I was at Walmart yesterday and broke down and bought a cheap fly rod and reel combo. I really wanted a better one, but it was all they had and at $20 what the heck.
So I took it down to my neighbor’s floating dock and fished a little trying to catch a bream or something. A few cast and nothing, but then all of a sudden all heck broke lose and that little tiny fly had got a big bass to jump on it and the fight was on. First thing that happened once he took off like crazy was I thought, now what? After a few minutes of fighting him he pulled off without me ever putting and eye on him at all. Guess i should have sharpened that hook or it was just too little.
Soon after than another one hit that was smaller, but he pulled off fast and I came back with a new sickness, fly fishing and not I must get a better rig to do this as I am just like that bass, hooked!
Anyway I thought you would enjoy this little story,
welcome to the sickness, there is no cure, the only help is occasionaly sticking your finger with a size 12 dry fly hook. (this only works in the presence of large amounts of water)
WELCOME TO THE SICKNESS we all reveel in this illness we call flyfishing. it is the awful erg to go wet a line at all times. unfortuately life has a way of geting in the way; work, kids softball, house stuff (winters coming), and all sorts of other stuff that will try to cure this illness. DONT LET IT. make time to fish and enjoy!! you now have both the illnesses. tying and fishing. two strikes!!! the third will come!! dont know what that will be. BTW walmart rods are ok for now but you will want to pick up a higher quality rod eventally. TFO makes a good quality rod for under $100, or find a used something here or ebay or amazon. enjoy and set hook harder next time bass are a blast on a fly rod.
enjoy your new addiction!!!
roadhog
Sounds like you got into a good deal on the set up. Keep in mind it’s a slippery slope made even worse by the fact you caught fish! Welcome to fly fishing. Keep us posted on how your doing and and questions that come up. Your at the right place, make yourself at home.
I intended on buying a better one right at the get go since I have been fishing all my 59 years and one of my draw backs is actually a benefit for fishing. I am disabled, but not to where I can’t fish and I live on the water with a boat hanging in my boat house. My kids are way grown so that is also not an obstacle any longer.
I had set my sights on a Cabela’s Prestige Fly Combo like the one below and have not decided between the 5 or 6 Wt. however I am open to other brands that come with all the line and stuff included if someone knows a better one I can get for about the same money I would sure take a look. I like the idea that it comes with the fly line and all because I would be lost picking out the gear right now.
Or if anyone knows someone selling a good outfit that would be great too.
If it were me, and I lived in Texas, I would probably get the 6wt. I would also follow that real quick with a 3wt. The 6wt will allow you to throw the bigger bass bugs and some fairly decent sized jigs and bobbers without problems. (Oh, excuse me. Weighted flys under an indicator. ) Then the 3wt will make the gills and crappie feel like monsters, and teh bass hive your heart a workout.
I won’t reccomend a brand. You get to choose that. That’s half the fun. I have the old $20 rod I bought in High School that I still use quite a bit, and also a Cabelas and a St Croix. They all work, and work well.
As for the disease, Here’s hoping you never get cured!
I second the six weight, when the wind is blowing you will be able to cast a little better and also cast bigger bugs, and fight bigger fish. 8) then when you get that down you can move down to a three or four weight then a two then a one or a zero then…it never ends/
Thanks for the info on the 6wt. and I think that is probably smart as the wind blows a lot here. I was really fighting the wind today when I was trying it out.
Loved this…
(Oh, excuse me. Weighted flys under an indicator. )
Lets see, you started out here telling us that you ties jigs, then you decided to supplement that business with common fly patterns (for profit, albeit minimal), then you go out and “shoot up” by buying a fly rod combo that catches big fish, so now you want to buy something “better” (just means different) to support your new habit. I say forget about buying a production rod, and just go for a full baptism by immersion and build a fly rod. The way you’re going, it will be such a short period of time between buying and building, that you might as well skip the purchase and just build a 6wt. You can just fish with the $20 combo until the new one is finished, which should be 2-3 days. I hereby recommend the following kit from Hook & Hackle: http://www.mailordercentral.com/hookhac … asp?dept=8
I built the 3wt in this series and will be teaching a rod building class in a few weeks where the entire class will be building these rods.
There is no hope remaining for you to ever go back, so welcome to the disease. It will consume you every waking moment (don’t you love it?)
Too late to tell ya to run The progresion is generally better set up, then tying your own so your not so nervous about the tree gods that like to eat flies. JUST STAY AWAY FROM BAMBOO! Them pieces of grass will really get under your skin. Oh well welcome to the madness 8)
Trust Joe and Clyde…I seen ‘em…they’re tellin’ you the truth and are to be trusted…don’t stop at buying finished rods or collect $200, just go right along to building…you’ll be much happier…and yep, H & H will bring ya parts right to the front door ! Go for it !
Joe mentioned Rod Building and Clyde said the “Boo” word so I’ll mention Furled Leaders! Now Skip’s life will become a never ending spin into the depths of the “Dark Side”!! Then ,of course, there are Float Tubes, Pontoons, canoes, etc, etc.
Dry Flys, Nymphs, Wet flys, Spiders, Hoppers and Poppers!! Oh, lets not forget the “Jelly Beans”!
Skip you are welcome to join us in the Chat Room, which is sort of a support group for lost souls!!
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER or tippet as they case may be (bad pun intended)! I sure do wish you were in our corner of the State! Even with your charm and voodoo magic you’re just too far away for me to enroll in the class and come to the “dark side” of the force. Really, sounds like fun and I sincerely wish you were closer. Good luck with the class and be sure and let the folks who attend know just how lucky they are.
And just where do you get those interesting emoticons?
What a great welcome and I do appreciate it. My biggest trouble is I am kind of that way, I get into something and it’s always overboard.
I will look at the rod building and thanks for the link for sure! I thought about building rods in passing before, but this may be the time to jump in.
I have a husband & wife coming to the rod building class from Athens, Ohio. They are only 6 miles closer than you. It’s a one day class for 6 hours, so it will be pretty intense with homework following the class.
Check with Buckeye United FLy Fishers in Cinci to see if they do rod building. ( http://www.buckeyeflyfishers.com ) There’s also Miami Valley Fly Fishers in Dayton ( http://www.mvff.us ) Or, you could do what I did and just buy the kit and build it. As they say, “it aint rocket science.”
You must search out your emotioncons and smileys on your own. If I told you where they come from, I could be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a fly fisher, and be sentenced to 6 months of bait fishing. It’s kind of like posting your secret spot with GPS coordinates as well. You just don’t do it.
The 6wt will allow you to throw the bigger bass bugs and some fairly decent sized jigs and bobbers without problems. (Oh, excuse me. Weighted flys under an indicator. 
) Then the 3wt will make the gills and crappie feel like monsters, and teh bass hive your heart a workout.
The progresion is generally better set up, then tying your own so your not so nervous about the tree gods that like to eat flies. JUST STAY AWAY FROM BAMBOO! Them pieces of grass will really get under your skin. Oh well welcome to the madness 8)
