Fly Fishing Cost?

[smr_hga]

I've been thinking about trying fly fishing since it can be a fun way to catch bass and is apparently succesful with catching grass carp which i have been trying to catch for a long time now with no success. Also i sometimes visit family up north and love fishing for trout up there. So i'd like to know how much fly gear would cost and if it is worth the investment.

[flyfisher]

whether it is worth the investment is totally up to you and your budget.  As far as what you want to spend, that is also up to you  What kind of trout and situations would you be fishing for because bass gear and trout gear are pretty different for the most part.  One thing to remember is he weight of the fly rod is as much about the flies your tossing as it is your intended species.  back when i was a poor college kid i did everything with my 4 wt.  I caught Brookies, smallies, carp etc...all on that rig.  it worked but only because of my stubborness    

I would figure out a budget and go with about 60% for your rod, 30% for line and whatever is left over for your reel (unless you will be targeting a lot of carp then you will need a good drag).  Fly gear has gotten so much better over the years that you can get a good set up for a fraction of what it used to cost.  Also keep in mind the expense of leaders, flies etc....

 

All that being said, it is worth it to me and overall it is probably cheaper than conventional.  I have one rod for largemouth ,Sage Bass II, and i can fish any bass fly i want from big poppers or streamers to smaller dragonflies.  that is something you usually can't do well with one conventional set up.

[Kentuckysteve]

whether it is worth the investment is totally up to you and your budget.  As far as what you want to spend, that is also up to you  What kind of trout and situations would you be fishing for because bass gear and trout gear are pretty different for the most part.  One thing to remember is he weight of the fly rod is as much about the flies your tossing as it is your intended species.  back when i was a poor college kid i did everything with my 4 wt.  I caught Brookies, smallies, carp etc...all on that rig.  it worked but only because of my stubborness    

I would figure out a budget and go with about 60% for your rod, 30% for line and whatever is left over for your reel (unless you will be targeting a lot of carp then you will need a good drag).  Fly gear has gotten so much better over the years that you can get a good set up for a fraction of what it used to cost.  Also keep in mind the expense of leaders, flies etc....

 

All that being said, it is worth it to me and overall it is probably cheaper than conventional.  I have one rod for largemouth ,Sage Bass II, and i can fish any bass fly i want from big poppers or streamers to smaller dragonflies.  that is something you usually can't do well with one conventional set up

 

 

I agree.Fly fishing is fun and addictive.I love it.It can be very expensive but it don't have to be.The most expense will be your flyrod,reel and line.I tie my own leaders and my own flies.I started with an old 5wt from a flea mkt.Learned to cast and fish with it.If you are going to target bass go with a 8wt.It has more backbone to set the hook and won't wear you out casting like a 9wt or heavier.You can learn to make the leaders and flies on websites.To me that's part of the fun.Tie your own and catch fish with them.

 

Cabelas offers a free Fly Fishing University to anybody that wants to take the course..Some great info on there and they will give you free casting lessons if you are close enough to go to one of their stores.

[Neil McCauley]

I've been thinking about trying fly fishing since it can be a fun way to catch bass and is apparently succesful with catching grass carp which i have been trying to catch for a long time now with no success. Also i sometimes visit family up north and love fishing for trout up there. So i'd like to know how much fly gear would cost and if it is worth the investment.

Great investment if you fish in the spring when it works best for bass.

Overall

- Decent 9'-10' Fly Rod -- $100-150

- Basic reel - $40-50

- Line + backing - $40

- 3-4 leaders - $20

- Set of a few basic poppers - $15

- Various other bass flies - $3-5 each

About $200 for startup costs. You can probably save some on the reel, line, flies. Just don't go cheap on the rod.

 

[smr_hga]

Great investment if you fish in the spring when it works best for bass.

Overall

- Decent 9'-10' Fly Rod -- $100-150

- Basic reel - $40-50

- Line + backing - $40

- 3-4 leaders - $20

- Set of a few basic poppers - $15

- Various other bass flies - $3-5 each

About $200 for startup costs. You can probably save some on the reel, line, flies. Just don't go cheap on the rod.

What line is needed? I've heard of backing, leaders, and normal line. What is this stuff and is it necessary?

[Bruce424]

Check ebay for equipment. I got my setup there for under 80 bucks. Plus fly line which was 15 bucks.

[Neil McCauley]

What line is needed? I've heard of backing, leaders, and normal line. What is this stuff and is it necessary?

Line- depends what you are fishing. If it's little poppers and surface flies, you would want a floating line. Streamers or sub surface lures, sinking line. There are other variations as well, but it's over my head. Since I stick to surface fishing in the spring for bass, and occasionally brook/brown trout in small streams, I exclusively use floating line.

Backing is the line that goes on the spool first (furthest from fly), then the fly line (30-40 yards or so), then the last 9 feet are the leader attached to the fly. I suppose the backing could become necessary if a fish really ran off with your line. But about 99.9% of the time you will never even see it come off your spool. I have never needed it, but in Florida it could have a realistic purpose.

Fly fishing really can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be.

[smr_hga]

Line- depends what you are fishing. If it's little poppers and surface flies, you would want a floating line. Streamers or sub surface lures, sinking line. There are other variations as well, but it's over my head. Since I stick to surface fishing in the spring for bass, and occasionally brook/brown trout in small streams, I exclusively use floating line.

Backing is the line that goes on the spool first (furthest from fly), then the fly line (30-40 yards or so), then the last 9 feet are the leader attached to the fly. I suppose the backing could become necessary if a fish really ran off with your line. But about 99.9% of the time you will never even see it come off your spool. I have never needed it, but in Florida it could have a realistic purpose.

Fly fishing really can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be.

Well i'm gonna need a lot of backing because i plan to fish for grass carp!

[webertime]

Aside from the grass carp... You can get away with fairly inexpensive stuff for bass. It's not as if they hit like a 6" brookie in some current.

My brother is a very well regarded trout guide in VT and New Zealand, with that he's been a pro-staffer for Orvis, Sage, Scott, and others. I have access to many high end rods. You know what I use for bass? A 50 year old 8ft 8wt fiberglass Berkley with a Heddon reel. There is more technology in a tent pole than that thing. But a quality line and leader/tippet is VERY important with the small animals sometimes called bass flies, that we cast. If youare just starting out a basic 6 to 8 weight should cover 95% of the fish/flies that you will encounter.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

A faster action fly rod is probably easier to learn on. In fly fishing you're casting the line as opposed to the bait so don't cheap out on flyline. Cortland and scientific angler have some good reasonable priced lines. I'd start with a weight forward floating line. You can add a split shot and lengthen the leader for sub surface fishing. The leader or tippet is tapered and sized to match the fly size so it turns over correctly and lays the fly down softly. A reel with interchangeable cassettes is nice for later on but beside that it only holds the line so don't go nuts on the reel.

[Musky_Fever]

Bass Pro's White River fly reels are a good value.  If you're not fishing saltwater, a reel is just a place to hold line.  If you know how to tie a blood knot, you can save some money by getting your bass fishing lines and tying your own leaders (15 lb test to 12 to 10 to 8).  Bass fly fishing doesn't need to be as pretty as trout fly fishing.  I know some guys who use a straight 12 or 15 lb test line tied directly onto the fly line for bass.  

 

For the rod, i would recommend getting a two piece.  The ones that break down to 3-4 pieces can be annoying.  

[new2BC4bass]

DVT is right about starting with a fast action rod.  My first flyrod was a 9' 8wt GLX3 with weight forward line.  Few years ago I decided I wanted something for panfish and possibly small local trout so bought a 3wt slow action custom rod off TFF, and put tapered line on it.  The line was the first mistake.  Casting with it for me is a bear.  I have to wait until next week before starting the forward part of the cast. 

 

I also highly suggest not getting into tying your own flies until you know fly fishing is for you, and fly tying is something you definitely want to get into.  You can put several hundred $$ into gear and supplies in a hurry.

[WRB]

The difference between fly fishing and baitcasting or spinning tackle is you cast the one, not the lure.

Your rod needs to be long enough to cast the line with whatever fly or popper you are using. The bass flies and poppers have more air resistance than most trout flies so you need heavier line and that requires longer rods. The reel is simply a line storage stowage when fly fishing, you use your hands most hold the line and work the fly most of the time when fishing. When you hook a fish you still use your hands on the line and the rod to control the fish. Since bass don't make long power runs you rarely use a reel during the fight.

As everyone has noted put the money into the rod and line, a basic fly reel that holds the line is all you need, even with fish like carp.

Fenwick makes excellent fly rods at a reasonable price point; Fish Eagle 9', 8 W, $99. Okuma Cascade reel $25, SA WF-8-F line $45, Dacron backing $5, taper leader $5, total about $180, plus tax.

Tom

[bigbill]

There's a guy on eBay in vt who ties the best bumblebee flys I have ever seen looks and quality. He has other flies too.