What type of Flyrod combo for beginner

[jaleen]

I am wanting to get into fly fishing. I already trout fish with a spinner, but I would like to try it with a fly!

Can anyone reccomend a resonably priced combo outfit that I will not want to replace with another setup immdiately after I learn how to fly fish?

I have been looking at l.l. bean starter combos but I just do not know the specifics of what I should get for North GA trout fishing.

All suggestions and comments are appreciated.

[The Professor]

Also check out Cabelas, they have some very reasonable starter outfits. Get a 4 to 5 wt, 7'6" to 9' in length. If you are fishing streams with tight brush, go for the shorter lengths (8 and less). That and a floating line (WF or DT will do) and you're ready to go.
Also if you get to the Atlanta area, B****Pro Shop has some good start outfits.

[FFing Duo]

Ditto on the Cabela's. My wife uses a 6 wt combo that was about $80. It's a good way to start. I keep trying to convince here she should upgrade (to justify doing so myself) but she likes hers too much. The Professor is right about the 4-5 wt. if you are only targeting trout. We went with a 6 as a compromise so we could use it on trout and bass.

You might also want to define "reasonably priced" I'm sure NGTO'rs could find you a "reasonably priced" combo from $50 to $600. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif May I also suggest that if you are considering which piece of the outfit to upgrade (or downgrade on). Make the first priority the rod, the second the line, and last the reel. That is, if you see an outfit you like, but you are willing to spend a few more dollars, get a better rod before you get a better reel, etc...

[NetBoy]

I suggest you go to the Fish Hawk in Buckhead.
They have a very large selection of rods and reels. You can test cast any of them. And if you don't know how to cast, they can show you(that's what they did for me).

If you go, look at the Diamonback All American $135. Med-fast action and a lifetime warranty. I also wanted something I would not replace. Out of all the beginner gear I bought, the Diamondback is the only item I still like to use.

NetBoy

[cocoon]

I agree with netboy and his suggestion for the diamondback all-american. My first fly rod was the all-american 9ft 5wt. I like to think that i've gotten pretty good and i have no intentions of getting another rod. if i do, it will be another all-american. and as the ffduo said the next thing to worry about is the fly line. to me it's more important than the reel. they can get pricey though. i really would consider visiting the fishhawk. i got out of there with my first flies, leaders, fly boxes, and my outfit for a very reasonable price. just be sure to tell them that you're a beginner. they will more than happy to help with everything. also, keep in my that the sport is addictive and that you'll never have enough gear or gadgets. at least that's how i am. keep us posted as to what you do. good luck!

[J Byrd]

Also look at the Orvis (even though some people dislike Orvis) Clearwater series. I bought a 5wt 8'6 with an Clearwater 4/5 reel with line, backing, tube and sock, for $180. I also has an 25 year unconditional warranty. I love the rod and I recently replaced the reel with an Okuma disc 4/5 for $40 at the Fishhawk. Ditto's on the reel. That is most important. Once you get started , and get hooked, you will have tons of gadgets and gear, and stuff. Hey keeps me out of trouble. J. Byrd

[The Ole Man]

jaleen
Some idea of how much you want to spend would be a start for a recommendation. Personally, I like to get a lot for my money. For that reason, I buy a lot of my equipment slightly used but near mint from VFS auctions, classifieds and on ebay. For a beginner not familiar with the gear, I would recommend a visit to a local flyshop. You don't say whether or not you have learned to cast a flyrod. You also say you want to do N. Ga trout fishing. Don't know if that means rivers or streams. These different venues usually call for different equipment. Tell us a little more about your plans. If there is just one thing I would advise a new flyfisher to not do in regard to gear-that would be not to buy a fast action rod. A too stiff, fast action rod can discourage a new caster faster than anything I know. Give us a little more info ja.

[The Ole Man]

Oh-forgot this. Someone mentioned Diamondback and Orvis. Diamondback was recently bought out by Cortland. Redington has been bought out by Orvis. Cortland also bought Climax lines and leaders. Lamson was sold to Sage and they sold it to Waterworks. Saw where Charles Schwab Investment Co. bought a rod co., think it was Powell. Increasingly, it is more difficult to know what you are buying. For the Orvis detractors, you now have an entire new line of products to bang on. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif

[jeffg]

Check out St.Croix rods too. They are not that expensive $80-140 range. Life time guarantee and their imperial series is really sweet.
Reels, start with single action, click drag. Heck you can get a rimfly reel for what, 20$.
Line, get good line. You can't go wrong with old relaible 444 line. But get weight forward! Especially if you are just learning.

Just starting out, do not drop $300+ on a Sage, Powell , Winston etc....if you love fly fishing, that stage of purchasing will come. Well at least I think so. Cuz you can tell the differences in rods, and rod makers.
For now get a slow-medium action like Ole Man said. A real stiff fast action (what I prefer)or medium fast action, would drive you nuts. SLow medium action also will cover up mistakes and help compensate for lack of casting ability(didnt mean that in elistist tones either).
Fish Hawk also sells used rods, and you can pic up some good deals there...Just dont kill the checkbook getting outfitted.

I would suggest coming to the Fly Fling. If 40 people show, then you can get 40 different perspectives, maybe test 40 different rod/line/reel combos, and see some different styles of casting. It would be a help to see that, and test all kinds of rods before settling for the one you want, and some free casting tips to boot.

[Woolly Bugger]

Practice casting in a area without any trees!
Then read Sheridan Anderson's classic "The Curtis Creek Manifesto" practice casting some more, then read the Manifesto again.(link below) You will be sure to catch a trout on a fly the firt time out!

Keith's Fly Fishing Books and More
http://www.kbrcomm.com/btwc/bibliography.shtml

[floater]

http://www.kbrcomm.com/btwc/bibliography.shtml

[jaleen]

I am planning on fishing mainly in the west part of the Chatooga and at the Chattahoochee WMA(just because it is close to me). I would like to keep my spending under $200. I have found a starter 8'6" 5 wt orvis rod and reel combo that comes with backing, leader, line, sock and tube for $165. What do you guys think? I still have time to decide. I am going up to Burrell's Ford this weekend and plan on fishing with a spinner. My buddy that I fish with just bought his first fly rod at B****Pro shop this week. He seems to be very pleased with it and I tried it yesterday for about an hour and I seemed to get the hand of it. I was fishing in a pond and caught two small b****and one breem within an hour. Mostly luck though. My presentation was definitely a beginner's.

Thanks guys for all the input, and if anyone else has suggestions for a under $200 setup, preferably with a rod warranty, please let me know.

Jason

[Owl]

Dear Jason,
with a $70 rod and a $25 reel ( which is what I use) you can tackle anything short of the Hooch in Atl. I will try to use it at the Fling, but castig more than 30 yds. with a 7' 3wt. gets tricky. However, for just $70, a warrent isn't ( for most folks) a necess. I love my BPS White River rod and my Cortland and Orvis " cheapo" reels and see no need to upgrade for mtn. streams. The Chatooga.....you may need something more substantial ! http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif


Owl

[FFing Duo]

Jaleen,

If $200 is where you are looking, then I would second jeffg's recommendation. I have a St. Croix Imperial that I think is the best bang for the buck I paid. Plus it has a lifetime warranty. I think it was $140, then the line I got was Cortland 444 (I think for $35) and the cheapest reel they had (around $30)-- a Cortland Crown II, adjustable click drag. I got everything at Fish Hawk plus about 40 minutes of casting instruction thrown in while I was trying out rods. (They're all great there, I dealt with Phil Sharpe) The other rod I looked at at the time was the redington. It's action was a little slower, but the St. Croix suited my (inexperienced) style.

In sum, (so I don't get in trouble for changing my tune with The Ole Man ala SHAWN http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif ), in our SHORT experience, we have been happy with the cabela's outfit given its $80 price tag and with the outfit built around the St. Croix given its $200 price tag. Shopping around and flipping through the catalogs is the next best thing to fishing either way.

Jonathan

[KB]

Orvis often gets a bad rap, but I think they have an excellent product. That Clearwater combo is a pretty good deal.
I learned to fish for mountain trout on a Cortland and I would definataly give Cortland my suggestion as well. Last year I bought a 4-peice Cortland from Unicoi Outfitters foe $115 ..... best $115 I've spent in a long time.

my .02
KB

[Ted]

I've got to second Woolly Bugger on "Curtis Creek Manifesto" there is ALOT of good, and entertaining info packed in that book. I don't recall ever seeing it anywhere locally, I got my copy a few years ago when I lived in Colorado. I guess check out that URL...

[jaleen]

Just thought I would drop a note to all the helpfulls here to let you know that I ordered a copy of the Curtis Creek Manifesto today. Thanks for all your input and I will keep you posted on my progress.

Jason

[THE EG]

Jaleen,

I anguished over this decision a few months back. I decided equipment quality was not going to be my biggest concern as a beginner. I bought the least expensive combo that Cabela's offers. I kept my fly rod in the car because I fish before work sometimes. After my 7 year old got in the car one day I noticed the rod tip sticking out of the closed door. I didn't feel too bad because my rod investment was probably about $25. I upgraded to a slightly better rod combo with a reel drag because I intend to fish salt water also. I can now recognize the difference between the rods. I also got a travel case. Common sense is learned.

[The Ole Man]

jaleen
Think you made a good decision on your outfit. With Orvis now applying the 25 year warranty to the Clearwater rods, you won't have to worry about anything that happens to it except fire and theft until 2024. All for $115 (the rod price only). I think this is the lowest priced rod in the industry that has a 25 yr warranty. Hope you enjoy it.

[Jimmy Harris]

Hey folks,

Just thought I would put in my .02 worth concerning the action of the rod. I also used to think a slower action rod was best for learning to cast, but I've changed my mind over the years of working with anglers who are new to the sport. I learned how to cast with a slow/med. action rod & my favorite rod is listed as medium action so I figured they would work for everyone else. I was wrong. I now think a med./fast action is best for teaching. It could have something to do with timing; you don't have to "wait" as long on the faster action rod to load on the backcast. But I honestly think the real reason has to do with picking the line up off the water. Since so much trout fishing in this area is done with weighted nymphs & really heavy streamers, not to mention split shot & strike indicators, most people need a stiffer rod to help them get the fly up off the bottom of the stream & flung behind them. If we were primarily dry fly fishing I would probably still lean toward the slow/med. action rod, but, in practice, the new anglers we see do better with the med./fast action.

Also, Ole Man, I wanted to point out that St. Croix has a lifetime guarantee on all their rods, even the $85 models. And, in my humble opinion, they cast better than the Clearwater.

JH

[The Ole Man]

Ho,ho-Jimmy:
You beat me back here from a trip to a late dinner. You are correct. I was going to make this "correction time" as follows: see the Clearwaters are now $125 up from $115. Guess the $10 was for the insurance. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif And lo-Cortland CL rods -unlimited lifetime warranty $99.95. Anybody own one of these? Never seen one mentioned on the board. Jimmy-you've outdone that with St Croix at $85. But wait-Redington Red.Fly-unlimited warranty at $75. I can sing that song in 2 notes http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif. Looks like everyone wants to give you a new rod if you break one. Jimmy, I have 2 St Croixs and both are fine casters. And for rod-builders, the blanks are an exceptional buy. An Ultra blank runs about $80. This for a blank thats goes into a $250 rod. That leaves $170 for some luxury hardware and a lot of money left over. Ditto the Avid blank. Its about $60. Jimmy, if you are still around and listening in: Whats your opinion of the St. Croix Avids?, Do you sell the Avid? Do you sell Cortland CL? Any thing to share about them? Do you sell St. Croix blanks? Been wanting to drop in to see you guys-just haven't made it yet. Hope to soon.

Jack

[carter]

Jaleen,

Buying a new rod can be an intinidating process. Every one you ask will have their own opinion about what you need. Let me add to the good advise that has been posted. Recommended outfits for trout fishing on big water are the 9 foot 5 weights. This is the most universal size outfit on the market today and can be used in mountain streams and open water for bream and some bass.. For mountain streams, an 8 foot 4 weight is a good rod. This size rod will get you by on the Hootch and on ponds but is not as versital as the 9 foot 5 weight. As far as how much to spend on an outfit, put your money into your rod and then your line. The reel is the least important part of the outfit for the fishing that you will be doing. Another thing, get a rod with an unconditional warranty. You can find a rod that is less expensive with a warranty but these rods are "beefed up" in the fragile areas. The manufacturers offer warranties, however, to prevent breakage, they add more graphite to the areas that are more likely to break. This influences the casting ability of these rods. Do they work? Certainly they do, their casting is just different due to different taper of the rod. The most importantant thing to do is to go to a shop and cast a variety of rods and find the one that fits your casting style the best. Ultimately, the decision is up to you, do not let someone make the decision for you because the last thing that you want is to be stuck on the river with a piece of equipment that does not perform the way you want it to.

[The Ole Man]

Just wanted to add one footnote to all of this. That is this: some of these warranties today require you to produce the original sales receipt in order to prove that you are the original owner. Who can keep up with a sales receipt for five years much less 25 to life. Probably a good idea to have the dealer write you a signed bill of sale and then file that away with your other important papers. BTW-one more bid here in the warranty wars-Cortland GRF 1000 rods-unconditional lifetime warranty $69.95. Can the $50 unco. life-time rod be far behind?

[Banker In Space]

I have heard of a company called Reddington and have heard good things abouth them Supposedly Orvis owns a pretty good portion of control of the company. There basic reel is British made and looks an awful lot like the Clearwater from Orvis.

You may also check with the Orvis store in Atlanta Sometimes they close out some older stuff For example, I picked up a Rocky Mountain 8.5 6 wt for less than the cost of a new Clearwater rod, and it came with the 25 year warranty.