Need a fly rod and reel. [Archive]

BiG Boar

07-09-2009, 07:03 AM

Hi guys, I am looking to try my hand once again at fly fishing. I used to fly fish for about 5 years when I was younger. Lost the rod and reel along the way somewhere. I want something that is great quality, and a reel, and then some line too. Any local rod builders? Or should I get a sage? Looking to be set up for under $900. Please tell me what you would do. Cheers, and thanks in advance. Dave

THE SWEDE

07-09-2009, 07:15 AM

Are you looking for a trout or Salmon set up?Go see the Guys at Michael and Young or Reaction fly and tackle.

SHACK

07-09-2009, 07:24 AM

Your in walnut grove, head to M&Y in Surrey, between 104th ave and 108ave on Whalley Ring Road. www.myflyshop.com (http://www.myflyshop.com)
Your $900 budget is PLENTY AMPLE to set yourself up with a nice rod/reel combo. Or you could spend a little less on your gear and be able to get a few other items you will need, flies, fly boxes, leader, tippet etc.
Take a look at the Launch from Sage, I use them for my client rods and they actually are quite nice for a $200 pole, throw on a Konic reel from Lampson with a line you will be in under $500 with some decent equipment.
First off you need to ask yourself what you will be after, and what type of water you will be fishing. Then you can narrow it down a bit on gear selection. Just ask for Ryan, Dave(if he's actually in)or Adrienne, they will treat you right. they are all gear aficionado's and know their stuff.

THE SWEDE

07-09-2009, 07:28 AM

Sadly the Launches are no longer the screaming deal they once were.I think there around 350 now.

BiG Boar

07-09-2009, 08:34 AM

it will be for lakes and streams, fishing for trout. Nothing big like salmonish. Picked up a rod at hub sports and the price tag was $800. I thought wow, that is nuts. I better save my pennies for hunting. Hopefully I can get fully set up for less than that. Is there anyone eles who has a guy who builds rods?

BlacktailStalker

07-09-2009, 08:39 AM

You can buy plenty of rods and reels and come in under that price tag.
Buy a St Croix fly rod and any $300 reel (can get a reel with a spare cassette for your other line (s) no problem), Prob be about $600 plus your sinking and floating line.

gamer

07-09-2009, 08:46 AM

I would try Riverside Fly and Tackle in poco. Worth the drive. Talk to Gary and I'm sure he'll work his magic on some deals.

Steeleco

07-09-2009, 08:53 AM

Another vote for Micheal and Young. See if Sage still sell the discovery series. I got mine some time back but it came as a kit, dry line, real rod and carry tube. Mine's a 5 weight and it's done me good. If you outgrow it, maybe Mr's BB14 can use it!!!

srupp

07-09-2009, 11:32 AM

THE SWEDE

07-09-2009, 11:35 AM

Definatley go SAGE.....for the rod....I have used many brands including ST. CROIX..and prefer the action of the Sage..and their warranty..

A reel is for holding line...trout arnt USUALLY known for ripping reels apart..Michael and Young..make an INEXPENSIVE reel that will work wonderfully..

Trout trip coming up... to Helena lake late August...

Steven

ps tried to call you...however disc with photos en route come Friday

Sages come in all different actions and there warrenty is good but so are most others.Go try a few different rods and see what ya like.I used to be all about Sage but tried a Scott for the first time this year and am hooked.Michael and Young is a Shop not a reel,,Im sure your thinking of Grice and Young.

Bigbore...I would look for a 9 foot 5 weight to cover what you want to do.

Ehv

07-09-2009, 12:34 PM

I agree with PRE64 on the 9' 5wt. and the 4 pce are now every bit as 'action packed' as the 2 pc & a lot easier to transport.

Gnarly

07-09-2009, 12:51 PM

a rod is nothing more than epoxy impregnated graphite cloth wound around a steel blank and baked in an autoclave. 33,43 and 54 million modulus cloth is used and taper/ action of the rod is dependant on the cloth/steel blank profile. I started building rods back in the S glass era and before you run out and drop big bucks on a rod you should try a few different types to see what type works best with your casting style, for me its IM6 or 43 million modulus graphite rods and some of the 33 stuff as I grew up casting glass and have a slower lazier casting style.

spining the blank before spacing the guides and selecting a reel seat that works with your reel and a handle that fits your hand will give you more bang for your buck than dropping big bucks on a mass produced rod, especially if the blank selected suits your casting style and they are easier to build than most people think.

Just my .02:grin:

srupp

07-09-2009, 02:39 PM

lol J.W.YOUNG from England...not expensive and the 3 or 4 I have are still ticking 15 years later..and some pretty wicked sizes and amounts of trout...

Some great suggestions here ...

Steven

frenchbar

07-09-2009, 06:46 PM

Sage all the way ,go with a 9and a half 6# and your good to go . as for the reel the bfr's arent to bad .

Wild one

07-09-2009, 08:46 PM

I have a sage with an islander reel and I would recommend both brands as they were worth every penny

Johnnybear

07-09-2009, 09:09 PM

That LOOP stuff looks cool. I don't know where you can get it up here?

I don't fly fish that often so I buy the Dragonfly cheapo stuff. Works for me. It's not what you cast it's how you cast it8)..............just kiddin somewhat. Quality stuff will last you a long time for sure:-D.

Elkhound

07-09-2009, 11:35 PM

Geeze Dave too bad I did not know that...we had 2 reels worth 250bucks each at the pub night silent auction...they went for 35 bucks.

island grown

07-10-2009, 07:45 AM

I have a sage with an islander reel and I would recommend both brands as they were worth every penny

perfect, thats all you need.

might take a look at the G. Loomis and ST. Croix also...

happy fishing

Tarp Man

07-10-2009, 10:01 AM

Your price range boggles my mind! I started with a rod and reel combo under $130. That lasted me 15 years. Mind you, it was a bit of a broom stick. For that kind of dough, I highly recommend going into a Scott rod (or Sage if you want to join the hordes) and a sweet Canadian reel like an Islander. I will warn you though, when you get really nice gear, it can cause worry that you may scratch stuff. It may be a sacrilege, but buying a really nice rod for fishing and then a cheaper reel is a good compromise. I have dealt exclusively with Reaction Fly and Tackle for the last 5 years, and they have been great. My recommendations for your budget would be as follows:

Fast Action
Scott E2 with a Ross, Lamson reel.

Med Fast Action
Scott A2 with a G Loomis or Reddington reel.

Med Action Splurge
Scott G2 (like butter!) with a Hardy Angel or Marksman reel

If I had that budget, I would lean towards the E2 and finding a reel like a Pfleuger Trion or calling up Jack and getting an Amundson reel (they look pretty dang nice).

MB_Boy

07-10-2009, 12:28 PM

Bigbore...

I saw this posted up on one of the BC Fishing Forums. I don't know much about fly gear but this seemed like a decent price for a full kit to get you going? $375.00 There are pics there but you have to cut and paste the photobucket links into your browser to view them. I'll see if I can make em' work on here.

http://www.bcfishingreports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8972

Lamson Velocity 3.5 with backing, TFO signature series 9' 2 pc. 8 wt. model TFO 908-63 D59 with sock, Cortland 444 Salmon/Steelhead quick descent 325 grain, S/A Mastery WF-8-S clear and travel case. Located in Chilliwack.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/barfisher/004.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/barfisher/003.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e19/barfisher/001.jpg

srupp

07-10-2009, 12:35 PM

the flyline is a 8 WEIGHT too heavy for a 5-6 weight rod..

cheers

Steven

MB_Boy

07-10-2009, 12:39 PM

the flyline is a 8 WEIGHT too heavy for a 5-6 weight rod..

cheers

Steven

Steven.....it does note that the rod is an 8 wt, or am I missing something?? Is that too heavy for what he would be looking for??

As I said.....I know sweet diddly squat about fly gear? ;):oops:

ruger#1

07-26-2009, 10:53 AM

That would be a good salmon river set up , for lakes a 5-6 wt , i use a St Croix Legend 3wt.

PGK

07-26-2009, 11:19 AM

There's no compromising quality. Sage or St Croix. I tend to lean to St Croix because it was my first rod, but that said, Sage are the benchmark by which all other rods are judged. Go for a 9' 5wt, 2pc or 4pc, doesn't really matter unless you plan on backpacking with it, then maybe sacrifice 6'' of castability and go for an 8'6'' 5wt with a shorter tube for easier packing. In the $900 fully rigged budget zone, your options are literally endless. The basics to build around are 9' 5wt 2pc (my pref) with a large arbor reel, lots of backing (large arbor + lots of backing keeps your line from getting tightly coiled, easier casting and handling) and a matching 5wt line. I like Cortland 444, dependable bombproof line that doesn't break the bank.

MB, an 8wt means the rod is rated for larger fish, like salmon, steelhead, bulltrout or lake trout. Smaller weights like 2/3/4 are typically only used on smaller streams or rivers for trout and grayling. The rod below is a Sage Launch 7'6'' 3t. Perfect stream rod for anything up to about 20'' Much bigger, and they become a hell of a thing to land.

Tyically, most people use 5 or 6 weights for everything. I think of the 6wt as the fat ugly sister of the 5wt, they always seem so much bulkier than a comparable five to me. A good 5wt will handle everything from small streams to big stillwater rainbows to swinging moderately heavy sinktip for bulltrout. It's a do-all rig.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/Tako870/2009-ARGR05.jpg

ruger#1

07-26-2009, 11:48 AM

Oh come on pgk . ive caught lots of fish around the 23" range and it is fun on a 3Wt. Largest cutt i caught was on a 5wt, It was 27". For starting out i would recomend a 5WT.

PGK

07-26-2009, 11:57 AM

Oh come on pgk . ive caught lots of fish around the 23" range and it is fun on a 3Wt. Largest cutt i caught was on a 5wt, It was 27". For starting out i would recomend a 5WT.

It can be done

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/Tako870/2008-AB-CR01.jpg

ruger#1

07-26-2009, 11:59 AM

Kriss, do you ever fish the midnight full moon, that is the most fun i have.

PGK

07-26-2009, 12:34 PM

Never have, but never had the opportunity in a locale where it might work. Fishin in the dark of the moon seems to be a river specific thing. I know the Bow in cowtown fishes will by the light of the moon.

Tarp Man

07-26-2009, 12:38 PM

Kris, I use almost the same rod, only mine is an 8'6" as I tended to float tube a lot and wanted the extra length. They are sweet rods, and for what you pay, they really rival most anything.

PGK

07-26-2009, 01:36 PM

Kris, I use almost the same rod, only mine is an 8'6" as I tended to float tube a lot and wanted the extra length. They are sweet rods, and for what you pay, they really rival most anything.

They're totally bombproof. My friends think I'm crazy for treating that rod the way I do, I love putting a good bend in her and she just loves it. I think I could tie it in a knot if I wanted to. They're so tough, and so crisp to cast, I`ve thrown a lot of line, and the Launch is by far the best rod for the money on the market today.

Krico

07-26-2009, 02:34 PM

Since it's for trout in streams, and you're looking for a do it all package, I too vote for a 9' 2 piece 5 weight - it's trout fishing's version of the 30/06 bolt action.
Whatever your budget, I'd recommend spending your dollars primarily on the rod as that's what you'll be casting all day. The reel basically just stores the line 95% of the time, once in a while if you have a pig on you'll want to use a drag (which even the cheaper reels have!) but you can palm the thing as well to slow the fish down. Make sure to get at least one, preferably two spare spools for your reel, so you have one each for floating, full sink and sink tip lines.

Sage rods are nice (trust me I have a few, among others) but really not necessary. Lots of quality rods out there for less which will do everything you need them to.

Getting a rod built will mean bending over and taking it hard, so I wouldn't recommend that. Actually taking a rod building course and building your own is a neat thing to do, I built my Sage 5 wt about 10 years ago and it's still my fav. You end up paying more, but you learn how to do it, get exactly what you want and get something nobody else has, which is pretty cool.

Happy shopping!

000buck

07-28-2009, 02:10 PM

try a hardy demon or a greys streamflex the greys grx or hardy demon reels are cartridge style makes line changes cheap (15.00 for each spool) but they do come with 3 cartridge spools so you can spool and carry sink sink tip and float with out having to spend 800.00 on reel parts.
http://www.hardyfishing.com/en-gb/home/

check the link

BiG Boar

07-28-2009, 02:20 PM

Hey Guys, here is what I ended up with. Sage VT2 9'6" in 6wt. 1800 series sage large arbor reel. Scientific Anglers GPX WF-6-F and Uniform Sink + WF-6-S lines. 6 lbs leaders, some tippet, backing on both spools, 20 or so flys. So far caught 6 trout.

troutseeker

07-29-2009, 12:52 AM

That is a nice outfit you got there and I'm sure it will last you a long time.

For anyone else looking to outfit themselves I would highly recommend Amundson rods. Their Wind Warrior series are fine rods and their warranty policy is second to none. They are very reasonably priced and sell complete outfits too.

I own two right now and will likely own more in the future. I have used most of the big name rods out there and find the Amundson just as good.

brianscott

08-08-2009, 02:59 PM

I was going to suggest a TFO rod but youalready made you purchase.

Hey PGK, How you like those Okuma SLV Reels?
I just ordered one for my new setup.

Hitting lots of small streams here in AB so I bought a 7'9'' 3 wt 4 piece
TFO Lefty Kreh Finesse, with a 2/3 SLV Gonna be a sweet setup.
Plus the warranty depot is 15 mins from my place.

Their warranty is just plain amazing, break a piece , give them 25$ and you get a new piece just like that.

Was also looking at St Croix Avid in the same setup but liked the TFO warranty better.

THE SWEDE

08-08-2009, 03:02 PM