So I have officially decided to take up fly fishing and need a little advice. I have some fishing background but zero fly fishing knowledge but I have decided to take a 7 week fly fishing course at college and now need to decide where to go with my money. I will be fishing trout mostly in rivers here in Utah (provo, weber, some higher elevation streams) and am wondering what fly rod/reel/line would be the best option for me. Since I am a beginner I am obviously not looking for a $700 dollar rod, but I would like to get a good rod that will fit my needs for quite some time, as both my father and I are picking fly fishing up as something to do together. Right now I was looking at an 8'6" St Croix Avid, would this be a good option or do you guys have a better idea? I also have no idea where to start with what reel/line to go with so any advice here would be appreciated!
New to this hole fly fishing thing
- Thread starter rjw
- Start date
Where do you live? If the Provo area, go to Eddie Robinson's and talk to them. If the SLC area, Fish Tech or Western Rivers. The Uinta's (upper Provo) I use a 3 & 4w. Middle P- 4w, lower P 4w or 5w. Weber- 4w & 5w.
The lakes and reservoirs- Utah and Idaho, 5w & 6w. Uinta lakes, 3 or 4w.
Carp and tiger muskie, 8w.
Green River- 5 w or 6w.
Get a good flyline, an Allen reel from Justin here on NAFF, and go to these shops I mentioned and cast the rods.
The lakes and reservoirs- Utah and Idaho, 5w & 6w. Uinta lakes, 3 or 4w.
Carp and tiger muskie, 8w.
Green River- 5 w or 6w.
Get a good flyline, an Allen reel from Justin here on NAFF, and go to these shops I mentioned and cast the rods.
I live in Salt Lake so I will check out Fish Tech/Western Rivers. I was leaning towards a 4w before and now it looks like that is the right decision. Thanks for all of the help! Any more advice would be appreciated!
Unfortunately I have class, however if you guys have anything else coming up definitely keep me updated!
Vans
Well-known member
Welcome to the forum rjw.
I like to recommend Redington rods as a starter rod some someone just getting into fly fishing. It really is a very good rod for the price point. When i started i bought a 6wt Red.fly2 combo at Dick's sporting goods on sale for $90. You get a great rod with a reel and line for that price. After you are more experienced you can move on to a higher quality brand like Sage, G Loomis, etc. Sage owns Redington btw so a lot of their quality goes into the product. Redington also makes a lot of good accessories like waders, wading jackets, etc.
I like to recommend Redington rods as a starter rod some someone just getting into fly fishing. It really is a very good rod for the price point. When i started i bought a 6wt Red.fly2 combo at Dick's sporting goods on sale for $90. You get a great rod with a reel and line for that price. After you are more experienced you can move on to a higher quality brand like Sage, G Loomis, etc. Sage owns Redington btw so a lot of their quality goes into the product. Redington also makes a lot of good accessories like waders, wading jackets, etc.
littledavid123
Well-known member
RJW welcome to the forum
As you have already witnessed by Mojo's replies there are many good people on this site willing to share their vast experience. I too am new to fly fishing and would have spent hundreds on books to acquire the info offered here in the search option.
Dave
As you have already witnessed by Mojo's replies there are many good people on this site willing to share their vast experience. I too am new to fly fishing and would have spent hundreds on books to acquire the info offered here in the search option.
Dave
ssmith
Well-known member
Welcome, you have picked up what I consider one of the most rewarding sports. You have also opened up a huge can of worms on this site
. St Croix builds a good rod from what I read, personally I like my Redington 8'6 5wt Classic Trout as it fishes well and was very cost effective. TFO also makes solid rods for the money, but if you go with a TFO invest in a tube for your rod as they do not feel the need to provide one as other companies do. Almost any 5wt rod should be what your looking for for trout.
As far as lines go, people have a vast array of opinions but, for my .02, you can not go wrong with scientific anglers or rio. Both produce top quality lines that will last a few seasons.
Waders are also very important, breathable is what your going to want. Spend good money for quality waders as you will be whering them most of the day. Nothing short of snapping your rod is worse then have leaky/flooding waders, it will ruin anyones day. I have some LL Bean waders that do me well.
For regular 10"-15" trout you don't need a reel with drag to stop a horse, but some would be nice if you don't want to palm your reel every time you hook up. My best friends day let me borrow his Pfluger Medalist and it was fine for a day fishing WI trout. I like my orvis large arbor mostly because I got it on sale but Redington, Orvis, G Loomis, and even Bass Pro make decent reels that work great for trout.
For flies the best thing that you can do is talk to local fly shops and fly fisherman to see what works best for the streams you fish.
Your class should teach you a lot, but I encourage you to ask any questions that you can think of as there are lots of people that will answer, especially here.
other then that it is a pleasure to have met you
. St Croix builds a good rod from what I read, personally I like my Redington 8'6 5wt Classic Trout as it fishes well and was very cost effective. TFO also makes solid rods for the money, but if you go with a TFO invest in a tube for your rod as they do not feel the need to provide one as other companies do. Almost any 5wt rod should be what your looking for for trout.As far as lines go, people have a vast array of opinions but, for my .02, you can not go wrong with scientific anglers or rio. Both produce top quality lines that will last a few seasons.
Waders are also very important, breathable is what your going to want. Spend good money for quality waders as you will be whering them most of the day. Nothing short of snapping your rod is worse then have leaky/flooding waders, it will ruin anyones day. I have some LL Bean waders that do me well.
For regular 10"-15" trout you don't need a reel with drag to stop a horse, but some would be nice if you don't want to palm your reel every time you hook up. My best friends day let me borrow his Pfluger Medalist and it was fine for a day fishing WI trout. I like my orvis large arbor mostly because I got it on sale but Redington, Orvis, G Loomis, and even Bass Pro make decent reels that work great for trout.
For flies the best thing that you can do is talk to local fly shops and fly fisherman to see what works best for the streams you fish.
Your class should teach you a lot, but I encourage you to ask any questions that you can think of as there are lots of people that will answer, especially here.
other then that it is a pleasure to have met you
WOW! can't believe how fast and how good of answers I have already received! Thanks to everyone. The only reason I was looking into more expensive rods to begin compared to some of the cheaper rods is because I HATE buying cheaper sporting goods only to find two months down the road that I am wanting to upgrade already, however if this is not usually the case with fly fishing, I will certainly be looking at some of the less expensive options. Keep the opinions coming and I will be sure to check out my local fly shop for some advice
welcome to the wonderful world of flyfishing If you discover you in fact love it, then I urge you to tie your own flies as well; a complimentary activity that makes FF even more enjoyable...nothing like catching your first trout on a fly of your own creation.
Tight lines!
If you discover you in fact love it, then I urge you to tie your own flies as well; a complimentary activity that makes FF even more enjoyable...nothing like catching your first trout on a fly of your own creation.Tight lines!
rjw & coldbrook,
Both of you guys are new here Welcome to the forum! I hope you both find lots of information here and will both become active posters also.
Ard
Both of you guys are new here
Welcome to the forum! I hope you both find lots of information here and will both become active posters also. Ard
I was actually already planning on tying my own flies! my best friend at school has been fly fishing for years and I will be living with him next year and he is going to teach me the ropes.. I was quite surprised to find how many kids my age (19) are already into fly fishing and it is really encouraging to have a community to come to with all of my probably dumb questions! thanks guys!welcome to the wonderful world of flyfishing
Tight lines!
thanks! loving this forum already. Certainly helping to make the winter feel shorter!
Ebay is a great place to buy used equipment, if you want to get a higher end rod. for fly tying stuff, you can often find whole estate sales for flytying stuff on ebay...I'm always watching them.
Ebay is a great place to buy used equipment, if you want to get a higher end rod. for fly tying stuff, you can often find whole estate sales for flytying stuff on ebay...I'm always watching them.
EXPATRIATE
Well-known member
Wow-if only computers and forums had been around when I was growing up I might now have a pretty good idea about what the h--l I'm doing. You're very lucky young fellow. I was fortunate to have a mentor when I was eleven as my parents couldn't give a damn about fly fishing, but I must admit despite my age I STILL have got a lot to learn. I hope you don't mind me calling you young fellow RJW
chrome_jones
Active member
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I got .02 on this one, and on a couple of the other things that popped up here dude.
1) Don't buy a high end rod yet unless you are rollin in dough!!! If you really get into this whole fly fishing fad, you are going to want more rods soon enough regardless of what you spend on your first. IMO you need the most versatile rod you can find for the conditions you expect to encounter while fishing so you can enjoy learning some basic techniques, avoid frustration aaaaaaand catch as many fish as possible along the way. I haven't shopped rods lately, but I wouldn't spend more than $200 on #1. And actually if it wasn't so damned hard as a beginner to know which rod to get, I would say spend even less than that. Unfortunately, it is that difficult, so if you are shopping in the sub $150's, do so on good advice. The brands already mentioned are known for decent entry level offerings, personally, I bought a Powell years back at Sierra Trading Post for $100. Nothing fancy, but I knew what I wanted and it serves its purpose just fine.
I am in complete agreement with buying quality equipment that lasts, but keep in mind your shopping list is about to get really spendy, and decent quality rods under $200 can be fished for decades. They make great back up rods later, and are great to hold a different line set up so you don't spend time re-rigging on the water instead of fishing. Once you get a feel for the techniques and you know what you are looking for.... hell yesss!!!! Get a Sage! Or whatever you can afford. And get the one that has the specific performance characteristics you need for your style of fishing.
2) Again only my .02, the 4wt is likely THE rod for small Utah mountain streams, but for me, if I only had one rod, it would be a 5wt. It's going to give you a boost in windy conditions (and it's going to happen), which as a beginner can reeeeeeally suuuuuck. So why not put a little meat into your fledgling casting ability. A 5wt will also give you more flexibility to play with some split shot to get deeper when appropriate and other nymphing techniques *cough* .. indicator ..*cough* without taxing your casting so much, as well as giving you a great rod to take to other great fisheries in your area not so suited to a 4wt.
3) I have, and many others have, used cheap reels to fish trout streams with great success. Cause really, it doesn't do much other than hold line. But you really don't want it to fall apart or eat line. I have had my biggest equipment dissapointments with low quality reels. If you go budget on the reel, look it over really well before leaving the store. I mean the exact one you are going to walk out with. Its not shrink wrapped so look at it. Take it apart and put it back together, check to make sure the spool mates confidently and doesn't leave excessive gaps that can catch your line. Drag technology likely isn't as important for what you are intending as much as manufacturing quality.
If you already enjoy fishing, you are going to have a blast!
Jonesy
rangerrich99
Well-known member
Welcome to the obsession.
Since you're going to get a ton of advice on which rod or reel or whatever everyone likes from people with way more experience than I do, I'll skip that part, and just drop a general guideline on your poor beknighted noggin.
Rods: for your first, get a 5 wt for versatility and try to spend less than $200 with at least a medium fast action; it's just easier to learn how to cast with something that doesn't take a minute or two to load. Remember also, you're going to end up buying three or four more over the next two years. Trust me, you will.
Reels: Probably 95% of the time you will never have a fish pull drag on you, so there is no reason to get spendy on reels at first. Look at Cabela's Prestige Plus aluminum reels. They are decent quality (I have two) and inexpensive. Around $30 I think.
Lines: Go middle of the road here. No reason to throw down $100 for SA Sharkskin just yet. Conversely, I've heard good things about Allen lines and they are very affordable for under $20. If you want middle of the road, think $45 for starters. That'll get you decent line that won't break your heart when you inevitably beat the heck out of it.
Leaders: These things are basically the vital connection between you and the fish. Don't buy cheap stuff here. I like Umpqua, but everyone has their preference. Get at least one 3x, then three 4x, then three 5x, all in 7.5 ft lengths. You will use longer ones eventually, but the shorter ones are easier to cast. Even so, you're going to destroy quite a few of these until you get your casting down. My first 6 months flyfishing, I went through at least 4 leaders on every trip (windknots). Two years later, I can make one leader last two or three trips, so I buy them less often.
Tippet: Same as above. Get 4x and 5x. For floro, try a spool of 4 lb/2 lb berkeley floro or sensitive. Much cheaper than tippet and nearly the same diameter.
Waders: Go breathable stockingfoot. And spend some money here if you're planning on a lot of wading. My waders spend most of their time sitting in a float tube so reinforced knees aren't really necessary. That being the case, I picked up LL Bean's Flyweights for $59, which are just fine for tubing with occasional wading. If you are going to scramble over rocks a lot get something with reinforced knees. Spend at least $150.
Wading boots: Go with some kind of synthetic rubber sole. Felt is going the way of the dodo bird. Also, understand that you will need to get boots that are at least a size larger than your regular shoe size, perhaps more. And check fit; I have wide feet, so a boot that came in widths was mandatory. As for money, I got a pair of LL Bean Emergers for around $70 which have so far performed very well. My buddy has Korkers which he likes. I believe he spent under $200. Whatever, as long as they fit and support your ankles.
Chestpack/vest: Pick one of these and see how you like it for a year or two. I started with a vest and now use a Cabela's c-pack, others I know went the other way. Spend around $30 on your first one.
Flies: At first you can get away with just two or three dozen flies, mostly wooley buggers and p-adams. After awhile you'll succumb to the addiction and start buying lots of other flies. Find inexpensive flies at first, as you will lose tons of these things at first. Trust me, losing a $3.50 fly hurts your heart a lot more than losing a 60 cent one. I started buying flies from Sportsmens Warehouse for 89 cents per, then found the flystop.com for 60 cents per. When you can minimize losing flies to trees, bushes, rocks and bad casting, then think about flipping extra coin at flies.
Flyboxes: Think slit foam and floating. Flyboxes that sink will send you to the sanitarium. Spend around $9 per box.
Thermal underwear/socks: Stay away from cotton. I like cabela's or BPS stuff in medium or heavy wts. They are economical (under $50 per set) and perform well. Think Smartwool for socks. Nothing worse than having icy wet piggies after only half an hour in the water.
Raingear: Think breathable and lightweight. I used froggtoggs at first which worked well and were on the cheap side. $30 I think.
Gloves: Chicks dig nice hands. Get a pair of SPF rated fingerless gloves. They aren't expensive, and your future ex will thank you for it. Besides, cancer on your hands is just nasty.
There's still tons of stuff left to get (nippers, retractors, hats, sunglasses, etc.) but that takes care of the more critical stuff. Good luck, and have fun.
Peace.
Since you're going to get a ton of advice on which rod or reel or whatever everyone likes from people with way more experience than I do, I'll skip that part, and just drop a general guideline on your poor beknighted noggin.
Rods: for your first, get a 5 wt for versatility and try to spend less than $200 with at least a medium fast action; it's just easier to learn how to cast with something that doesn't take a minute or two to load. Remember also, you're going to end up buying three or four more over the next two years. Trust me, you will.
Reels: Probably 95% of the time you will never have a fish pull drag on you, so there is no reason to get spendy on reels at first. Look at Cabela's Prestige Plus aluminum reels. They are decent quality (I have two) and inexpensive. Around $30 I think.
Lines: Go middle of the road here. No reason to throw down $100 for SA Sharkskin just yet. Conversely, I've heard good things about Allen lines and they are very affordable for under $20. If you want middle of the road, think $45 for starters. That'll get you decent line that won't break your heart when you inevitably beat the heck out of it.
Leaders: These things are basically the vital connection between you and the fish. Don't buy cheap stuff here. I like Umpqua, but everyone has their preference. Get at least one 3x, then three 4x, then three 5x, all in 7.5 ft lengths. You will use longer ones eventually, but the shorter ones are easier to cast. Even so, you're going to destroy quite a few of these until you get your casting down. My first 6 months flyfishing, I went through at least 4 leaders on every trip (windknots). Two years later, I can make one leader last two or three trips, so I buy them less often.
Tippet: Same as above. Get 4x and 5x. For floro, try a spool of 4 lb/2 lb berkeley floro or sensitive. Much cheaper than tippet and nearly the same diameter.
Waders: Go breathable stockingfoot. And spend some money here if you're planning on a lot of wading. My waders spend most of their time sitting in a float tube so reinforced knees aren't really necessary. That being the case, I picked up LL Bean's Flyweights for $59, which are just fine for tubing with occasional wading. If you are going to scramble over rocks a lot get something with reinforced knees. Spend at least $150.
Wading boots: Go with some kind of synthetic rubber sole. Felt is going the way of the dodo bird. Also, understand that you will need to get boots that are at least a size larger than your regular shoe size, perhaps more. And check fit; I have wide feet, so a boot that came in widths was mandatory. As for money, I got a pair of LL Bean Emergers for around $70 which have so far performed very well. My buddy has Korkers which he likes. I believe he spent under $200. Whatever, as long as they fit and support your ankles.
Chestpack/vest: Pick one of these and see how you like it for a year or two. I started with a vest and now use a Cabela's c-pack, others I know went the other way. Spend around $30 on your first one.
Flies: At first you can get away with just two or three dozen flies, mostly wooley buggers and p-adams. After awhile you'll succumb to the addiction and start buying lots of other flies. Find inexpensive flies at first, as you will lose tons of these things at first. Trust me, losing a $3.50 fly hurts your heart a lot more than losing a 60 cent one. I started buying flies from Sportsmens Warehouse for 89 cents per, then found the flystop.com for 60 cents per. When you can minimize losing flies to trees, bushes, rocks and bad casting, then think about flipping extra coin at flies.
Flyboxes: Think slit foam and floating. Flyboxes that sink will send you to the sanitarium. Spend around $9 per box.
Thermal underwear/socks: Stay away from cotton. I like cabela's or BPS stuff in medium or heavy wts. They are economical (under $50 per set) and perform well. Think Smartwool for socks. Nothing worse than having icy wet piggies after only half an hour in the water.
Raingear: Think breathable and lightweight. I used froggtoggs at first which worked well and were on the cheap side. $30 I think.
Gloves: Chicks dig nice hands. Get a pair of SPF rated fingerless gloves. They aren't expensive, and your future ex will thank you for it. Besides, cancer on your hands is just nasty.
There's still tons of stuff left to get (nippers, retractors, hats, sunglasses, etc.) but that takes care of the more critical stuff. Good luck, and have fun.
Peace.
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again, SO much great information rolling around, I really appreciate all of the help and the quick acceptance into the club flytier I dont mind being the "youngfellow" all things considering and chrome and ranger thanks so much for the good advice. I cant wait to learn more and get out there and start!
flytier I dont mind being the "youngfellow" all things considering and chrome and ranger thanks so much for the good advice. I cant wait to learn more and get out there and start!
ausablebrown
Well-known member
I hear that; I wish I would have know that when I bought my first throw-away Bass Pro shops rod/combo. I should have purchased some gear that was "legit" from the get-go.
I'll tell you that there are plenty of rods in the 150-200 range that you will definitely not throw away when you purchase another rod. The St. Croix Imperial, TFO Pro and Finesse, Winston Passport. All rods that you will never be ashamed to own later on down the road. Just don't buy too cheap, or once you get some experience you will realize how terribly they perform.
This is already a great thread. I've been hanging around the forum for about a month and I've already learned a lot, even though I haven't made my first cast yet.
Analyst by trade, I'm used to providing opinions, even upon topics that I know nothing about...
Since you are taking a fairly in depth class, you will probably get tons of useful information about equipment, compared to an afternoon seminar. I assume that you will also be exposed to quite a bit of equipment. If you don't need to buy it all immediately, wait until you've begun to get the big picture before making the big investment.
Some people think I'm cheap, I like to think of it as maximizing value If you have a good shop near you don't be hesitate to pay a bit more (than on-line) if you are getting good advice. Also, if you spend hours there every week, you should contribute to rent However, if you are doing your own research, you could spend a few weeks watching rod & reel "candidates" on eBay. For about a month I kept a "watch list" that was usually 50 items long. I would watch new and used items in the value range, such as TFO, Redington & Echo, and also more expensive closeouts like the Sage VT2 and Winston Vapor. If I saw someone selling stuff that was interesting, I would look at their other items. These sometimes led to other items to watch, but more importantly, it triggered new ideas. I'm not advocating getting advice locally, and then getting the cheapest price on-line. However, this research approach helps me to feel more confident about the value I'm getting (wherever I buy).
If you haven't discovered it already, the search feature on the forum is a great feature once you figure out the key buzz words for a topic. For a first rod you can either look for words like "beginner" or typical items such as "TFO Professional."
Have Fun!
Analyst by trade, I'm used to providing opinions, even upon topics that I know nothing about...
Since you are taking a fairly in depth class, you will probably get tons of useful information about equipment, compared to an afternoon seminar. I assume that you will also be exposed to quite a bit of equipment. If you don't need to buy it all immediately, wait until you've begun to get the big picture before making the big investment.
Some people think I'm cheap, I like to think of it as maximizing value
If you have a good shop near you don't be hesitate to pay a bit more (than on-line) if you are getting good advice. Also, if you spend hours there every week, you should contribute to rent However, if you are doing your own research, you could spend a few weeks watching rod & reel "candidates" on eBay. For about a month I kept a "watch list" that was usually 50 items long. I would watch new and used items in the value range, such as TFO, Redington & Echo, and also more expensive closeouts like the Sage VT2 and Winston Vapor. If I saw someone selling stuff that was interesting, I would look at their other items. These sometimes led to other items to watch, but more importantly, it triggered new ideas. I'm not advocating getting advice locally, and then getting the cheapest price on-line. However, this research approach helps me to feel more confident about the value I'm getting (wherever I buy).If you haven't discovered it already, the search feature on the forum is a great feature once you figure out the key buzz words for a topic. For a first rod you can either look for words like "beginner" or typical items such as "TFO Professional."
Have Fun!
Lots of good advice so far, if you are going to be a flyfisherman, unless you are mildly wealthy be prepared to make sacrafices in other expenses because this is an expensive game if done right. I would be curious to see who drives a beater truck but has nice gear. That is a flyfisherman in my book