Just some thoughts I thought I'd share in hope that it may benefit someone else as well.

Since I have begun to learn about fly-fishing, it has seemed to me that everyone always make a big deal about the rod. New rods are advertised everywhere, with new-fangled technology that I don't understand... if you're new to fly fishing, I recommend that you just ignore all that. This is why...

I went to go fly-fishing the other day and it was slightly windy, so I brought along my spinning rod & reel that I had purchased from wal-mart for a grand total of $40. I fished for about a half hour when the wind calmed down and the lake turned glassy. I hurried excitedly back to my car to get out my fly rod but was utterly disappointed to realize that I had left my fly rod at home, 40 minutes away, and as I had to be home in about 90 minutes, I didn't have time to go back and get it. I could have just kept fishing with my bass rod but I'm stubborn - I wanted to fly fish. So I thought a little bit. Despite forgetting the rod, I had brought my fly reel and line all spooled up on it. And I had A rod, not a fly rod, but a rod nonetheless. The idea occurred to me to experiment a little. Will a fly reel fit on a bass rod? - I'll give away the ending to you, it does! I tightened the reel on, put the line through the guides, attached a fly, and off I went! It wasn't pretty at first, and it took some getting used to, but after 20 minutes I was casting that line just as far as I ever had on my fly rod!

I think I learned a valuable lesson about spending money and about life.

Regarding money - if you're new to fly fishing and going to buy your first outfit, my advice is to stay well within your budget and buy a used rod, or a rod that is the color you like, and feels good in your hand. Then get a reel that fits well with the rod and the best line you can afford.

I'll draw a parallel between this and photography, a topic I know much more about than fly-fishing. To me, there is a huge difference between a $150 point-and-shoot camera, and a $1000 Nikon DSLR, not only in price, but also in output and the creative possibilities that the more expensive camera provides, features that a novice photographer wouldn't be able to appreciate. (Side note: If you don't know what DSLR means, don't buy one. You'll probably just end up frustrated and possibly discouraged from taking pictures.) But the money is only worth it to the extent that I can appreciate what it provides. if I can't take good pictures with cheap camera then what good is an expensive one? Not even the most high-tech camera in the world will take good pictures on its own.

I will probably never own a $600 fly rod - I don't need it to enjoy the experience. I do, however, own a Nikon DSLR and enjoy every picture I take with it.

What I learned about life -

I think my inexperience served me well here. In my undiscriminating mind, I had a reel and I had a rod, all I needed to do was put them together. Had I been an experienced fly angler, I doubt that it would have occurred to me to mount the fly reel on my bass rod. Of course, it didn't feel the same as my fly rod, and I don't intend to fish that way on a regular basis, but it was a good reminder to me to be aware of what I assume and to question those assumptions - and to not let my experience or knowledge actually hinder me or limit the possibilities.

Karli-Rae