Fly Fishing BS thread

dang! I have hooked up with a few on spinning but they always jump and shake the hook loose. One pulled me around on the kayak for about 10 seconds then jumped

 

9' 5w is going to be your most versatile outfit. Good for small and medium size trout streams and smaller rivers. Good for panfish and for smaller bass. Itll throw size 20 midges or size 8 wooly buggers no problem.

I fish mine all summer long for bass and panfish in local lakes. I also use on stocked trout stream.

I have shorter and lighter rods that I use alot too - a 7'6" 3w and a 6'6" 3/4w.

All the fish / steam pictures Ive posted on the last few pages, Ive used one of the shorter 2 on. The 6'6" is 'glass and a blast to fish. I use em for little wild trout on tiny mountain streams.

If you have time, give this a look. Tons of good info here - http://howtoflyfish.orvis.com/video-lessons

 

Subd. This thread is going to come in handy next spring, when I finally learn go fly fish.

 

Thanks bud! The local guys around here are reccommending the redington path outfit in either the6wt or 5wt. Figure I'll get two since I'll probably benefit from having a different set up. I'll check out that video. Orvis has always had had some great information.

 

My first rig was a 9' 5wt. You can't go wrong. I'm a Sage guy, though I have some Scott and Winston stuff. But you don't need anything like that. Yet.

 

Redington makes nice stuff. TFO does too. As does most mid to high end company. My 9'5w is an Orvis Clearwater. I bought it because it was the right price, it was on sale, and the warranty fits the bill. Its super versatile.

My 7'6" 3w is a Cabela's something or other. I dont use it that much anymore.

My 6'6" 3/4w is a cheapy 'glass Eagleclaw Featherlight and I love it for tight/close quarters fishing. Out of all my rods, the featherlight is my favorite just because it fits the style of fishing I do the best. If i break it crawling around on rocks or in the brush, I wont feel bad.

I do have an old 'glass heavy weight (no marking,) rod I occasionally use for bass but its like swingin a telephone pole.

 

I also have a 3 wt. Mine was made by a friend using Cabela blanks. It's a sweet little rod for dinky creeks. I use a Sage 5 wt as my primary. Though when my wife isn't looking I will sometimes sneak away with her Scott.

 

I should have figured Don Not sure if many even comprehend the full impact of your post... Back in the mid 80's I got stationed in Lancaster Pa. and got to know Bob Clouser (Clouser minnow and good friends with Lefty Kreh). He once told me that a Cortland or Fenwick is all 95% of those fly fishing really need. For the other 5% Sage. His son Bobby now runs the shop and I see they now sell St. Croix. Used to be mainly Sage with some Scott, Winston, Powell, etc. When I first got stationed down there I kept running back to the freestone streams in the mountains like Steve does. Bob talked me into trying some of the local limestone streams, and that is where I stayed fishing for the rest of my tour.

We both likely have the same view of Orvis and some of that comes from the upland side of the house I'm sure. Nothing like a well worn and duct taped Filson vest to tell the Orvis crowd no need to apply for membership. With that said I have an Orvis reel from the 70's that I caught a 44lb. King on with a #8 rod and 10 lb. tippet. The reel is still serviceable. Last summer the girlfriend thought she wanted to try fly fishing so I worked with her for a bit then took her to a fly shop thinking a Redington starter outfit would be good. After swinging a couple of rods around she said she wanted "this one". Of course it was a Sage.

 

My first fly rod was a two piece 9ft 5 wt Sage with a Reddiington reel. Friends called it a telephone pole. But I liked it. It was great for the Madison. Got it on sale at a fly show. After that I got into Galvin Reels. They are made semi locally to me in Sonoma Ca. Most all my reels are Gavin, except that Reddington, and one Orvis. I got the Orvis a couple years ago, cheap, for a new 12 wt I got for tarpon. I have one St Croix, a nice soft 5wt I use for tight small rivers. Too bad I haven't gotten to use any of them for many months. Drought has been a big factor in my fishing plans. Raining like hell here in the SF Bay area today. Hopefully better run off in the spring.

 

Reddington is owned by sage. High end is usually 75% warranty/status, 25% better performance. TFO build a great rod for a limited budget. Spend the money on great (I mean great) waders, shoes, and vest. Ross reels are good for the $$$, but be careful, there are USA and foreign lines. These guys seem to get most of my retirement....
http://www.mrfc.com/MadisonRiverShopping/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=4

 

After I posted that Bobby Clouser is now selling St. Croix I checked and now it is TFO. Don't agree with the statement about better rods only 25% performance and 2 vivid examples come to mind. First was when Bob Clouser took me to the empty lot across from his shop and with 2 backhauls was deep into his backing with a Sage. I didn't come as close as him but still the Sage was a huge difference for me. The other was when I was stationed in Asheville, NC in the early 90's and a friend that is an Orthopedic Surgeon wanted to learn how to fly fish so I helped him purchase his rod, ended up with a Sage. Later on a stream he asked if I wanted to try his rod (don't recall the exact model) and my first cast blew my mind. I only made one cast with it and handed it back to him because I was afraid that if I did another one I would eat beanie wienies for a couple of months to buy one. He went to Georgetown on a basketball scholarship and was very athletic. And considered one of the best surgeons East of the Mississippi so if you have the athletic ability there is a very large difference. Even with me there was a big difference in distance and accuracy.

But agree yes starting out first couple of years the rod isn't as important as the other gear. I still have vests but not many starting out today do they use packs of one type or another.

My boots are the original Gary Borger wading boots made by Weinbrenner, and still work great after more than 25 years. My waders are the good old fashioned Red Ball stocking foot waders which were not made since 1990. And they still work and are the only ones I have. Yellowstone Angler had a great review of Waders back in 2013 and they use the Red Balls as a torture test baseline.

At the bottom summing up the Red Balls.

James’ Take:
Perhaps the perfect waders to lend to your mother-in-law or worst enemy. While these were the go to wader back in the day, today they might be considered a torture suit or perhaps a “make weight” wrestlers training suit. The suspenders were very flexible however, which was great for watering bushes and no zipper to get stuck on. The feet make you look like Ralphie from the Christmas Story, that or the boy from Where the Wild Things Are. A two-minute walk will make your skin feel clammier than a methadone overdose. Old guys like my dad remember how miserable these waders were to walk any distance in on a hot day. When I took them off after the treadmill test, there was clearly a layer of sweat and condensation clinging to the inside of the wader. Check this out in our Wader Workout Video. All said, if you still own a pair of waders this old school, you’re pretty pimp.

Guess I'm pimp LOL. But one of these days very soon I am going to invest in a pair of breathable waders. Technology does change somethings for the better.

 

Man, I wish there were some limestoners closer to western PA

 

Yea I don't own any waders or anything yet, but I'm sure I've got a nice budget busting buying spree coming up very soon after Christmas Haha. But Thanks on the input about TFO. My old Roomate has a couple and he said they not are his favorites but he broke the top off and they replaced it with no questions asked. All he had to do was shop it to them. This was after the rod was already a few years old. I trust his judgement because he's a picky bastard and only sticks with the best

 

Couple more nice browns from this past Sunday....crazy warm (50's) temps in Maine for December. Generally don't fish much this time of year, but with weather being so nice, I've hit some places close to home. Been having good luck going "unconventional".....these 2 liked the size 6 yellow Woolly Bugger slung on my TFO Pro II 9' - 5wt with Ross CLA2.

 

Got a good laugh out of this

https://youtu.be/f6DYVBdo6TM

 

Nice browns!

The Hank Patterson stuff is hilarious.

 

Well, it is pretty much ice fishing season here. Anyone looking forward to pulling some fatties through a small hole?

 

Not into ice fishing any more, used to be. However the limestone streams here in the driftless area stay open all year with just some shelf ice, season opens again Jan. 1. If it stays this warm I will get out a few times but it really needs to stay around 30 or so for a few days to be effective. I've done it in the teens below zero. Spend more time chipping ice out of the guides and never caught a thing when it gets below 20 degrees. Can't even get the trout to turn their head to look at a fly even though the water temp stays constant no matter what the air temp.

 

Never been ice fishing not sure if it would be enjoyable for me. Freeze your ass off sitting on a huge block of ice. Fishing through a hole. Although I say that. If I ever had the chance to go my response world be a solid hell yea I wanna go.

 

Ya know, I said that the first time I went out. My dad has been into it far longer than me and he finally got me to go out. I bitched and moaned about how we are just sitting around doing nothing and then I go my first bite. Hooked since. My dad doesn't drink but it's a blast to go out with a friend and some beers. I bring a stove and cook some soup or heat up some warm drinks. If fishing is dull I normally just go off and explore or play with the dog.

Can't say I have had a bad day on the ice. I now have moved up to a shelter so I don't have to sit on a bucket in the open haha.