newbie question
I am a newbie at flycasting, and have been given an old flyrod/reel (writing on it says Heddon Pal 8wt and it is 9ft 2piece)
I am not sure how old the line is, but it appears to be ok, and the tippet (the mono on the end of it, is about 6 ft long.
My question is: should I replace this line and tippet before I start trying to learn how to cast, or will the old line suffice.
Thanks for any feedback you can give to a 56 year old novice.
Welcome, Roostor!
I'll give this a shot, but there are others here who know a lot more than I do, so weigh my reponse appropriately.
An 8-weight is a good rod for larger fish. A bit heavy if you are gonig after small trout, but very good if you are going after bigger game. Absolutely no reason why you can't start with it, but you may find you want to move down to a lower weight rod once you've figured out what fish you are going after.
Try casting this rod on a nearby pond, lake or stream. See if you have a floating or a sinking line. They do exactly what their descriptors say. If most of your line floats on the water but the tip begins to sink after a few minutes, you have a floating line that is probably in need of replacement.
YOur rod and line are the two most important parts of your rig in terms of quality making a difference in your end result. If you are happy with your rod, buyt the line isn't floating as well as you think it should, probably a good idea to replace it.
Your tippet is undoubtedly in need of replacement. Their shelf life is only about two years before they become a bit brittle and prone to breaking att the worst possible moment --when you have hooked into a fish. These don't cost a whole lot, so replacement is good insurance.
If you have a fly shop near you, you might take your gear in and ask for their advice. Most shops realize you are worth a lot to them as a potential long term customer and will give you good advice and not take advantage of you.
Enjoy!
roostor, Fishing the area you live, an 8 wt might be a good one. Putting on a new leader is definatly a good idea. Having someone look it over, as Oldfrat suggested, is another good idea. If you can cast with it and catch fish it's fine. Remember to rinse off thoroughly with fresh water after using it in saltwater.
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Joe
Thanks for the quick response Oldfrat,
I will be fishing in Saltwater for Speckled Trout (weakfish) and Redfish (Spotted Sea Drum)and was told that I will definetly need at least an 8wt rod.
Looks like an ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of cure so I may as well get all new line and tippet and backing.
Thanks again.
Gosh I sure am liking this site...everyone is so nice...Thanks to you too FlyfisherJoe!
I intially had some problems getting logged in and Deanna helped me solve that....I am really impressed with the group here at FAOL.
Backing has an extremely long life, so you probably don't need to replace. If you are on a tight budget, try the current line before you replace. If you can esily swing $40-60, replacing the line now is not a bad deal. Leader and tippet, definitely replace now.
You're gonna love this board a a source of info and help. I sure have. Be sure to go into the left hand column on the home page and read the instruciton there. The archives of this board are also a treasure trove of info, so at least learn how to use the search function for it.
My reconmend that you have someone look over the whole outfit (fly rod, reel, backing/line/tapered leader).
On the fly rod pay close attention to the reel seat, that there is no wobble or looseness. The handle is firm, and shows no signs of rot, if it seems soiled a little sudsy soap on a rag will clean it up. Look at the guides, and their wraps. Have thread wraps deteriorated, and need to be replace? It is there any burrs or nicks on the guides? Check the ferrels to see that they are not loose, and that the the male connection fits into the female connection, with no loose movement.
Reel, take all line off the reel, and clean the reel with a dry tooth brush, then wipe down with a damp soapy rag any dried on grim. Lightly lubricate all moving parts.
Make sure the reel fits in the reel seat, and there is no wobble after the knobs have been tightened.
If the rod and reel are ready to go fly casting, put on new backing, line, and tapered leader. If there is a place that has plenty of clear backcast area by the shoreline, do you casting there. Lawn drills can wear out a fly line quickly.
Always clean the rod, line, and reel after every outing. Let the parts air dry before storing away in a sealed container tube. It does not hurt to have a silica gel capsule packet inside the tube.
~Parnelli
PS: With learning on an 8 wt, be sure to have some muscle ointment for sore muscles, you will need it.
Welcome Rooster. You didn't mention, but is your rod bamboo....probably not because it is only 2 piece for 9'. You also didn't mention the brand of the reel.
After doing a quick Google check, I think you may have a rod that could be valued by collectors. In that case you could probably work a trade or a deal where you could end up with a pretty nice set-up, all quite new.
As to learning with an 8 wt., I believe it is much easier to learn the mechanics of casting with something lighter in the 4,5 or 6 wt. catagory.
Parnelli's advice is quite sage...pardon the pun.
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Snow on the roof with fire in the hearth
Roostor,
I'll second all the advice given. Welcome to a life long pursuit. I've been at this for over 3/4 of my life and I learn something neat every day (on the water, at the tying bench or here at FAOL).
The learning curve is pretty steep, ... remember, if you're not having fun, we call it work.
The admin here at FAOL is a great bunch and they do a fine job of putting up with all of us lurking around their home.
If you want lots of help, just ask lots of questions. You're not a newbie, you've just had less time to make as many mistakes.
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Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 18 February 2005).]
Christopher Chin
Roostor;
I also agree with all of the above, but before putting the new stuff on get out in the yard and practice casting. Trees, sidewalks, flowerbeds, etc can be rough on lines.
I started with an 8 wgt. and now my favorites are a 3wgt. and 5 wgt.
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Cactus
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