will catch larger bass.
You can use regular fishing line as a leader. You should start with two feet of a heavier weight line tied to the fly line. Then tie on two feet of a lighter weight line and so on and so on until you have a leader that is 6-9 ft long. This helps the fly fall straight away from your line and doesn't ball up at the end. For your first leader spend the $2.50 and buy a tapered leader. Look it over and you will understand how to tie your regular fishing line for your next leader.
Good Luck.

[fly n00b]

if your cheap like me wal-mart sells a rod and reel combo for $20. it comes with line, a leader and some flies. its not very good but it lands the fish.

[tightlines57]

Basically same response as the reel post, get the best you can afford because you get what you pay for. I think my first fly fishing setup cost $40 several years ago. After a few months of use it broke while casting. I have several rods in my collection that were in the under $100 range. However the rod that gets the most use is my Scott. More expensive but well worth it, also has the lifetime warranty. Generally, the more expensive rods will last longer and perform better.

[Colorado Cajun]

I started off with a cheap Cortland combo which I still have and it served it's purpose at the time. I was at the Denver flyfishing show and the Winston Rep roped me into looking at their rods. He keep pushing a $550.00 rod on me and laying it on thick about how it was the best rod out there. After I had enough, I looked him in the eyes and asked, "Is that rod going to catch me more fish?" Then I got "uha uha no!" So I then asked him what the benifit was for me to drop down $550.00. He had no answer and he left me alone.

Then I went on for another 6 months or so thinking that a more expensive rod was a waste of money. One day a friend offered me a Orvis Rod in exchange for some work around his house. It was a brand new Trident TLS 9ft 5wt. So we made a deal. Then I soon found out what all the hype was about with these more expensive rods. 1st, it was much lighter and very noticable after a day on the river, and then I instantly gained another 15 to 20 ft. on my cast. Yes, the more expensive rods do help to cast better because of the material they use in them. That TLS and a Ross Evolution are my main rig. I also have a TFO 7wt and a Pflueger Trion that I use lake fishing sometimes and I will use for saltwater this summer. The newest to my collection is a 4wt TLS and a mid arbor Battenkill that I got for my birthday which I hope to try out for the first time this weekend.

You still have to live within your means. Will the expensive rods catch you more fish? Probably not, but you will enjoy casting it more.

[Colorado Cajun]

Originally Posted by fly n00b

if your cheap like me wal-mart sells a rod and reel combo for $20. it comes with line, a leader and some flies. its not very good but it lands the fish.

Going from a cheap reel and rod to a better reel and rod, I have noticed a lot less break offs because fishing a lot with 6X tippet, the flex of the rod and the startup on the drag of the reel makes a big difference in protecting the tippet. Most of the fishing we do here is with 5X or 6X and even 7X once in awhile. To me, it's the difference between losing fish and flies.