# Fly gear



## GRUNDY (Jun 18, 2005)

After quite a bit of commiserating, I'm pretty sure I want to start fly fishing. The most accessible fish to me will be panfish and bass. I'm leaning towards a 5wt set up.

One thing I need to ask about is the seemingly high prices. It seems as though I can get a very capable spin fishing rig for around 100 bucks. Is fly equipment that much different? Is the less expensive equipment that much worse? Is it possible to get a decent set up for the low $100 range

Are there any resources that could be helpful?

Thanks for the help,

Brian


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

For panfish/bass I would go the Cabelas or TFO route. Do spend a good portion on the line! Anything less will be frustrating at best. Unlike spinning outfits the reel on flyrods only store the line. Don't blow your wad on a reel.


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## woolybug25 (Aug 9, 2011)

Hi Grundy. Welcome to an addiction. 

First of all, there is a sticky thread here: http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=288049 You will find a lot of opinions on this, and that should help you get started. 

$100 is really the lowest end of the spectrum for price ranges on full setups. You can find something in that range, but if you take one piece advice from me, do not buy a prepackaged Cabales special. If possible, spend a little more so you can use it later when you decide to broaden your fly fishing. A 4wt or 5wt is a good wt rod to get started with. If you are planning on fishing smaller, get the 4wt, and vise versa. 

Go to a fly shop, tell them you are a beginner and ask them for advice. They will show you stuff out of your price range obviously, but listen to what they say about actions, models, etc. They may even have something in your price range, but as I said, $100 isn't very much for a brand new rig (most new fly lines are $35-$100 alone). 

If you go elsewhere (ebay, internet special, etc), please remember where you got your info from. Local fly shops are your best resource and you should support them. After looking at rods, if they are all out of your price range, then buy some flies or terminal tackle at least. Trust me, once the bug really sets and you need more in depth help, you will appreciate them still being around. 

Good luck.


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## GRUNDY (Jun 18, 2005)

Thanks for the help. If I'm going to follow through on this I want to be sure I have a realistic idea of what this will cost. It will also serve to indicate how bad I want to try it.


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## rcleofly (Feb 18, 2012)

I started off with a 100$ set up my wife gave me as a Christmas gift. It was a scientific Angler 9' 5/6wt box combo. It was the bass and panfish combo actually. It came with a cuple flys and an instructional video. I no longer use. All I have left of the rod is a 4in piece of the tip. Me and my son rushed home one night after fishing do to a storm. He was 7 and using the combo. We ran inside and left the pole in the car. Sadly the pole was stolen and in the process the tip was busted off. I also had both our vest and waders and my nice set up in the car. I was sad I allowed all our stuff to get stolen but I was heart broken that that combo was gone. It was my first, it was what I learned to cast on, caught my first brown, lost 1000s of flys in trees with and pierced my nose. It never once mattered to me how cheap it was. The tip is mounted on my fly desk. It will always be special to me. As time has passed I've learned its not the quality of the equipment as much as it is the quality of the fisherman. Go head go cheap it won't hurt as you progress so will your gear over time. Good luck and have fun. Fly fishing and tying has change who I am. It's a lot more then just catching fish.

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## Troutlord1 (Jun 6, 2007)

Shoeman said:


> For panfish/bass I would go the Cabelas or TFO route. Do spend a good portion on the line! Anything less will be frustrating at best. Unlike spinning outfits the reel on flyrods only store the line. Don't blow your wad on a reel.


I agree with Shoeman on this.TFO (Temple Fork Outfitters) make quality rods at a decent price.And like Shoe said the reel is not a big deal unless your chasing Salmon or Saltwater. For gills and such ,you just "strip" them in and using drag is not an issue.And,like Shoe mentioned, go with a higher quality line.
I worked in a fly shop for 7 yrs and can say Shoe was spot on with his advice


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## Chromedoggy (Mar 25, 2007)

I will chime in here and agree with the posters above.
For a beginner I would highly recommend a TFO.
More specifically a TFO pro series. It is an extremely easy rod to cast and very forgiving for those of us with a less than perfect stroke. I feel it is the best stick made from the $100 - $350 range. It will set you back $149 new.
I would also recommend the 9' 6wt. With a six you can throw most dries except for very small, handle all nymphing, and be able to chuck chicken scraps on a light sink tip. Under most situations, a 5 is not quite as versatile.


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## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

I guess I'll be the one to play devils advocate on this one. :evilsmile While the TFO is a very nice rod and probably the better long term investment there is no reason that you HAVE to spend that kind of money on rod. Gander mountain has some rods that are "ok" for $50-60. $35 on a reel and $35-50 on a line and your decently functional. I'm not saying you might not enjoy the more expensive set-up but it's far from a requirement and you can fish with a less expensive set up for a long time and enjoy it as long as you don't get the bug to go a shop and try out the more expensive rods. 

Yes, I do have some pretty pricey gear but I fished with inexpensive rods for 15 years before I started spending more money on rods and was pretty happy with what I had. I didn't know what I was missing till I got a freind started on the game and he wanted me to try every rod that he liked and give him my opinion before he bought one. It was a slow spiral of cash from there on out.  

Point is, the expensive fly fishing gear is definitely nice but not necassary. Unless you try it you'll never miss it.


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## woolybug25 (Aug 9, 2011)

fishinlk said:


> I guess I'll be the one to play devils advocate on this one. :evilsmile While the TFO is a very nice rod and probably the better long term investment there is no reason that you HAVE to spend that kind of money on rod. Gander mountain has some rods that are "ok" for $50-60. $35 on a reel and $35-50 on a line and your decently functional. I'm not saying you might not enjoy the more expensive set-up but it's far from a requirement and you can fish with a less expensive set up for a long time and enjoy it as long as you don't get the bug to go a shop and try out the more expensive rods.
> 
> Yes, I do have some pretty pricey gear but I fished with inexpensive rods for 15 years before I started spending more money on rods and was pretty happy with what I had. I didn't know what I was missing till I got a freind started on the game and he wanted me to try every rod that he liked and give him my opinion before he bought one. It was a slow spiral of cash from there on out.
> 
> Point is, the expensive fly fishing gear is definitely nice but not necassary. Unless you try it you'll never miss it.


For your bluegill and bass fishing, I totally agree with all of this. 

That being said if you do get the bug, and many people do, you will want to get into the plethora species pursuits that Michigan offers. If this ends up your path, then you will want a versatile rod. For instance, if you start off with a lighter action Gander bluegill rod and then decide to get into fishing the hex hatch for trout, you may find yourself undergunned. Same situation if you decide to fish streamers. If you decide to go with a heavier but cheaper Gander rod for bass, you will find yourself undergunned for gills and small trout streams. 

You can certainly get a setup from the big box stores that will get you by. But if after talking to guys that work in a fly shop and talking to any of your friends that fly fish, you may find that you want more from your rod than that. If that is the case, it's a lot less expensive to buy one $300 setup that covers a ton over your fishing for many years, then to still buy that $300 setup, just a year after you bought your $100 setup.

Side note: I worked for Gander Mtn for four years. I know their rod lines well. They outperform their price point and are good value, but they are no where near the quality that you can get for slightly more. I'm not talking about Sage, Scott and Winston either. TFO's, Mystic and Echo all make models that are much more versatile and simply perform better. All for a slightly increased price point.


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## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

A variance in rod weights vs. target species is going to apply somewhat equally regardless of cost of the rod. Sure if you buy a 4 wt or short 5 to fish gill or trout you are going to be a little under gunned when steamer or bass fishing. But that's really not going to change if I buy a $60 gander rod or my $600 Winston. Rod weights are designed for a purpose. A 9 ft fast action 6 wt or a midflex 7 wt. for bass or streamers is going have gills feeling like I'm manhandling them, just too much rod. And price point really won't matter. I think if anything most guys tossing more expensive gear get away with a higher quality lighter outfit because they are more skilled with the fly gear by then.


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## woolybug25 (Aug 9, 2011)

fishinlk said:


> A variance in rod weights vs. target species is going to apply somewhat equally regardless of cost of the rod. Sure if you buy a 4 wt or short 5 to fish gill or trout you are going to be a little under gunned when steamer or bass fishing. But that's really not going to change if I buy a $60 gander rod or my $600 Winston. Rod weights are designed for a purpose. A 9 ft fast action 6 wt or a midflex 7 wt. for bass or streamers is going have gills feeling like I'm manhandling them, just too much rod. And price point really won't matter. I think if anything most guys tossing more expensive gear get away with a higher quality lighter outfit because they are more skilled with the fly gear by then.


I wasn't just talking about weights and actions of rods. As I noted, the performance you get out of a Gander Mtn rod vs even a low model Echo are vastly different. I'm not suggesting that Grundy go buy a $600 Winston, but I am suggesting that if he thinks that for his future fishing endeavors he would want a better performing rod, then he could spend slightly more and get much better performance. 

I disagree with you if you feel that a Gander Mountain rod gives you the same amount of performance of similar priced TFO's, Mystics or Echo models. If that level of performance is desired for Gundy a year from now, then why waste money on a rod he is going to replace in a year?

All of that being said, you don't need a ton of performance for basic gill and bass fishing.


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## swaprat (Oct 1, 2011)

GRUNDY said:


> After quite a bit of commiserating, I'm pretty sure I want to start fly fishing. The most accessible fish to me will be panfish and bass. I'm leaning towards a 5wt set up.
> 
> One thing I need to ask about is the seemingly high prices. It seems as though I can get a very capable spin fishing rig for around 100 bucks. Is fly equipment that much different? Is the less expensive equipment that much worse? Is it possible to get a decent set up for the low $100 range
> 
> ...


the reason for the high prices is it made in usa? the higher quality fly reels are made in the usa and are that much better. if looking for decent rods try temple fork outfitters or tfo or http://www.albrightflyfish.com/index.html
wich these two have rods and reels i belive all there products except tfo top of the line reel are made in korea or over seas. of couse the top of the line reel is 350-500 so compare to 35 -50 bucks for a okuma slv from. www.okumafishing.com aslo try to do a search for them chep reel at place like www.bmfs.net and www.ezflyfish.com in their clearence etc.... try other shop etc you know of on the web. that okuma i think is made in korea for a 5 weight or even a 8 weight for steel it will hold up. also albright has rods and reels. any ways wish ya luck.


also check these out 

http://www.bobmarriottsflyfishingstore.com/fly-rods/echo/echo-solo-3-piece-rods


also with the higher price you do not always get better in 5 weights like rods there just as good as american made and the okumas reels are good. but not as good as the american made reels. but in a 5 weight all it is ment to do is hold the line not break the tippets from the drag presure used. you barely ever will use the drag on a five weight. all the americans did is give better warranty and services and a little better in the rods and a whole lot better in the reels. any ways best of luck


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Given the size of the offering typically needed to get bass to move for a bait that isn't right on their nose, and the ease at which fly fishers at any level can get frustrated trying to cast a bug too big for the line, I would say under most circumstances a 6 wt is the minimum weight for a bass rod. That would allow one to cast small-medium sized bass poppers and streamers with some degree of efficiency.


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

You guys are offering some really solid advice to get a beginner going on getting a rod set up. 

The one thing I will add here is that, as a beginner, you may not realize exactly what a better quality rod will do for you. However, as your casting skill improves you will be able to take advantage of the higher performance level of a quality rod. I often see guys throwing rods that far out perform their casting ability but with practice they can learn to utilize a good rod closer to its full ablity.

While it may have been mentioned earlier, TFO rods generally offer a limited lifetime warranty. As a guy in the fly retail industry, I have to say that TFO offers some of the best customer service I have seen recently.

Good luck on your fly fishing endeavors. There is some real solid advice on this thread which should point you in the right direction.


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

Why not use flies on spinning gear? Your bait will be in the water a lot more with that presentation!


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## woolybug25 (Aug 9, 2011)

METTLEFISH said:


> Why not use flies on spinning gear? Your bait will be in the water a lot more with that presentation!


Enlighten us on how a spinning rod helps you keep a bluegill popper in the water longer.


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

woolybug25 said:


> Enlighten us on how a spinning rod helps you keep a bluegill popper in the water longer.


If you can load a flyrod with one motion then it wouldn't make any difference, but how many can do that except probably you.


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## woolybug25 (Aug 9, 2011)

riverman said:


> If you can load a flyrod with one motion then it wouldn't make any difference, but how many can do that except probably you.


I am guessing pretty much most people could pick up a gill popper and drop back down with one false cast. It's not difficult. It's a whole lot less time consuming that reeling in your line, opening a bail and then casting a bobber setup back out. 

The biggest point is that if Gundy wanted to know about how to fish gills on a spinning rod, he wouldn't have asked for advice on a fly rod.


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## Chromedoggy (Mar 25, 2007)

riverman said:


> If you can load a flyrod with one motion then it wouldn't make any difference, but how many can do that except probably you.



For me it takes less time to do a basic pick up cast than it does to reel in a fly and float and re cast.
If you need to false cast often fishing for bluegills, you likely are not positioning yourself properly or not properly equipped.


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## swaprat (Oct 1, 2011)

i think the only reason not to use spinning gear and use fly gear is the challange of it. i think it is harder to learn to fly cast harder to learn how to fish the indivigal flies what line to use etc... were it is cast and catch fish get boring and some people like different things like a change of seenory. this is like when you been working the same place for 10 year that go no ware and you want a change. it is just a lot funner useing a fly rod bring life back to fishing. most of all on small pounds catching gills and bass. you are right you can fish with a spinning rod and a bubble .it just adds more fub to it for people that want more. also i think some one said some thing abouit line weight and a 6 weight and flies i would go for a 8 weight if any thing gill will eat any thing most of the time but casting a bass lure is a pain in the wind mosty of all big ones. some time even with a 8 weight unless you looking for a x over rod for trout etc then go for the 6 weight. if looking for a xover rod for steel slamon bass go for a 8 weight . any ways wish you luck at the slection


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