Help with Fly Fishing!

[BucketmouthAngler13]

OK, for this christmas i am considering getting a decint flyrod combo, and all the line and flies and blabalbla.

My budget it tight. around $150 and $200 being max. The only problem is that i have never even seen a fly reel, and have absalutely no idea about anything considering fly fishing.

I want to catch Bass and panfish, and trout and prehaps carp. I will be fishing creeks, ponds and lakes.

I was thinking about getting this combo....

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=72708&hvarDept=175&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=1&hvarSubCode=3&hvarTarget=browse

This line:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=25195&hvarDept=175&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode=1&hvarTarget=browse

This leader:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=37518&hvarDept=175&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode=2&hvarTarget=browse

What specs should i want on my rod? How long will 90' of line last? What size and length leader should i use? Are the items i'm looking at good quaility for the price? What size line weight should i use? What the heck is a tippit? And for that matter, what the heck is a zonker?!

what type of flies should i use for the species i'm fishing for? please post links, becuase i dont know any of the proper names or anything...

Any help would be awsome.

Thanks alot

Matt

[Alpster]

Hey Matt,

I love fly fishing and am just as crazy about the related equipment. You will get a lot of suggestions, so here's mine. A 6 wt rod will be enough for most bass, panfish & trout in your area. I have no idea about fly fishing for carp, never done it. Unless you are fighting fish more than 3 or 4 pounds, a fly reel is just a line holder and most any will do. Get the best rod you can afford and the best line. The Temple Fork outfit will certainly work fine for you.  Cortland 555 in a rocket taper floating is the line I use (line size will match rod size). The Cortland 555 is about $60 but I have found it on ebay for half that several times. The white river tapered leaders or tippits (in your link) in the 4 lb class will do the job. I like accardo bugs for panfish, poppers & wooly buggers for bass and the list of nymphs and dry flies for trout is endless. (I tie my own). You & I are pretty close neighbors and when you get your rig together, I will hook you up with some bugs and flies.

I hope this helps.

Ronnie

[BucketmouthAngler13]

So if the rod says use 20lb line, i should use that and a 20lb leader? What is the general normal size for line? 20lbs?

And dont worry, i'll pay for the flies.

Thanks

Matt

[Alpster]

So if the rod says use 20lb line, i should use that and a 20lb leader? What is the general normal size for line? 20lbs?

And dont worry, i'll pay for the flies.

Thanks

Matt

Fly rods are not classified the same as conventional rods in terms of pound test. Fly rods will be classed as 1 weight, 2 weight, 3 weight, and so on up to 14 & 16 weight for heavy saltwater fly rods. A 6 weight rod should work best with 6 weight line and so on and you must use fly line for casting. Fly line will last indefinetly if you keep it clean, dry and dressed. You will use a light leader for the sake of presentation (which is what makes a fly rod deadly). Don't be fooled by the 2 to 4 lb leaders. A fly rod is a super shock absorber and even heavy fish will have a hard time breaking the leader if you play them right. There is a lot to learn about fly fishing and you have plenty of time. Go to the library and check out a book, there are lots of them, just pick one. Unlike high tech reels with computer controlled brakes, 60 ball bearings and flipping switches, fly fishing is pretty much the same as it was 50 years ago (except maybe for rod materials). Have fun learning and PM if you have a question. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I will do what I can.

Ronnie

[BucketmouthAngler13]

So if i wanted to get this line....

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=25195&hvarDept=175&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode=1&hvarTarget=browse

...and i had a 6 weight rod, then i should get the "WF-6-F" size?

And for 6 weight line and rod, what lb test leader should i use? and should it be wire or mono?

Thanks

Matt

[.ghoti.]

Hey buddy, welcome to a whole new world. Fly fishing for bass is a hoot. It's not the most efficient way to fish, but it's certainly fun. Once you start down this road, you'll have another place to spend your hard earned money.

I'll attempt to answer your questions.

The combo; I have two of these reels. In my opinion, these are one of the best values out there. You can catch them on sale for $40. Nobody else has a large arbor, disc drag reel for anywhere near that price. Good choice. Don't know anything about the rod in that combo. I'd suggest a Temple Forks Outfitters rod. They go for about $90. Never seen one on sale. I have two of them. I regard them as the best bang for the buck right now.

The line: I did not have a very good experience with that particular line. Cortland 555 or 444 would be a lot better choice. It's gonna cost you more, but either will be worth the extra cost. Get a weight forward, floating line. The rocket taper is a good, versatile choice.

The leader; there are a lot of good choices for leaders. Back in the bad old days, we had to make our tapered leaders with several different sizes of line tied together with blood knots. Now you can buy a one-piece tapered leader for cheap. The one you picked will work just fine.

Rod specs; If bass fishing is your primary objective, a 6wt will do you just fine. If panfishing is your game, then you'll want a lighter rod. I use a 3wt for panfishing. If carp are your target, you'll want at least a 6wt. A five pound carp will fight three times as hard and ten times as long as a five pound bass. Get one of those on and you'll need your drag set correctly. I like to fish for carp with the fly rod. So far, I've caught four carp, the biggest was 6 pounds. My biggest bass on the fly was 4.5 pounds.

Here's what I use:

3wt, for panfish, mostly bluegill

5wt, with floating line for trout, with a sink-tip line for crappie

6wt smaller bass flies and larger trout flies

8wt for big bass bugs

How long will 90' of line last? I have some Cortland 444 on one rod that's at least five years old. The line will last as long as you take care of it. Get soem line cleaner/floatant, and use it every trip. Scientific Anglers makes a decent cheap version. If you keep the line clean, it will float higher, cast farther and last longer. Too make things easier, shop for a line with loop connectors built in, then buy leaders with the loops already tied on. Makes switching leaders a snap.

A leader around 7 - 8 feet will do for almost all applications. Get a small spool of both 4 and 6 pound test tippet. Thats what you'll be changing the most. And learn to tie a back-to-back uni knot. You'll need that to attach the tippet to the leader. The tippet is like an extension on the leader. As you change flies, the tippet will get shorter, not the leader.

A zonker is a great fly for bass. Made out of rabbit fur, it looks really cool in the water. I've caught a lot of bass on zonkers. Check out Flyshack.com. I've been buying from them for a while now and have had no problems. They have the best prices I've found, and will ship any order over $25 free. If you look for bass flies, check back on a regular basis. One thing I like about them is if they don't have it in stock, you won't see it listed for sale. Sometimes they'll have five pages of bass flies, and sometimes only one.

For bass, my best producers have been zonkers, rabbit strip divers ( almost the same thing), bouface, wooly buggers and deer hair bugs.

For bluegill, just about anything will work, but I tend to favor brightly colored dry flies, because it's topwater fishing in miniature.

For carp, the only thing I caught them on was a small crawfish pattern. This is something I know little about. I know it's a blast, but that's about it. I intend to get better at it.

Good luck man. Fly fishing is fun.

Cheers,

GK

[BucketmouthAngler13]

thanks for the help ghoti. I'll have to try those zonkers out.