Hi all, I am looking for advice/guidance in regards to (stillwater/rivers) fly fishing and gear. I realize the internet has a wealth of information but prefer to hear from guys on here with personal experience.
I am rather new to the sport, been at it for 1.5 years but the interest is growing and I would like to invest in a wider array of gear to aid in success on the water. What are the must have pieces of gear that you wouldn't go on the water without? Do you have one do it all rod or multiple of different weights/lengths? One reel with multiple spools or multiple reels loaded and ready to go? Aluminum boat or float tube? Is a fish finder required? Throat pump? Must have flies? And the list goes on, you get the idea.
What about courses or classes offered by local fishing shops...good or bad? Entomology course helpful?
Feel free to post up some pics of your set up or successful days.
Where are you? I never go anywhere stillwater without three lines;a full floating, intermediate sink and a fast sinking. Moving water is a different story.
Should I give you a list of the 10-15,000.00 worth of gear I've purchased for fly fishing since I started 15yrs ago? I own 11-12 different rods from a 2wt to a 10wt and a couple of spey rods, around 15 reels ranging of course from 2-10wt and spey reels(5 of those) fly tying gear that would put Micheal & Young to shame.
Thousands of dollars worth of flies and fly boxes and of course a couple pairs of waders and a couple of gortex coats, and I only fish rivers!
Of course I was told in the beginning I would be good with a couple of rods and some flies! It's a slippery slope my friend and I don't regret a penny of it!
Some of the best adventures of my life have been out fishing most of them in the jet boat I bought to fish with and the camper I bought to camp in.
'The bible says the end is coming soon, I hope I get my cabin built by then' Richard ‘Dick’ Proenekke
Carefull Danny boy,,,,, you are on the road to hell!
Rods,,,,, there is no do all for every one rod... but sometimes cost keeps you into one or two only.
Reels, they do more than just hold line..... but they are a good place to save money...... but make sure you have at least 2 spools for below
lines, never cheap out on lines,,, good ones are good bad ones are bad! ..... floating and a sinking,
Flies,,,,, buy lots.... eventually you will figure them out.
Fishcats are awesome to fish out of..... kinda like a lazy boy on the water.....
Waders, Breathables are the only way to go... your new start cheaper,,, but not super cheap.. Say 300$....
wader boots, call me cheap but I have been running Hodgedons for 20+ years and m on set 3 ......
get a decent vest to hold Stuff! you will have lots of stuff
Flyfishing is a Rabbit hole of personal experience... people cant just say "Get this rod" because your cast stroke will work with some and not with others.... I love it fast I have a XP ... wife is medium she has a VPS and a Z Axis....
Rods are also tools, a different tool for a different job.... So to describe a rod you would need to come to terms with the job... Lines are the same.... I am a Scientific Anglers guy myself.....
Effectively to answer your questions correctly I need to know more what you do.....
Hmmm will chat when I get back from my 2 week flyfishing trip starting in the morning..fly fishing, fly tying for decades
Hoping for another 14 pounder on 5 weight Sage rod with 6 # tippet.
Only had 2 flies for lakes size 12 ruby headed weighted leech, shrimp green size #10.
Having said that im taking 400 different flies for 14 days....selection.match the hatch.
Cheers
Srupp
Waders, wading belt, boots with felt bottom, vest, flybox, tippet, couple extra leaders, strike indicators, floatant, small split shots, net, pliers, bear spray, bug spray, polarized sun glasses (or at least some kind of glasses) and a lucky hat. Floating line on rivers, floating and sinking on lakes.
I have only every used a 5wt rod as I mostly go after rainbows... got a few good hauls of pinks though.
I fish mostly rivers, as I like being in there with them. In lakes I'd rather be in an actual boat versus a belly boat / float tube... fun as it is, it's usually better to be mobile especially on bigger lakes, windy days, etc. Just my preference though.
I'd pass on the throat pump and fish finder. Some entomology knowledge is good and catching fish with home made flies (especially made out of materials from harvested animals) is rewarding, but if you are like most at this stage, time spent dialing in on different casting techniques, especially roll casting if you fish rivers as well as mending and timing is what will boost your success the most in my opinion.
Try not to overcomplicate it with gear and what not. It doesn't take much to become very successful. The thingy between your ears, muscle memory and a $150 5/6wt combo and you can be a flyfishing ninja if you want.
So.....Many...... Variable......Narrow down a few things and we can definately help you out. A day with a guide in the interior or on the river can go a loooooong way, or depending on your friends, they might help you. Interior can bring in big numbers, had multiple days where we stopped counting at 100 fish this year, rivers have more species but usually less numbers.
Where do you plan on fishing, focus on one type, rivers or lakes and area?
rods- a 9' 6wt will cover most of your efforts
reel- something that has a good drag and does NOT spin freely when line is coming in (winds in itself when casting)
Line- good line can double the casting distance and last a long time, a floating line and a sinking like will get it done once you understand why you have them
Tools- Net, a pair of scissor/forcepts, throat pump, a few strike indicators with no slit in them, ( slide them on the line before the fly or they will fall off)
Boat for lakes- a small tin boat will cover a ton of water in many different conditions, easy to transport if you have a truck or SUV, electric motor will get you where you want but rowing will as well. Boat also needs anchors, two of them to keep the boat from swinging. Fish finder isnt totally necessary but man does it make a difference when chironomid fishing (there are entire books on just chironomid fishing)
Waders cover your river adventures and worth a bit of extra money, you will spend alot of time in them
flies- leach patters, a few scuds, damsel flies and 1000 chronies.....just kidding, leaches will catch you fish. but Ive got hundreds of flies I take all the time.
This list could be a book in itself but narrowing down what you want to do will narrow down what you need from literally all the gear in the world to a specific set that will catch the fish you want.
I currently live in Chilliwack but spend quite a bit of time around Merritt, Kamloops and Highway 24.
The majority of my fishing will be smaller lakes (max depth of 30-40' kinda thing) with the occasional visit to rivers that are home to 10"-14" trout. The only larger lake i'd be fishing a few times a year will be Sheridan as the fam has a cabin there. (Only have the trolling game figured out on Sheridan, have yet to try fly fishing it) perhaps this info will prove helpful for your response.
What about water temp and oxygen levels? How do you decide how deep to fish? Also, if trolling, how do you determine your speed? All trial and error?