Confused

[Ernie]

Hello Friends,
Been Bass fishing all my life,did clubs and tournaments for years,then burnout hit.Want to go back to enjoying fishing,so I got a flyrod set up,I got the Quest II 5wt.,9' 4pcs from LL Bean.I know how I want to fish,(for largemouth and smallies),but don't know how to set up. Would like to fish #2,#4,#6 size flies. Can I get there with my 5wt. setup?
Thanks Ernie

[Steven]

Ernie,

I think you're going to be under-gunned. I've generally fished for smallies with a 6 weight and for LM with an 8 weight.

Check this out:

http://howtoflyfish.orvis.com/video-lessons

That 5 weight might be nice for the Guadalupe and Texas Hill Country.

[Ernie]

This is where I get confused,the rod cam with a 3X leader,can you go up or down on size of the leader?
Ernie

[Ernie]

Does it affect the ability to cast that size fly?
Ernie

[Steven]

Does it affect the ability to cast that size fly?
Ernie

Yes. Generally speaking, the bigger the fly, the heavier the line needed. A #2 is a very big fly.

Leaders come in different lengths and different tippet sizes. For your fishing, I'd think there's really no reason to go with a leader longer than 9 ft.

Again, generally speaking, the tippet represents the terminal 20% of the leader. For some historical reason, which I think has something to do with making watches, the X system is used for tippets. The rule of 11 tells you the diameter of the tippet. 11 - 3 = 8 which is the diameter of a tippet in thousadns of an inch. A 5X tippet is .006" in diameter; a 2X tippet is .009" in diameter.

Another rule of thumb is the rule of 3. A flies size divided by 3 is the tippet size that should generally be used. So for fishing a size 6 fly, I'd generally start with a 2X leader. For size 4 or 2, I'd start with a 1X leader. This is just a general rule of thumb though...some flies are more bulky and or wind resistant than others, so it may be necessary to go up or down on tippet size.

By the way, the heavier the rod, the more fish it can handle as well. You could probably land a steelhead on a 5 weight. But you'd probably play it so long that the lactic acid build up would kill it. (This is my guess, I've never tried it on a 5 weight).

[ClassicRustyHooks]

Hi Steven, Awesome tip on the tippets!!!!(sorry for the pun). Your rule of thumb points are easy to remember and now I know. Thankyou

[tedshuck]

I think the problem you will have is with casting size 2 & 4 flies. A fly rod casts the line and the fly comes along for the ride. The problem casting a large fly with a light weight rod is that the fly will be a significant portion of the fly line weight. Even if the size 2 fly is not heavy, it will probably be bulky and need a heavier line to carry the fly effectively. I am not a bass fisherman, but understand that the flies are usually much larger than the trout flies that are commonly cast with a 5wt rod.

Fishing in the salt, with flies more the size of bass flies, I would use a 7 or 8 wt rod.

Ted

This is where I get confused,the rod cam with a 3X leader,can you go up or down on size of the leader?
Ernie

[rainbowchaser]

Ernie, I think you might learn a lot and find the answers to these questions and many that will come up later if you read the flyfishing 101 offered on the right hand side of the main page.

[turvy]

Ernie, you should do fine with the 5 weight. You may want to try a 6 weight line for the bigger flies but I have fished a five weight for bass for years and have little trouble. I use a furled leader (look it up on FAOL) and that turns the larger sizes over better. Not bragging but I catch 18-22 inch smallies in a fast stream and only once was beaten by a big smallie that the rod had a tough time handling. You will enjoy fighting the fish much better on the smaller rods. It's not like tournament fishing when you just crank them in, you actually play them and enjoy the fight. Be patient and you'll enjoy the journey of fly fishing once you decide it's not the destination that is most important. Have fun!!!

[sagefisher]

Ernie,

No problem casting those size flies you mentioned, even some bigger depending upon their weight. It is good to read up on things, even more important to learn to cast properly, way more important as a first step. Check You Tube for beginner fly casting instruction. Texas is a big state so I can not give you any info on local fly clubs in your area. Texas forms the Texas Council of the International Federation of Fly Fishers. There are a number of fly clubs associated with this great organization. You can check out the Texas Council at http://texascouncilifff.com/
Check them out an look for local fly clubs. Most clubs will offer some form of casting instruction. Also, if you have any local fly shops, check with them.

Don't overthink it, just do it.

Larry ---sagefisher---