Fly Fishing -Starting again: Kit Recommendations

[JWFilips]

We as I had mentioned I'm thinking of trying fly fishing again Limited to small streams ( Trout) and farm ponds (Panfish)

I still have my old 8.5 foot old South Bend pole and reel from the mid 1960's But I never liked the simple wire twist eyes ( caused drag on casting!)

Just wonder if anyone could recommend a simple modern kit for the above fishing ? I don't want to spend a lot ( yet) but I would like a rod, reel and fly line that won't cause me much trouble trying to relearn the art!

I'm sure things have improved a bunch over all these years...so I don't know much about modern Fly lines and tippets! (Weight forward, etc.)

Don't need flies, poppers and such because as a kid my allowance was well spent on many sets of dry & wet flies and assorted panfish popper ( yes with the rubber legs or wiskers) Plus all my old stand by's I tied!
May be some one cold help?
Thanks
Jim

 

[Rick H]

Reddington makes a couple of beginner kits that are ok....those wire guides are state of the art....LOL....even on my $500 sage rod. The drag isn't all bad. For general trout fishing I like a 8 1/2' 5 weight, but 8 or 8 1/2' 6 weight is a better all around rod.....for the Hex Hatch here in Michigan, (Or PA's Green Drake) I go heavier 9' 7 weight.
Cortland and Reddington both make decent starter sets for under$100 (well under on sale)look for WF (weight forward) or DT (double taper) lines. Level lines are cheap but don't cast very well.

I have built a number of rods including one with single foot ceramic fly rod guides and I don't like them....slack line hangs up on them and they cause drag too. I have outfitted my kids with Cabela's starter kits in the past but the quality of what they are offering now has really gone down hill. If you are interested in a good quality moderately priced rod look into TFO. Very nice rods....I would caution you not to go shorter than 8' even if you fish little feeder creeks. The rod is used for roll casting and line mending even more on the tight streams and you need the length. I built a little 6' 4 weight rod that is a delight to cast in the open, but roll casting and line mending is lacking. It is a fun rod for evenings on small ponds.

If you want to scrimp do it with the reel. Get one that balances out the rod but don't worry about the drag. It is rare that I get a fish on the reel stream fishing. Even 20"+ browns. The reel mostly balances the rod and stores line....big water and big fish demand a better drag....and more money.

 

[JWFilips]

I 'm getting interested....! May be my old SB rod & reel would work if I figure out how to cast better then I did when I was 10 !
Have fly lines changed? I would imagine with all the new technologies they have . What would I be looking for in those?

 

[Rick H]

a line that matches you rod.....(should be written on it.) I would get a floating double taper. The end sections are tapered for gentle entry to the water and better castability. WF is similar but with a reduced diameter running section and it is not reversible like the DT. The DT also "roll casts" better. Purchase pre tied leaders (knotless) a couple of bucks a piece and tippet material to match the size of fly....if throwing spiders a piece of monofilament will do.

No need for the super duper expensive flylines….simple cortland 333s will do just fine...you wouldn't be able to appreciate the subtle differences between that and the high dollar ones...(I'm not sure I do and I have been doing this for 60yrs.)

 

[Rick H]

Oops forgot, yeah the lines have changed, they float higher and longer with less muss and fuss....even the cheap ones.

 

[JWFilips]

Any suggestions on which one I would choose?
Again after 50 years in hiding I have no idea what works!
Sure appreciate the help!

 

[Rick H]

Your rod should have the line size written on it. IE 6 weight Then look for an inexpensive (Cortland 333 is one I have used) floating DT or WF in that line size. The rod is built to be used with a line of that weight. The advantage to the DT is when you wear out the one half...practicing on the lawn and rocks......you can turn it around and have a fresh end to fish with.

 

[JWFilips]

OK WF is weight forward correct? DT is ?

 

[JWFilips]

Rick,
Man, I really appreciate this! It sure is a help!
I think I'm starting to learn again!

 

[StrawHat]

Finally, one I can answer! DT is double taper.

About all I remember from fly fishing. I might start again too. Considering moving to property with water on it.

Kevin

 

[Ian]

Rick knows his stuff for sure!

I got back into it when I got my first paid week of vacation from my first "real" job smat Boeing. The rig I bought is by description what Id still recommend: Nothing shorter than nine feet, nothing larger than 5 weight. I prefer WF for distance casting or letting go downstream but it doesn't roll a smooth, circular loop when roll-casting from a brushy bank like DT does. Don't forget to buy backing line for the reel to fill up the spool. The modern floating lines don't need to be waxed every ten casts like the old braided stuff did. Buy tapered leaders and add whatever tippets you like or need, you can get a lot of use out of one if you keep splicing ordinary monofilament ends onto it for tippets. Make sure your tippet is lighter test than the smallest end of the leader so you can save the leader if you snag something on the back cast or have to break off from a rock or stump when streamer fishing. Buy the cheapest manual reel you can for the reasons Rick mentioned. I fished small streams and ponds for years without a reel at all. The single-wire twisted guides are made that way for several reasons (most of which I forget) but I have a combination pack rod with spincasting guides and it isn't worth a flip for shooting flyline.

A vest. Get a flyfishing vest with darted chest pockets and the fly patch. Small plastic flyboxrs with paracord lanyards that fit in the pockets are invaluable. My vest is an Orvis but inexpensive ones abound and will serve. Packing a tackle bag with any kind of strap while trying to flyfish is an exercise in frustration and will make your shoulder sore.

 

[Brad]

Get a good divorce lawyer, you will need it!

 

[CZ93X62]

No argument with anything posted above.

53 years of fly fishing. During that time tackle his lightened--"average" rig size was 7-weight in 1968, it is closer to 5-weight these days--mostly due to advances in rod tech and materials. Floating lines float higher and pick up easier now, sinking lines sink faster too.

 

[Ian]

The floating higher thing must be why the more modern WF lines can roll cast as well as they do, which still isn't great. When you draw in the line to start the roll and throw the loop over you're dealing with the light end of the line and it doesn't have enough weight to pick up the forward section to roll it very high out of the water and so your loop peters out at the end. The higher it floats the better the forward section will roll.

 

[Brad]

I have a couple Cartland lines that have done well for me. A good rod makes a huge difference.
For fly tying it all depends. I find that bass and bluegills aren’t very picky at all.
Jim, it is really a bit like shooting cast. Make it fit your needs, desires, and skill level.
In the end it depends on one thing, having fun. If you are having fun then you are doing it right. Nothing else matters.

 

[fiver]

the looped eyes ain't a bad thing at all.
they help stop [well smooth out some anyway] line slap when you cast out, and they help you load the rod when you go to throw forward and give that little yank.
if your only casting like 8 feet [shrug]

 

[Bret4207]

Jim if your rod is from the 60's it may be like one of mine and use the old alphabetical designation for line wt, something like "HGH". There are conversion tables that can help you figure it out. I haven't done any flyfishing in a good 30-ish years, but I do recall buying a 4 or 5 wt graphite rod towards the end. The more modern rods are different than the old glass rods and way different than bamboo. IMO they seem much faster and less forgiving, but that was 30 some years back. I learned to cast on flooded fields off my folks parking lots. The biggest game changer for me in distance casting was the advice to wait to feel the rod just start to load on your back cast before starting the forward drive. Changing it from a rhythm exercise to a "feel" exercise made it simpler for me. After all, it's not a rhythm at all if you're adding line to each cast.

For trout- definitely learn to mend line and roll cast! And when you get your vest, go for dark green or brown, not white or bright colors. My ability to catch wary brookies went up as soon as I started wearing darker clothing and learning to "hunker" in the alders. You won't be Lee Wulff or Joe Brooks posing for magazine shots, so camouflage!

 

[RBHarter]

I have a bunch Heirloom fly gear ...... Split cane Grainger's that my Great and Grandfather's fished Kentucky lake with . The one is to valuable to take a chance on breaking ....... In original tubes socks with 2 tips ...... I played with some of the other gear never really mastering it but I was able to make 20-25' casts and put the fly or at least a line and yarn "butterfly" on a 5 gallon bucket target .
A South Bend In glass rod stands out in my mind .

The cost of replacement leaders and the complexity of matching stuff up put me off of any desire more than a presentation hit and set without a hook was good enough for me . Touch the history , feel the bond ....... Sort of a Luke , Ben , Yoda , Anikin moment .......

The gear came with a copy of the Lee Wolfe book many flys and boxes .
The Grands were avid fishermen .......me not so much . I could never tell the difference between a bug bounce and a surface kiss at any distance .

 

[Rick H]

I love the slow action of a bamboo rod. Modern graphite is so much faster and the timing needed is so critical. I have graphite rods but opt for the slowest (bends deeper into the corks) actions I can find. I don't care if I can lay out 100' or more of flyline, I fish within 40 or 50' most of the time and often closer. Yes I can lay out an entire flyline, but why? I am not fishing permit on an ocean flat. The older all fiberglass rods were good too, they didn't have the backbone for really long casts but I rarely go there. Delicate presentation inside of 50' is where I mostly fish. Yeah, I like dry flies most.

 

[JWFilips]

Wow and Wow again! So much great info ! This weekend I'm going to climb up in my shed and recover my old South Bend rod & reel from the rafters!
Not sure I'm understanding rod weight number system above however?

A very good friend of mine whom I thought to build flintlock rifles.....now builds bamboo fly rods as a hobby.
I was visiting him last summer and he showed me all the complex steps that he has to go through! He said he would make me one if I would like but I told him I do not think II'm worthy of a rod that takes so much work!
Maybe if I get even close to good I may take him up on that offer in a few years.

Brad, I'm solving the wife problem before it starts! She love to fish with lures so I'm telling her maybe we should learn fly fishing together!
Only problem with that is I know she would end up being the better Fly fisherman