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i posted a bit before about getting a beginner setup for fly fishing, but now im able to do it.. got my taxes done today and it was a happy surprise to see i can get all the stuff i need and some of the stuff i want. headin to cabelas as soon as i see that nice big deposit into my account.
what all do i need to get a good starting setup going? rod, reel, line, flies, fly tying kit(s), net, vests, boxes, etc? any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks. if you want to pm me with your ideas that would be ok too.
im stoked to get into fly fishing.. going to be nice to not really have to have someone there with me when i go fishing. looking forward to (hopefully) being able to get onto some water without another person around and just enjoy some time alone.
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Don't buy everything all at once, because I guarantee you'll change your mind, and the money to replace and upgrade will be gone.
Focus on rod, reel, line, some leaders, tippet, a couple dozen flies, one or two small fly boxes, and some time on the water. Other incidentals will come at you faster than you can keep up. (indicators, weights, "tools", vests, waders, boots, glasses, more boxes, gadgets, and more gadgets than should ever be allowed)
Also, you mentioned "fly tying kit." Tying your own flies DOES NOT save you money. Its a good thing to learn and can be fun. But, wait until you "get into" fly fishing, and then start tying flies. Wait until you know what fly you'll want to use, and you have the budget. Focus now on fishing, not fly tying.
Money-saving tip of the year for buying flies: If you buy less-expensive flies to start, (or even some of the higher-priced "custom" ones) prolong thier life span by applying a VERY SMALL drop of super glue to the head of every fly you buy before use. Use the tip of a needle, apply a small drop of super glue to that (SMALL!), and lightly coat the thread head of the fly. Do this as you put hem in your box. I do!
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to me fly fising is alot like a woman... once you think you have her all figured out, she throws you a curve and you end up sitting in the corner in the fetal position sucking your thumb sobbing and babbleing like an idiot. go with what Jim said. dont skimp on the line, rod, and reel, otherwise you will be paying for it.
the next is a matter of opinion..... if i had my tax return right now, for a rod, i would NOT go to cabelas. i would fork the money out for yet another Helios (orvis). i refuse to own any other type of rod, and the 5 or so other rods i have, will all soon some day be replaced by orvis rods..... again my opinion
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awesome, thanks guys. i wasnt going to get all the stuff i listed, just wondering what was good to start with. i already have waders and boots. i was planning on going with a TFO or st croix rod. not sure on the reel yet, and im going to get some really good line. pretty much the basic essentials. what flies should i get to start out? also which sizes? i know i should have an assortment of sizes and patterns. i will mostly be fishing the uintahs and possibly the provo or weber.
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if its the provo and the weber, stick to sizes between 18 and 22,
flies would be:
Barrs Emerger
Copper Johns (all colors)
Prince Nymphs both in pheasant tail and more importantly GRAY!
BWO Cripller
BWO Emergers
get all nymphs in bead head and without and in flash back and without.
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I am going to give a little different advise.
ROD get as good as you can but make sure it works with you. FAST ACTION rods are easy because being stiff you can whip it back and forth, but you will also pick up bad habits.
MEDIUM ACTION to medium fast. you will learn the correct way to cast. stop/wait for the line to straighten then forward.
So, again, get a rod that works WITH your style.
Second: LINE!!!! Do not skimp on line.
Third Leaders, tippet, split shot, indicators, floatant.
FORTH: Reel.....seriously, the reel is a place to keep your line in trout fishing. A fair drag is nice. Most my reels don't even have a drag.
So as far as money purchases I would put it in this order with most expensive first:
1. Rod
2. Waders
3. LINE
4. boots/shoes
5. reel
6. leader/tippet plus needed tools & accessories.
I agree to wait on the fly tying. It will pay off n the future specially on big flies that do work that also cost around $5. ea.
The rods you mentioned are good choice, but check out ECHO as well.
Try to get Devon or Lance Egan to help you. They are USA FF TEAM.
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All good advice but the one thing I noticed is unless there having a sale Cabelas seems to be abit pricey ... Save your self a buck and shop around.
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[url "http://dealsonthefly.com"]DOTF[/url] ... check it out.. you could save some money and get higher end gear at a really good price...
MacFly
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Flygoddess is right about the reel, too. It is merely a line storage device. My list was all inclusive, but in no particular order of priority because you still need all of the basics to catch a fish. (rod, reel, line leader, fly) So yes, spend more on the rod and less on the reel. The rod casts the line you fish with, the reel just holds what you're not fishing with.
My first fly reel was a Pflueger 1494 for about 20 bucks, and it worked fine until I decided I wanted something prettier and smoother. The line, today, will likely cost more than your reel should.
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Ain't that the truth. People don't understand $100 for Shark Skin, but all the other GOOD lines are $70. Now figure that SS last twice as long...that $30 is money well spent.
Check e-bay for line....Selective Trout II is around $30. and all because it is last years model......[crazy]
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awesome thanks very much for the info. which line would you honestly recommend? i probably wont be going every single day or every other day, but at least 2-3 times a week. floating line or sinking line?
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What are you going to be fishing for primarily?
You will always need a floating, and you can add sink tips to floating and split shot and weighted flies.
But I do feel you need at least ONE sinking line, if you fish stillwater.
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I'd start with a floating line. Not a $100 just yet though. I'm also a Double Taper fan, and always have been, but there's arguments for weight forwards too, I guess. (I still don't own one for freshwater trout fishing) A double taper line is easier to learn how to control and mend, you get two lines for the price of one (its reversable!), and some day you'll likely want to make a nice presentation with a dry fly. Some say its easier to learn to cast a weight forward because you feel it load the rod a little better, but that isn't absolute either.
In my warped, lonely, selfish mind, weight forward lines are made for casting. Double tapers are made for fishing! [  ] I'm talking streams and small rivers now too, not lakes or salt or big water. Normal western trout fishing where casts are short, and most fish have seen a fly before. Keep things simple to start, and DT is simple.
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First 30' feet are the same on both WF and DT.
Advantage is it is reversible. DT is a thicker running line, however, and that is what I don't care for.
It will be a personal preference.
Just remember...if you can cast that 50' to 70' - casting 30' is cake.[ ]
Oh and there is Triangle Taper too, but we won't go there[laugh]
Your specialty lines and sinking lines are gong to be Weight forward.
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ok now im just getting  lol.. i guess i will just have to talk to devon and see what he says. i will probably be fishing some lakes this summer, but mostly uintahs. was hoping to maybe hit up willard and try for some crappie on the fly, but not sure if that would work or if anyone has tried it and had it work.
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There's different confgurations to fly lines (taper). Probably shouldn't have gone there. Whoever counsels you on the purchase will know and advise. Its not that big of deal for your beginning. Either will get you going in the right direction. Be sure to tell them, too, whether you'll do more still water, creeks, or rivers. Then buy accordingly.
Often, we take the simplest of things and make them complicated. Fly fishing is a great example of this. Its actually a more simple persuit than other types of fishing, by far. And, that's a whole other thread!
Don't be intimidated by terms and gadgets. Line, rod, reel, leader, fly. Tie on fly (easy). Present it to the fish (THE act of fishing). Catch fish (fun reward)!
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yeah i guess with anything you can get really technical. i'm not sure which one i will do more, streams, rivers, or lakes. i might just have to get a good "all around" setup for all of the above with some interchangable parts. maybe get an extra reel with some fairly decent but not too expensive line on it to change out when i go to a certain place. i agree with flygoddess though, there is nothing like fishing with a dry fly.
i remember backpacking to marjorie lake in the uintahs with my family and fly fishing ( fly behind clear bubble on spinning rod ) and seeing the fish hit it on top of the water. its awesome. ever since then i have always wanted to get into fly fishing, but never really had the means to do so. and when i did have the means or time i usually had other things come up.
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If those fish can be caught...they can be caught on a fly.
That is the complicated part to me...knowing what fly.
I remember the first time I went out on Utah Lake with TD. I was after the Carp as I have been fishing for them in rivers.
I had no idea what to use and fully intended being skunked. Went one hour and was living up to my expectations. TD even gave me some flies he uses, but no go. I put on what I thought might and basically OLD SCHOOL and landed four HOGS.
Being a new comer and the fact you want to do stillwater...I still stand behind WF line. The thinner running line makes it easy to load as Tarpon mentioned.
I think you came to the right place however. Any river or lake, someone has the latest news to help out.
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yeah i remember you posting on tubedude's report on your carp catching with the fly rod. those were some BIG carp!! im sure that was extremely fun to bring in on a fly rod. i got my tube all set up and am hoping to hit up UL, willard, and some of the uintahs this year. im still new, so im on what WF is.. brand of fly line?
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I am sorry. Yes Weight Forward is a taper.
The taper of the line is what projects you no weight fly out.
The lines are set up with a short tip section (beginning of the line), then followed by a front taper which varies line to line and is the specialty part. Somewhere like 6' to 11'.
Then there is the BODY. On a Weight forward this also depends on the specialty of the line. On a Double taper, it is the running line.
Here is an example of a line taper. Note, there is little to a Double Taper. The front and the rear of the line are mirror images
WF:
Tip: 1' / Front Taper 10' / Body 25' / back taper 5' / running line 49'
(okay you have a 1' piece going in to a bullet shape with 10' going in and 5' coming out then the running line is thinner, less wind resistance, easier to mend)
DT:
Tip 1' / Front taper 10' / Body/running: 60' / back taper 10' / tip 1'
(note that both lines are the same in the tip, front taper, and first part of body. 31' that is what I said there is no difference in the first 30' or so) It is from there.
DT is a thicker line and floats better because of mass. A better design for small creeks and streams which is not to say you can long cast. Just more wind resistance)
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