a lesson on life and $ from a forgotten fly rod

[Eight Thumbs]

Trout Unlimited Chapters. I've found them to be highly worthwhile for both their conservation efforts and their informative programs. Jim is right, however, that a spinning rod with a fly reel and fly line would raise an eyebrow or two. Very nice people though. 8T

[Fatman]

Man I hear ya!!!!!!! My first fly rod outfit I bought at a flea market in the 90's, an old Daiwa Apollo fly rod with an automatic Pfluger fly reel and who knows what kind of line LOL paid $8 bucks for the whole thing. When I got into fly tying (I'd tied bucktail jigs for years) I kinda knew what I was doing, my son and I were fishing a FW pond and I set the fly rod down to use my UL spin gear (trying to get back up under an old tree limb) my son grabbed the fly rod that had a Renegade fly on it and was catching perch, and sunnies left and right. Ok DAD!!! can I have a fly rod of my own???

Well a trip to WalMart produced a lucky find, a metal trash can with all different rods for $10 each. Bought myself a Courtland FairPlay and my son a Renegade (don't know who makes it) and I had a cheap fly reel at home for his and got him a cheap fly line.

Now I'm not a purist fly fisher and I never will be, but living in Vermont the home of Orvis I do take some ribbing about my Courtland and now Renegade as my son is in the Army now and I've acquired it LOL.

They do what I want and maybe someday I'll get a higher end rod but for now they're just fine.

Fatman

[papaguss]

I got my rods for free. they are hand me downs from my forebears. a herter's fiberglass fromteh fifties that I use religiously, a shakespeare ugly stik frommy father, and amartin cheap set that my dad bought for giggles because mymom forgot her rod at home.

A couple of months ago my father, who hasbeen fly fishing for about fifty years has graduated up to a gorgeous sage 3wt. I use my fiberglass four weight. the river had swelled and my dad forgot his wader boots. he couldn't get into the river and so we went to one ofmy usual fishing spots.

Shore stalkingwith my dad is an experience I will nevr forget. my son and I avidly stalk the shoreline for bass, trout, blue gills, you name it. but when it came time for is to fish the still waters, my dad only hadcomplaints. " This setup is only for small streams! you need a bigger rod to fish this and those crappy wet flies..." then along comes this skrawy old man with a "000" rod that abou five feet double hauling itout to the backing who looked at my father and asked him " Son, it's a sage, it can do the job far better than that crappy ole fiberglass that kid over there isout casting you with. " my dad quit and waited in the car.

Score one fo rhte fity dollar outfit the oldman had, the 20 bucks on the four weight line I had, and for my son who said to my dad at breakfast at waffle house. " Maybit's a good thingyou didn't teach my dad how to fly fish...."