anyone into fly fishing?

[clovisc]

i've just recently entered the world of fly fishing... just wondering if there's anyone here who's real into it, what kinda gear they use... etc.

i just ordered a 4-piece, 10 wt fly rod that should be able to handle steelhead as well as some saltwater fly fishing... should arrive fairly soon. :D



also -- any recommendations on an affordable "saltwater" fly box? (a larger box, designed for larger flies...) i've got an otterbox 2000 that i've been using, lined with additional foam... but i need more space, and something a bit bigger...

[Shike]

I am a fishing nut. I do some flyfishing but mostly for trout. A lot of bass and walleye fishing around here and we do some deepsea fishing in the summer but last year I went on my first overnight deep sea trip on a charter boat. We usually went on day trips for Flounder or my favorite Striped Bass, but night time fishing about 40 miles out in the middle of the night was a cool experience.

Shike

[cdf]

Im pretty heavily into it . Mostly inland trout an bass . I mostly use 4 an 5 weight gear . I have two 5 wt winstons and a 4 wt sage , one of the winstons is a 5 piece , the rest are all 4 piece . I carry my bass flys in a Scientific Anglers box , which in turn goes in an Orvis shoulder bag ( I hate vests , specially in hot weather ) . Bass flies are bout the same size as a lot of salt water stuff . Try Bass Pro shops , or Cabellas , they have good mail order service . Fly boxes are only really important for dry flies and delicate stuff . For wets , streamers , and salt water stuff - anything with foam ridges will do . For petes sake put a lanyard on it - its a b!$ch to catch a fly box while its floating down stream .

Chris

[jaislandboy]

I'm terrible at flyfishing! I've got a crappy bassproshops 6weight flyrod that I tried to catch some pond bluegill/crappie/largemouth when i was living in Kentucky.....I usually ended up with a windknot or two then got back to "lazy fishing" w/ spinning reel coz I didn't want to invest the time to practice :o

I do wish I could flyfish like Flip Pallot in the Walker Cay Chronicles :rolleyes: catching a 100+lb Tarpon on flyrod must be a heckuva rush! or a huge steelhead trout ;)

[Detdaddy]

Fishing has always been my favorite pastime. I bought my first fly rod around 6 years ago. Originally, I only used the fly rod for Lake Erie steelhead. I'm now up to 7 rods running from 4wt to 8wt, and I use them for steelhead, panfish, largemouth and smallmouth. I've fished creeks, rivers, private ponds, and reservoirs. I bet I've only fished with spinning gear 3 times in the past 3 years.

It's hard to describe my fascination with the fly rod. In a way, it's a lot like my Spyderco obsession. You see something new, and you've just got to see how it feels and how it casts. At first, it seemed so complicated and difficult. But I found that one of the things that draws me to it, is the simplicity. I like keeping my bait (fly) in the water more, instead of reeling and casting. Just a simple roll cast, and you're fly is back where you want it to be. And I've started tying my own flies and leaders. It's neat to catch fish on something you made and put together. One of these days, I'd like to build my own rod. I'd also like to give the spey rod a try. Live bait may be a good producer, but I've always found it a pain in the rear to stop at the bait store, and then keep my live bait alive while I'm on the water.

There are some great forums and other information online. Also, look into DVD's and books for additional info. There is so much information, tips, and buying resources out there. I try to absorb as much as I can, because there's always something to learn.

I buy a lot of stuff from Cabela's. I've also purchased from Hook & Hackle, Gander Mountain, and Bob Marriott's. Check out Hook & Hackle's fly boxes. They are nothing fancy, but sturdy and cheap.

It seems like everyone has different tastes in rods and actions. I really like my St. Croix Legend Ultra, which runs close to $300 if I remember. But my Cabela's Traditional cost around $60, is fun to cast, and has caught me a lot of bluegill. My choices for a rod would depend on the type of fish, type of water, technique, and available cash. I've cast some very expensive rods, and don't get me wrong, some of them cast great. But there are a lot of lower to medium priced rods that would make me just as happy, and catch just as many fish.

Congrat's on the purchase. I've been thinking of posting something on here about fly fishing for some time. It's nice to see others on this forum with other similar interests. Shoot me a line anytime.

[jaislandboy]

Fishing has always been my favorite pastime. I bought my first fly rod around 6 years ago. Originally, I only used the fly rod for Lake Erie steelhead. I'm now up to 7 rods running from 4wt to 8wt, and I use them for steelhead, panfish, largemouth and smallmouth....

Hi Detdaddy, your post got me motivated to clean up my fishing gear :D
I haven't fished in over 2 years (i think) but how I ended up in Tennessee is that I wanted to learn how to catch bronzebacks w/ a flyrod in the local reservoirs out here in TN :rolleyes: .... however my dreams of being a pro Bassmaster quickly disappeared after I got skunked repeatedly lol :o :p I've had a buddy from Kentucky drive up each year to L.Erie for some smallie fishing around the Bass Islands ;)

[Shike]

I'm terrible at flyfishing! I've got a crappy bassproshops 6weight flyrod that I tried to catch some pond bluegill/crappie/largemouth when i was living in Kentucky.....I usually ended up with a windknot or two then got back to "lazy fishing" w/ spinning reel coz I didn't want to invest the time to practice :o

I do wish I could flyfish like Flip Pallot in the Walker Cay Chronicles :rolleyes: catching a 100+lb Tarpon on flyrod must be a heckuva rush! or a huge steelhead trout ;)

Hey Brian! Isn't that a great show? I also like the Spanish Fly. I met Jose a few years ago at a fly fishing seminar. The fly rod I have is one I made with stuff from Cabelas rod building catalog. As far as my other stuff I am sold on G. Loomis gear.

[jaislandboy]

Hey Brian! Isn't that a great show? I also like the Spanish Fly. I met Jose a few years ago at a fly fishing seminar. The fly rod I have is one I made with stuff from Cabelas rod building catalog. As far as my other stuff I am sold on G. Loomis gear.

Hey Shike,
yeah I used to watch Jose too on the SpanishFly....great show and I envy his lifestyle too ;)
But the ocean deep sea fishing doesn't have the appeal for me as the tranquil settings of crystal clear turquoise waters of the sandy flats of the Florida Keys or better yet the Bahamas, flyfishing for bonefish with a La Gloria Cubana in the mouth ..... ahhh paradise :D

[Shike]

Hey Shike,
yeah I used to watch Jose too on the SpanishFly....great show and I envy his lifestyle too ;)
But the ocean deep sea fishing doesn't have the appeal for me as the tranquil settings of crystal clear turquoise waters of the sandy flats of the Florida Keys or better yet the Bahamas, flyfishing for bonefish with a La Gloria Cubana in the mouth ..... ahhh paradise :D

Alright, now I am daydreaming out at work! Don't forget the Captain Morgan!

[clovisc]

the cabelas three forks fly rod, 10wt, arrived a little while ago... looked absolutely beautiful, and strong as could be... better than the lamiglas offerings i've seen at wallyworld, at a fraction of the cost ($40 instead of $150).

BUT... the very first time i got it hooked up on a rock, i gave a little tug, and the thing cracked! broke in not one, but TWO spots... i'd never seen anything like it before! i was pretty amazed that the rod (shoulda been good up to 60lbs) would break before the leader (maybe 10lb test????). something definitely was wrong!!!

i called cabelas and talked to them... they had a replacement headed to me, 2nd day air shipping, lickity-split. plus, said next time i placed an order, my shipping would be free. their customer service was amazing. it arrived FAST, and i've been using it continuously.

this time, it's just great... perfect, beautiful, breaks down into four pieces and rides nicely tucked into my maxpedition fatboy... i've pulled out of some tough spots already with no cracking (thank goodness!). fishing's been rough lately... haven't caught anything with it yet... except for accidentally hooking up on a huge sea cucumber... yum. :D :p it whips flys out good and far... also does a good job chucking bait and weight out into the ocean.

anyway... not that i'm an expert, but... seems to me that the cabela three forks fly rod is probably the best deal in a heavy weight fly rod out there!!! if you don't get a defective one... :rolleyes:

[Shike]

Clovisc:
That is what it sounds like, something went wrong withe the lamination process. I had it happen with an Ugly stick that I used as a keep in the truck rod (always:D ). Broke right above the handle and it sounded like a .22 gunshot. Never seen anything like it. Sent it back and they replaced it, no questions asked.

[jaislandboy]

clovisc : glad the replacement rod arrived quickly .... i've been there done that ... with some fishing pole purchases my mail :rolleyes: glad it can haul in those feisty sea cucumbers :p
shike: I used to sling an Ugly Stik back in those saltwater days in Florida :o :D

[Shike]

shike: I used to sling an Ugly Stik back in those saltwater days in Florida :o :D


Yeah Brian, they are awful but supposed to be indestructible:rolleyes: Not in these hands:D

[jaislandboy]

Yeah Brian, they are awful but supposed to be indestructible:rolleyes: Not in these hands:D

I used to enjoy the commercials for that Ugly Stik ....with the guy on tv bending it over his shoulders..... everything changes once you get spoiled with a G. Loomis rod ;) I can't say I've craccked/ busted my Med-Heavy action 6'6" Ugstik....i think it's collecting cobwebs back in Florida in my brother's garage :rolleyes: