Fly Fishing Advice 2024
Got1Fishing reply :
Hey fellas,
Now I realize this isn't exactly a fly fishing forum, but you guys have given me great advice in the past, and I figured... what the heck. I'm sure some of you guys fly fish as well, and could point me in the right direction.
I went trout fishing for the first time this past weekend, and man am I hooked... I love the thrill of walking through the water and catching them. I used an UL spinning reel with weight worms, crickets, and Gulp Alive Minnows. So needless to say I want to purchase my first fly rod. I have done some reading, and it appears that with a 5wt you can trout and bass fish, which sounds perfect. I've narrowed it down to an Orvis Clearwater or St. Croix Imperial. Anyone have any knowledge between these two rods? I read Orvis' warranty is awesome; 25 years, repair or replace, no questions asked. St. Croix on the other hand; lifetime warranty, but you have to pay to replace or upgrade if you choose to.
Any advice on a great starter rod and reel for trout and bass fishing would be awesome guys.
Thanks,
Sam
flyfisher reply :
First question is what kind of trout, rainbows, browns or chasing brookies in the mountains?
A 5wt is a good overall weight but i feel like it is to large for most trout myself unless you are targeting larger species or throwing streamers. I like a 4wt for most trout situations and have landed everything from 3" brookies to 25" brown trout on my 4wt. I find 5wt a little light for most bass flies myself.
I am not a fan of orvis rods but can't say exactly why other than when i cast them they just didn't feel right, how's that for a scientific opinion 
I do like St. Croix rods and own a couple and i also like sage rods. The biggest thing is to establish some sort of budget and spend about 60-70% on a rod 20-25% on the line and whatever is left on the reel as it is nothing more than a rod counterweight and line storage device. I have also read good things about the TFO series of rods but have only cast one once and i did like it.
The best piece of advice i can give is to either get a lesson from a guide for casting or find a friend who is good and can teach you the basics of casting as this will drastically shorten your learning curve.
Good luck and feel free to ask more questions as tere are a few other fly fishermen on this board that ia msure will also chime in.
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
To start, my brother has not had any luck with his orvis clearwater. His first one the cork came loose and slid right off. The second one the finish on the rod bubbled all the way up the rod after a few days. The only good thing I can say is that he loves how it casts and the customer service was very good.
I would also like to throw in that you should not buy cheap line. You will be more happy in the long run with a high end line. You will cast easier, deal with less tangles, and the line will last much longer. $80 for one spool of float line is not uncommon.
Personally I didn't go with that high end of a rod my first tine around, and it worked out well. If you want a more all around rod I qould go with something like a 6wt or 5wt. Then I would build your fly fishing arsenal from there, starting with either a 4wt or a 8wt as your second rod.
When it comes to rods for $110 the Redington Pursuit is a fantastic rod. Its made well, has a good warranty, and casts very nice. If you want a slower action rod something like a tfo professional too could be an option.
The reson why I'm saying to save a little on the rod is so you can get an Allen reel. Not many have heard of this brand yet, but the reels are amazing at their price point. There is no play between the spool and body, and they are as smooth as butter. Some of the reels design like the kracken have a 'v' in the spool that just eats backing up( which means it holds a lot of backing). That ia what I would do. Best of luck and don't forget to post pictures of what you get!
Capt.Bob reply :
I think the one rod idea will bite you! You need two rods one for each species. I use a 7 wt. for bass and Browns , rainbow and Steelhead, and I consider that light at times. It is great for Smallies and open water fishing, but when throwing weedless poppers, frogs, and my favorite "MICE" in the pads and weeds, I find the 8 wt. would have been better suited for this. I have caught some very nice fish with the fly rod,,,,,,,but have lost the biggest bass in cover and I think it was from too light a leader, but also not being able to keep the fish coming to me and allowing it to get to deep in the vegetation. I could have used a little more rod to get them out, and the 8wt line would help casting some of these not so wind friendly poppers and mice.
Then when fishing for small trout and big bluegills it seems it is over bearing and the 4wt is my preferred rod. If going for brookies and small trout in stocked streams where most adults are non existent,,,,,,(like around here) the 7 wt was no fun and why I bought the 4wt. It is kinda like the difference between you using the Ultra-ligh on your trip or if you would have used your 6'6" or 7' MH,,,,,,same goes for bass fishing, if you tried your Utra-light on your next bass trip and fishing weedless rigs in the pads and weeds. But the big difference with a fly rod is your line wt and rod wt are what cast your fly's. Big poppers frogs mice and even streemer's are hard to cast on calm days with a light rod and line, even on a 5wt, let alone in the wind.
As others have said,,,,,"don't invest in cheap line" it is to casting, like buying a $20.00 reel and trying to throw with your Lew's TP or Shimano Core,,,,, good line is not an option on a fly rod "ESPECIALLY A NOVICE" nothing is worse than the frustration trying to cast fly's with the wrong equipment. Light lines and tippets on to heavy a rod for me,,,,results in snapping them off at the knot, and heavy line and tippet on a light rod ends up in a disaster trying to make any cast over a few feet. The line and rod as others have said is where to put your money, I have a St. Croix Avid in 4wt that is great, I spent the big buck's on my 7wt. Legend Ultra, and although I am happy with it, I think the Avid would have worked just as good???? I am not familiar with the Imperial but would have to think from St. Croix you will get your money's worth,,,,,"I ALLWAY'S HAVE"!!
I spent big money right off the bat for a 7wt for smallies and rainbows and it worked great. The smallies were on Lake Erie and I had open water to contend with and the Rainbows were in a fairly open stream. For bigger bass and Steelhead I was a little light. I have to much invested in the Legend Ultra 7wt and don't use it enough to justify switching now. But if I were to buy a rod today for bass and larger trout, to use in all situations, I would go with an 8 wt. for the smaller fish like brook trout and small streams that get annual stockings with very few adult trout, I love my 4wt. With all this being said, I am only an occasional fly fisherman that has been doing it for 30 some years, so I am sure there others with more experience than me on these boards!! But this has been my experience using these types of rods for all species.
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
I agree with some of the things just stated. I use an 8wt for my primary bass fishing, and a 6 for trout and panfish, to me having a 4 to go along with it would be good, but I I vested in a 10wt for my pike and musky fishing.
Another thing to think about is what line you buy. If your doing bass and trout fishing I would get float line, but if you want to do open water fishing I would buy a full sink or intermediate line. Just another thing to think about.
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
Juat found out Cabelas has Redington Pursuit Fly rods for $60. That is a steal!
flyfisher reply :
Get a beginners line too...they usually have a shorter heavier head which allows line turnover to be easier, the SA headstart series is a good one too.. They also work very well for bass flies. I would also agree that a lfoating line is all you wil lneed for 95% of your flyfishing. personally if i fish deeper than about 6-8 feet i go with onventional gear as it is a better suited tool for the job and besides, casting a sinking line for hours pretty much sucks, until you catch one
An avid is a good rod for trout as it is a little slower action but for beginners i find that faster action rods are more forgiving and easier to learn how to cast as most of the people i taught have a tendency to cast to quickly and not allow the rod to load properly. Fast rods will be more forgiving in these instances.
If i were building up rods for trout and bass (which i have already done by the way) i would go with a 3wt for mountain streams, 4wt for all other trout, 7wt for smallies and i have a sage bass II largemouth rod for LM which i think is about a 10-11wt based on the line weight.
new2BC4bass reply :
My flyfishing experience is extremely limited. i have, however, done lots of reading and dreaming on the subject. My first rod was a 9' GL3 8wt with a weight forward line...purchased almost 20 years ago. A couple years ago I bought a custom built 3wt from a guy with an excellent reputation on one of the flyfishing forums. I put a double taper line on it. It was bought strictly for panfish, and with the hopes that I might someday actually go trout fishing (local streams).
I think lessons are extremely important. The owner where I bought my GL3 gave me free lessons. He could unload the whole flyline with ease.
One thing I have gathered from all my reading is that different rod manufacturers have different ideas of what constitutes a good rod action. One action may suit a user better than the others. That may be why 'flyfisher' doesn't like Orvis. Take myself as an example. I learned on the 8wt. It is a pretty fast rod. The 3wt is not only much lighter, (and I compounded the problem by using a double taper line), but the rod's action is much slower that the GL3. I can almost spit as far as I can cast that 3wt. 
My timing on the 3wt is horrible.
As already stated, a large fly can be tough or impossible to turn over with a light line. Although the 8wt can turn over a sparsely dressed #32 hook, it won't be the ideal finesse rod or give much sport to catching a small stream Brookie. Kind of like the bass pros skimming a 2 pound largemouth across the water's surface.
flyfisher reply :
You are right, in that casting style/stroke does play a big part of which rods you like to use. Flyfishing is very much a feel sport and i learned to fish on Sage & St. Croix so that is probably why i prefer them but i have cast a few Scott, winston and T&T rods that are just perfect....to me 
new2BC4bass reply :
On 6/21/2013 at 1:56 AM, flyfisher said:You are right, in that casting style/stroke does play a big part of which rods you like to use. Flyfishing is very much a feel sport and i learned to fish on Sage & St. Croix so that is probably why i prefer them but i have cast a few Scott, winston and T&T rods that are just perfect....to me
Those babies would be perfect for me too........................if I ever could afford one! 
flyfisher reply :
I don't like the lighter weight scott rods but i do like their heavier, 6+ weights. I know a guy who had a winston 3wt something or other $700+ rod and while fishing the one piece came off and he lost in the river. He contacted winston and told them the story so they said ok, send it back and they replaced the entire rod no questions asked. That is incredible service and not even to be expected.
gr8outdoorz reply :
On 6/20/2013 at 7:42 PM, CruzLCA961 said:Hey fellas,
Now I realize this isn't exactly a fly fishing forum, but you guys have given me great advice in the past, and I figured... what the heck. I'm sure some of you guys fly fish as well, and could point me in the right direction.
I went trout fishing for the first time this past weekend, and man am I hooked... I love the thrill of walking through the water and catching them. I used an UL spinning reel with weight worms, crickets, and Gulp Alive Minnows. So needless to say I want to purchase my first fly rod. I have done some reading, and it appears that with a 5wt you can trout and bass fish, which sounds perfect. I've narrowed it down to an Orvis Clearwater or St. Croix Imperial. Anyone have any knowledge between these two rods? I read Orvis' warranty is awesome; 25 years, repair or replace, no questions asked. St. Croix on the other hand; lifetime warranty, but you have to pay to replace or upgrade if you choose to.
Any advice on a great starter rod and reel for trout and bass fishing would be awesome guys.
Thanks,
Sam
You have been given great advice so far. I know its not what you want to hear, but you definitely need different fly rods for bass and trout.
When buying a fly rod you need to determine what size flies you will be throwing with it. That determines what weight rod to get.
You CAN throw tiny trout flies with an 8 wt, but the weight of the line will seriously affect the presentation. On the flip side, it is impossible to throw big wind resistant flies on a 4 or 5 wt. They just do not have the line weight to handle those flies. I do use my 8 wt for trout in winter, only because I am throwing size 1 & 2 articulated streamers for trophy browns (28+ inches). The rest of the year I use a 4, 5, & 6 wt (of different actions) for trout. For bass I throw the 8 wt. For bluegill I throw a 3 & 4 wt.
I would recommend getting either a fast action 4 wt or moderate action 5 wt for your trout rod & save up and get a 7-8 wt for a bass rod.
Hope this helps!
Got1Fishing reply :
Thanks for advice guys! Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but greatly appreciated. There's always more money to be spent haha.
Perhaps I'll buy a 5wt St. Avid Series and then a high quality weight forward line. I read the weight forward line is better for beginners, rather than a double tapered line? Could someone give me a brand and model of line that I could purchase? I will also be using a decent reel, since it mostly only holds the line. I'm very excited about my upcoming purchase and will post pictures once I get my setup. Now I know there will probably be some debate, but could you guys just chose a decent reel for my first setup? I don't understand all the size differences (mid arbor, full arbor, and so on...) when shopping.
My budget is from $300-400.
I'm going to go with a St. Croix 9' fast action 4 piece rod. $220 -- I wish they offered it in a moderate action)
Line: unknown yet
Reel: unknown yet
I will get an 8wt setup when I'm ready to bass fish! Thanks for all the advice so far gentlemen.
This is what we caught on my first trout fishing trip:
19" rainbow trout! Caught it on a 3" Gulp Alive minnow
Edited by CruzLCA961MichiganFishing1997 reply :
Do you have a local fly shop? If so they may let you cast the line. For a reel I would look at Allen reels, they are fantastic. For line I would look at Scientific Angler or Rio line. I don't know specific models.
webertime reply :
Be aware that a 9 footer is a long rod, if you are getting up in the Smokies you may find it a bit too big for the tight quarters. I learned on an 8' 6wt Orvis Green Mountain (the Clearwater replaced that model) and I have caught fish from 3-4" brookies to 4.5lb Smallies on it. A 5-6 wt 8' rod is a very versitile set up and serve you well until you have the $$ to diversify (if you even want too). I love my Sage SPL 893 ($$$$) and my grand father's 8' 8wt Berkley Fiberglass from 1960 (think ugly stick) you can catch fish on anything as long as you get comfortable with it.
Got1Fishing reply :
On 6/22/2013 at 12:08 AM, MichiganFishing1997 said:Do you have a local fly shop? If so they may let you cast the line. For a reel I would look at Allen reels, they are fantastic. For line I would look at Scientific Angler or Rio line. I don't know specific models.
I wish I did! The only local shop is 40+ minutes away from me. Bass Pro is the closest, and they have a ton of White River stuff. A couple of TFO rods, and some Sages
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
I totally agree. The 9' rod will allow you to cast a little farther, but if your fishing in tighter quarters that will only give you trouble. You could probably find something line a 7'6" 4wt, or 8'6" 5/6wt if you want something a little shorter.On 6/22/2013 at 12:58 AM, webertime said:Be aware that a 9 footer is a long rod, if you are getting up in the Smokies you may find it a bit too big for the tight quarters. I learned on an 8' 6wt Orvis Green Mountain (the Clearwater replaced that model) and I have caught fish from 3-4" brookies to 4.5lb Smallies on it. A 5-6 wt 8' rod is a very versitile set up and serve you well until you have the $$ to diversify (if you even want too). I love my Sage SPL 893 ($$$$) and my grand father's 8' 8wt Berkley Fiberglass from 1960 (think ugly stick) you can catch fish on anything as long as you get comfortable with it.
Got1Fishing reply :
On 6/22/2013 at 12:58 AM, webertime said:Be aware that a 9 footer is a long rod, if you are getting up in the Smokies you may find it a bit too big for the tight quarters. I learned on an 8' 6wt Orvis Green Mountain (the Clearwater replaced that model) and I have caught fish from 3-4" brookies to 4.5lb Smallies on it. A 5-6 wt 8' rod is a very versitile set up and serve you well until you have the $$ to diversify (if you even want too). I love my Sage SPL 893 ($$$$) and my grand father's 8' 8wt Berkley Fiberglass from 1960 (think ugly stick) you can catch fish on anything as long as you get comfortable with it.
Thanks for the advice! I'm aware of how long it is! I went in and held one, and it's just ridiculous how long they are. I just figured, why wouldn't a get the extra 4" for same price. I was originally planning to get a 8'6"
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
The half a foot can make a difference. My bass rod is a 7'11" 8wt, I can't cast as far as with a 9' rod but it allows for more power. This makes it easier for me to cast large poppers and other wind resistant flies.
On a side note remember that a faster action rod will allow you to cast your flies easier when it is windy.
Got1Fishing reply :
On 6/22/2013 at 1:12 AM, MichiganFishing1997 said:The half a foot can make a difference. My bass rod is a 7'11" 8wt, I can't cast as far as with a 9' rod but it allows for more power. This makes it easier for me to cast large poppers and other wind resistant flies.
On a side note remember that a faster action rod will allow you to cast your flies easier when it is windy.
Haha.. wow my math. You're right it is a half foot longer. Thanks for pointing that out. Guess I'll stick with the 8'6". Thanks guys. so with the rod I've mentioned above, what kind of flies can I toss on a 5wt fast action rod? Nymphs only?
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
You can throw small streamers, wooly buggers, small poppers, things like that. I will post a picture later.
Capt.Bob reply :
On 6/21/2013 at 12:51 AM, flyfisher said:An avid is a good rod for trout as it is a little slower action but for beginners i find that faster action rods are more forgiving and easier to learn how to cast as most of the people i taught have a tendency to cast to quickly and not allow the rod to load properly. Fast rods will be more forgiving in these instances.
Thanks for that bit of info on the Avid line of fly rods flyfisher,,,,,I was not aware that was a characteristic with all wts. in the Avid line. But the slow action was what I liked about the rod for bluegill and small trout in slower water (the small rivers I fish for trout are not very fast water). I was looking at adding a 10 wt. and the price of the Avid was appealing for the 10 wt. I would use this for heavy cover top water bass and weeds to shallow open water for pike. Now that I have this tiny bit of information I will stick with the Legend rod's as I definitely like the faster action's for the heavier line and bigger wind sensitive fly's that are hard to cast with any distance in the wind. I want to be able to stay out about 40 feet or so from the weed line, and make cast 10 or so feet back into the salad for large mouth, and the older I get the more work that becomes!!! 
Thanks Fly!!! 
On 6/22/2013 at 12:08 AM, MichiganFishing1997 said:Do you have a local fly shop? If so they may let you cast the line. For a reel I would look at Allen reels, they are fantastic. For line I would look at Scientific Angler or Rio line. I don't know specific models.
Those would be my top choices, I have never used the Rio, but have used the Scientific angler for some time, it don't get no better if you use their top of the line (no pun intended LINE, the Rio is well known for it's quality also
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
On 6/22/2013 at 1:27 AM, Capt.Bob said:Thanks for that bit of info on the Avid line of fly rods flyfisher,,,,,I was not aware that was a characteristic with all wts. in the Avid line. But the slow action was what I liked about the rod for bluegill and small trout in slower water (the small rivers I fish for trout are not very fast water). I was looking at adding a 10 wt. and the price of the Avid was appealing for the 10 wt. I would use this for heavy cover top water bass and weeds to shallow open water for pike. Now that I have this tiny bit of information I will stick with the Legend rod's as I definitely like the faster action's for the heavier line and bigger wind sensitive fly's that are hard to cast with any distance in the wind. I want to be able to stay out about 40 feet or so from the weed line, and make cast 10 or so feet back into the salad for large mouth, and the older I get the more work that becomes!!!
Those would be my top choices, I have never used the Rio, but have used the Scientific angler for some time, it don't get no better if you use their top of the line (no pun intended LINE, the Rio is well known for it's quality also
A 10wt will work well for casting those larger bass flies. I use my 10wt for large musky flies. 10" and 12" very wind resistant musky flies. I can double haul them about 70' and it just launches my bass flies when I fish for smallies. If you want one with a little more backbone and a nicer fighting butt get a saltwater rod. That's what I chose to do.
flyfisher reply :
The more moderate action rods definitely help when protecting tippets, think UL conventional rods in this instance. If you are horsing fish out of cover though i like about as stiff a rod as i can get and hence the reason i went with the Sage Bass series for my largemouth rod. Not terribly expensive (as far as fly rods go) and has lla the backbone you would need to pull out some hawgs from heavier cover and have the ability to cast a wet sock if you were so inclined to do so
CPBassFishing reply :
I just use my cheap phleuger 6wt with a 10lb mono leader, lol. Works great for little bass and bluegill thowing little nymphs and wolly buggers. It was only $60 for the rod and reel and line. Casts about 30 feet.
Capt.Bob reply :
Kinda my thinking was the faster rod and weight forward line in 10wt. would make my flyrodding less fatiguing and since this is from the boat, I was planning on the 9', as I have plenty of open space and the longer rod with it's leverage would give me the 60 to 70 feet without really laying into it to get that????
The 7wt. I have now I would not get rid of, it is a sweet smallie rod on the bigger streams and rivers, and after nearly 15 years it's found a home. It is plenty of rod for bigger trout and bass in open water, I just want to try fly fishing for Pike and since my Ultra was a little anemic for bass of any size in thick vegetation I new I could justify the purchase because if I don't like going after Pike with a fly,,,,,I love going after bass in the slop!!! So it will get used, and I am sure I would prefer the 7wt for smallies and the few trout trips I do. If I buy the 10 wt.,,,, hell I might just try hittin the salmon run off Lake Michigan with a fly rod, or even a trip Francho's way in them fast waters off Lake Ontario???? 
Thanks for the tips guy's!! I love spending the money on the premium equipment and and like my LA Redingtons, but maybe I'll spring for a Ross on this one,,,,,,,,it makes you appreciate the sport even more!!!!! 
Got1Fishing reply :
Hey guys! Thank you for all your help so far. I picked up a St. Croix imperial 9' 8wt 4 piece rod off of Craigslist. It was too good of a deal to pass up. Never used, a reel was never even mounted on it, all for $150. I figured I would go with an 8wt so I could also bass fish with it, and go for larger trout. I have decided on Scientific Anglers Sharkskin GPX line. I just need help with a reel! I don't know where to begin with one. I looked at Allen reels but the only 8wt they have is over $200. I would like to spend around the $100 price range. Also do you try to find a reel that holds all of the line? The Scientific Anglers Sharkskin GPX has a total length of 100 ft.
flyfisher reply :
I'll also add that rod length really doesn't help or hurt in casting length unless we are talking 2-3 feet of difference. I can easily cast out all the line on my 6'6" st crox avid 4 wt and just as easily on my sage 9'4wt. It is about your casting skill more than the rod itself. The longer rod will allow you to pull up line a little easier off the water though.
Now i will say that i love my 9' rod for fishing mountain streams in tight quarters because it does make roll casting much easier and just dropping the flies in small pockets without really casting....kind of like tenkara style.
Jacob34 reply :
I have an Allen alpha III reel for my 8WT. steel head set up. I have the red and blue version. I believe they're around $150.00 and in my opinion the best value in that price range.
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
I have only heard bad things about that line. It will tear up your fingers pretty bad. I went with the pike/ musky router on my 8wt.On 6/24/2013 at 2:11 AM, CruzLCA961 said:Hey guys! Thank you for all your help so far. I picked up a St. Croix imperial 9' 8wt 4 piece rod off of Craigslist. It was too good of a deal to pass up. Never used, a reel was never even mounted on it, all for $150. I figured I would go with an 8wt so I could also bass fish with it, and go for larger trout. I have decided on Scientific Anglers Sharkskin GPX line. I just need help with a reel! I don't know where to begin with one. I looked at Allen reels but the only 8wt they have is over $200. I would like to spend around the $100 price range. Also do you try to find a reel that holds all of the line? The Scientific Anglers Sharkskin GPX has a total length of 100 ft.
flyfisher reply :
On 6/24/2013 at 2:35 AM, MichiganFishing1997 said:I have only heard bad things about that line. It will tear up your fingers pretty bad. I went with the pike/ musky router on my 8wt.
I have heard the same things but have no experience. Also focus on accuracy more than casting length. The length will come later on but cheating on accuracy will only hurt you in the long run and take away some of the advantages of using the long rod for either bass or trout.
Got1Fishing reply :
Thanks guys, maybe the Scientific Anglers Mastery Textured GPX will do... I don't want to spend $100 for line that is going to tear skin off my hands, although I do have rough hands. I'll check out the Allen Alpha III again.
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
The textured GPX is a nice line.
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