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
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.
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
Does it affect the ability to cast that size fly?
Ernie
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
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).
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.
Ernie,
Some good advice has been given here. Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass are predators. Period. You don’t need to use tapered leaders nor worry about X size, just get a small spool of 10 pound and 12 pound Maxima leader material. You will only need about 5 feet of leader from your line. But first, you need to prepare yourself better for fishing. You can fish for smallies with a 5 weight, as long as the smallies are not too big. They hit hard and will put up a very good fight. Most of the time they will be fighting in open water so you can do it with 5 wt, but it will stress the bass a lot before you get it in. For largemouth bass, they fight differently. They tend to hit near their home waters in ponds and lakes and are usually surrounded by vegetation/snags, etc that they will head for as soon as they feel the bite of the hook. You need a very strong and stiff rod for that. I would suggest at least a 7 weight, which you can use for either bass species. You will need to types of line. One would be a sink tip, at least 7 foot fast sinking sink tip or more for fishing streamers. You will also need a good weight forward line designed to handle large and heavy flies.
But, first you really need to learn to cast your fly line. Starting with a 5 or 6 weight rod is your best bet. Trying to learn with a heavy rod, like a 7 or 8 or 9 weight can really tax your arm. So, use you 5 weight and learn how to cast. Start fishing for bass and use a smaller fly. A you catch some fish you will realize that you need to upgrade to a heavier outfit, but that will come with experience.
Main thing, get out and fish. Enjoy it. Have fun. Wear glasses at all times and best to use a wide brimmed hat to help ward off those flies as they pass by your ear or slam you in the back of the head. 
Larry —sagefisher—
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!!!
Ernie,
You might want to pick up a copy of Dave Whitlock’s book on flyfishing for bass.
Amazon has used copies for a penny plus shipping. It covers a lot of info on equipment, set-up, flies etc. Here’s a link.
Thanks for all the help,
So with a 5wt., 3X leader,i should use around #10,#12, and #14 flies?
Been trying to read everything,I have the Orvis-Fly Fishing Guide, LL Bean Fly Casting Handbook, and anything else I can find to read.
Ernie
I think you will eventually want a 7wt or 8wt to target the fish you have in mind. But, you have a great starter rod. If you have LM and SM bass, you also have bluegill, crappie, or other panfish around, right? Get some size 6 to 8 poppers, damsel fly nymphs, streamers, and learn to cast your rod and, I promise, you will enjoy yourself. After you get comfortable with tippets, leaders, basic knots, basic casting, then you will have an idea of what type of 7 or 8 wt you may like. Play with the 5wt for a few months, dont be in a rush, enjoy the learning process. Best advise: ** take some casting lessons, learn basic casting and then how to double haul. That will pay off for you in improving your abilities and enjoyment.
Dave,
Thanks,picked up that one,and Bass On The Fly(A.D. Livingston) also.
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—
Surprised that no one has offered this advice yet!!
Ernie, if you will pm your mailing address to me I will send you a 6’ 6" “Furled” leader, It will be made from 4" test Berkley monofilament. It will be 12# test and should have no problem turning over large fly’s using 4’ - 6’ of 6 - 8 lb. test mono for a tippet. It will also last you up to 3 or more seasons.
I also make a 4’ furled leader out of 6# mono that some claim will turn over a small car!!
Finally…
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
Furled leaders were mentioned but your offer and advice are right on. A short, heavy furled leader with a short hunk of tippet does a great job. The other thing not specifically mentioned is line type. I’d have to take a look to see if they make a bass specific taper in 5 wt. but if not I’d do some exploring and probably give a try to one of the so called 1/2 size heavy lines in a weight forward with heavier lead section. Having used 7wt. and up for bass and others for years I do know that a good Bass Bug Taper can definitely make casting easier with bigger flies, especially when you combine it with Jack Hise leader.
A 5wt is going to be a little puny for bass. A lot of bass patterns are very wind-resistant, so you need some umph to the rod to be able to cast them very far. A 7/8wt will be just about right.
As for flies, your best bets are large Clousers, Woolly Buggers, Crawfish Patterns, and (my favorite) some purple Bunny Leeches. Some Deer-Hair poppers are also nice to have, as well as a few Crease Minnows.