A Good Bow Set Up?

[shane]

Help! whats a good starter set up to get tangled up on the bow? what weight , length, and action. i have fished plenty in the past but mostly mooching and slaying salmon out of the vedder . I am a virgin fly fisher. any help would be greatly appriciated

[CrisD]

The bad part of getting a starter outfit is once your casting improves you realize that you wasted your money on junk, then you need to go out and purchase the outfit you should have bought in the first place. A standard rod that will do everything on the Bow would be a 6 weight. I was out fishing my new sage FLIght 6wt and i was imazed how well it casts and fishes, a powerful rod yet light and easy to cast. The best part is that it is half the price of SAGE's premium rods.

[reevesr1]

I would recommend taking Hanson's Fly Fishing Boot Camp. Cost is $200, you get one days instruction on basic ff stuff (how everything works, knots, etc) casting instruction, and a bit of time on the water practicing what you've learned. Oh, and you get to keep the rod and reel. 9 ft 6 wt with a very serviceable reel. I still use my son's rig from this boot camp from time to time. Catch as many fish with it as anything else. If you want better gear (which IMHO you won't need for awhile), you can get $200 of in store credit instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SanJuanWorm]

For a beginner i'd get something cheap. Get a 6weight with a 6weight line thats weight forward or WF.

 

You can fish any stream with this rod. Fish dries, streamers, nymphs. Once you get a bit better at casting then go try more expensive rods.

 

Myself, I don't fish dries very much so I don't spend a whole lot on high end rods. I have 2 TFO rods and one orvis (which people like to step on).

 

Anyway, take some casting lessons or go learn yourself. Many of us are self taught. You can also meet a lot of people streamside that are on this forum that will be more than willing to help.

 

See you on the river.

 

DD

[ÜberFly]

Personally, I wouldn't go super cheap... Both Sage FLi and Redington CPS are on sale due to model changes ($200 - $250ish). TFO's are a decent rod and you are able to get replacement parts locally which is a bonus, but are a little heavy for my liking (I have both a TFO 6 wt and CPS 5 wt - and LOVE the CPS!!). 6wt is a great all rounder. As important is a reel and there are way too many to choose from... Definitely go with a Large arbor. Casting class is a great reco or a day out with a guide on a walk and wade...

 

Tight lines and we'll see you on the water

 

Peter

[bhurt]

Personally I would recommend buying the TFO Axiom, 6wt 9' with a Mayfly reel.

 

Some people do try out fly fishin and get fusstrating of not catching anything and go back to the spin rod (which is okay as long as stayin within the regs)

 

The Axiom I belive is roughly $350 and is a decent (not excellent) rod that has a mid felx and not to fast and defiently not a noodle. The reason I suggest the TFO is because of the Springbrook warrenty. If you do break the rod for $35 you can get it replaced the sameday (as long as they are open)

 

The Mayfly reel is not the best out there but once again for someone just starting out I think it would be perfect, cost is like $60 I think, I know people that have used them for years and have never had a problem with it.

 

Then for line I would get a better line, maybe something like a SA Expert Distance line

 

All in all roughly $500, after a year or two of using it then you can think about what upper echalon rod you want, by this time you should know something about what type of fishin you want to do and how you enjoy casting.

 

Just my two cents though.

[Conor]

9 ft 6 wt with a WF6F or WF7F (that is a 6 or 7 weight-forward floating line). Overlining (putting a 7 wt line on a 6 wt rod) will make learning to cast with most modern rods much easier. Get a reel with a decent drag system; a high end click-pawl or decent disc drag that is even and easily adjustable.

 

I'd go the cheap route (whatever that means to you), until you decide you are serious about it. That way you can get a feel for what you may want, and then you have a back up rod when you upgrade. There is no point buying a good rod until you know how to cast and how you cast. It would be disappointing to buy a sweet Sage stick, just to find out you prefer to cast a Scott. Just count on spending about double what you did initially a season or two down the road.

 

I'd recommend not going to a fast taper until you are sure that is what you want and your casting skills are solid. Also, you will save some money buying a moderate to moderate fast action rod, as they are not marketed as 'top of the line' anymore.

 

You can get a good starter set up for $100 or you can get a great starter set up for $600; it just depends on your resources. Let us know a price range, and we can give you some specifics.

 

I'd recommend spending less on the rod/reel and getting a casting lesson and/or fishing lesson/guided trip. Having a good teacher show you the ropes will cut down on frustration levels.

[headscan]

Take a casting lesson before buying anything. When I took mine through Country Pleasures back in 91 they had a variety of entry-level setups to try so you could figure out which you preferred. They also offered a one time discount after taking the lesson so you could buy your rod, reel, line, waders, etc. Don't know if the shops still do that sort of thing, but that would be the way I'd go.

[sirocco]

TFO has a new reel out this year called the Prism II. Same price range of the Mayfly but a much nicer reel in my opinion.

[maxwell]

conor nailed it IMHO get a rod u can afford. i would recommend overlining it and find a class, camp or something were u can learn all the basics! tightlines!

[newflyer]

My good fishing buddy learned to cast and fly fish on a $50 walmart rod that came with the reel and line. He is now one of the better casters and all round fishing guys I have ever met. He has since seriously upgraded to an outfit that suits his need perfectly. You have to know a bit about what you are doing before you can know what you like... It may sound like an echo but sign up for a class or lessons of some kind. The type of rod/reel/line setup wont make a huge difference in learning the basics, and then you will know if you even like the sport. This may come as a suprise but not every one does !!!

 

[toolman]

I would recomend that you sign up for one of the introductory flyfishing programs at this school.

You will be glad you did.

http://www.mclennanflyfishing.com/mclennan...hingschools.htm

[newflyer]

wait a mintue I just responded in the "ask a pro" section... which I am clearly not... sorry.