fly fishing outfit help

[v-king]

I'm trying to decide between two combos:
- dragonfly explorer rod and reel
- redington crosswater rod and reel
I heare they are both a good setup for a total newb. What would you get?

[dakoda62]

Like TV's, read up, and do your homework and buy the best you can afford. A quality rod and reel should last a lifetime.

[Iron Glove]

Ask if either come with any sort of a repair / replace warantee. Might come in handy, don't ask me how I know. :wink:
I've bought a number of Dragonfly outfits for my Son and Son-In-Law over the years and they've both been very happy with them and they are both now pretty decent fly fishers.
For a step us, look at the Echo rods.

[Salty]

I bought an 8 weight dragonfly combo years ago for river salmon fishing. They're entry level at best having said that the rod is still hanging in there but the reel is about pooched partly due to me not taking care of it. Hey, it was cheap right - who cares. lol.

I'm not familiar with that Redington combo but do know that Redington makes some pretty good gear in the mid range of things. Your choice should depend on what type of fishing you're doing, with lighter weight trout set ups in the 5 weight range or so your reel doesn't do much more than store the line. If you want a heavier rig for steelhead or salmon you really want a decent reel with a good drag stystem.

It seems to me that combo packages used to be only fairly cheap end stuff. Lately not so. I don't normally recommend it but check out Wholesale, the last time I was in the Nanaimo store they had a ton of package deals and of some real good quality stuff for not a ton more than the Dragonflys and the like. Check out they and other big box stores' web sites for tons more options. I think this is a good way to go for a new fly fisher, its all there for you. You'll soon find too that your line is one of the most important pieces of kit as far as casting good goes. Have fun with it..

[Sofa King]

what type of fishing will you be doing with them?
for simply trolling, a great action rod isn't necessary.
i've got a few rods, even a custom made benshona, but my shuswap rod is a $35 pflueger trion.
but, of course, if you're looking for something to cast with mainly, you'll be wanting something with some good action.

i can't tell you which of those is better.
go with the one that feels the best.

[tuchodi]

Redington is made by Sage and has a great warranty. You can't go wrong with one of these combo's. PM me and I can get you a price.

[835]

Combo packs are generally "Short term" stuff. But not everyone can afford much more then that. SO! Flyfishing is really specific to you and your cast. You being new might not be able to tell what you like yet, or have not developed a casting style. I found dragon fly rods to be a bit spongy in the base for me. I havent held a Reddington yet. But i have heard great things about Admunson,,, have a look at them. They may be in your reach for budget.

Flyfishing can be tricky to learn, each person has a different cast style.. generaly called "Slow or fast" Your rod needs to match that style. It wont stop you from learning but it will speed you up if you use appropriate gear.

Biggest piece of advise is really try to find a casting class. It will teach you faster, as well when you go flyfishing,,,, for the first while bring a spinning rod with you. When you get mad at the fly rod pick up the spinning rod and cool down a bit.

Good luck!, but be ware..... It can be adictive and costly!

[Grumpa Joe]

I have got both a Dragonfly Chilcotin and a Redington RedFly which are a couple of steps up from the entry level rods. Dragonfly a good trolling rod, good flex. Redington good dry fly and chironomid rod, faster action (stiffer). Like mentioned earlier try both out to see which one suits you best. Buy the one that best works for you now not the one you think will be good for you in the future. As you improve you will better understand your abilities and tastes. Redington has good warranty but I don't know about coverage for the entry rods. Go see Randy at the local place in Maple Ridge, super knowledgeable and helpful and he will let you try them out at the field across the street if you ask. Starts out inexpensive but can get expensive depending on your addiction, much like hunting.

Good Luck.

Joe

[kamloopshunter]

I own a Redington Pursuit which is a step up from the Crosswater, as well as an Amundson top fly rod.
My redington has a really sharp action for a cheaper rod. The Redington Pursuit combo can be purchased
for about 60 dollars more than the crosswater.


Have you looked at Costco's website? They have a Amundson package deal that is priced right. I own
the Amundson rod it comes with and it is a little slower action than the redington but feels like it has better
control than the Redington

Sorry I know you didn't ask about these two, but thought I would mention it. Plus check Crosswater's warranty
vs the Pursuit

[warnniklz]

Dragonfly explorer? got me beat on that one. Possibly mean Expedition? or Excalibur? Some stores have killer prices on the Excalibur on right now. Large arbour cassette reel. Dragonfly as well as sage and reddington have excellent warranty. Dragonfly you can get a replacement tip or butt section in just days(depending where you are). Also life time warranty, if it's been discontinued they'll more often than not upgrade you.

I'd personally buy a mid priced fly rod/combo, because it's a hell of a lot easier to cast something that's a little better than an "entry" level rod. If you're starting out, buy a line that's one weight heavier than the rod. So if you got a 5 weight rod, put a 6 weight line on it.

But whatever route you take... stay away from any ROD that is designated for more than one weight ie a 5/6 rod. Reels are a different story.

[steel_ram]

There may still be some heavily discounted Sage Vantages or Flights about. They were recently discontinued. A cheap sage is better than most other sub $300 rods and the Vantages were going for $130 ish. WSS had some (in store). Reels, some Lamson 2nds on Ebay now, or Cabela's has Sage 1800's for $80. Both with good sealed drags. See what your local shops have first though.;)

[v-king]

Thx for all the responses...yes its Dragonfly EXPEDITION, my bad. I want to get into flyfishing and did a bit of research on good entry level rods on a budget. The two that keep popping up are the two I'm looking at. I also looked at Admundson and Redington Pursuit but they are bought closer to $200. I found the Dragonfly rod & reel for $89 and the Crosswater ready to fish package for $139.
Is it worth it stepping up to the $200 setup or will I be upgrading to a sage in a year anyways?

[yakideath12]

if you are going to buy a new set then I recommend you go used high end rod (sage .gloomis etc)
and they are lifetime warranty. it long last .

[longstonec]

I have had afew dragonfly rods and there is nothing wrong with them. I have had afew reddington rods, nothing wrong with them either. the reddingtons have a very good warranty. I have found the best route is to treat your rods well... and then you dont need to go through with sending it in etc etc. a 500$ rod will improve your fish catching ability over a 90$ one...but not a whole lot. Buy a dragonfly OR and reddington, OR an Echo. the echo is a little priceyer. there are plenty of people out there that will quite happily fish for years with a ooold as the trees fibreglass daiwa... you dont need to go crazy on reels. I have some hardys, and some lampsons, and some daiwas and some dragonflie reels. what reel catches more fish??? the one on my bait caster!

[ncurrie]

Combo packs are generally "Short term" stuff. But not everyone can afford much more then that. SO! Flyfishing is really specific to you and your cast. You being new might not be able to tell what you like yet, or have not developed a casting style. I found dragon fly rods to be a bit spongy in the base for me. I havent held a Reddington yet. But i have heard great things about Admunson,,, have a look at them. They may be in your reach for budget.

Flyfishing can be tricky to learn, each person has a different cast style.. generaly called "Slow or fast" Your rod needs to match that style. It wont stop you from learning but it will speed you up if you use appropriate gear.

Biggest piece of advise is really try to find a casting class. It will teach you faster, as well when you go flyfishing,,,, for the first while bring a spinning rod with you. When you get mad at the fly rod pick up the spinning rod and cool down a bit.

Good luck!, but be ware..... It can be adictive and costly!

Totally agree with Dru here. Rod combos are actually not bad to have when your learning. Totally recommend go to a casting class and find someone that will go out with you to learn how to read the waters. Once you start it becomes addicting and then watch your wallet:) or you can learn how to make your own. As reels don't cheap out, nothing more frustrating then a cheap real with cheap lines! Good luck and have fun:)

[Fred1]

As a fly fishing noob, go with a medium actin rod (as you slip further into this dark abyss, you will discover the differences in rod actions) it will help you be a better caster in the long run - that fast action rods are very unforgiving. Brand doesnt matter. A 6wt is a good all rounder here in BC - short of hitting the sea. Anything mucho $$ is also going to be fairly fragile ie the expensive graphites and compounds do not take being struck well. sliding around boats, errant flies, the learning how to cast process etc. Dont sweat what type of reel yet - doesnt matter. get a good line!!! Start with a floating line! Easier to learn how to cast. You want a good line that will be straight every time it comes off the reel - no memory. I have had great luck with Airflo. Learn the various knots - know them well, you will be tying them often! ;) Fly fishing is all about casting - get out and practice! and practice and do it some more. It doesnt matter how much your gear costs - if you cant cast, no ammount of $$ will help you. I see it all summer long from the Okanagan to Fernie, big money "flyfishermen" that just cant cast!! I have 14 fly rods, all different actions weights and brands. I love em all, but of course have developed a favorite or three :) - they are on the medium to slow action scale.

Good luck! Practice! And its ok to feel like a superior angler for catching less fish but doing it with a fly rod. Feel the Zen, man....

[Salty]

Ha ha .. this is awesome I did a similar thread a few years back. Lots of knowledge here

Hey v- google fly fishing instruction videos . or stuff like that now your head's really going to start spinning. lol. its all good

[Wullfen]

I agree with what Fred1 said about the 6 wt, it is a great weight to start with. Practice is key, and remember, when you are on the water, it's time to fish, practice time is for the park lol!

[blackbart]

Get yourself a koooool looking hat! And learn to cast.

[Fred1]

Get yourself a koooool looking hat! And learn to cast.

Yes... a cool hat!! Good advice!!

[frenchbar]

i run 9 ft fenwick hmx in 5 and 6 weight on the interior lakes ..'good tough rods' ..decent enough for casting ..get a bfr reel for it and your good to go for around 250.00

[v-king]

Hat is a must have...lol. I looked at the Amundson deal from costco...wow good price for all that. Are these Amundson TopFly rods/reels rated better the Redington Pursuit?

[Stone Sheep Steve]

If you don't want to take a casting class, I'd recommend watching some videos and practicing
MAny moons ago I watched couple by Doug Swisher. Very helpful. IIRC they were Basic Fly Casting and Advanced Fly Casting.
Recently saw them in a store somewhere....thinking it was Grouse River?

SSS

[greenhorn]

I'd recommend a 6wt and maybe get a rod that is in the medium stiff range of the 6wt not a super stiff. When you're learning to cast, you're going to need to practice alot and a softer rod is less harsh on your shoulder, elbow and wrist. You won't tire as quickly and you'll be able to practice more.

I always buy used rods because I tend to beat the snot out of them anyway.

[ruger#1]

If you looking for a 8wt reel. I have a TFO, Prism, large arbor, With 8wt sinking tip. I would like $40.00 For it. Pm me if interested . I live close by. I use a 3wt and a 5wt and a 8wt. Lots of options for me. That TFO is a spare that I have hanging around. The 8wt would be good for salmon on the Fraser or Thompson rivers.

[panhead]

Try .. flybc.ca

[835]

Good site.......

[darrin6109]

Get a TFO, lifetime warranty and cheap.

[horshur]

Get a TFO, lifetime warranty and cheap.

I was gonna recommend a TFO as well......

[v-king]

So, this costco Amundson package is Top Fly rod and Rocky Mountain reel which together makes the Top Mountain outfit?

[steel_ram]

TFO BVK's are pretty highly regarded going for about $200-250. I'm not wealthy enough to buy twice, so I generally by something decent the first time. Sage seems to be gradually upgrading their models. Watch out for clearance sales. Honestly, a level entry Sage rod will be noticeably be nicer to cast than those of similarly priced competitors. I'm not a great enough caster to appreciate a $1000 rod, but some $150-250 dollar rods are sweet, some priced just a little less are crap.

[v-king]

So I ordered the costco pkg on monday and it arrived yesterday. As a total newb I couldn't pass up this well priced, quality product with no questions asked/timeless return option.

[835]

Nice work!
now you just need to figure out the knots! lol There is a whole other thread worth of debate!

See if you can find a casting course through a fly shop somewhere near you.
And remember when you go fishing to bring another rod... and well before you get so mad you are about to break the fly rod, put it down and grab what is familiar to you.