Looking for Gear Advice --> Flyfishing trout

[Salty]

I've done a bit of flyfishing through the years, but only for salmon sized creatures in the last long while. I have an 8-9 wt cheapo Dragonfly combo that works OK for that.

I want to get a decent rod and reel for use in the lakes and trout streams. Doing a bit of researched I'm kind of overwhelmed with where the technology is these days :shock: I'm thinking probably a 5 wt-ish outfit for targeting hopefully larger trout, dollies and maybe even black rockfish and the like in the chuck once in a while.

I don't want to go real high end, but I don't want junk either. I've read some reviews, some of the Okuma offerings have caught my eye. Good old Sage still holds a good name it seems, but a little spendy. Any ideas on weight, length, line type and brands or combos to look at would be appreciated. :smile:

[bopper]

Pretty hard to go wrong with a 5 wt. for lake & stream fishing. Okuma puts out a good product for about $120. I just got an Okuma 4 piece 4 wt., and really like it. A Dragonfly reel for about $45, and with line & leader you should be on the water for about $200.
Good luck fishing!

[ferndogger]

I would say either a 4-5 wt. A 4 wt is ideal for trout fishing in streams and rivers. If you want to go for a little bigger fish, you might want a 5 -6 wt. I fish with a 4 wt and caught some nice size fish with it no problem, but probably not anything over 7 pounds. If you want a decent rod/reel its gonna cost you though. A bottom- mid range "good" fly rod alone will be between $250-$400, not including reel. Your looking at a couple of hundred for a reel, then line, leaders, tipits. You can get a good complete set up for $500, or a little less. It might seem like a lot of money which it is, but it will last you a lifetime if you take care of it. I use a Temple Fork Outfitter rod, love it. The company is based in Calgary, and all the rods have a lifetime warrenty, it doesnt get much better then that.
Check them out, I am very happy with my rod. I do a ton of fly fishing and never had a problem. Hope that helps a bit. I could type more but I just burnt my grill cheese sandwich.

[Salty]

Back to bopper: Would that Dragonfly reel have an adjustable disc drag which seems to be all in vogue now? My old Dragonfly reel has dick all just stores the line. lol
I think it would be nice to play a fish with the reel like with other types of fishing. ...

[Salty]

Sorry about the burned sammy ferndogger. lol

I don't think I want to jump to the high end stuff right now. Let's call me an experienced fisherman but at best an intermediate skilled fly fisher. I'm thinking of spending like two bills tops just to get out there. If the bug bites, I'll go high end gear down the road. I still wouldn't regret having a utilitarian rig as a spare or a loaner down the road. ..

[frenchbar]

I love my 5# 9 ft HMX Fenwick for trout fishing in the interior lks.lots of backbone ,tough rds for sure.Mine are outfitted with BFR,s.

[Salty]

Sorry, BFR,s :?:

[frenchbar]

Sorry, BFR,s :?:British fly reels. around 80.00$ i use the 395 large arbour.

[835]

What ever you budget is, alocate most to the rod then buy a good line (sci anglers or courtland) then the reel.The rod and line make your cast the reel just has to balance.fenwick , dragon fly, temple fork, admunson are all good.
in my mind you should look at about 200$ rod 60$line 100$ reel for mid range pricing.dragon fly makes a great reel that used to be around 80$ lasted me a long time. you do not need an adjustable drag if you find a reel you like a click and paul is fine.But above all the rod makes the cast. i have seen alot of people put down the fly because of frusteration dut to a crappy rod you dont have to go with sage etc to find a good casting rod.
I own three sages and love them all they have very specific jobs.But they arent the end all......well for everyone any way

[silvercreek20]

I would stick with Sage, they are a great rod and you don't need the super high end rod. Remember with sage you break it, they replace it, so you really are buying that rod for life.

I have a six weight sage with a seven weight scientific angler line. I always upstage my line by 1. Makes for easier casting in wind etc.

Cheers....

[Salty]

You guys are doing a good job blowing my budget :lol:

Seriously, I'm all ears here. I'm liking the idea that a good rod is going to help noticeabley, I don't think I've ever tryed a really good fly rod. Uping the line size a tad makes sence to me, hadn't thought of that. 8)

keep the advice comming pls. ..

[ryanb]

If you want to be really cheap, your 8 wt rod should work just fine for fishing the lakes and the streams. I found an old POS 8wt rod in my mom's basement and use it for everything from salmon to catching 1/2 pound rainbows in alpine lakes.

[frenchbar]

You guys are doing a good job blowing my budget :lol:

Seriously, I'm all ears here. I'm liking the idea that a good rod is going to help noticeabley, I don't think I've ever tryed a really good fly rod. Uping the line size a tad makes sence to me, hadn't thought of that. 8)

keep the advice comming pls. ..I also go up a weight on my line ,makes for easier casting for sure.Lessons on casting is also a big help .

[Dirty]

Buy a Temple Fork Outfitters Rod, same warranty as Sage, better turn around. No cross border parcels to slow things down. Their 99.00 signature series rods are nice, and cast well, with an exceptional warranty.

Reel, go with a new Lamson Konic, they are dirt cheap and nice.

Line, Rio Gold or Selective Trout II. However, Scientific Angler makes good lines too. An SA GPX or so forth will work well.

In total, you should be around $250 for a TFO Signature, Lamson Konic, and Rio Line. Enjoy.

[Salty]

Buy a Temple Fork Outfitters Rod, same warranty as Sage, better turn around. No cross border parcels to slow things down. Their 99.00 signature series rods are nice, and cast well, with an exceptional warranty.

Reel, go with a new Lamson Konic, they are dirt cheap and nice.

Line, Rio Gold or Selective Trout II. However, Scientific Angler makes good lines too. An SA GPX or so forth will work well.

In total, you should be around $250 for a TFO Signature, Lamson Konic, and Rio Line. Enjoy.

I'm liking the sound of some of these ideas thanks Dirty. Off surfing now. ..

[BIGHUNTERFISH]

I would look at a Redington Crosswater rod in 6 weight ,put a Fenwick cartridge reel on it with a Cortland Fairplay intermediate line and a floating weight forward line on the extra spool.This whole set up will cost you around 200 bucks and will give you a lot of enjoyment.

[PGK]

Except TFO rods explode when you try yanking your fly out of a tree, and Sages won't. And you *will* hook a wack-ton of trees. Redington is made by Sage. Decent choice on a budget, but I think Redingtons are ugly. Noone wants an ugly rod.

Best quality rod for the price on the market today - St. Croix Imperial. Grab a 2pc 5wt for around $150, strap on the iron, load it with 100y of 20lb dacron backing under a Cortland 444 WF5F (weight forward five floating) and you'll be golden for every piece of water you can find. As far as reels go, for 95% of the trout fishing you'll do in BC, you won't need a drag. Cheap click and pawl reels can be found anywhere, usually in the $50 price range. Amundson makes some very decent and sharp looking reels for the price you pay, and you get a good drag. Okuma SLV, Pflueger Trion etc are a little better. GLoomis Adventure5 is in the $200 range and is one hellova reel. The reel matters less than a good rod matched to a good line. Scientific anglers line sucks, they break and deteriorate quickly. I find Rio lines to be no better. Cortland is the only way to fly, and they are moderately priced (~$40ish). Have fun.

[000buck]

I have a greys streamflex 9 foot 5 wieght 4 piece with a greys interchangable cartridge style reel hell of a nice rod and reel for the dough +- 400.00 and worth every penny, sold my st croix junk warrenty is value less 8 weeks to send a replacement 8 wt rod tip ...pathetic.

www.hardyandgreys.com (http://www.hardyandgreys.com)

[johnk]

There is a mess of technology to wade through for a guy whose been out of touch for awhile. PGK, though just a "spike buck" makes a lot of sense. I have heard some nasty rumors about TFO rods and shattering blanks.The Sage Launch series is an entry level quality rod where you can't go wrong if you're willing to spend the money. I was sent an Amundson Stillwater Warrior 10' 6wt. and love the rod which retails for around $249. I would definitely steer far away from Redington as I've heard some horror warranty stories mostly associated with their breathable waders. Not too keen on their rods anyway.

You could probably get a matched Dragonfly setup for around 250.00 but please buy a quality line like Rio Gold and don't go up a line weight. Rods are manufactured to match lines and not fishing methods. If I can punch out a 90' cast with 6wt line on a 6wt. rod I'm sure you can punch out a 40-60' cast. You're better off going with a longer rod than a heavier line.

[MB_Boy]

Salty....

I too right now am in the market for a fly set up but I am looking for a 9 foot 8 wt rod and reel.

Take a look around online at ebay and some of the BC fishing forums as there are some pretty good deals out there on better than average gear; both new and used.

You just have to be patient.......and prepare to do some 'googling' to figure out about the gear for sale without a "salesman" to give you the lo-down.

[PGK]

There is a mess of technology to wade through for a guy whose been out of touch for awhile. PGK, though just a "spike buck" makes a lot of sense. I have heard some nasty rumors about TFO rods and shattering blanks.The Sage Launch series is an entry level quality rod where you can't go wrong if you're willing to spend the money. I was sent an Amundson Stillwater Warrior 10' 6wt. and love the rod which retails for around $249. I would definitely steer far away from Redington as I've heard some horror warranty stories mostly associated with their breathable waders. Not too keen on their rods anyway.

You could probably get a matched Dragonfly setup for around 250.00 but please buy a quality line like Rio Gold and don't go up a line weight. Rods are manufactured to match lines and not fishing methods. If I can punch out a 90' cast with 6wt line on a 6wt. rod I'm sure you can punch out a 40-60' cast. You're better off going with a longer rod than a heavier line.

You gotta get off those scuzzy stillwaters John :biggrin: Rio gold is one of the worst POS lines out there. But if it only has to float around in east dollar I guess it works :biggrin: Newbies abuse lines, need to get the tuff stuff.

[Salty]

Awsome lads, I'm learning a lot here. :cool:

So what are some of the happening fly gear shops out there? Whoresale sports doesn't show much on the web but checking out the new store in Nanaimo they had a ton of fly gear. I'll probably look there, if only to fondle some stuff. ..

[goatdancer]

TFO rods work just fine. My wife and I each have one and they are not treated delicately, still no 'explosions'. I did break the tip off one and had a replacement in less than 2 weeks. Don't know how it broke but it was not in use at the time. Rio make a multi-tip line that works extremely well. Floating tip with different sink tips for trolling or when a sink tip is required.

[835]

go to Gone Fishing they will actually serve you there. My first empression of WS wasnt good. The guys at the gun bench werent wanting to sell anything it seemed. Gone fishing the guys are knowlagable and helpful.
and they are priced fair

[PGK]

TFO rods work just fine. My wife and I each have one and they are not treated delicately, still no 'explosions'. I did break the tip off one and had a replacement in less than 2 weeks. Don't know how it broke but it was not in use at the time. Rio make a multi-tip line that works extremely well. Floating tip with different sink tips for trolling or when a sink tip is required.

The tip broke off, and you'll defend the rod company? If you bought a gun and the barrel was bent, would you buy another rifle from that company?
I don't think I could break my Sages if I tried (most notably a 6lb bulltrout landed in a cataract creek on my 3wt Launch), and my St Croix 5wt has survived seven seasons of (ab)use on everything from chum salmon to raging bow river browns without missing a beat (or a hookset).

Quality is available for a good price in many rods. TFO doesn't go in that category...

[goatdancer]

The tip broke off, and you'll defend the rod company? If you bought a gun and the barrel was bent, would you buy another rifle from that company?
I don't think I could break my Sages if I tried (most notably a 6lb bulltrout landed in a cataract creek on my 3wt Launch), and my St Croix 5wt has survived seven seasons of (ab)use on everything from chum salmon to raging bow river browns without missing a beat (or a hookset).

Quality is available for a good price in many rods. TFO doesn't go in that category...

I've also broken various other rods, no warranty though. Who knows if it was a manufacturing flaw or just me? But it did not explode, as alluded to in several posts. I would bet that any rod could break, especially the graphite ones. Since the initial poster was looking for something reasonably priced, the TFO is one very good option.

[THE SWEDE]

Ive been flyfishing for about 25 years.in that time i've owned no less than 100 rods of various manufature.Sage,Orvis,Scott,Winston,Powell,St Croix ect ect ect.I have had warrenty dealing with just about them all.Some good Some bad but in all cases I got the rod repaired or replaced.

What PGK say about the TFO is nonsense..Its the Whole Ford/Chevy thing.I recently picked up a TFO 5 weight switch rod..It weighs a few more ounces than my sage but the action is nicer and the fit and finish is compareable to my Z Axis Sage and at about 1/2 the price..Nuff said.

The only reason PGK's Sage launch hasnt broke yet is because its Heavy,Cumbersome old technology:lol:

I do how ever agree with PGK on 2 things.Rio Gold line is not a verstile line,Your much better off with something like Rio's Mainstream.I have had issues with Cortland lines so I cant give any good input there.I also think a 9 foot 5 weight is the only way to go.

As for reels,Dirty's got it right with the Lamson/Waterwork Konic.Shares the same Drag Mechanics as they're top of the line reels.Just not fully machined

Cast a few rods and lines.Most shops have Demo's.Find a decent fly shop and they'll set you up right.Alot easier than listening to a bunch of know it alls arguing on the internet:cool:

[PGK]

Lamson are ok if you like paying out the nose for the same technology available for half the price from competition.

I owned a TFO 8'6'' 4wt once. It broke while fighting a 14'' grayling. I had to pay shipping to get it fixed. It broke again, in a different spot while fighting an 18'' brown. They told me I had to pay shipping to get it fixed. Hmmmm, $100 rod when first bought, $30 shipping once, $60 shipping twice? No thanks. Rod went in the garbage. My buddy had the same thing happen to his 9' 5wt. They are junk. You can't compare a Mustang and a Civic...

[THE SWEDE]

Lamson are ok if you like paying out the nose for the same technology available for half the price from competition.

I owned a TFO 8'6'' 4wt once. It broke while fighting a 14'' grayling. I had to pay shipping to get it fixed. It broke again, in a different spot while fighting an 18'' brown. They told me I had to pay shipping to get it fixed. Hmmmm, $100 rod when first bought, $30 shipping once, $60 shipping twice? No thanks. Rod went in the garbage. My buddy had the same thing happen to his 9' 5wt. They are junk. You can't compare a Mustang and a Civic...

LOL'Dont be bitter because the allowance your mom gives relagates you to sub par gear.Even with your Sage they want 60 bucks for warrenty work plus shipping...Thats merican money to cheif

[Salty]

Cast a few rods and lines.Most shops have Demo's.Find a decent fly shop and they'll set you up right.Alot easier than listening to a bunch of know it alls arguing on the internet:cool:

For now I'll listen to know it alls on the intraweb. Then I will be ready to pounce on the fly shop salesman and tell him how many ways he's full of it. :lol:

Plus the nearest fly shop is 200 plus kms away and I won't be there for a while. ..

Thanks for the 'gone fishing' tip 835. Their web site actually lists what they carry. With prices! What a concept

[835]

ya there good they have three stores so their buying power is pretty strong. As well as if you find a rod you like but not the weight you want, if they have it in another of their stores they will bring it in for you free.

[PGK]

The thing with the Sage is, they don't break. So I never have to worry about warranty costs! Yaaaay!

[THE SWEDE]

The thing with the Sage is, they don't break. So I never have to worry about warranty costs! Yaaaay!

Ive broken more Sages than anything else..Maybe because I mostly own them

[Salty]

The Sages look nice all right. But could someone explain to me why a person would want to spend 1000 bucks on a fishing rod :shock: And I see you can spend about the same on an Islander reel :-?

[835]

well once you do it a while the money is not much.
i own 3 sages 2 islanders and a hardy light weight.
sage makes rods for every "cast". Each person has a different style and sage makes that maximized. slow action, med action, fast and really fast.
my wife is more medium so she has a VPS 5wt. it works with her cast.
im a faster cast so i have a 4wt XP for trout. this is why a few posts ago someone said go to the store and cast a few, with the high end rods it makes a differance. I get asked that questio all the time, the easiest awnser is with my 850$ xp it will out cast any 200$ rod with my cast.

[springpin]

I use a Temple forks Signature series in a 6 weight, really like it. for the price it's a good deal. My reel is a BFR and I really like the reel...never had an issue with rod or reel. and caught LOTS of fish..

[PGK]

The Sages look nice all right. But could someone explain to me why a person would want to spend 1000 bucks on a fishing rod :shock: And I see you can spend about the same on an Islander reel :-?

Same reason you would spend $1000 on a rifle. You get what you pay for (99% of the time). A grand is peanuts for a good rod...take a look at Schliske's stuff...
http://www.bamboo-fisher.com/rods.htm

[Salty]

Is bamboo still really that good compared to today's high tech rods? Or is it more a case of wanting the cool?

Also, i've seen some fly gear on craig's list. Are there other sites you guys are aware of that sell used gear, like ours does for rifles type of thing. ? .

[MB_Boy]

Is bamboo still really that good compared to today's high tech rods? Or is it more a case of wanting the cool?

Also, i've seen some fly gear on craig's list. Are there other sites you guys are aware of that sell used gear, like ours does for rifles type of thing. ? .

Hey Salty.....I am lookin around at gear right now as well (8 wt set up...so I won't be trying to scoop stuff from underneath you :wink:). Both new....but looking for a decent deal on good quality used gear.

Have a look on ebay......there is a TON of stuff on there.

Also try these fishing forums that are BC specific.

http://www.bcfishingreports.com/forums/index.php

Here is a link to what would appear a decent deal on a full 5 wt set up.

http://www.bcfishingreports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13047

Fenwick 5 wt rod...

http://www.bcfishingreports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12360


A few other sites...

http://www.flyfishbc.com/forums/

This first site tends (SFBC) to be a bit more "saltwater" related....but may be worth keeping an eye on.

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/

http://fishbcforum.com/index.php?act=idx

http://www.fishingvancouverisland.org/forum/


As I said.....I am a newb to the fly stuff as I am a "salty" fisherman; some of the guys like Da Swede and PGK may be able to add some comments but you may be able to get this deal in a 5 wt if you talked to a dealer? I have heard some "okay" things about this stuff as a package; it's NOT top end by any means but may suit your purposes??? Just throwin' it out there.

http://amundson.ca/special_offers.html

[Salty]

Awesome MB' that'll keep me busy for a while :mrgreen:

[PGK]

Is bamboo still really that good compared to today's high tech rods? Or is it more a case of wanting the cool?

Also, i've seen some fly gear on craig's list. Are there other sites you guys are aware of that sell used gear, like ours does for rifles type of thing. ? .

It's more like it's 100% handmade off the tree. Pay to play...not to mention how awesome bamboo feels in the hand.

[krazy]

Same reason you would spend $1000 on a rifle. You get what you pay for (99% of the time).

While I believe this to be true with optics, I don't believe it to be the case with fly rods and reels geared to stillwater. Yes there will be a quality difference but it is negligable considering the difference in price and won't help you catch anymore fish. The place to spend your time and money is on aquiring knowledge on flyfishing trout. There are many books, videos, courses, etc out there - spend the majority of your money there and then use what's left to buy the gear with the biggest focus on line and leader. I can gaurentee you that you will be better off armed with knowledge and "cheap" equipment than vica versa. I can't count the number of times guys with $1000 dollar setups have mustered up the courage to row over and ask why they couldn't catch a fish while we were hammering them steady with less than $200 worth of total gear.

As for specifc gear suggestions I would reccomend one of the many inexpensive lifetime warrenty rods that have already been mentioned such as TFO or Redington(even if PGK doesn't like how they look the fish don't seem to care). Dragonflys "kamloops" rod is also lifetime and realtivley inexpensive. I prefer 5 or 6 weights as they are very versitile. As for reels, in my opinion, all they have to do is hold line - buy this last with whatevers left. If you are only going to buy one fly line make it a floater as it will cover the majority of your stillwater flyfishing needs. Cortland 444 or Rio, as mentioned by others, will do just fine and should be under $50. Top it all off with some good flourocarbon leader (rio, berkley, etc)and you'll be set.

just my .02

good luck!

[goatdancer]

Same reason you would spend $1000 on a rifle. You get what you pay for (99% of the time). A grand is peanuts for a good rod...take a look at Schliske's stuff...
http://www.bamboo-fisher.com/rods.htm

Is that why you 'tie' your reel on with the finest hay wire?

[PGK]

Is that why you 'tie' your reel on with the finest hay wire?

One more try at making sense :-?

[goatdancer]

One more try at making sense :-?

Have you forgotten the picture you posted of your flyrod on the dash of your truck?

[PGK]

Which is screwed onto the rod via the nickel uplocking reel seat....the elastic bands are there to hold the 2 sections of rod together so they don't bash around in the rod case. Why am I explaining this? You people actually thought my reel was held on by an elastic band? I retract all my advice, you guys need more help than I can give.

[Salty]

I retract all my advice, you guys need more help than I can give.

That's too bad PGK I was hoping for more of your incitefull info, maybe video of the exploding TFO fly rods . :cool: lol

[Salty]

Again thanks all for the advice here guys it was appreciated.

I bought a used outfitt from a fellow down island yesterday. Its a 5wt tfo rod, bfr reel with 'shark skin' floating line.

That's funny chit there ^^ I didn't know most of this jargon before I started this thread. :-P

I'm a little concerned that my rod may explode. But

trout beware - for he commeth 8)

[Tarp Man]

A word of warning regarding the Sharkskin line. The first generation of lines caused a few anglers fingers to split like a ripe tomato when a fish hit the fly and took off for the border. The extra ridges do act to make it float a bit higher, but they also cut through skin like a laser. Also make sure to rinse the line regularly to keep it clean as the extra texture also collects more residue than a basic smooth coating. Enjoy the setup!

[Salty]

Thanks Tarp Man the previous owner cautioned me on the line's abrasiveness too. So do you just rinse it, or wash with a little soap and water once in a while .?

[Tarp Man]

A simple warm water bath is usually sufficient. You can use fly line cleaner at the end of the season, or after a particularly cloudy water trip. Also if you see the line isn't floating as well as it used to as this is an indication it is dirty and getting dragged down by the slime.

[Chuck]

What ever you budget is, alocate most to the rod then buy a good line (sci anglers or courtland) then the reel.The rod and line make your cast the reel just has to balance.fenwick , dragon fly, temple fork, admunson are all good.
in my mind you should look at about 200$ rod 60$line 100$ reel for mid range pricing.dragon fly makes a great reel that used to be around 80$ lasted me a long time. you do not need an adjustable drag if you find a reel you like a click and paul is fine.But above all the rod makes the cast. i have seen alot of people put down the fly because of frusteration dut to a crappy rod you dont have to go with sage etc to find a good casting rod.
I own three sages and love them all they have very specific jobs.But they arent the end all......well for everyone any way

Well said.......It definitely is the rod, if it isn't right for you, you'll be totally discouraged and never pick it up again. Imho.

[M@B]

Ross reels make some really nice "entry level" reels. I've had a Ross Colorado on my 5wt St Croix for 6 years now with no issues. That set up isn't a bench warmer either, it gets used and abused.