I am a complete newbie when it comes to fly fishing but I am very interested in try to fly fish panfish and maybe trout. I need advice on rods, line, flies, technique, everything.
I have seen some of the fly fishing “Kits” are they a good choice to get started? Scientific Anglers makes some are they any good?
Any info is appreciated.
Thanks
AH
An 805 or 865[8′ or 8’6″, 5wt] is your best all around combo. You can throw nymphs and drys with that and its easy to cast. There kits aren’t bad for starting out. How is the pricing?
If your really serious about flyfishing, you’d be money ahead buying a Orvis starter kit. I know when I got into flyfishing they had a 805 kit for $340 and it had a 25yr warranty, that was a really good deal.
I have no business suggesting anything as I am still learning myself.. but after many discussions and time on the water I have come to the conclusion that a 5wt is the best all around for me. Bluegills, maybe some small bass or stream trout. I was going to get a 3wt just for bluegill but after fishing with my 5wt I am going to stick with it. I can cast far, and have enough backbone to set the hook by just lifting the rod up. I’ve been told the 5wt will excel over the 3wt when it comes to any kind of wind.
My rod is a cheap pflueger purist 5wt. 2pc 8′. I’m using WF4F floating line and a 7.5′ 5x tapered leader with a 3lb-4lb tippet. It seems to work very well for me as a beginner.
I would have to agree with the knucklehead above.
I have a 4, 6 and 8 weight. I love the 4 weight on windless days, the 6 is my honey rod but would have like to gone to a five weight had I not fallen in love with it. The 8 is over kill for panfish/stream trout although I used it for just that for over 10 years.
I’m not sure if I would go with a Weight Forward though. I’m thinking a Double Taper unless it’s being used for other fish besides panfish.
I would wait for Rootski, Ido’s in-house old fart fly fisher.
(no disrespect to the others that commented here) 
Rootski has been helping me the last few days, I really hope he sees this thread and comments! If not, send him a PM and I’m sure he will help. Heck of a nice guy. 
8.5′ 5wt is a real common setup. I have a 7.5′ 3wt but only use it on small brook trout streams. I might lean towards a WF line if you think you’re going to throw a lot of poppers. Dry fly guys like the double taper. Stay with the large arbor reel.. I would also look at what you are comfortable in spending and go with that. I think for a given price range stuff will be comparable.
Here is a little info on line taper. Helped me, might help you also.
I think the WF is the easiest, most forgiving to cast, especially with a little wind.
The large arbor is nice but not necessary. With a standard reel you just need to wind a lot more backing on so that your flyline fills out near the end of spool. Also if your just doing trout/panfish etc. don’t get caught up in drags debate, not needed here. IMO the $50-60 flylines work well. If your going to fish bigger stuff like pike, bass, carp, then you’ll want a good drag.
Lots of good advice here. The only thing I’d quibble with is the DT line. A little harder to shoot line on the cast, and nobody really ever reverses the line and uses the other end any more anyway. There are a lot of really good WF lines out there these days. I like RIO’s products and the Scientific Angler’s GPX is a very good line.
As far as outfits go, I’d look at the Reddingtons. They make a nice rod, the reel isn’t anything fancy but it’s tight and has a very smooth drag, and it comes with a RIO line. For about $120 you get a very decent setup.
Here’s a hint from an “old fart”….the LINE is way more important than the rod. If you decide you really like this fly fishing stuff and want to upgrade, spend the money on a good line.
Have fun!
Rootski
The 9 foot #5 is considered to be the universal trout rod and I would say the universal panfish rod as well. There is nowhere in the world where this rod can’t be used to catch trout.
When you’re used to spinning rods, going all the way to a 9 foot rod may seem like overkill compared to an 8.5 footer, but the extra 6 inches make it more versatile and it has a bit more authority in a breeze.
As far as entry level rods it is impossible to go wrong:
– Redington Redfly
– Temple Fork Outfitters Professional series.
I bought the TFO rod in 9 foot #5 as a cheap backup when taking a trip to England and I ended up using it the whole trip. A very versatile action.
I am not a fan of “kits” because usually where they cut corners is the line. In flyfishing, you are actually casting the line, so that’s not a place to skimp.
Instead, I would buy one of the rods mentioned above, an Okuma reel sized to match, and a SA Headstart line. It will cost $50 more than a “kit”, but it will work $100 better.
Grouse
I would get a 5 weight for sure. The kits can be good options.
Wow Thanks for the Help Guys.
Looked around redington’s a bit. I’m thinking this is the outfit that is being talked about.
http://www.redsflyfishing.com/Redington-Crosswater-Combo-Outfit-p/redington-crosswater-outfit.htm
Now leaders, tippet, and flies??? I know your fly line connects to the leader and I think tippet is for repair of the leader. What should I look for in those??
I work at 3M and can purchase some ross (rods and reels, outfits) items and scientific angling (line, tippets, leaders, backing, tapers) with a discount are there any recommended products from them??
http://www.rossreels.com/review/product/list/id/1476/category/85/
http://www.rossreels.com/outfits/essence-elite-fly-fishing-outfits.html
Does anyone know of any good read’s on how to properly tie and rig up a fly rod?? I know pretty much nothing at all.
Thanks Again IDO
For general panfish and maybe some trout I think a 5X tapered leader and 5x or 6x tippet is your best choice. You WILL hook into a decent size bass when fishing panfish, so you want to stay away from that ultra light trout stuff that is under 3# test. And by decent size I don’t mean the one I posted yesterday!
I am currently using a scientific angling leader and tippet material. My tippet is 5X 4lb. Then if I need to go lighter I also pack a small spool of 2 and 3# 100% fluoro ice line that can be used as a tippet.
Check youtube for videos, there are videos showing how to do just about everything regarding fly fishing. I just watched one on how to make your own loop on fly line, I’m going to give it a shot!
This should get started. Don’t obsess over leaders. Get a tapered leader like Kevin22 suggested and a spool of tippet material. Here’s why….every time you tie on a fly you use up some of the leader. After you time a bunch of knots, your leader is a lot shorter! So tie a piece of tippet on the and use that up when you tie on the flies.
I have an older Sage RPII 4wt that I love. Sweet rod for its time and very versatile. I’ve done everything from chinooks to micro-gills with it and it takes the abuse.
The vast majority of my flyfishing is tributaries for trout/salmon and generally in the 7 to 9 wt. Seems like whenever I have someone in the river using a flyrod for the first time, the winds kick up. Not the best conditions for teaching, but it does humble you some days.
The only point I think to add to make life better is the quality of rod your selecting. In conjunction with quality line, the better the quality, the easier it is to lay out a cast. Composite rods that I see seem to have a wimpy backbone and over-load. I see guys needing to work way to hard to punch a cast into a light breeze. If you get an opportunity to try a few out before purchasing, I would suggest doing so. Just because a rod has a name or a higher price tag, doesn’t mean that it is a good rod for you.
I was told 2′ of tippet. I did that and it seems about right. It worked for me at least.
I can now change flies without ruining my leader. I’ve been changing flies a bunch and am down to about a foot of tippet left. I’ll probably take it down to 6″ or so and then replace. So instead of burning a foot of my leader (and ruining it) already, I’ve only used 1″ for the blood knot. Leaders are expensive, don’t want to waste it. Tippet is dirt cheap ($5 for about 30 yards).
Also a suggestion I had given to me, and I just did it.. is to put a loop on your fly line if yours does not come with one already. Took me about 5 minutes to do just now. Now with a loop in the fly line, and a loop in the thick part of my leader, I can switch leaders in about 4 seconds without tying knots and wasting leader/fly line in the process. I suggest you do it.
Here is the loop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wHGN1sYYKI
I agree with Rootski. Don’t obsess over tippet and leader setups. Volumes have been written on the subject.
Simple is better. Simple tapered leader and then 1-2 feet of tippet.
I am personally not a fan of loop/leader connections because I don’t like the way they hang up in the guides. Not saying it’s wrong, but to each his own. I prefer the old school nail knot or nail-less knot. It takes minimal time to tie, but the bullet-shape of the knot slides throught the guides easier. Especially critical when trying to get a big fish closer so you can get him in the net.
One last note on panfish and bass. For big, wind-resistant bass flies and poppers, I just use plain mono in 12-20 pound class. Using a tapered leader offers few (if any) benefits when throwing flies the size of a parakeet.
Grouse
I’ve been putting loops in the ends of my fly lines for years doing it the way it shows in that video. Lately I’ve doing a different method that is quicker for me and just as strong. I bought a “Fast Tie” tool, it’s for making nail knots. I double over the end of the fly line and tie three nail knots close together. It’s strong as heck and I haven’t had a failure yet. It only takes a few minutes to do.
Looping everything saves a huge amount of time and frustration on the water. Nothing worse than struggling with knots when there are fish jumping in front of you!
Here is a picture of my loop. I had NO problems with it catching in the eyes of my 5wt today. It slid right through.
I use the loop system so I can change leaders easily on the stream. I use the type by Cortland and Orvis?. It is braided, has a loop end on it. It slips over the end of flyline and snugs down by chinese finger lock style. I haven’t noticed any trouble sliding thru guides, loops seem small enough. Haven’t had one come off in 20yrs. and it’s simple.
I do the same with leader, then tippet 5x about 2′ if fishing nymphs. if fishing small drys I may use 6x. My leaders 9′.
Well I think I decided on my purchases. Let me know what you think.
Rod reel outfit
http://www.rossreels.com/outfits/essence-elite-fly-fishing-outfits.html
Tippet
(Thinking 5X, should I buy any other sizes?)
http://buy.scientificanglers.com/tippet/freshwater-tippet.html
Should I buy extra leaders?
http://buy.scientificanglers.com/leaders/trout.html
Fly Box
http://buy.scientificanglers.com/fly-boxes/max432.html
And looked at Kevin22’s panfish thread and have a few flies to try. Anyone have recommendations for trout, bass flies or will pan fish flies work on them as well?
Thanks
Looks like a good combo but I don’t know much about them.
You said panfish so I would suggest you have at least two 7.5′ 5x leaders and a spool of both mono and fluorocarbon 5x tippet
(or just some super limp 4lb line). Use one leader with fluoro tippet for wet flies and nymphs, and one leader with a mono tippet for small drys or poppers. Most will say you don’t need both but yesterday I tried to fish a dry fly with a fluoro tippet and the line kept wanting to pull the fly down. When the fly was an inch under the surface the fish wouldnt touch it.
If you want to try trout you can use your same leader and just downsize to a 6X or 7X tippet if you need to. If you are fishing super clear slow moving water you may need to pick up a 6X 9′ leader. If you want to try bass, a 2x leader and some plain old 6lb or 8lb fluoro line for a tippet. Or as another suggested, just a 10′ piece of 10lb mono if you are fishing heavy streamers or poppers. I tried this today and it worked well.
Good luck and post some pictures!
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