Quote:
Originally Posted by ks.snow
Only been fly fishing a few times at home and now I'm looking to get some of my own gear. Looking to get a rod and reel set up that would be good for the Bow River. Any help would be appreciated!
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This is the advice I picked up from the McLennan Fly Fishing School about getting started: Buy the best line you can. Get the best rod that doesn't break the budget. Spend the remainder on the reel.
There are good combos available. If you are committed, it is not that much more expensive to get good gear that will last you for years
If I were to get one rod specifically for the Bow river, I would probably get a 6wt. If I were to get one rod for every other trout stream in Alberta, it would be 4wt. Bow river fish can get quite big. A stonefly nymph rig or a streamer is a lot nicer to cast with a 6wt rod. Many people go for a 5wt rod, which is generally seen as the good trout all-around go-to. In the 10 years since I picked up the sport, you can now get really good rods for relatively less money, and most come with a good warranty. Depending on your budget, I would expect to spend anywhere from $150-$450.
The Bow river is special in both the size and power of the fish it produces. There are definitely far more experienced anglers on this board, but the only 3 situations I have experienced where a good reel with good drag has been an advantage is fishing for steelhead/salmon, bonefish, and bow river rainbows. That being said, even the cheapest Lamson reel still has a good drag system, is nice to use, and will not break the bank (I think just over $100).
Expect to drop $70-$95 on a good weight-forward line. A good line can make all the difference. Do not cheap out here.
Finally, expect to drop $100 on incidentals. Nippers, forceps, fly box, floatant, leaders, tippet, and flies. This piece is almost unavoidable.
There are 'the nice extras' which might become important, waders being the critical piece. If you are on foot, the Bow can be hard to fish right from the bank. Often you do not need to wade very deep (and most of the time you should avoid wading altogether). With waders, I find you get almost exactly what you pay for. You can wet-wade once July starts, but for spring and fall, waders are fairly important. Some sort of fly-vet/hip-sack/chestpack is nice to have, but I used an old backpack for almost a year. A nice rubberized net will help you catch the fish, and release it at minimal impact.
Go visit one of the local fly shops---avoid the big-box stores. I have had only good experiences at Country Pleasures and Fish Tales. They will not try to fleece you and as a bonus, you will get a wealth of knowledge in how to fish the Bow.