# First "good" fly rod????



## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

I recently poseted a thread about "flies for smallmouth" and recieved some great feedback....so i went to Mad River Outfitters and spent about $140.00 on just flies......(yeah, I know right). Now all I need is a good fly rod/reel combo. I have one of those $30.00 crystal river rod/reel combos, but it is crap! I am not looking to spend a ton of money, maybe around $200.00. I know you get what you pay for, and since I am completly new to fly fishing, I know I can ask some veterans of the fly for advice. I would like both floating, and sinking line, so I can fish the surface and the bottom. Please feel free to chime in with any advice, tips or help. Thanks again, Clayton


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

My fist rod was an Orvis clearwater 5wt and I love it. Got it at a fly shop in pa and I think it was about $160. 








This year I got a Redington crosswater combo at Cabelas that was $120. So far only fished with it once and is another great rod.


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## crkwader (Nov 7, 2008)

I think he was looking more for advice, rather than what your firsts were.

there are tons of great options out there for beginners. temple fork outfitters are super nice rods for the money. with that being said i am going to say what everyone else on the board will say, go and cast some. find the differences and find the rod that fits you best.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

I suggest you get on some other forums and watch the classified like hawk on a squirrel! Everyone is hungry for some cash lately due to this sad economy. Example is I just got a Scott A3 6wt 4pc for cool 150 bucks with warranty card yesterday. Just like that a darn great deal if you do your search. I am beaming like a sun! that 2 A3 now for 300 bucks. I see on 2 forums you can get some nice rods cheap right now! Speypages and washington fishing forum. Screw Fleabay since the fees are outragious and to many scams fraudelent a$$holes and you are bidding over cost.


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## wabi (Jun 14, 2008)

Recently picked up a Redington outfit for my son and was impressed with the performance of the rod! 
You might look at last year's models at reduced prices. 

(Looking at this one myself - http://www.reelflyrod.com/REDINGTON-REDFLY-2-9054-FLY-ROD-90-5WT-4PC-CTRF2-9054.htm )
Check their "discount gear" link.


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## oarfish (May 12, 2004)

fishinnick said:


> My fist rod was an Orvis clearwater 5wt and I love it. Got it at a fly shop in pa and I think it was about $160.
> View attachment 41745
> 
> 
> ...


I would go with any of those two also. Excellent choice and great advice IMHO.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

My first rod was a redington cross water and I wore all the chrome out of the guides in a month... Of fishing eight hours a day lol. It casted well enough.

What I would do if I were you is get a temple fork outfitters rod, the style of which would be up to you. Go back to mro and cast all the rods in your price range using the reel you have now, if it's any good. 

IF not, the new redington reels are good and cheap, or cheap ross. Nothing wrong with them, you DON'T need some epic drag for smallmouth lol. 

For lines, I like my rio classic weight forward. Like forty dollars and therefore quite budget friendly. But yeah, the rod choice will be based on your casting style and what feels good for you. I learned on a clear creek too and good GOD ate they bad. Anything is better lol

Finally! About that sinking line. Get a floating line and a sink tip that loops on. The tip will only be like twelve dollars. If you get a good sinking line it'll be sixty dollars by itself, and I've never needed mine much for bass. I mean I've used it some but you can get away with not using it.

_OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors_


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

By the time summer comes around its all on top. So there not for sinking lines. I carry a poly leader which is basically a sinking tip put on the floater like Clayton mentioned. Have fun.


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## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

Thanks for all the advice guys......i'm gonna go back to Mad River Outfitters and have them help me select a rod/reel that best suits my fishing needs. Since I am 100% new to fly fishing, I really want to LEARN and not just buy what I need. Because, the person who works there was talking to me about catching muskie on the fly, and said "you can own a muskie on a 6wt" and I had no clue what he ment??? He was also saying that he uses a 20# tippet for smallies?????? sounds a little overkill to me but.....what do I know????


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

You can catch a musky on a 6wt but I think that if you are targeting them that still might be light. 20lb tippet for smallmouth! I catch smallies on 5lb tippet.


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## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

fishinnick said:


> You can catch a musky on a 6wt but I think that if you are targeting them that still might be light. 20lb tippet for smallmouth! I catch smallies on 5lb tippet.


i didnt mean to change the subject......lol, i was just pointing out that i didnt understand the fly talk. which is why im gonna go back and have them set me up with what i need, and have them explain why i need what they suggest as compared to something else.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

claytonhaske said:


> i didnt mean to change the subject......lol, i was just pointing out that i didnt understand the fly talk. which is why im gonna go back and have them set me up with what i need, and have them explain why i need what they suggest as compared to something else.


smaller muskie's yes....but a 25lber....maybe or maybe not....but I would rather have a 9/10 weight for them instead....I am new to it too, so maybe I have no clue....
I may try this year for them with a fly rod, as I seem to spook them when I see them in the shallow water and cast to them with a larger bait....that fly shop has a few nice flies with steel leaders (I think they say for pike)....check them out when you are there....and good luck in your search.
let us know what you come up with.....and don't jump into something you can't afford....there are deals out there if your not in a hurry....I may have one??...I haven't even went yet and have several outfits....maybe should cut one loose.....but they are 9/10 weight I got for salt water use and muskie

.


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## BlueDun (Feb 21, 2007)

fishinnick said:


> You can catch a musky on a 6wt but I think that if you are targeting them that still might be light. 20lb tippet for smallmouth! I catch smallies on 5lb tippet.


I've heard them say things like that - I suspect he was probably talking about how he builds his own leaders and is probably throwing bigger, heavier flies. The size tippet isn't as critical w/ smallies since they aren't as fussy as some other fish. 

Clayton, good luck w/ your search - trying/choosing new equipment is part of the fun of fly fishing.


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## Andrew S. (May 22, 2010)

Somebody (Kreh maybe?) once said of modern graphite rods: "Today's rods are almost always better than the people casting them."

I firmly believe this is true. What it means, of course, is that most people aren't getting nearly as much out of the rods they are casting as they paid for; put another way: you don't need to go out and spend a bundle to get a very good rod.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

6wt on muskies no thanks! Until you have a good idea what those toothy critters and saltwater species to do to light tackle, why take the chance. Yea sure it does happens but these muskies that get over 30" are another animal and hit and thrash hard within close to you or boat. 9-12wt rod I use for them. 8wt being on the low side.
There is picture with muskie I caught and he hit right at boat, using a Winston 10wt, later afterwards at home checking the gear and learned that muskie cracked the rod one guide up from the ferrule.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

BTW on WVanglers.com there been a lot of posting on muskies lately and hoping to have own thread specifically for them bad a$$es so might want to check it out.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention before: This board ain't big enough for two Claytons... I kid 

But anyway, to clarify a few things you seem murky on, here goes!

1) Tippet. You choose tippet based on fly selection and action, NOT BASED ON SPOOKING FISH. FISH AREN'T AFRAID OF YOUR LINE! Unless you're totally obnoxious about it and use like bridge cable or something silly. I've hooked smallmouth (little ones, like 8") on 8" flies and 25 lb hard mason tippet, which I use for muskies. They just don't care! If you're nymphing some tiny little bug and you need it to wiggle well in the water, it isn't going to do that on 2x floro, you'd want to use 4 or 5x, or smaller. The tippet gives the fly action.

On the same basis, you don't want to use 4x casting streamers to smallmouth. Over time, the repeated shock of casting the heavy fly will weaken the tippet and eventually your fly is just going to fall off mid-air, or in the first fish that touches it. For that reason, re-tie your knot to your fly every couple hours whether you need it or not.

2) The 6 wt on muskie thing. Dude, I've read about some guy who can boat a 110 lb tarpon on a 6 weight in 10 minutes. Some people are just gifted. Again, size your rod to the flies you're throwing, with some consideration to the fish you're catching. Throwing 10" flies for muskie isn't the job for a 6 weight, it's a 10 weight job. The heavier line of the 10 weight can carry the fly better in the air than a 6 can. Same thing, if you need a delicate presentation with a #20 midge, you probably don't want the 10, you'd want a 3. Lighter line gives you a gentler touch, but you lose the power to throw big flies in wind.

3) MRO: When you go to MRO, keep in mind that you really don't need a top of the line reel at the moment. Sure, a good Abel is going to last you forever, so would a top of the line Sage or Ross. However! I would just as soon get a bottom of the line as your first reel, or get whatever balances your rod. Quite frankly, you're going to bust your butt and fall on this thing at least a few times as you get better at wading, lol. The better reels will bend rather than break, but the cast (i.e. not machined) reels will take quite a few hits as well. I like my Sage 1650, but it was 100 dollars. Redington has some great and cheap reels out now, having been bought by Sage. Really, your only concern here is balancing your rod, since your reel is basically somewhere to store your line about 90% of the time. 

As for the rod, my previous advice still stands 

FINALLY, stop thinking about muskie at the moment. You'll end up with $1800 dollars worth of gear in your hand and wondering what you've done, lol. I'm starting down that road as we speak, but to be honest it's something you should hold off on until you master more basic fly fishing. It really isn't a starting point, unless you want to start off getting skunked 10 days at a time and get burnt out. But hey, if you DO want to, that's your call.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Clayton you are right on the money! Muskie fishing is and can be expensive but it doesnt have to be. I got Ross 10wt Flystick, a $170 rod that casts much better than the winston rods for less money. But getting into fly tying for muskies is even more expensive, have to have bigger hooks and often 2 hooks on and longer materials is needed.


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## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

Clayton said:


> Oh yeah, I forgot to mention before: This board ain't big enough for two Claytons... I kid
> 
> I know, I tried to get the name Clayton, and it wouldnt let me, So, I had to go full name.
> 
> ...


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

You don't really need two different reels, but if you also want to get sinking line you might want to get an extra spool so you could just have to replace the spool intead of taking all of the floating line off and putting the sinking line on.

Also on a side note you should be ok with just floating line for smallies. If you want to fish the bottom just use heavier flies or put on extra split shot.


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## wabi (Jun 14, 2008)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Clayton you are right on the money! Muskie fishing is and can be expensive but it doesnt have to be. I got Ross 10wt Flystick, a $170 rod that casts much better than the winston rods for less money. But getting into fly tying for muskies is even more expensive, have to have bigger hooks and often 2 hooks on and longer materials is needed.


I use a 6wt Ross FlyStik for a good bit of my "large panfish with a good possibility of small to medium bass" lake & pond fishing and love that rod.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

3wt is my biggest panfish rod! Got a 2wt coming in a trade and 1wt sage that begging for some freakin open water.

CH, good thinking just stick to smallies, they are fun chasing on the fly but if you are fishing areas where there a muskie roaming, then thats good to.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

Clayton,
Nothing beats trying out the rod/reel before you buy. Everyone has a different casting rhythm they prefer. If you go to a few places and cast the rods, your decision will benefit you much longer. For bass, you can get a good setup for $200. I use a 5wt on rivers and ponds but on Lake Erie, I choose a 7wt. If you are thinking steelhead, I would choose a 6wt minimum 7 or 8wt preferred.
Always fun picking out the new toys. Especially when you know you will land many fish with it. 
Good luck,
Rickerd


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## Andrew S. (May 22, 2010)

rickerd said:


> For bass, you can get a good setup for $200.


I think you could do it for even less than that. I recently purchased a 7'6" 4 weight, with reel, backing, and a WF floating line for $99 (on sale). The rod by itself was being sold for $40 for a while. It, like most modern graphite rods, casts very nicely. 

That's not the set up I'd choose first and foremost for smallies, but I think the same combo could be found in a 6 weight. 

For smallmouth, the reel is a line holder. No need to go expensive here.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

For a rod, my go-to rods are St. Croix Triumph. Very good price, nice action, and seem to be built pretty well. This will only be my 6th year fly fishing, so I'm by no means an expert - but I pretty much gave up on the fly rod/reel kits you can pick up at sporting goods stores. My wife bought me a G.Loomis rod last year, but I don't use it for 2 reasons - I don't want to damage it (too expensive!) and it doesn't feel as nice (in my hands) as my St Croix.

As always, just my 2 cents!


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

there is big huge difference in casting quality and services between Loomis and St Ctriox with tthe St Criox the worse I have ever dealt with any one. I wont own one for nothing. Whatever floats your boat.


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