fly fishing noob advice

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hamiltonangler94

hamiltonangler94

Smallmouth Fanatic
Joined
Jul 11, 2012
Messages
1,060
Location
Hamilton
Hey guys so many of you guys probably know i love to fish for smallmouth in my local rivers, and always targeted them using spinning outfits and tubes mostly. I hear more and more lately about people fly fishing for river smallmouth and i wanna get into the action. To be honest i am a complete noob when it comes to fly fishing, having only cast a fly rod once, so i get the basic idea but that's about it. I have been doing some research lately and articles are saying to look at a 6 weight 9 foot rod, so im considering that. Now i don't wanna be spending loads of money, i just want something that's gonna last and get the job done, and something thatll be easy to get the hang of. As the seasons winding down for smallmouth, i probably won't be getting an outfit until spring, but i wanna get as much information as possible so i make the right purchase. Suggestions appreciated.
 
To try it out and see if you even like it I would get a cheep combo for 50$ from Canadian tire ...

If you pick it up and like it then get a quality rod and reel .. There is no point in spending 300 on rod, reel,and line to find out you don't like it and never get your money back out of it and the combo can be a loaner for when your friends want to fly fishing
 
sail has some good kits, sometimes on sale, so you can get a decent kit for 100 bucks.
 
Whatever you do, don't buy the $50.00 "kit" from Canadian tire or anything for 50 bucks for that matter. Go to your local fly shop and talk to them. If you already fish and enjoy it, I'm willing to bet that you will pick up fly fishing and hit the ground running. Little to 0 chance you won't like it. Look at spending between 200 and 250 to supply you with enough gear to get you into the game and then go from there. If you are just bass fishing to start with, you don't need a vest full of gear. An assortment of a dozen or 15 flies, a couple of leaders and tippet material and your off to the races.
 
I agree with Rob H. Cheap outfits have crappy reels and rods that are both heavy and way too bouncy. They are no fun too cast as they are quite tiring and also lead to bad casting. If the reel doesn't work well (esp. on larger fish) it will only be frustrating. So you won't actually be giving F'fishing a fair chance with poor equipment.

A set-up in the $250 range will be with you forever, at least as a back-up and loaner. I often use a 20 year-old $250 kit with pleasure on lakes for bass when I am not worried about casting for distance or delicacy/accuracy, even though I have more expensive and recent gear.
 
Thanks for the help guys! I'm either considering buying a reddington crosswater kit, or spend a little extra money and get the rod and reel seperate as I know combos can be somewhat crappy, but as a previous poster mentioned I don't wanna be spending loads of money and then ending up not liking it. Can any of u guys reccomend a good rod and a good reel? I don't wanna be spending more than 200 tops.
 
A friend of mine likes this onehttp://www.basspro.com/Hobbs-Creek-Large-Arbor-Fly-Reels/product/44558/ from Bass Pro on his 6wt, even though he has a collection of Hardy reels. It worked in Alberta in Sept. for cutthroat.
You could get a TFO rodhttp://www.basspro.com/TFO-Professional-II-Rods/product/11090505010810/ for $150 (I suggest this one because it is 4pc), but I have found them to be a bit heavy - especially toward the tip. I would take care to verify the reel balances the rod.
You could get a Redington Pursuit for $119, but I would like to try it first. I am confused by the write-up, "...Pursuit Fly Rods from Redington are 4-piece, travel-friendly rods designed for the beginning angler or for someone who needs a back-up fly rod for an outdoor adventure. These fast action Pursuit Fly Rods ..." Typically fast action rods are not best for beginners because beginners don't have good timing and a good touch yet. Slower action rods are better for beginners as it lets them feel the rod load (flex) on the back-cast, and the rod does not return to straight so quickly so the beginner has time to properly start the forecast.
The other puzzle is, even with the Redington (or similar) and the BP reel you are up to $160 before tax, and you still need a line ($35), a couple of leaders, tippet, flies and fly box (another $40 or so), so you are up to $250 (not inc. tax) before you know it. If you try to spend less than $250 total you will compromise on the rod and be back where we started at the beginning of the thread.
It’s too bad you can’t borrow some stuff and try at least one outing before you purchase.
You might also phone Grindstone Anglers and see what they have one sale or in the used category. Angling Specialties in Mississauga would be another place for older stock and consignment.
 
I agree with j matt here, try and get a rod that is on sale (obviously more bang for your buck) but don't cheap out. A rod in the 100-150 price range is what you should be looking at. There are also plenty of good reels to be had for under 100$ the echo ion comes to mind as my dad owns 2. If you learn that you don't like fly fishing you can always sell your setup, if items are on sale you may be able to recoup pretty much all costs, and like wise if you decide to stick with the sport you will have a setup that will last you a long time when taken care of
2c
 
IMO you would be far better off to go to a very good fly shop and talk to the folks there for advice before you spend any $. Most good fly shops would set up a rod combo and show you how to cast it, so you get the true feel of the rod combo and what tossing a fly line is all about.
It always looks easier than you think, for many folks make the mistake of spending $ on fly gear they know nothing about, go to fish with it, find out it's frustrating, because the gear they have chosen is not balanced or of poor quality, then go home and put it in the closet where it stays forever...........a waste of your hard earned $.
If in doubt, do the research and hook up with a fly casting instructor who will teach you all you need to know...............that's money well spent and you'd be on your way to purchase that fly outfit for years to come, as well as know the true enjoyment of how to toss a fly on a good quality rod.
Fly fishing is a fabulous pastime, but you have to do the research and take the time to practice casting to make it all worth while........ :???:
 
David Parker said:
IMO you would be far better off to go to a very good fly shop and talk to the folks there for advice before you spend any $. Most good fly shops would set up a rod combo and show you how to cast it, so you get the true feel of the rod combo and what tossing a fly line is all about.
It always looks easier than you think, for many folks make the mistake of spending $ on fly gear they know nothing about, go to fish with it, find out it's frustrating, because the gear they have chosen is not balanced or of poor quality, then go home and put it in the closet where it stays forever...........a waste of your hard earned $.
If in doubt, do the research and hook up with a fly casting instructor who will teach you all you need to know...............that's money well spent and you'd be on your way to purchase that fly outfit for years to come, as well as know the true enjoyment of how to toss a fly on a good quality rod.
Fly fishing is a fabulous pastime, but you have to do the research and take the time to practice casting to make it all worth while........ :???:
Click to expand...


definitely this, he could probably get together with chasechrome, since they're both in hamilton and try it out, he is still around.
 
thanks for the tips guys! I think im going to spend the extra bit of money and get the rod and reel seperately. I'll be going to Sail this weekend and checking out the fly rods and reels
 
hamiltonangler94 said:
thanks for the tips guys! I think im going to spend the extra bit of money and get the rod and reel seperately. I'll be going to Sail this weekend and checking out the fly rods and reels
Click to expand...

i think its a choice you won't regret.....
 
Robh, I'm assuming because sail has the clearance specials on the non current stuff. I'm not sure what the policies are in the specialty fly shops are for non current gear. whether they get returned to the sales rep for credit or get put out on reduced pricing
 
Nothing gets returned and yes, we do reduce prices on none current product. I don't want to get into the great box store debate but the fact is, ( price aside and pound for pound, the price is only marginally lower, if at all at the box stores.) If you want the best service and the best advice, the fly shop is going to provide it. If you want to save 20 bucks and talk to a kid that can't tell you the difference between a mayfly and a house fly, well...go to the box store.
 
The reason I'm going to Sail is first because of the clearance items,the guy that is in the fly fishing department is very knowledgeable, and I got some gift cards to use :p
 

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