Anyone else here fly fish?

Started by pjstevko, February 15, 2018, 05:00:59 AM

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pjstevko

I was just getting into saltwater fly fishing in Florida right before I moved to California and I loved sight fishing huge snook in 1ft of water off the beach..... now I'm looking into putting together a trout setup and am looking for recommendations....

I'll be fishing the Kings, Kaweah and Kern rivers, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia National parks as well as the local  National Forests


I'm thinking a 5wt fast action rod, 5/6reel, wf6f line, 9 ft leader and 4x tippet.....

Let me know if you think I'm in the ball park.....

Share you local fly fishing stories and set ups

Pj


Gfish

Your set-up sounds perfect for simplified flyfishing, but may be limited. Most feeding trout during the daytime hours are eating insects on the bottom. This of course changes as the juvenal bugs start to hatch. A floating line can do it all with the addition of weight on the leader and/or a weighted nymph, for that 80 - 90 % of the time when there is no hatch occurring.

Better yet is a spare spool or whole reel with a fast sinking line(best for rivers). Especially in river waters where it's deeper. Fishing with streamers can be deadly and is best done IMO with a sinking line. Intermediate sinking line is sometimes best in lakes. Where it's legal, please don't neglect streamer fishing after the sun goes down. the big-un's are active during a hatch in the daylight hours with alota caution. They lose much of their "fisherman avoidance behavior" in the dark.

But, it can get kinda complicated/expensive: There are "sink-tip lines" that you can attach(usually loop to loop) to your floating line and there are floating lines with built in sink-tips. There are "shooting taper" lines, usually used for heavier rigs casting wind resistant bass-bugs or steelhead/salmon flies.

Overall, probably best to keep it simple 'till ya get it figured out. Just the entomology involved in daytime flyfishing with nymphs or dries is a fun and interesting field on-to-itself.
Gfish
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!

pjstevko

Quote from: Gfish on February 15, 2018, 02:41:18 PM
Your set-up sounds perfect for simplified flyfishing, but may be limited. Most feeding trout during the daytime hours are eating insects on the bottom. This of course changes as the juvenal bugs start to hatch. A floating line can do it all with the addition of weight on the leader and/or a weighted nymph, for that 80 - 90 % of the time when there is no hatch occurring.

Better yet is a spare spool or whole reel with a fast sinking line(best for rivers). Especially in river waters where it's deeper. Fishing with streamers can be deadly and is best done IMO with a sinking line. Intermediate sinking line is sometimes best in lakes. Where it's legal, please don't neglect streamer fishing after the sun goes down. the big-un's are active during a hatch in the daylight hours with alota caution. They lose much of their "fisherman avoidance behavior" in the dark.

But, it can get kinda complicated/expensive: There are "sink-tip lines" that you can attach(usually loop to loop) to your floating line and there are floating lines with built in sink-tips. There are "shooting taper" lines, usually used for heavier rigs casting wind resistant bass-bugs or steelhead/salmon flies.

Overall, probably best to keep it simple 'till ya get it figured out. Just the entomology involved in daytime flyfishing with nymphs or dries is a fun and interesting field on-to-itself.
Gfish

Thanks for the info! I think I'm gonna stick with floating line for now and just add a flouro leader and/or a weighed nymph if I need to get down in the water column. Once I have a little more $$$ I'll pick up a spare spool with a intermediate or sinking line.

I'm gone spend most of my $$$$ on the rod and line and buy a cheaper reel. Actually I found a great 5/6wt CNC-machined 6061-T6 aluminum alloy reel that is anodized for surface protection and abrasion resistance for $55! (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017I6Y7WA/ref=twister_B0126Y2F32?_encoding=UTF8&coliid=IDG1KILIRO2RC&colid=KYFJHLHJ01JB&th=1&psc=1)

I've got everything picked out now I just have to start buying it..... And figure out what flies to buy ;D

wfjord

#3
That sounds like a good setup.  For trout stream fly lines I generally use a good SA WF-F for most purposes, and also DT-F to some extent. You can always get more specialized depending on your needs.

A lot of fly lines are made a half weight heavier so you don't have to go up to a 6 wt unless you're throwing bigger/bulkier flies. I don't overline my rods.

Rod speed is a personal preference.  I started off FFing in saltwater in west central FL 35 years ago and initially liked fast rods for that, but moved away and ever since all my fly fishing is medium to med-fast action for trout and med-fast for stripers.

One of the reasons I don't prefer super fast action rods for trout is because I generally like the rod flex to go deeper into the blank if I get into a larger fish --it's sorta like supplementary drag insurance and protects light tippets.

Keta

How long of rod?

Why the 5wt rod and 6 weight line? 

If you are going to fish on a brushy stream bank go with a shorter leader.

My small trout stream rod is a 4wt.
Hi, my name is Lee and I have a fishing gear problem.

I have all of the answers, yup, no, maybe.

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Gobi King

#5
I use an 8 ft rod with a spinning reel to fly fish for salmon with beads, egg sucking leeches.
You can buy the okuma fly reels for the same money, I am thinking of getting the big azz one for surf fly fishing with large streamers and some lead split shots to get it down.
In Michigan, you cannot use a weighted fly on some streams. But you can use a sliding weight above the fly or beads above the fly,

Do you tie your own flies?
Shibs - aka The Gobi King
Fichigan

Tiddlerbasher

What the others have said - I would have probably gone with a 4wt 8ft 6 rod and floating line for most small river fishing (like in the UK) - UNLESS thay are big rivers and deep with large fish then I would go for 7 or 8wt outfit (I use a 7wt for fishing lakes/reservois where the fish can run to double figures). Weighted nymphs for quick streams are a good option, cat's whiskers seem to get rainbows very agressive at times. You can get sinking/intermediate/hover etc. tapered leaders - far less costly that multiple lines on different spools. Then there's waders, boots and endless accessories to get. One accessory I wouldn't be without (particularly for catch and release) is a Ketchum Release hook remover - I've got 2 sizes for 10-18 hooks and alarger one for 10+ hooks. Also a range of tippet material, snippers, landing nets. I always try to travel light but my fly vest is always bulging ;D

pjstevko

The rod I'm gonna get is a 9' fast action rod (https://www.redington.com/fly-fishing-rods/vice) which loads and casts better if I move up to a 6wt line.

The optimal line weight for the 5wt rod is a 140 grain line so I'll move up a 6wt line or buy the appropriate grain weighed line....

I've been researching this stuff 24/7 for weeks and my head is still spinning so if I'm way out of line please let me know.....

Thanks

Pj

wfjord

I agree with others about a 8' to 8.5' rod.  I've got five 5wt rods in 7.5, 8, 8.5 & 9ft lengths and use the 8.5' more than the others on medium size and even bigger rivers that I fish regularly. On small trout streams you'll soon start thinking about the benefits of smaller, lighter weight rods. Even a good 7' 3wt can catch pretty big trout under normal water conditions.   

Tiddlerbasher

Quote from: wfjord on February 15, 2018, 06:19:04 PM
I agree with others about a 8' to 8.5' rod.  I've got five 5wt rods in 7.5, 8, 8.5 & 9ft lengths and use the 8.5' more than the others on medium size and even bigger rivers that I fish regularly. On small trout streams you'll soon start thinking about the benefits of smaller, lighter weight rods. Even a good 7' 3wt can catch pretty big trout under normal water conditions.   

Yup pretty much my thoughts - small rivers light weight gear - more fun

jurelometer

Yay!!!   fly fishing!!!

I never got to the point of being a trout addict.  Mostly do the salt now.  I don't miss the fussy trout,  but do miss the streams.   Trout are found in some pretty awesome places.  Here is what I remember:

On rods:  For pure trout/small stream fishing,  a medium action rod is usually preferred.   It allows you to form loops and mends with a slower more gentle casting motion, as more of the rod loads with less effort.  It takes a bit more skill not to shockwave a short cast with a stiff rod.     Fast action rods come into play when distance becomes a factor.   However if you want more versatility, a fast action rod can still work a stream,  and will be better for rivers, lakes, casting sinking lines, shooting heads, etc.     

If you plan to use the rod only for small streams AND small flies,   I agree with the others on  lighter line weights,  and especially shorter lengths.   But these are specialist rods.   A  9 ft  5/6 weight will work for just about any type of freshwater fishing in CA, and can be used for surf perch on the beach when the wind is down.


In stream fishing, it is all about the drift.  The line is getting pulled at different speeds as it lays across the stream,  so laying out a clean strait  cast is not enough.  Sometimes you need to have little loops of slack in strategic places.    I once watched an accomplished trout guy work his honey-hole for big browns.  The cast would end with a  little "U" in the line. The end of the  "U" would get caught in a back eddy and the fly would magically drift upstream and drop into the spot.  A  slower action rod works better here,  but again. We are getting specialized.

On reels,  anything reliable works  on trout.   Too many of the budget reels go feature crazy and you start to get reliability problems with junky one way bearings and sticky stacked drags.   

On lines,  a WF floater is the way to go unless you need to get deep in slower water -  lake fishing.    A full sink is really a specialty line. If you need to fish deep in lakes or bigger rivers, it is better to go with a sinking head and a shooting line  over a full sink (folks will disagree with me on this).   For less than 10 foot depth,  you can get down with weighted flies.  If  you need to get down quicker,  there is also sinking leader -  this is used for the back of your leader, it looks like a skinning sinking line.  For stream fishing any budget line from a reputable manufacturer will do the job.   When you are starting out, it  is better to have a 5 and 6 line at $30-40 each  than just one line weight at $70-100.   There  are screaming deals  when a brand discontinues a line, and usually the replacement model is mostly a rename.

On flies,   stream trout seem to get  very  selective.  They sit  in an eddie,  watching all the detritus drift by.  They  need to be able to quickly sort out food from sticks, bits of leaves, algae, etc.  My theory is that once something triggers them to grab something and it turns out to be food,  they keep looking for that trigger.    With stuff drifting by quickly, and with a tiny fish brain,   a trout  can't afford to make much of a pro vs con analysis.   Either your fly and presentation has the trigger, or it doesn't.    And the triggers will constantly change through the day as the various prey life cycles do their thing.  The local fishermen usually are in tune with what set of flies is working at any given time.  I would suggest a small variety of  classics - maybe parachute Addams, copper johns, black  wooly buggers, all in a couple different sizes.    Whenever you head to a stream, hit the local fly shop,  find out what is working,  buy some of those and some leaders or something. 

Nymphs will get you far more fish than dries unless there is a hatch going off.    If the stream is big enough,  think about indicator nymphing.   In very shallow water, think about nymph fishing the pockets upstream.  If you get up towards the Sacramento and Feather,  there is a shad run in the spring that can get pretty fun.  This will be distance casting with sinking gear.

If you are heading out to the central  coast, and your reel is saltwater capable,   try out the surf perch on the beach.  I think it is mostly a summer thing there.  I've caught surf perch  with the fly dangling in the wash behind me.


-J

pjstevko

Thanks for all the info..... Except now I'm not sure what I want at this point :o ??? :o ???

David Hall

In freshwater streams and rivers I'm a top water junkie.  Few things are as exciting as making a good presentation with a dry fly and watching the hit.  All the rivers and streams I've ever fished from central California to the sierras to Oregon amd Washington.  Stream access is typically limited and those beautiful casting long rods are nothing but a pain in the you know what. No room to swing them, you can try roll casting but I find a 7' rod in 4wt with a DT floating line and a 5' leader to be exactly what my doctor ordered.  Reaches in under and through low hanging trees and brush and still handles fish well up to 4-5lbs.  Fishing California streams your not going to run into anything in that weight range anymore.  Just my .02 not any kind of hard and fast rule.

wfjord

Quote from: pjstevko on February 16, 2018, 04:23:16 AM
Thanks for all the info..... Except now I'm not sure what I want at this point :o ??? :o ???

:) Pjstevko --you're on the right track. Starting out with a 5wt rod is a good all-around choice. It'll all fall together for you.

*Find some fly shops in your area and test cast a bunch of 5wt rods in different sizes. Ask them for advice re: rod length, line, what they recommend for the rivers you want to fish, etc. When you get more settled on what you want you can shop around for price.

The Redington is probably a decent budget rod, test one somewhere if you can. I think Redington is owned by the same company that owns Sage.  You might also look around at St. Croix Avids for not too much more, it's a very fine handling rod in it's price range and worth testing.

Don't overthink line weight or worry about grams, just try to match up a well balanced outfit that feels good to you.

There's no end to the FF stuff you can spend money on.

Bryan Young

I fly fish. Oh wait. You don't mean setting the hook so hard that the tiny fish come flying towards you.

I have an old bamboo rod with what appears to be a 4 and 6 tip and uses the same butt section.  I want to fly fish and my friend was helping me but he had unexpectedly passed away at the age of 38.  Wow, seems like yesterday.

Someday I'll pick it up again.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D