Fly-fishing And No Need To Catch A Fish

[fluffie666]

The technology of yesterday's gear (five to ten years old) can be purchased today brand new for very reasonable prices. Reddington Crosswater or Path combos (rod and reel) $99 to $170 theses days. It's not the best gear but it's by no means garbage. Throw some better quality line on a set up like that and you'd be ready to fish for under $350 (that's including some leaders, tippet and flies). I purchased my first fly set up at a flea market for all of $15 and learned to fish on that thing. I got it pretty bad after I spent a little time on the water and now purchasing fly gear quickly turned into an expense like food, water and tobacco. Looking back I realize that the quality of line was more important than the quality of rod and reel. I do have yet to try out bamboo. Fly fishing has a lot of worlds to get into.

I'll certainly check out Slate Run. That's about three hours northwest of me. Thanks for the tip! In terms of finding good fishing spots, 250 miles to travel is no big deal.

There's nothing like being out on the water with a good pipe smoldering. Catching is an added bonus. Enough of my rambling. Tight lines and great days on the water to you all :puffpipe:

 

[bassbug]

I wish I had the chops to afford a good bamboo rod.

Back in 2003 I had the honour and pleasure of meeting one the finest bamboo rod makers around. Along with a couple of friends he took us under his wing, into his shop and taught us how to build bamboo rods. There's absolutely no comparison between bamboo and graphite or even fiberglass. The action is slow and smooth. The parabolic taper design I prefer bends right down to the grip on a 7'6" 5 wt.
Find a rodmaker in your area if there's one there. I am absolutely sure he will welcome you with open arms and show you everything he knows. There are no secrets.
Its super short notice, but there's also a bamboo rodmakers gathering about an hour outside Toronto coming up at the end of the month http://www.canadiancane.com/index.html

 

[newbroom]

I recently viewed a video with a fellow who makes 'em. (PBS?) It was impressive how he split the wood, shaped it and put the pieces together. They're comprised of laminated lengths of hand formed bamboo strips. A real art in itself.

 

[brooklynpiper]

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[cranseiron]

Nice springtime thread! I started to fly fish a bit when I lived in Utah back in the late 80s/early 90s. Fished the Green some in NE Utah. I do miss that. I've been thinking I might pick it up again down here in south MS fishing river sand bars and using poppers for bream.
My late father had two bamboo fly rods probably from the late 40s or early to mid 50s time frame. My brother has those now as keepsakes and I don't imagine they should be put to use anyway. Glad things are going well for you, Charles.

 

[pappymac]

Hmmm, everyone I have talked to tells me to avoid the cheap... and, at my age, new tricks like just casting might get aggravating, add in avoiding the trees...

Cosmic,
That sounds a lot like people claiming you have to buy a Dunhill to really appreciate pipe smoking.

 

[warren]

That is always a great point. One should examine their expectations when entering a new venture. If you don't want to be the best you really have no need for world class equipment. A practiced fly-fisher can deliver a great presentation with almost anything on the market. But, great gear, not necessarily the most expensive, makes for less effort and should make for a better experience. The better the gear ... the fewer the excuses. With the right gear one has only to work on technique.
As Michael and others often point out, a bad bowl is more likely the fault of the smoker than the pipe. Skill and technique are much more important than the gear. There is cheap and then there is inexpensive. And, bamboo is now a luxury ... a magical luxury though. I truly hope my prized rods will enchant many more generations of my family or, get passed, not sold, on to others who appreciate the artistry and function of them.

 

[ophiuchus]

I hear the call of the trout ... heading for the Manistee this weekend.

 

[bent1]

IMHO, fly fishing is similar to pipe smoking. Learn how to cast & fish with a reasonably priced outfit from a respected brand (Cortland, Cabelas, Orvis, Sage, etc.). Once you see what your casting & fishing style is, test cast more upscale outfits (if starter outfit doesn’t cut it). It’s good to have a back up rig incase of damage, or a friend who needs to use it. I still fish my starter rod, a Cortland GRF1000, 8-1/2’ #5 (paid $79 included 444 DT line and an alloy reel.
Nothing worse than plunking down $4-500 on a rig only to find that it doesn’t suit your style. My favorite rod is a Winston 8’ #5 (WT series) & Orvis CFO IV I bought in 1987.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Pappy, we have a few experts, writers and teachers of flyfishing on the forum. I'm not going to throw them under the bus. They can see the thread, so they can respond if they want. Also, when I only have talked to experts and Orvis associates, I am probably only going to get recommended to Dunhills, ha ha.
But, I did do the class also, and realized that at my beginner skill level, and what I'd be willing to spend on a new hobby... well... it just made me appreciate carving and painting a broken-back swimbait lure and fishing like my uncles taught me even more.
But, yeh, I do like to watch those flyfishing videos... much more interesting to me than watching someone smoke a pipe on youtube. ::

 

[ashdigger]

Is this where I chime in and talk bout my cheap fly rods that I've caught a shit ton of fish on and have had a great time? is this also where I chirp in about my old trusty Herter's fly reel that has never let me down?
Or can I only talk about my artisan bamboo rods that my servants hold whilst I adjust my one-off bespoke waders?

 

[homeatsea]

I did my entire first season fly fishing using only a roll cast (only way I wasn't whipping off flies on every other cast) on a Redington "combo" package. I think it was the Path. Ran me less than $200 USD. I still had (and am having) a great time with that rod and reel.
Like all hobbies, it is what you make it. The subject of this post got it right, no need to catch fish if you're enjoying the experience. Funny thing is, the deeper in to the hobby you get the more expensive the materials you "need" seem to get. But that's certainly not a requirement. Just look to the dedicated cob smokers on this forum. They're enjoying their hobby every bit as much as the rest of us for a fraction of the price compared to most of us, if I had to bet.

 

[tbradsim1]

You can’t beat Popeils Pocket Fisherman. :nana:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

No, please talk about your cheap rods. I am not a flyfisherman, as I have said, so this is where I learn something.

 

[bent1]

Cabelas has this trout outfit (line, backing, rod, & case) on sale for $75. Model HCF8654C is a 8’6”, 4-pc rod, nice for taking on a plane, easy to pack.
https://www.cabelas.com/product/bargain-cave/fly-fishing/bargain-cave-rods-reels-line/pc/105591780/c/105763680/sc/105764580/white-river-fly-shop-hobbs-creek-outfit/2909796.uts?slotId=10#tabsCollection.
IM6 I’d a proven material, makes great medium fast action road blanks, and is forgiving for new flyrodders. Actually, I like it myself, fly fishing for 34 yrs.

 

[bent1]

.....and there is a promotion running now that qualifies the outfit for free shipping...

 

[cosmicfolklore]

What would be the differences between a cheaper rig like this, and... say... an Orvis rod set up?

 

[krizzose]

I’ve got a Redington 5 wt that was less then $200, and it’s a great stick.
ophiuchus: Where on the Manistee are you headed? I wish I was headed up there right now with a sink tip and a box full of streamers

 

[bent1]

Regarding beginner rods, An Orvis rod would have a nicer looking cork handle, lighter snake guides, probably a more sensitive casting feel than the Hobbs. A rod that gets high marks from experienced anglers is Fenwick AETOS series. Nice thing with the Fenwick, if you decide you want to sell, it will have a decent resell value due to popularity.
If you’re going to fish mostly trout, panfish, smallmouth bass, I’d go with a 5wt or 6wt rod. A 5wt gets the nod for dry flies, a 6wt for streamers & heavier wet flies. Both weight rods will do the same thing, but a 5wt is a little easier to fis with floating dry flies. A store I really like is George Anderson’s Yellowstone Anglers. The gear review write ups are quite helpful. Here’s one on 5wt rods:
5wt shootout
Keep in mind, they sell solid starter rods to top quality rods.

 

[bent1]

Today’s starter rods ($200 & under) are notably better casting than the $100 & under rods of 25 yrs ago. When I started out, an old time passed along a nugget of wisdom,, buy a reasonably priced rod & reel. Practice casting, & learn how to fly fish with a mentor.