# Recomendations for Trout FlyPole



## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I'm looking for a kit or combo under $100 that I could take to PA next spring to catch some native brookies. I go every year with my buddy and we always slam them with spinners and spin-fishing and I'm looking for something differnt. Anything I should look at? And fly recomendations would be great too. we usually go season opener. Whic is April 15.

My dad has an old pole that I used here before to catch some LM at my pond but nothing else.


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## copperdon (Jun 3, 2011)

here's a link to a thread where this topic was discussed a few weeks ago.

There are some good recommendations here:

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=178405

There are plenty of combo deals out there that include Rod, reel, backing, fly line, leader - and even a few packages that give you a handful of popular flies as well.

If you are going for PA brookies, my personal recommendation would be for a light rod. Look at a 4 weight, 5 weight at the most. (_I'd tell you to look for a 3 weight, which would be ideal, but I've yet to see one available in a combo package)._

Scientific Angler, Redington, Plueger and others all make combo packages that are great for beginners and give you everything you need to start.

Welcome to the religion!


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Here's a couple close to your price range that would probably do all you'd need it to do for brookies:

This one is backorderable, 7'6" 4wt

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fish...=SBC;MMcat104793480;cat104721480;cat105571980

This one is a little cheaper, and you could get the 7'6" 3wt (I like a 3wt for brookies)

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fish...=SBC;MMcat104793480;cat104721480;cat105571980

Also a 7'6" 4wt in this model

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fish...=SBC;MMcat104793480;cat104721480;cat105571980

My personal opinion, from having brookie fished WV (not PA, but has to be pretty similar), you're not going to want a very long rod and you're not going to want to go over a 4wt. My 3wt can be overkill on the small wild brookies, some of which are going to be 5-6" long. I know of guys in WV who use 0-2wt rods on wild brookies. Length of the rod can be an issue with tight casting, because small streams tend to be tight quarters for a long fly rod. I'd not go over 8', with 7-7.5' being more ideal. The reels in those combos are not all that great, but with brookie fishing you basically just need the reel to hold line, the drag is almost guaranteed to not come into play because you'll be stripping fish in by hand.

As for flies, wild WV brookies are not that picky with good water flows. Basically anything buggy that you can see seems to work well. In good steady flows I like stimulators, hi-vis parachute dries like Adams' and Blue Winged Olives, terrestrial patterns like hoppers/crickets/beetles/ants, and they really seem to love the Royal Wulff. Most of those flies I'll fish in sizes 14-18. When the water is lower and calmer, and the fish are spookier, that's when fly selection gets a little tougher. Tiny midge patterns like the Griffith's Gnat, black midge, and small emerger style dry flies like Klinkhammers work well for me, sizes ranging from 16-22. I almost always dry fly fish for brookies, they'll obviously take subsurface flies, but it's too much fun watching them jet off the bottom and blast a dry fly!


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I'm fishing small streams and a big "creek" but more like a river called the tionesta and every once in a while we hook into a big brownie or bow. I want a pole that could take that stress too.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

And something that can take the stress from a 10-15'' smallie.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

I don't have any exact recomendations, but a 3wt 6.5 footer is what I use and is great. Do not get an expensive rod for brookie fishing, because most of the streams are real tight and in rough terrain so there is a good chance a rod will get broken if your not careful. For Tionesta Creek I would use a 5wt 8.5 ft rod since its much bigger water. So if you want something to fit both then probably a 4 or 5wt 7.5 foot rod, which I have one and is kinda long for a brookie rod, but it will get the job done. I have caught some decent smallies on that rod too.

Like TheCream said, they are not picky and will eat dries agressively most of the time, even when there is nothing hatching. 



> but it's too much fun watching them jet off the bottom and blast a dry fly!


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

ok i think im gonna go for a 3wt and just use it for lil streams. iim gonna stick to spinfishing with the tio.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

i have a 3wt pole. What kind of line and what reel should i get


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

LilSiman/Medina said:


> ok i think im gonna go for a 3wt and just use it for lil streams. iim gonna stick to spinfishing with the tio.


A 3wt will probably feel like a whippy little sapling to you, but it can handle more than you think! My biggest fly rod largemouth I hooked on my 3wt, and after the initial run, it handled that fish (19.5" long) without much trouble. Also landed a 17" wild rainbow in WV on the same 3wt rod, great fight but nothing it couldn't handle. I've talked to guys who fish little 3wt's for big wild trout in the Elk River in WV and land 20" and better fish on them!


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

LilSiman/Medina said:


> i have a 3wt pole. What kind of line and what reel should i get


For brookies reel choice isn't important its just a place to store the line, so any reel will do as long as it doesn't unbalance the rod and affects casting. Some people like to overline brookie rods so they load up better for tighter casts, so a 4 or 3wt line will do.


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## Dogsled (Feb 4, 2009)

Lilsiman,
alot of good info here on both rods and flies. Should get you into some nice fish at a decent price, have fun.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

Take a look at the Redington Drift reel for that 3wt. It's a nice looking lightweight reel that should do the trick for you at around $100.00.


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