Fly fishing equipment..

Used to fly fish a lot when I was younger as a kid back in Minnesota however we would fish on lakes for Sunfish using poppers, not trout. Was a ton of fun.

I would like to get into some fishing here in Colorado but haven't looked at gear in years. What is a good value rod and reel that is going to do the job, last for years and not break the bank? I know you can sink some serious money into fly gear if you want. Also what type/length of rod do you suggest for the smaller creeks/rivers we have in the front range?

that's as open ended a question as "what type of gun should I get?" I think a general all around Colorado rod is a 9' 4wt. of course, you have to determine what flex you want. for super small streams, folks will use a 0 to 2 wt-.

you need to define what you mean by "value."

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Originally Posted by funkymonkey1111

that's as open ended a question as "what type of gun should I get?" I think a general all around Colorado rod is a 9' 4wt. of course, you have to determine what flex you want. for super small streams, folks will use a 0 to 2 wt-.

you need to define what you mean by "value."

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I know it's a tough question.. as far as value goes.. I've read that you can spend $600-$700 on a rod.. not one of those. I seriously haven't looked at this stuff in a decade, want something not from Walmart.. Should $100 or so for a rod/reel get me into something decent or should I expect to pay more?

I've got a Red Fly Redington 9' #5/6 2 piece rod that a friend gave me when I moved here in 2000 but I broke it during a move.

Rods:

2-3wt: Boulder Creek, Clear Creek, Etc. Really 80% of the fish in CO are perfectly suited to a 3wt rod.
4-5wt: Dream Stream, Grey Reef, Miracle Mile, Blue River, the 20% of fish not covered by a 3wt, it'd be great if there were more 30" fish swimming around, but we all catch plenty of sub-12" fish in this state.

TFO (Temple Fork Outfitters) is probably the go-to budget rod these days although they have steadily upped prices from what I've heard.
Reddington/Sage (same company) each has entry level rods, as do Loomis and Orvis.

Try to cast before buying if at all possible. There is no such thing as a "best rod", only the best rod for your casting style.

In terms of reels, unless you plan on going after 30" fish on 7X tippet, a reel for fish under 5#s is primarily a line storage device and I'd not spend over $100 on a reel unless you simply like the look of a fancy reel. The best bang for the buck if you can find one is the now-discontinued "White River Classic" that BassPro sold for a spell. It's an all metal click/pawl reel that you could drive over with a car and it'd still work just fine. Search eBay and you can usually find them for about $50 in great shape.

Most of the larger rod companies offer a lifetime warranty (Sage/Reddington/Loomis/Scott/Winston/Orvis/TFO) and the cost of having that lifetime warranty is accounted for in the price you initially pay for a rod. A fly rod, no matter the rod, isn't worth close to the $800 the top rods are now selling for. However, if I snap one, I know I can get it replaced relatively easily, hence the price tag (still not justified in my opinion but that's what the top of the line rods sell for now).

The shorter the rod (8' vs 9'), the faster the perceived action will be - all else being equal, or in lay terms, it will seem stiffer. Additionally, it'd be good to take your most oft visited fishing hole into consideration: if it's a thin body of water with considerable brush/tree's, a faster shorter rod can prevent a lot of frustration, whereas a slow-moving river that involves a lot of nymphing can make a longer rod a welcome tool.

Swing by RMA on Arapahoe and they'll let you cast rods until you are sick of casting rods. Only through trying a bunch of weights/actions/lengths will you get a good feel for what direction is appropriate for you. If for some reason they are closed, or if the endless road construction on Arapahoe becomes too much of a hassle, send me a PM and I'll let you cast all the rods you want in North Boulder Park.

I agree with the 9' 4wt as a very good all around rod, that is what I usually fish with. I have a St. Croix 4 piece rod that wasn't terribly expensive and it works fine. I usually fish with a GLoomis that was a little more but not much.

The Sportsmans Expo this weekend might be a great learning tool. Casting ponds and manufacturers reps.

here's an orvis package for $159


http://www.royalgorgeanglers.com/fly...outfit/dp/6509

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Originally Posted by def90

I've got a Red Fly Redington 9' #5/6 2 piece rod that a friend gave me when I moved here in 2000 but I broke it during a move.

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You may be able to send it back to Redinton. I broke mine about 10 year ago and they sent me a brand new one. I'm not sure if their customer service still works that way.

McGuckins has selection of fly gear also. The staff has always been able to answer my questions.

There is a lot of good info posted here.

Most of my fly gear is pre '70s (flys and line excluded).

A 9' Allcocks bamboo 5-6wt for big water. Slapped a Pflueger Sal-Trout ($15 ebay) on it. For small water with tight spaces, I use a 6 1/2' glass Wright McGill Featherlight 3wt. The reel on this one is an Ocean City #36.

I probably have a 2-3 other reels with different line on them. Another dozen are sitting on the shelf. Most are Pflueger, Martin, Bronson...off Ebay or junk shops. Usually all they need is a cleaning and lube. Doubt any of them cost more than $20. I buy line backing by the spool and

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I like to handle rods before purchasing. Switching to bamboo took some time as the motion is slower than glass. The two piece 9' are great until you have to pack them through brush. For local streams, a 3wt is fine.

I usually don't carry a lot of flies. A selection of what the fish should be biting on is enough. Every fly shop worth their salt will have a list, on their website, of what the fish are taking.

Attachment 39509

Waders, boots, vests is a whole 'nuther story.

My wifes uncle makes custom bamboo fly rods. He says they have a life time guarantee. He guarantees if you break one of his rods he will take your life. LOL I forget the amount of hours into each one but they sure are pretty. Too expensive for me even with the family discount.

You can get away with everything you need for at or around $600. I just picked it back up a year and half ago and here is what I got:

Waders from Bass Pro: You dont need the latest and greatest from Simms, make sure they are comfortable and have lots of knee bend for stepping over boulders and whatever else you might encounter in the river. I think I got mine for $150

Boots: I would say avoid felt bottom and go with rubber or something that has vibram soles. Get a size larger than your feet in case you need to put on extra thick socks for the winter or colder days. I got mine from Trout's for about $120. Mine are Simms but its only because they were the only brand I could find that made a size 16 (Im 6'8").

Rod: I suggest a 9 foot 5 weight for here in CO and it seems to be the rod size of choice for almost all trout fishing. I wavered between an Orvis Clearwater and a St. Croix Imperial. Ultimately I went with the Orvis rod because I took their free Fly Fishing 101 class and got a coupon for $50 off a rod purchase. I think I paid about $180 or so after the coupon.

Reel: Another battle I had. One guy said its just jewelry for your rod another guy said its vital. I ended up with a Lampson Konic for about $140

Line: Went with Scientific Anglers GPX 5WF pretty standard at $75

Misc: Leader, Tippet and flies, you could spend another $25-$40 depending on brand and amount of flies.

Ive been using the same setup now for over a year and a half and no complaints. Ive got a ton of fish on this set up from small to large. Ultimately its the fisherman not his gear that is going to get the fish so you could spend $2000 and not catch a damn thing or try and go budget and fun with it. There is nothing wrong with getting a cheap rod/reel/line setup from BPS or Cabelas if you just want to try before you make a serious investment. Check Craigslist too, I find tons of stuff on there for great prices, in fact just picked up a 6wt rod and reel combo for $250 that originally ran close to $800 new.

Lastly be patient and have fun, there is something very serene and calming about standing in the middle of a river "hunting" fish.

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I recently got a Tenkara rod that's was a hell of a lot of fun the one time I've been able to take it out so far...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ps2fd8a924.png

4 or 5 wt 9foot for a single do it all rod. Tfo's are great but durability can be an issue. Okuma reels have some of the best bang for the buck drags you will find. Line , and im partial too it since its made in my home town, is the rio gold . Spend a little extra on a good line it will help with casting. If you are thinking multiple rods and you want to hit small streams 2wt 7 footis the ticket. Look at combos from cabelas for around $200 on those. They usually use high end blanks and label them as cabelas brand.