Show me your rods!

[asianflava]

Meh, you said fly fishing <-I don't get it, so I can't help you there.

[Gary and Cheri]

What are you fishing for?

The type of fish determines the weight of the rod. Trout are usually fished on a 4 to 6 weight rod. A 4 weight rod is good for smaller trout and will give you more fighting enjoyment where as a 6 weight is great for some of those big Yellowstone trout. A 6 weight is great for larger bass or smaller northerns. A 2 or 3 weight can be fun for small pan fish. Muskie is 7 and up.

Next how long a rod do you want? Here in Wisconsin I use a 7.5 foot in tight streams with lots of over hang. Bigger streams with more casting area I go to a 9 foot. A 9 foot is the most common size and probably the most versatile.

Next up is type of line taper. Fly line changes in diameter especially in the first 10 - 15 feet. If you are new I think weight forward is the easiest to learn casting on.

Finally do you want floating or sinking line? They actually make line that is designed for the front of the line to sink to a certain depth. Floating line is a lot easier to learn on also as sinking line can be hard to get up into the air for the next cast.

After your are all set up with your equipment then you need to decide on flies. Again floaters and sinkers are used. There are probably a million different flies that mimic every insect on the planet. I usually fish with a floating fly with a sinker tied on 20 to 30 inches back. Usually I find fish go of the sinker which makes the floater like a bobber that tells you when you have a strike. Some fish are looking at the surface and you will see the gulp just before you set the hook.

If I were starting over again I would be buying a 9 foot 4 or 6 weight rod with a weight forward line. I would probably buy an inexpensive graphite rod. Inexpensive is your definition.

Gary

[Gary and Cheri]

Fly rods are designed to flex in a certain way. Some are stiffer than others. Usually you will find that a 6 weight is much stiffer than a 4 weight and most fly fishermen call this a less lively rod which to many equates to less fun. You don't get much of a fight out of a small fish on a heavy rod where as you can feel like you hooked into a whale when you rod is undersized for the fish.

One piece rods have a designed taper that provides consistent flex. The problem with a one piece 9 foot rod could be obvious if you are trying to take your rod with you on a plane. That is why some rods break down into many pieces. Problem here though is that where each piece attaches to the next is a very stiff spot that can ruin the overall flex of the rod. None of my rods are more than 2 piece. I feel the only advantage to multi pieces is packaging size for travel.

Gary

[robfisher]

What are you fishing for?

I would probably buy an inexpensive graphite rod. Inexpensive is your definition.

Gary

Good Advise! No need to spend a ton of money at first. If you find that you really get into into fly fishing half the fun is upgrading. You didn't ask about a reel but no need to break the bank here either. Later,many trips to the fly shop will become part of your life.

[Gary and Cheri]

biziedizie

Looks like you got a perfect start. Now the fun starts.

My parents used to own property on the Rock Creek near Phillipsburg Montana and when I first started fishing I spent a whole day catching nothing. We went into town and the hardware store had a few flies lying around and one looked kind of like an insect I noticed while catching nothing. So I bought one of these flies and when we went back I could not keep fish off the hook. Learned real quick to pay attention to what nature is offering and to ask the locals what works in their area. The investigating and enjoying the beauty of nature is half the fun.



Gary