# Starting fly fishing



## dcfisherman (Jul 25, 2008)

I am going to get a vest, waders, a steelhead fly pack and a rod and reel for christmas can i get some tips


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

First off congrats, and secondly what fish is going to be your primary target with this fly rod?


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## dcfisherman (Jul 25, 2008)

steelheader007 said:


> First off congrats, and secondly what fish is going to be your primary target with this fly rod?


steelhead trout


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## ryosapien (Jul 5, 2008)

review this forum for the past 3 months that is a good tip. Secondly see if you can meet up on the river with a few members it will pay off and expedite the learning process. I am still in that process but have progressed by leaps and bounds since i have had some hands on education. thirdly expand your horizons...you can catch anything on the fly. the utility and expenses of fly fishing are endless.


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

Well if thats the ONLY species you are going to target get a clear water II fly rod 7 wt from Orvis! Reels all they need is a smooth disc drag system. There really is no reason to spend more money on a rod IMHO.


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## Liquid Assets (Jul 6, 2008)

My advice is be careful, fly fishing is highly addictive, some side affects are loss of sleep, day dreaming, drowling, loss of your childs college fund...stuff like that!! Good luck with whatever you choose. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

if you are not rich like alot of us you can get a 8wt cabelas 3 forks combo for steelies for like $90 or so bux . they are pretty decent and do land steel. I seen it with my own eyes and have caught plenty on my cabelas.. my cousins both have um in 8wt rod/reel combo and I got a 7wt custom rod and a 8wt cabelas st johns discontinued rod.. but I am not sure if the cabelas rod/reel combos have a 7wt? what kinda fly pack are you getting. whats in it?? get a few white,black, and olive wooley buggers in size 6 or 8 and some clouser minnows in 8 or 10 olive/white and a couple other colors too. thats what I use the most. nymphs and sucker spawns work too but I never got any on um yet. keep us posted. I will try to help any way possible. FLY FISHING is highly addictive like said above. one you catch a fish on a fly you will start to develop symptoms right away.


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## ryosapien (Jul 5, 2008)

Well i can advise you to not skimp on your reel. You may have a little leeway with rod quality but a malfunctioning reel can really cost you alot of fish when fishing steelhead. I have left 4 fish int the water who are laughing at me because of a sticky drag today. Cold wet conditions demand alot more from a reel. I Bought a cheap reel ~$40 (yes that is cheap) and paid the price today. BUying a new one this week. Contrary to what my girlfriend thinks waiting is not an option.


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## rweis (Dec 20, 2005)

Knowing what I know now these are the set ups I would look at. Yes, you can go cheaper, but I doubt you ever need to upgrade from these.

RODS - 8wt - Orvis Clearwater II 908-2 or TFO Pro Series 8904P - both $160

REELS - 7-8wt - Orvis Battenkill Mid-Arbor IV $129 or Cabelas SLA #3 on sale now for $120

BOOTS - Korkers Wetlands = $45 comes with 2 different soles

WADERS - Hodgman Colorado River - $160 at Cabelas or Cabelas Alaskan Guide $150 - don't go less than 3 layers.

Vest - a personal choice

Flies - check out the selection at the Mad River Outfitters site or check with a local shop. Buggers, mini buggers, eggs, and nymphs are always good. Let us know what you end up getting. Have fun!


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## ryosapien (Jul 5, 2008)

lol your parents(or whoever) didn't know what they were getting into when they promised that did they.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

you can get a bad mofo'n william josephs vest at cabelas for 29 bux!!! 
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...orm23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_requestid=75335

I still say a cabelas rod and prestige plus combo works fine and it costs 80 bux for it all. I have one and my drag isn't sticky at all. its very smooth and the rod is pretty sharp and classy with its wood insert and with the 8 weight you get a fighting butt on the end of the rod!!
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...&parentType=index&indexId=cat20457&hasJS=true

one thing I learned is that fly fishing ain't cheap! but you don't have to have the best of the best $600 rod or reel to catch a fish on a fly. if ya got the money to spend go for it but if not you can get steelhead on this and all you spent was $120 or so on a chest pack and a rod and reel and fly line and backing. saves ya lots of money for the other stuff. waders,boots, leader, flies. etc.... my 1st combo was a martin 5/6 weight that came with a reel and line and backing all for 20 bux!!! it wasn't the greatest by far but it caught me bass and catfish and gills galore! I have it put away now that I learned I liked the sport and upgraded to a tfo 5wt and a bitch creek 3wt for bass and gills.


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## ryosapien (Jul 5, 2008)

probably true you are likely to biff and ruin your first setup anyhow if you are the clumsy wader like me.


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