New to the sport, seeking advice

Greetings! I’ve been interested in taking up fly fishing for a few months now, but I’m pretty clueless where to start. I moved to Arizona last summer, and I found out that there are some beautiful fishing spots near me. I picked up my fishing rod after taking many years off from fishing, and I’ve been hooked again (can’t resist a good pun). I’ve been fishing from the shore for bass in the area lakes for a few months.

I’m actually taking a class that asks us to explore how people learn and participate in online communities, and as part of that, we were told to find something that we new very little about and learn it. How could I pass up the opportunity to learn fly fishing? Since then, I’ve been lurking on the bulletin boards and reading through the main page articles trying to learn as much as possible about fly fishing and FAOL BB. However, I’ve realized that my unguided exploration isn’t very productive.

So I’m coming out of hiding to ask for advice. You may notice me popping up on some discussion threads asking questions or commenting. Perhaps my biggest question right now, though, is this: what equipment do I need to buy? I plan on fishing the Lower Salt River area near Phoenix for stocked trout (although I’ve also heard rumors you can fly fish for bass???). I walked into the local Cabela’s Fly Shop this weekend and realized that despite the reading I’ve been doing, I am still pretty confused.

I’m thinking that I should pick up a 5 weight rod, an inexpensive click & pawl reel (until I can commit to spending more $), and look for a good quality DT line. But aside from that, I have no idea what I might need to get out on the water for my first experience. Any advice or even a ‘grocery list’ of items would be very helpful!

Hi blue, have you found this yet? It’s a basic primer on fly fishing: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/beginnermenu.php

Hello Blue and welcome to FAOL. Pull up a log by the fire and make some coffee. Yep, a 5 wt and a click and pawl with wt forward or DT is a good start. Trout, bass, bluegill and on and on. If you’re anything like a bunch of us on this board it will just be a beginning. There’s no middle or end to what you will accumulate. There are a lot of knowledgable and helpful folks on this site and a few in AZ. Jim

Hi Rainbowchaser,

I am slowly making my way through all those articles. I guess I’m just getting a bit impatient. I suppose I should work on that in anticipation of my time on the water, huh? Thanks!

Brent (AKA Blue)

You don’t need to be impatient - go buy something and fish! Prime time now on the Salt. The Cabelas Traditional II rod should come with a kit including reel and line without bankrupting you, and should be useful for you for some time. Rods don’t make nearly as much difference to your fun level as you might think from reading all this hoo-ha. Get a couple of 5x leaders, some 5 x tippet to tie on the end of the leader, and a few prince nymphs, pheasant tails and hare’s ears, a tin of weights, and go catch 'em.

Your getting some good advice here. I’ve cast the Cabela’s Tradition II and it is a sweet casting rod. Most folks these days are going with a weight forward line as opposed to a double taper. It’s all personal preference though. Get out on the water and get after them, have some fun, don’t get discouraged, and pretty soon you’ll be like the rest of us addicted to fly fishing folk.

REE

If you want to get started inexpensively one of the Scientific Anglers starter kits might be a good choice. I haven’t cast any of the new ones since they went to a four piece rod but the old ones were good rods for the money and came with a reel, line and leader. Another inespensive rod that I know I like is the Fenwick Eagle gt that usually goes about $70 on E-bay. It is a heavy rod compared to the newer models out there but we are talking a difference of ounces not pounds.

I’ve got a 4-piece Scientific Anglers starter kit rod and I’m quite pleased with it. I’ve let several other people try casting it and they seemed to like it, too. WarrenP thought it worth the money.

Ed

There was a guy about in your position on the BB a good bid last year who was catching fish, bass, crappie and buegill from the Salt River I seem to remember. I have never fish in or around Phoenix but remember there being a number of lakes in parks stocked with warm water species. You may want to make run over to the Bass Pro Shop in Mesa. They have a prett good fly shop, there are also a number of independent fly shop around the area also. You can learn a lot from talking to the folks in the shops. Most of them are fishermen too. The Bass Pro Dogwood Canyon reel is a good reel for around $30 and you don’t have to listen the click pawl, which I do not care for personnally.

drop everything until you buy and read The Curtis Creek Manifesto, still the best book for a newcomer to the sport despite it being twenty years old. I read mine a couple times a year. It is inexpensive and iwll serve you forever.

When buying fly gear for the first time be ‘frugal’ not cheap. Use what you have & think about what you like & dislike in that gear. Apply that to your next purchase. As far as the rest just go out & try. You won’t get any experience on line. Ya gotta get out on the water!

I have a traditional II and it does cast pretty well. I would recommend going with a WF line instead of a DT if you are thinking about trying for bass, the heavier head will help you turn over bass flies easier.

I agree its a good book for a beginner, but definitely don’t drop everything. Personal experience is a far better teacher than any book.

Blue,
I live up by Payson. If you want to get together some time PM me. There are lots of places to fly fish in Arizona. The Salt is the closest to you if you live in Mesa. You can go down to Game and Fish on University East of Bush Highway/Power Road and get some information there. Also, there are numerous “Urban Lakes and Ponds” you can fly fish easily. However, you need an Urban License, if you’ve not gotten you Az fishing license look into the combination of the two for $53 then you can fish any waters in Arizona with the exception of on the Reservations. Bass Pro, Sportsmen’s Warehouse have some good people working there. Ask for Rocky at Sportsmen’s he’s a good guy and extremely knowledgeable.
Rockthief: I’ve heard of the book in the past so I now have one on order from Amazon.
Cold: I agree with you also. Get out on the water and wet the line.
Also, you can go to Bass Pro and get some lessons on the casting part. You need someone with experience to give you some pointers for sure. Most new casters hit the water in front of them and the ground behind them… WRONG!!! Remember 10 and 2 as on the clock for false casts then about 9 on the cast.
I will be down in the Mesa area this weekend if you want to get together. Like I say, PM me and I will get back with you. We can hit Red Mountain Park or something. :P:!:

When I was in the police academy my class was subject of a dissertation for an undergrad getting his PhD in Psychology at The University of Pittsburg. He came out of hiding too though not well hid and when he did no one acted normal around him.

I should have started by saying welcome to the site and glad you found us. You have in my short time on this site come to us with the most unusual primary or secondary intentions of learning fly-fishing. I hope that you get your just deserts and that when you are done with your paper that you have a healthy addiction to our sport and I guess hope you do well on your paper too.

To get started, even before you buy a rod, reel and line, you have to watch A River Runs Through It at least 5 times. Then walk back into Cabela’s and spend (only if you are given a grant) $400.00 on a nice 5 or 6 weight combo with loaded reel and send it to me (I will PM you my address) and I in turn will send you an outfit that you can use to get by on; along with an assortment of Woolly Buggers in a size 8 in black, olive and white (woolly bugger is a fly that you can fish just like a lure).

If it’s a fish you can catch it on a fly, unless of course it’s my fly and the fish your trying to catch is a steelhead.

Again welcome to the site; I hope you are part of this great group of people long after your paper is complete.

Respectfully,
Sean

Get yourself a good starter kit from LL Bean, sponsers on this sight or the like. Don’t put up a lot of money up front. Get yourself a good basic setup and give it a try. If you like it, you can move up from there but, if you don’t, not much lost.

Find out from the local shop as to what flys are being fished and for what type of fish. I have always had good luck top fishing for Large Mouth and Smallies, pickeral, Crappie, Bluegills and the like. Above everything else, go out and have fun. Nothing like a good hookup on a fly rod.