Fly Rod Advice

[Dick84]

Living in Ontario I've never fly fished before and now that I'm in Alberta I would really like to learn how to, just was wondering what peoples advice is on what weight fly rod I should start out with? My friend has a trout pond stocked with rainbows that I figure would be a good place to practice on. Thanks for any info!

[TheLegend]

I would start out with a 5 or 6 weight. Big enough to punch flies on windy days and catch large fish yet still able to catch small fish or use small flies.

[lone wolf]

I would start out with a 5 or 6 weight. Big enough to punch flies on windy days and catch large fish yet still able to catch small fish or use small flies.

x2 ... great starter weight. Perfect for trout, lots of backbone, yet light enough to get a good fight from the fish

[Unknown303]

I bought one of those Redington Pursuit 2 piece rod combos and if you've seen my threads I'm catching some decent fish with it so far.

[Dick84]

Thanks for the info guys, I guess to further my question what type of line and flies would you recommend to start out with? Is there any combo's that are decent buys? I'm heading to cabelas on wednesday and was gonna look around, hopefully I can find my way out!

[Dak1138]

fishin hole sale starts wednesday.you may want to start your search there before going to cabelas.

[Bowfloat]

Best advise for a just starting out flyfisherman
:thinking-006:

By a TFO garanteed for life reguardless of reason and if you live in Calgary it can be replaced the same day.
The Fishing hole should have a complete rod, reel and case on sale this week.

[Rumtan]

x2 on the TFO, I have 2 TFO rods and they are both fun and reliable. One broke at the tip when slammed into the trailer door on a trip, and it was replaced in Calgary no questions asked.

[jgrocks]

Forgive me if I got the wording wrong (still pretty new to this scene).....Would the TFO rod 5 or 6 weight be suitable for salmon fishing (not ocean, more in rivers)? If not, what kind of weight should I get as well as what kind of rod.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Forgive me if I got the wording wrong (still pretty new to this scene).....Would the TFO rod 5 or 6 weight be suitable for salmon fishing (not ocean, more in rivers)? If not, what kind of weight should I get as well as what kind of rod.

No it would be too light for that application you would like need a 9-10 wt (or more) for Salmon in a river.

LC

[Bowfloat]

Unfortunatly flyfishing is a very gear specific, depending on what you are fishing for to what you are presenting in what type of water body you are fishing on.

Flyfishing is not a cheap.

[Jayhad]

JGRocks,
Depending on the salmon species you are chasing a 6 wt may be appropiate. I have fished 6 and 7 wts for pinks. If you tie into a chinook you just point the rod at him and bust off. I fish 8wt for coho and chum and 9 wt for chinooks, if you want a rod to do all your salmon fishing a 9wt would suffice.
If you are heading some where the avereage chinook size is 25lb+ a 10 wt would be an option, but if you are just planning on hit the rivers in the lower mainland you should be good.
NOTE: this is assuming you are just single handing and not double hand casting. with a 7wt or 8wt 12'6" double hander you can easily handle all of the salmon species

[Okotokian]

Thanks for the info guys, I guess to further my question what type of line and flies would you recommend to start out with? Is there any combo's that are decent buys? I'm heading to cabelas on wednesday and was gonna look around, hopefully I can find my way out!

Like most other hunting or fishing equipment selections, it helps if you know what you want to go after and where. You can fly fish for all sorts of fish in all sorts of places. Down here I think most people start out on trout (rainbows, cutts, not lakers) on midsized streams or lakes, the biggest being the Bow, so a 5 or 6 weight rod with floating weight forward tapered line is good. Up there where you are I'm not sure. Which leads me to my next suggestion...

You could go to Cabela's and buy all your gear, but I'd suggest you take a look at a local fly shop up there. They know the conditions and what works in your area better than some clerk down in Edmonton, so I'd at least buy your flies locally, if not your rod, reel, and line. Throw the local guys as much business as you can or they won't be around to give you advice later.

[commieboy]

Flyfishing is not a cheap.

Yeah.... it would have been nice if someone told me that before I got in to it!

When I started flyfishing, I was under the impression that this was a poor man's sport. I know much better now... and I'm constantly broke!

[Bowfloat]

Yeah.... it would have been nice if someone told me that before I got in to it!

When I started flyfishing, I was under the impression that this was a poor man's sport. I know much better now... and I'm constantly broke!

You would not have listen.

Constantly + broke = poor man :)

[Pudelpointer]

.....with a 7wt or 8wt 12'6" double hander you can easily handle all of the salmon species

I agree with all of your post except this part Jayhad. I have seen large Chum salmon literally destroy 8 weight rods and cheap reels. Also, a 9 weight two-hander is marginal for all but the smallest Chinook. A 10 is minimum if you think you might hook into a >35lb chinook, otherwise you are just asking for a broken rod or losing your line (and 35lb chinooks are not uncommon in many river systems).

Maybe one of our AO Members who had a recent experience on the Skeena will chime in with the details.....

As for the OPs question, as others have indicated, a 5 or 6 weight rod with a floating line would be a great starter set-up. The next purchase I would highly recommend would be a "slime line", which is a clear Intermediate sink. It is an excellent lake line and streamer line for rivers/streams.

Invest in a decent rod (in other words, if you can afford better than a CT or Wallmart package - then do so) to start and you will be happier in the long run. Some packages are well set up (line appropriate for rod design) and some are not. I tried casting a TFO package a couple months back that was just awful for anything but casting the entire line. Useless for medium or short range casting. Felt like a piece of pine until you had 50 feet of line hanging from the tip.

If you can find a place to try a few rods and lines, GO FOR IT! Unfortunately there are not many places where you can do that these days. If you can sit in on a casting class somewhere, it is money well spent.

I have been fly fishing for well over 2 decades, have fished everything from salt-water bottom fish (ling cod, flounder, etc.) to open water salmon, to English chalk streams, etc., and had never had a casting lesson in my life.

This spring I shared an hour long lesson with a friend, and for the first time in my life was able to cast an entire fly line! I also solved a continual problem with tailing loops. I have read hundreds of articles and numerous books on casting, but I could not get past a couple issues (basically bad habits that I developed when I first started) until that lesson.

I am now casting farther, easier, and with greater accuracy then at any point in my life. Again, money well spent.