New to Fly Fishing: Rod/reel combo help.

[New Hampshire]

Hello everyone,

For a few years ago I bought a Wal Mart 5/6 weight rod/reel combo that I have set up for 6 wt (I thought it was a Scientific Anglers, but the Rod says Pfleuger and the reel is Shakspear) and I have tried teaching myself flycasting with horrible results. I finaly broke down and admitted its time to call in professional help, so next friday my Uncle and I are taking private fly casting lessons with a certified Fly Casting instructor.

So once that I have had proper instruction I want to start looking at a couple of new rod/reel combos for different purposes, and I am looking for some recomendations. Most important is a bass set-up. My Uncle and I are huge bass fishermen, and thats the primary interest for him and I (though I am looking to divide my time between warmwater and cold water stream/river). The size of our bass is not near as big as down south (the largest we have ever personally caught was close to 6 lbs) so I don't think I will need a super heavy weight rod. We fish from a canoe. I am thinking to budget about $150 for the rod/reel, though I think I can stretch that to $200 if need be.

The next rod/reel combo I am interested in is for the above mentioned cold water stream/river pursuit I wish to undertake. Honestly, I have never fished a small cold water stream, let alone I have never fished for trout (except ice fishing once.) So I am starting with a blank slate here, not just in flycasting, but this type of fishing period. I am a very avid hiker of the White Mountain National Forest, and its my dream to fly fish some of the remote Wilderness streams and small rivers, some requiering over 5 miles of hiking to get to. So I would think I need a rod that is in three sections or more to make packing easier. I have no clue about which would be a good weight, length, etc. I assume the rod I have now will be acceptable until I can afford this better combo. The price range would be the same as above, $150 for the rod/reel with $200 if need be.

Lastly, would either of the above combos be able to serve doule duty for a bit larger river and going for trout in the 2+ lb range? Perhaps the Warm water rig? I ask only because I am also thinking of fishing the Connecticut River, which is larger and holds bigger fish than the smaller streams. This is not as important as meeting the other above needs, but if those combos above will not fill the need is there a third suggestion for a rod/reel combo?

Thank you,

Brian

[dudley]

Hi Brian,
Glad to see you made it
The casting lessons will help you alot more than a new outfit will

[New Hampshire]

Hi Brian,
Glad to see you made it
The casting lessons will help you alot more than a new outfit will

Hey Dudley,

Well, you know me....ever the gear nut!

I Plan on getting the combos (at the very lest the bass rig first) AFTER the lessons and a little water time with the current rig.

Basically I am just thinking ahead

Brian

Brian;
What line came with the combo? Sometimes they come with a level line and a weight forward may would serve you better.
Dudly is correct. You may find the 5/6 will be ok for the bass.
I just purchased a 6 pc. 8' 4 wt. combo for $200.00. It breaks down into a very small package.
You may want to check some of the sponsors here to see what they have to offer in pack rods.
A big Welcome Aboard by the way.

[Lotech]

NH,
Based on what you've said, the first rig that popped into my head, was the TFO 9', 4 piece, 6 weight, Professional. They retail for $139. You could match it with an Okuma Sierra reel for around $39. The reel is just a bit heavy (not bad at all) and it has a great disc drag system that could be beneficial if you tie into a larger bass. The 6 weight rod is versatile enough to fish small streams with small flies or large water with big bass bugs and streamers. So, here's the caviat; a person never knows whether they will like the way a rod performs for them until they cast it. So go to a pro-shop if you can and try as many combos as you can. Let the shop owner know your budget and I'm sure he will be able to match you up with a decent outfit. I personally have a TFO in a 9' 4 weight and I love it.

[jargo432]

One thing you will find our very quickly in fly fishing is you get what you pay for. A good 6 or 7wt rod will serve you well in both cold and warm water fishing. (remember the rod wt is determined by what fly you will be using, not the size of fish you are fishing for) One thing to consider is warranty. Make sure the rod you buy can be replaced when you fall in the river and it snaps. Taking lessons is the best thing in the world you could do. If you can find it, Lefty Kreh has a video on fly casting that is the best in the world. it's worth every cent. As for brand of rod, I really like Temple Fork Outfitters. There are a lot of good rods out there and your instructor should be able to point you in the right direction.

[J Castwell]

Last year, at the Michigan Fish-In, I did a half hour casting presentation, trick casts and full line distance stuff. I used a combo from Wally-world that sold for $59.00 SA rod, reel, line, leader , backing and flies. All installed! These are fine tools and everyone thought I was running some fancy custom rod. To prove I wasn't, I gave the rig to a lady who needed it at the end of my show.

[New Hampshire]

Brian;
What line came with the combo?

Hey Jack,

The line was indeed a level line, but I switched it out for a Double Taper floating line (I figured the line might be a source of casting problems....that was before I realized I just plain needed help .)

The place man we are taking our casting lessons from owns a Fly Fishing shop. Perhaps while we are there I will do some window shopping .

Thanks for the help folks, I appreciate it!

Brian

Brian;
I'm also a great advocate of furled leaders and use them exclusivly. I was told that "Furled leaders are only needed by those that can't cast!". I translated it to mean they would improve my casting.
A 7' furled leader made from 4# test Berkley "Transition" floroucarbon will turn over 5 - 6' of tippet and sink like a rock to get the fly down deep. One made of 6/0 tying thread can be treated to float and used for dry's.

I'm fortunate to have a certified casting instructor living close by and he has been a big help. I used to tell people that all the wind knots in my tippet were how I counted the fish I caught! Can't do that any more!

[SilverMallard]

If I were you, I would direct this question the professional casting instructor that you will be working with. His/her style, your style, and whomever he/she may be affiliated with will determine his/her answers. Discount the latter by about 2/3 and factor his/her advice into your equation.

I've seen guys cast an entire fly line with NO rod and/or only a butt section of a fly rod. The moral of that story: it ain't the equiipment 99.9% of the time.

With all of that said, you could do BOTH jobs with a 6wt combo and a general purpose floating line. You could probably do both with a 5wt. I'd bet you could...if I were a betting kind of guy. My personal choice inside your stated budget would be an Elkhorn Nomad 5wt 9' rod paired with an Okuma Cascade reel and a Scientific Anglers Mastery Series GPX WF5F or Elkhorn hi-floating WF5F (with 5wt rod...if 6wt, then 6wt lines).

This rod is $129. The reel is $39 or so. And the lines run about $50. That's $220 and you will NEVER outgrow it and you've filled BOTH needs. As you expand your arsenal down the road, you can simply add more spools and lines to do different jobs (sink tips, etc.). Spools for that reel are about $10-20 each, and additional lines are always gonna be $10 either side of $50. The rod carries an unconditional lifetime warranty. So, if/when it breaks, you can send it in and get it fixed or replaced. For the type of fishing you are doing, a reel is just a place to store your line neatly. But the Okuma Cascade does have a decent drag system on it for a low-end reel that is more than sufficient to handle 6 lb bass and 5 lb trout.

Finally, take the $150-200 I just saved you (1 combo to do both jobs instead of 2) and donate it to Project Healing Waters or Casting For Recovery. Share the joy with someone who can use the help.