Fly Fishing Forum banner

Newbie fly fisherman!

2K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  teflon_jones 
#1 ·
Hey all! Let me go ahead and introduce myself. My name's Bryce, and I'm a high school student looking to do some fly fishing. I'm no stranger to fishing. I've done quite a few different types of fishing, just never tried fly fishing. I know virtually nothing about fly fishing, except the very basics. I was wondering if you guys could suggest a good beginner's outfit. Something pretty inexpensive. ('Cause after all, I am a high school student :eek: ) Pflueger has an outfit for sale on Bass Pro that looks decent, and is very inexpensive. but i'm open to anything, so whatever you guys think would be best! Also, my dad, nor any of my other relatives fly fish, so I have no way of really learning. I really don't want to have to pay for "lessons" either. Are there any good books that will help me get off the ground? Like "Fly Fishing for Dummies"? Sorry if I've come across as too much of a newbie, but I really am pretty ignorant to this type of fishing, so bear with me! Thanks.


~Bryce
 
#2 ·
Dude! here's something from a fellow NC'er

Though I have kids your age, I'm also just getting started at this new game of feather chucking and it is a hoot. I have fished for any and everything and before fly rodding ....carp fishing was my favorite. If you have ever caught one.....then you know what I mean. I have yet to target them on the fly yet but I will.

Here's what I did. I went to SprawlMart (gasp!) and picked up a 5 weight Scientific Angler rod and matching SA reel. Click and pawl drag. the reel is now toast from lots of fish!. I also stopped by the local library and checked out some flyfishing books (saved moneythat way too) and read up a bit on it. Lefty Kreh has great book called something like 101 tips for beginners or close to it. If you can't find one, let me know and I'll mail you mine. Then for nearly a month I praticed casting in the front yard. Then went to the local town reservoir and gave it a go with a piece of yarn tied on - no hook. SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! red face and eyes rolling! went back home and SAT DOWN in the front yard and practiced casting. Number one goof/lesson. Flyfishing is frequently done standing IN the water NOT standing on the surface of the water. The sitting down part simulates the lawn becoming the water surface and helps you keep your line above it. No more SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! Learn short, smooth, consistent, accurate casting and the rest will come. Avoid learning with lots of wind. I still flub up but am catching fish and tying ugly flies and mostly having a great time. Get the best equipment you can afford to see if you'll stick with it. Ebay has good deals. The combo is a good start. Then save your lunch money or sell junk on eBay and buy something really nice that will last a lot longer than the entry level gear. Good line like forward weight floating and line dressing makes a BIG difference especially after you've soaked your flyline for a while. Over there in the mountains are some fly shops. Cruise them and the internet sites like this and see what you can learn. Hope this helps!

:biggrin:
 
#4 ·
Hi Bryce!

For around $100, you can get a high quality starter outfit from Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, and others. I have the Hobbs Creek combo in 4wt and 8wt. Both run about $110 each, and they work fine. You don't have to "outgrow" the Hobbs Creek combos; I've been flyfishing 5 yrs and still enjoy using them.

Get a casting video or dvd to help you with your casting. I have downloaded pages of tying knots off the internet as well.

If money is tight, those $20 outfits that Wal-Mart sells will still work. I've used them, and caught plenty of bass and bluegills on them.

Keep your line clean and lubed while casting. Practice your casting as well.
 
#5 ·
bluegillbob said:
Hi Bryce!

For around $100, you can get a high quality starter outfit from Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, and others. I have the Hobbs Creek combo in 4wt and 8wt. Both run about $110 each, and they work fine. You don't have to "outgrow" the Hobbs Creek combos; I've been flyfishing 5 yrs and still enjoy using them.

Get a casting video or dvd to help you with your casting. I have downloaded pages of tying knots off the internet as well.

If money is tight, those $20 outfits that Wal-Mart sells will still work. I've used them, and caught plenty of bass and bluegills on them.

Keep your line clean and lubed while casting. Practice your casting as well.
Hey Bob, thanks for the help. Nice to see another North Carolinian! The rivers where I live are pretty smothered by trees. Though there are some large, clear, open areas, for the most part casting space is a little confined. I want gear that will handle big bass, but I want a rod that's not too big. Would an 8' rod and 5-6 weight line work good? Thanks!



~Bryce
 
#6 ·
Bryce -

The most valueable thing in my flyfishing learning curve has not been cheap equipment but sage advice, which I have found only at flyshops or in more rare moments talking to the old hands on the water.

We can offer some advice on line to help right here on the forum, but the best advice is to build a relationship with one or more fly shops. The returns are worth many times the savings on cheap gear on line, and the internet only makes shops anywhere in the country easier to interact with. Send some emails, ask some questions and if you find they have the knowledge you can use then you've hit the jackpot.

As far as bass on the fly, I've always preferred to use at least a 7wt because I like to throw big flies and go for the beer keg bass. I've caught them on light rods but frankly I could not move them out of the weeds - and these are northern bass which are smaller than your bass due to the shortened growing period.

I would look at a 7wt unless you want something to double as a trout rod.
 
#7 · (Edited)
juro said:
Bryce -

The most valueable thing in my flyfishing learning curve has not been cheap equipment but sage advice, which I have found only at flyshops or in more rare moments talking to the old hands on the water.

We can offer some advice on line to help right here on the forum, but the best advice is to build a relationship with one or more fly shops. The returns are worth many times the savings on cheap gear on line, and the internet only makes shops anywhere in the country easier to interact with. Send some emails, ask some questions and if you find they have the knowledge you can use then you've hit the jackpot.

As far as bass on the fly, I've always preferred to use at least a 7wt because I like to throw big flies and go for the beer keg bass. I've caught them on light rods but frankly I could not move them out of the weeds - and these are northern bass which are smaller than your bass due to the shortened growing period.

I would look at a 7wt unless you want something to double as a trout rod.
Thanks for the help, juro. Much appreciated. :) I think i've got my sights set on a Bass Pro Shops Dogwood Canyon outfit. It's got everything I need. Except the actual flies. It's got an 8' 6'', 5/6 weight rod, reel, fly line, backing line, tapered leader. What else would I need if I got this? Sorry for all the newbie questions. I'm just trying to get started in the right direction. :)

BTW, I'm going to hit the fishing stores around here pretty soon, asking the local guys for advice as well.



~Bryce
 
#8 ·
That combo sounds like a decent one to start out with for bass, and you can use it for trout too. A couple more things you need to buy are line nippers and a hemostat (hook remover/fly holder). Sure, you can live without these, and use something else to clip your line, but the small $$$ they cost are more than made up for by the time and effort they save you!

For flies, you should get some poppers and streamers. They're going to let you catch bass and panfish until your arm gets tired. For poppers, I generally lean towards white/green for bass, and anything for panfish (they're not picky). For streamers, I use just about any color known to man except white for bass. But panfish love white streamers.
 
#9 ·
5/6wt seems much underpowered for the bass I'd caught when I explored this, but then again they were really good sized large and smallmouths. The flies I threw at them also required some real grains to propel. Once hooked, their dives into the thick weeds would harm my abilities to crank them out. I guess it's a matter of how you approach the pursuit since bass come in such a wide range of sizes and environments.
 
#10 ·
teflon_jones said:
That combo sounds like a decent one to start out with for bass, and you can use it for trout too. A couple more things you need to buy are line nippers and a hemostat (hook remover/fly holder). Sure, you can live without these, and use something else to clip your line, but the small $$$ they cost are more than made up for by the time and effort they save you!

For flies, you should get some poppers and streamers. They're going to let you catch bass and panfish until your arm gets tired. For poppers, I generally lean towards white/green for bass, and anything for panfish (they're not picky). For streamers, I use just about any color known to man except white for bass. But panfish love white streamers.
Thanks for the great post, Teflon. Are line nippers the same thing as fingernail trimmers? And juro, the largest bass we have around here are 3 lb. smallmouth and the occasional 5 lb. largemouth. When I said monster, I kind of exaggerated.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Line nippers are the same principle as nail trimmers, but are specially made for fishing.

I use an 8' 5/6 weight for my bass fishing. My biggest fish to date on that rig was somewhere over 5 lbs, and it went into the weeds several times, but the rod has a stiff butt and I can really pull a fish out of the weeds with it. I also cast monster flies with it without any problem, but I've been fly fishing for a long time. A lot depends on the rod, how good you are at casting, and how you play the fish. A stiff 5/6 will keep a fish out of the weeds just fine if you've got a strong tippet on. I agree with Juro though that it can be tough to keep fish out of the weeds with a lighter rod, and that it can be tough to cast big bass poppers (especially for a newbie).

If you can, go to a fly shop and ask them to try out a 5/6 with a big fly on it and see how you do. Personally, I think I fish with smaller rod than most people. I used a 4 wt this summer for 3-4 lb smallmouth and big salmon when most people probably would have gone with at least a 5 or 6. There's tricks to playing big fish on a small rod, and to casting big flies with it, that take a while to master. :)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top