New to fly-fishing

[870expressmag]

I am new to fly fishing, been a regular fisherman my whole life(32yr old). A few years back my brother and I got invited on a trout fishing trip, on the opening weekend of trout season for stocked browns and rainbows. It was a lot of fun, but after a few years of all the drunks that never even make it out of the cabin to the river, and the elbow to elbow crowds all lined up along the dams edge dropping corn over the edge, i've decided this "city boy" fishing is not quite my style. We always used spinning gear. I have an extreme interest in fly fishing, a former friend who fly fished a lot got me kinda on track to get started, i bought a used rod and reel from a local classifieds, i had no idea what i was buying but i got it for 35.00. The former friend gave me a few 5x leaders, some I believe DT line, not sure of weight, maybe 6 or 7, and he actually gave me another rod and reel. Well i am looking at trying to take a casting class, my local cabelas offers them for free, but i was wondering if the rods i have, are any good, and will help me learn, or inhibit me from learning. From spinning gear fishing i knew how important at least decent equipment is. The rod and reel i bought for 35.00 is a Garcia Conolon 2 star 6&7wt 2637-A with a South bend 1122 reel on it, and the one that the former friend gave me is a South bend trophy tamer 8.5ft 6-7wt T-685 rod with what looks like the cursive initials "PS" on the reel. I believe that has 7 DT line on it. Around where i live i have lots of opportunity for bass, bluegill, pike, etc. Between extended family and in-laws i have access to some great northern michigan places for trout, steelhead, etc. just looking for info to help get me started and see if i am on the right track, sorry for the length

 

[Ard]

Hi,

Welcome to the fly fishing forum, where do you live and fish? You can easily include location in your post details, if you have trouble figuring out how to do it drop me a message and I'll sort it for you.

Casting class will be a great advantage for you and while your rods are old it is the desire which makes a fisherman, not his tackle. Better tackle can come once you are on your way to knowing how to use it. I fished many years with rods not as good as what you have and I made the grade.

Once you are into your fly fishing you may find that there is no opening day and that many waters are open year round to the fly. If you live in the north winter may shut you down as it does me but that's why we have a forum then isn't it.

Welcome; I hope you'll post often and be able to pick up a few helpful tips from the group.

Ard

 

[mcnerney]

Welcome to the forum! I can't help with a recommendation on those two rods, but maybe someone else can give an opinion. I like the idea that you are going to take a casting lesson, best of luck.

Larry

 

[870expressmag]

Thanks for the welcome guys, my location is S.E. Michigan. Lots of family and in-laws in northwestern lower peninsula and the upper peninsula.

 

[williamhj]

Welcome! I got into fly fishing in SE Michigan as well as West and Northern Michigan. There indeed is some great bass fishing around there! As Ard said the equipment doesn't matter as much as learning to cast right. That said, be sure the line weight on the rod matches up with the line on the reel.

 

[silver creek]

I have taught quite a few beginners to cast and in my opinion, a beginner cannot compensate for the deficiencies in a fly rod.

That is why in our classes we provide the rods, reels and line. We have had beginners bring their father's or grandfather's equipment and after test casting it, I tell them to save it for sentimental value but that it is simply not up to today's standards or for the style of casting that we are going to teach.

Here's an easy way to tell if you should replace at least the rod. Does the rod have metal ferrules? If it does, I suggest getting a new fly rod at least.

Since the casting class at Cabela's is free, you should take your equipment and have them look at it. Or you could post close up photos of it.

 

[Flyfisher for men]

Good to have you here.

Originally from SE Michigan. I moved to Kansas when I was a kid.

When I think of SE Michigan and flyfishing, I think Huron River and smallmouth. A nifty stream.

Get to the Au Sable as quick as you can. Holy Water!

 

[wa_eric]

Glad to have you!! And another good place to help you with your casting is youtube there are is a ton on fly fishing as for the rods you have and the weights it all depends on what you are planing on fishing for. I myself am a trout bum and use a 4 or 5wt for most of my fishing. I'm in Washington state. Second and the most important this when it comes to gear if you don't have a ton of money wait intel you find the rod you really want before you get one or you will find your self spending a ton on one step above what you have. There are some pretty good rods out there and everyone finds different rods they like better. Most fly shops in my neck of the woods will let you go pretty far in the trying them out path. And the yellowstone shot out is a good places to get a idea of thats good and the price range you will see, just google it and read it, then try out what you can at your local fly shop. I hope this has helped you out and hope you enjoy your journey because this is way better then spin casting!!!!! And if you have any questions feel free to P.M. me and I will help where I can or just give you my .02 worth.:thumbsup:

Eric

 

[870expressmag]

thanks for the replies guys, my main worry is the weight of the rods, as more than likely to start out my main fishing will probably be bluegills from a boat on a lake. i think a 6-7 rod is a little heavy. probably fine for steelhead, salmon right? i will take pictures of the rods and reels and post em so you guys can check em out

the huron river is where we spincasted for stocked trout

 

[Rip Tide]

I have a few of the Garcia Conolon rods and I only use one of them.
The 2 star rods (blue right ?) were bottom of the line and were built with too few guides to make casting enjoyable.
Trying to learn to cast with that rod will only frustrate you.

The South Bend rod is a newer graphite composite that retailed for about 50 bucks.
Not exactly high end but probably very usable. It may be a very good rod for bass.

 

[fly_guy12955]

Early in my life I had two glass rods..an Eagle Claw and a Conolon and I liked the Eagle Claw a lot more. I was about all dry fly then, and the EC just laid down a dry better than the Garcia,,and cast easier. Never did warm up to the Conolon,,even though I caught the biggest brook trout of my life on it,,it still wasn't a great rod.

I have a new Eagle Claw I picked up last fall and I tell you,,for a (appx) 30 dollar rod,,it's a really 'decent' rod. A bit of tip wobble...more so that other glass maybe maybe (doesn't really bother me though), but cast a good slow easy loop to a decent distance. Haven't really fished it yet, but plan to.

 

[870expressmag]

Heres pictures of the Garcia Conolon rod with 1122 reel. I bought the whole outfit for 35 bucks so i'm not out much. I did notice that where the two halves come together, there is some green corrosion i cleaned up a bit with fine steel wool...still wont fit together the entire way but i think it did when i bought it two years ago. I also noticed looks like one side of the eyelet just forward of the two halve junction has been retied and repaired. I am merely wondering two things, first off with two 6-7wt rods, thats overkill for trout and bluegill i would think? also are the quality of these rod and reels going to "inhibit" my learning curve with casting.






---------- Post added at 06:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:08 PM ----------

and heres the south bend trophy tamer

 

[wa_eric]

Yeah for bluegill those are way to big steelhead and salmon great for that maybe some really big trout and bass also but they would have to be on the bigger side. For bluegill I would go with a 3-4wt. and if you got the 4wt you could use it for trout also. Again just my .02 worth. hope it helps

 

[al_a]

I would say, don't worry about the reels; reel quality is unimportant when learning to cast and totally unimportant when fishing for smaller fish like bluegill or average size trout or bass. All they do is store line, and the only consideration is that they not be way too big and heavy or too small for the rod and line you're using.

As for the rods...there is no doubt that a decent modern graphite rod will be easier to use and to learn with than an old, cheap glass rod. Will it inhibit your learning curve so much that you should upgrade immediately? I honestly don't know, but it would be nice if you can try using a good graphite rod when you're taking lessons, just to get a feel for the difference. What probably WILL make it tougher, however, is trying to learn with rods that heavy, both in line rating and in actual weight of the rod. A 7 weight glass rod is going to be a heavy sucker that will tire you out when you're not used to it. And since you're going to want a much lighter weight rod anyway for bluegill, buy a decent 4 weight, something that you might pay somewhere between $100-150 for will be fine, along with a cheap reel rated for a 4 weight line. Put a decent 4 weight WF floating line on it and you'll be set for bluegill and trout in Michigan.

 

[wa_eric]

I agree with the poster above me about needing a good rod and you can find them new or used in the price range he gave you. You have the redingote ct or the echo solo which are both 100$ new you also grey's grxi is a little more but is good mystic reaper is another. Those are just a few and ones that are close to that price range new if you go used you could either go a little cheaper on those or open up your options more! Good luck and let me know what you found!!

 

[jbird]

Welcome to the forum and welcome to flyfishing! If this thing snags you, it will run deep in your veins and you will enjoy many many years astream

My comments on your equipment is going to differ a little. First and foremost, make sure you know the line youre using is a matching weight to your rod. It can be hard to know for sure when you buy a fully rigged used set up. Nothing will fight you more than miss matched rod/line.

Heres where I differ in opinion from others... I would recommend a 6wt rod. Its a little heavy for pan fish but not so much that it sucks the fun out of it. The reason is a 6wt will serve you well for the diverse fishing in your area. Its good for bass, steelhead and trout. If I only had one rod, I would not want it to be a 3 or 4wt when I have access to bass and steelhead rivers. as your addiction progresses and you save some money, you can get some more "species specific" set ups.
Your reels are fine for now, just get a new (or used) 6wt rod and a decent line. I recommend a weight forward floating line over a double taper. It will shorten your learning curve and serve you well for most situations youll encounter.

Be careful you don't over complicate the sport. I think that's the #1 reason some people take so long to get anywhere with fly fishing. Theres too much information out there and you can suffer from analysis paralysis. Just have fun and keep it simple. Take baby steps and learn in phases. No need to overload your mind.

 

[silver creek]

Thanks for posting those photos.

As I suspected the Conolon rod has a metal ferrule. It is really old. Fenwick invented the butt over tip composite ferrule back in the 1970s and I think this rod is at least 40 years old.

The South Bend rod is newer but is a very inexpensive rod. Both rods have DOWNLOCKING reel seats that place the fly reel at the bottom of the reel seat. This means the fly reel is against the ground whenever you prop the rod up against your car or a tree. I doubt you can find down locking reel seats any more on a current rod.

Of the two rods, I'd go with the South Bend as the better of the two.

OF the two reels, the red South Bend looks like a knock off of a Pfluegger Medalist

If the insides are a copy of the Pfluegger, I"d go with that reel. Remove the spool and see if the drag mechanism looks like this.

So if you want to use the rods and reel that is my recommendation. But if you can afford it, I would buy a new modern rod and reel. They are very reasonable these days.

If you do go with a modern rod, your old reels probably will not fit on the new rods. They may not meet the current standards which guarantee that all modern fly reels will fit on all modern fly rods regardless of manufacturer. So get a modern rod reel combination.

 

[870expressmag]

Heres a picture of the insides of the south bend reel. For info purposes, i spooled both reels with backing and line, both lines are either 6 or 7 and both DT.

I have been researching new rods and reels etc. I see some mentioning of a 4wt, and one of a 6wt. Most of what I found, was the popular 5wt 9ft. I dont want to spend a ton on a new rod and reel, but i also want to be able to sufficiently learn to cast. I am one that will work hard at something to achieve it. i can practice in my yard, i live in the country, and do have access to a river with bass, pike, and cats right on the back of my property, it's a gross river but can be fished. I am pretty sure fly fishing will grab a hold of me too. Like i said i have already waded for trout for a few years with spinning gear, and although my time to get up north is limited, i do have access to some great northern michigan rivers and streams when i can get up there. My problem is no one to teach me or help me, besides you very helpful and friendly folks. My whole family has fished our whole lives but none of us fly fish, maybe a couple of my uncles in the upper peninsula, but they dont do it much if at all anymore that i know of. My dad has showed some interest in fly fishing, but he will wait till i get it all figured out, before he decides. finally got him into ice fishing this year

 

[Flyfisher for men]

Those old rods and reels have a coolness factor to them if nothing else.

I haven't read the entire thread, so someone may have mentioned it already: sone of those old reels and rods are collectible so do a little reading on them.

One of my rods is one I found in the attic--it's an old fiberglass rod from the sixties with a southbend reel much like yours. It's fun to play with.


edit: just read through the thread again. I would agree that those rods might be a bit difficult to learn to cast. That rod I mentioned is a big, heavy 8wt. It's a workout.

One friendly suggestion: you can get really carried away with equipment. The most important thing is in your head--knowledge of fish. A rod you can cast decently is certainly important, but not nearly as important as knowing what fish do.

I'm a also a deer hunting nut, and am amazed at the equipment craziness in that sport, too. Davy Crockett did more with a muzzleloader and black powder and leather breeches than I ever will with a scoped modern rifle, modern ammo, and the latest in camoflage. It's simply because he knew wild game and knew how to get himself in range.

 

[870expressmag]

i been looking around and found this combo today, never heard of Quarrow till today. But I found it in one of our catalogs at work and turns out we can order them at dealer cost, so that 149.99 outfit would cost me significantly less. Just looking for some feedback if anyone knows anything about those rod/reels, and quarrow in general.

https://www.nebotools.com/prod_details.php?id=224&cid=28