Fly-fishing And No Need To Catch A Fish

[bassbug]

I'm going to weigh in with a completely different idea...
Cosmic, as I understand you're pretty good with your hands. You might want to consider building your own rod. You can get complete kits for well under $100 that include a nice rod blank, grip, reel seat and guides.Its not hard to do at all and the best part is it will have your name on it.
You can build a rod in a weekend if you set your mind to it. I stopped buying flyrods in stores many years ago because i was not willing to pay the exorbitant prices for a decent 5 or 7 piece pack rod.

 

[bent1]

Good point bass bug. Last one I built was based on a Sage 590 4 pc. But a good to top quality blank is usually 1/2 price of a new complete rod. Another option are trade-in or demo rods.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I did consider building one, but having no frame of reference for what a great (much less good) rod would be like, I thought it akin to someone making their first pipe without ever having smoked one.
So, starting with a cheap rod from say... Cabelas would be an ok start for someone late in life coming to this? It won't build bad habits?

 

[ashdigger]

Cos, the Cabelas rig will be just fine. I'd go either 5 or 6 weight.

 

[aquadoc]

Well, it really was a really nice day to be on the water. I hope my choice of tackle did not offend the Brookies I did not catch.

 

[bent1]

Learning to cast on a starter rod will help you determine what you like in a rod. It’s more about technique than tackle imho.

 

[buster]

Basspro has a “Classic” fly rod that is $99. It occasionally goes on sale. They sometimes have a Fenwick combo for around a hundred bucks that is a steal. When I worked in the fly shop I would recommend TFO because of the quality and lifetime warranty. The combos are around $150-200. If you ever break a tip TFO has a 7 day turnaround to get a new rod to ya.

You might see f there is a fl fishing club in your area. Clubs sometimes have swap meets, offer casting and tying classes.
As far as rod weight goes. 5 Wt is a good all around rod. Kind of like a medium spinning rod in the conventional tackle world. Very versatile, good for bass or trout.

 

[greatdane]

Flyfishing (and fishing in general) goes hand-in-hand with pipe smoking. I am glad to see so many of my fellow pipers also fish.
But I envy those who can fly fish now. Where I live (high Rockies), the rivers are basically unfishable for another month due to the spring runoff. And the smaller high mountain streams I like to fish probably wont be ready until July sometime due all the snow we had this winter. Not complaining though, I am blessed to have a gold medal trout river 50 feet from my office

 

[trouttimes]

The runoff has started here in the Colorado high country but with the snow still falling, it could be July before non-dam controlled waters clear. FYI the Colorado Rod Makers gathering will be in Marble again this year in mid July. Some of the best cane rod makers in the Midwest gather to talk rod making and show off their latest creations. Being a cane freak, it's like the Chicago Pipe Show is for many of you. I agree you don't need an expensive rod to enjoy fly fishing but for me, it really ads to the experience much like smoking a Rad Davis pipe. Just like my pipe collection, I have some rods that are 100 years old and some made this winter. I enjoy fishing them all. The important thing I always stress is no matter your gear, just get out there and enjoy the river. There is never a bad day when you are standing in the water waving a long stick.

 

[bassbug]

Cabelas would be an ok start for someone late in life coming to this? It won't build bad habits?

It will be fine. Every rod has its own "personality" but you won't know it till you've used a number of different ones. They're very much like pipes that way and everyone has his/her own preferences. I like a slow action rod that bends down to the grip, it forces me to slow down my casting and makes me more accurate. Some prefer a fast action rod that bends only maybe halfway down and gives them more distance. I find that in trout fishing I rarely cast any more than 20-30 feet anyway though. That brings me to my next point...if you're planning on relatively short casts (no more than say 30-40 feet at most) and a 5 wt or 6 wt rod, don't go spending a fortune on a reel. You won't need the sophisticated drag system for any fish that a 5 wt rod can handle. Spend your money on a more than bargain brand flyline and stock up on leaders and tippet material, you'll go through a lot of it.

 

[aquadoc]

Great advice. I have never used the reel for anything more than a line holder. Put money into the rod and line. And fly tying gear.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I will open it back up for consideration. There are still the shrubs and obstacles to take in before I start having to untangle hooks out of limbs. The limitation that I see in flyfishing is that most bass and crappie tend to only feed at the top of the water a couple of times a day. And, then there is the shoals, where the bass feed on the crawfish. I can usually bring home a mess with just a spoon.
Do I start a new hobby? Or, just enjoy what I have?

 

[ashdigger]

Cosmic, you can always enjoy what you already enjoy, until you stop enjoying it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I can't imagine every "NOT" enjoying fishing of any sort.
I was at the beach once, watching this guy tossing a net into the water and pulling all sorts of fish straight up onto the pier. The next time we went to the beach, I dropped by the Bass Pro Shop and picked up a net, which was dusty on the shelf. After drawing a small crowd of kids and accidentally falling into the water a few times, I decided that watching someone cast a net was much less aggravating than doing it myself. ::

 

[tbradsim1]

Wife and I used to go to the Dams in Marsh Island, it was an estuary, wife threw a 6 ft custom cast net, I threw a 7 ft. When water was coming out, you tied up at the dam and threw over the Dam. 25# was the limit for the day. Wife was throwing one day, she had on my Kahki shirt and hair up in baseball cap, a man approached her and said Damn buddy where did you learn to throw, she turn around with her 38s pointing forward, Buddy she said, he stammers, Really sorry Lady, but damn you throw better than a man. I laugh about that a lot. We Cajuns learned seining, cast netting when we were very small. Cosmic I have a foolproof method to learn cast netting, can’t begin to tell you how many people I coached at the dams.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ha ha, I bet you could. And, I would need the coaching, as I tend to look like a moron grappling with invisible demons when I cast. Others make it look so graceful. And, when the crappie are running, there have been times when I could just throw a net and get them all. ::

 

[bassbug]

The limitation that I see in flyfishing

Contrary to popular belief, flyfishing is not exclusively a topwater activity (but the thrill of a dry fly or popper strike is magic).
You can fish streamers for trout, bass and crappie all day long if you want to. I've fished as deep at 25 feet with sinking lines.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Curious, if you’re fishing 25’ down, what difference does the cast make?

 

[ashdigger]

Cos, it doesn't. When i use my buttboat I use sinking line. Catches the big lake trout.

 

[bassbug]

if you’re fishing 25’ down, what difference does the cast make?

Draw the triangle in your head.
Unless the line is directly veritcal you'll need a good 35 or more feet of line to get 25 feet deep