Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing Which rod for a first timer?

Heading out in a month for my first flyfishing trip to buena vista, Colorado and need to get a rod ordered. But I have no idea on which should be my first rod to learn on, so any thoughts would be relly helpful.

Thanks

Brian

If trout fishing, I'd suggest about an 8 foot 6 weight with a weight forward line. A slower action will be more forgiving for a beginning caster. Your shop of choice and purse strings can likely suggest a specific brand. I'd not go high dollar unless you know you have the passion.

I would agree with the exceptions...a 9 foot will work as well or better for all around fishing. Second, I prefer double taper lines for a couple reasons.

1. They make an easier and softer presentation on the water.
2. You can turn them around after the line has been checked and worn and it is like a brand new line again.

Check out Pawn shops, you'd be surprised at how many good rods can be bought for reasonable prices.

Another advantage to the double taper line I find is that if you need to, you can add a mini-sink tip. It can be done with a WT Forward line but is harder to cast. The DT seems to balance better with the added wt of the mini tip.

I'd say a 5 or 6 weight in either 8' or 9'.Line is a funny thing. The pros would probably tell ya a weight forward because they are easier to cast for distance. I think double taper because the beginner won't be casting long. They roll cast great and that is a valuable cast for all. Last but not least when the line is worn out from standing on the stripped in line and it will get stood on; you can reverse it and get the double life.

First post? Welcome!



For trout, that's spot on. A nice 5 weight, in a length you're comfortable with, and you're set.



So true. And a lot of the time, the "experts" don't need to go as long as they do either. I think sometimes it's just to show off, or cause they like the "feeling", but it's not really necessary. Lots of streams you CAN'T go very long.

And from another post....



And it can go high dollar QUICK!

You can get a good solid outfit at a reasonable price, and be happy with it for a long time. No need to spend $600-700 on a rod, especially from the get-go. Look at something like a St Croix. Solid value at a very reasonable cost, without paying "name" prices.

If you can find a decent shop near you, lots of times they'll have a variety of demo rods that you can cast in the parking lot, or i the field behind the shop. You may find something that you take to quickly, or maybe you can rule something out quickly. If you can find a place like that, you're gonna be way ahead, and much more likely to buy something that will actually work for YOU.

Have fun on your trip, and post pictures!

I'd say a good, but not THE MOST expensive 5wt rod. A good reel doesn't have to be expensive, it mostly holds line and you play the fish with your hands. At least I do.

I like double taper line fine, BUT...it sure takes up a lot of space on a reel. You have to go a size higher on your reel just to fit all that thickness in. For that reason I always get Weight Forward line. DT line may be better for roll casting, but I don't think it lets you lay down a softer cast.

As for 6wt trout rods, I've fished a good deal in Wyoming, and a 5wt rod was fine even on big water. It's better on spring creeks, IMO. Light in the hand. I also think 8' or 8-6 rods are easier to manage. A 8'6" (or so) 5wt rod is kinda the Best Selling Ever trout rod. All those buyers can't be wrong.

I'd reccommend a mid-action rod. I learned to fish on a soft rod, it's hard work casting a 12 fly on a windy day with a soft rod. Pretty hard with any rod, but seems like Western fishing sees more wind.

As for distance, most trout are caught within 30 feet of the angler. You get much more line than that out in fast or medium fast water, it's hard to control the drift.

I'm not a All Orvis fan, but they have some good beginners outfits that are affordable and they have an excellent warranty.

I use 6wt rods for bass, but don't think you necessarily need all that line weight to pitch a dry fly or an appropriate nymph.

TFO, Orvis, St Croix, Loomis Sage ( I like TFO and Loomis) 5 or 6 wt for trout bass pan fish.
DT probably good suggestion. Can reverse the line and get 2 x's the life

Good forgiving rod and great warranty on all

Thanks for the advice, guys. Your replys have really helped in picking out a rod to get started in flyfishing. Our local lake in western Kansas stocks trout every winter so I will be able to get a lot of use out of a fly rod for many years to come.

I like Scott rods, but I do not like their entry level rods at all.
I would suggest a mid-level 9ft 5wt Temple Fork (TFO) rod and any old reel. For trout, reels just hold line, that's all.

This is exactly what I purchased 3 years ago after my first fly fishing experience in Whistler, Canada....had a blast and have been hooked since. I hit the Bass Pro shop in Houston and bought one of their set ups, a White River Classic 6wt, reel, line (WF....cheap, it just broke) and leader material, etc. Walked out under $300 I think. I just changed the line to SA 6wt WF and it's much better than the green stuff Bass Pro spooled. Anyway, I have been pounding the bass on our lake to 3 lbs and this rod is perfect for that and the fishing we did in Canada. As an aside, I bought the 4 piece rod that included a travel case.

I won't fly fish saltwater so I don't think I'll upgrade anytime soon. Just caught/released 13 bass to 2 lbs.

I would go to a fly shop for a first time purchase. I did, and they usually can be a great help in putting together the right rod and reel and then setting it up for you with backing and the right fly line.

There are lots of great rods at all price points. The top makers all have a moderately priced range that will work fine. At a shop, you can usually try casting a few rods to find one that you like.

The nice thing about trout fishing is that it really doesn't require any high dollar equipment because you are normally making casts of under 50', well under in most cases, and your reel can (and should IMHO) be a simple click and pawl style.

Most of the good rod companies have been mentioned. I would go with a 9', or maybe an 8 1/2', not much difference in either one, in a 5wt. I would say that this rod should work on just able any trout stream in the world.

Some people like shorter rods if they are fishing in heavy cover, some people like to drop down to 4wt or 3wt if they are casting to spooky fish, with small flies. Some like to go up to 6wt, even 7wts in some cases, if they are fishing big flies in windy conditions, etc.

But I would say that the 9' 5wt is about as "all around" as it gets. Good luck to you, I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip.

I agree with the 5wt rod and the clicker reel, but would point out that a good click pawl reel is expensive, and a cheap one is heavy.

I caught this rainbow on a 5wt rod and a CFO reel, 4X tippet. He went on the reel, unlike most trout, and very few bass.

sound advice...all around right there. Buy from a fly shop, from a guy who know's wtf they are talking about...and can explain fast vrs. slow rods and thier differences, line pick up and how a rod loads and will let you cast them in parking lot. Just tell fly shop guy what your budget is or buy a demo. All fly rod companies, a la Sage, Scott, Whorvis, TFO, St Croix, Winston and a few others offer lifetime gaurantees (although they are getting more limited). More times than not, an entry level Sage, Scott etc. are light years ahead of Cabelas or BPS wares.

For trout, you can do a lot worse than a 9ft 5wt by a reputable rod maker.

FWIW-- I fish a Scott 4pc 9ft 4wt 90% of time for trout. If I need to step up for streamers, big nymph rigs and the sort, the Scott S3 4pc 10" 6wt gets the nod. That rod can handle almost everything, trout, bass, reds, bones, snook and smaller tarpon, you name it. It is my most versatile rod and goes almost everywhere.

I bought an LL Bean Streamlight 8' 5 weight for our little Wood River yesterday. I have Orvis and Sage stuff and thought I was really getting a lot for my money with Bean's hundred dollar rod. They have them in combos for $150 but I have lots of gear. I just wanted another short rod. I brought it to the club yesterday and my friend who sold top end gear for many years took it out for a few casts and said it would be his next purchase. It casts very well. Now I don't catch trout here that get my reel spinning so I could use cheapies. I put an $90 wide arbor TFO, which is also very nice on it. Both LL Bean rods and TFO reels come with lifetime warranties, and on the rod, you may need it. You can snap a tip pretty easily. I also like Cortland 444 lines. Rocket tapers. They're $50, but worth every penny.

If you're serious, you should have two, one with a floating line, and one with a sinking line and a 2 rod and reel case. My last purchase was a Sage XP rod for $600. You can buy 2 Streamlights for $200, 2 TFO wide arbor reels for $180, 2 Cortland lines for $100, a spool of backing for $20 and a rod case for $30. That's $530 - less than the price of 1 decent Sage rod. That's my way of thinking these days.