Flyfishing Newbie - gear questions

[Pippen]

Hi Guys,

Please bear with me as I know VERY little about fly fishing (I am a predominantly salty type guy) but have a keen interest to get some gear predominantly for fishing on the salt. Over in Kyuquot this year I really got the fever to give it a whirl as one of the other guys I was with was playing around with it....plus we were getting coho's right on the surface out offshore.

I was out fishing with cellikboy last week sharing a bit of "salt knowledge" and asking some questions. I have been watching the buy and sell forum and figure I should figure out what I want and keep my eyes open.

I'll post a few questions and maybe feel free to add some insight from you experienced fly chuckers if there are things I am not taking into consideration.

• I would like to get something that I could fish with on the chuck and it would likely be mostly for having some fun with coho and casting around kelp beds for various types of rockfish. We use spinning rods for casting right now for the "Black Rockfish/Bass" which are one of my favourite table fares and fun to pass some time for when the water is too rough offshore.
• What should I be looking at for the 'weight' of a rod....is an 8 wt okay for the chuck and still be able to suffice if I wanted to chuck a fly around in a river or lake? Hoping to a trek up to Smithers to fish with a buddy as well for steelies.
• Do I want a floating or sinking line? I would tend to think sinking?
• What would you recommend for a rod and reel combo? I don't mind spending the $$$ and was talking with cellikboy about do I look for a intro type set up or look for a second hand better quality rod like a Sage or some other brand? (I have no idea who the good rod makers are) I want something I am going to be able to cast well with to start but will also last me for awhile.
• What should I be looking at for a reel?
• I do have some old fly gear that a friend of my fathers left for me when he passed on but I really haven't done much with it or looked at what it is. It is likely QUITE old, but I haven't looked at the makes of it etc.
• At this point I won't even start to ask about various flies.....I need to get the gear and then start the learning process on leaders, types of flies to look at.....I need to read this forum more and understand the terminology as well. I have read the term tippett, tapered leader etc and have no idea what is being referred to!

• I will eventually have to figure out how exact I rig everything up.....with leaders, tying the fly on to the line etc. Will make for a great winter of learning for me!!

Cheers and thanks to all who can help out with some info!

Much appreciated,

Scott

[Fish Finder]

Hey Scott,

Judging from what I’ve read it sounds like a 9-10’ ft 8 weight set up is what you’ll be after. It will fill your needs on the salt, and the rivers, especially if you’re talking about chasing salmon out on the open chuck and then big Steelhead up north. Anything smaller may put your catch at risk from over play if a release is intended. However a #8 outfit would be over kill on most still waters of the interior. Typically on that fishery, #5-#6 is the most common set up used. The options are endless for choosing a set up. It’ll come down to what you can afford. A combo can range from $200 to up over $1,000 and beyond if you want to go crazy. TFO, Sage, Loop, Fenwick, are examples ofoptions to look at, but the list can go on. No matter what choice you make, your best option is to go purchase a large arbor fly reel and a multi tip line system so all your bases are covered for the salt or rivers. RIO, SA, & AIR FLO all make reputable options for multi tip systems. Just be sure to rinse your gear well after fishing in the salt!

Tippet is a piece of Mono or Floro you add to your existing leader to give it more length.

Feel free to shoot me a line if you have any other questions.


Finder

[Flyfishin Magician]

Good advice from a proficient fly fisher who, at one point, taught me how to use a drift rod...LOL. OK - maybe not quite so - but I digress...

I agree that an 8 weight rod is a good starting point. This will nicely handle the coho, and give you a shot at the springs as well. I recently picked up a Sage 8 wt FLi to use as a back-up rod and it feels pretty good with the pinks too. I know that all Sage rods 7 wt and up come standard with an aluminum reel seat that is fully anodized for the salt. I have a feeling that this is pretty standard across most rod companies but it's a question to ask. Finder's given you a good list of rod companies to check out.

I would also go with a large arbor reel - although I currently don't use one for the salt. Check to make sure that the reel is anodized for salt water protection - and be sure to rinse it off in fresh water every time (I'm sure you probably know this). Lamson, Ross Reels, Orvis, and Bauer all make good reels and should have one at a reasonable price. I'm not sure I'd go with an inexpensive reel since this will be critical to function particularly in the salt.

I'd also go with a multi tip line. I've got the Rio tip system and it works well. You can change tips (of various sinking rates) to suit the conditions. Typically, the Rio multi tip system will come with the following tips:

- dry line
- ghost tip (intermediate slow sink)
- type 3 (medium sink rate - 3 inches per second, ips)
- type 6 (fast sink rate - 6 ips)

You can also buy individual tips for about 25 bucks. I've got a type 8 tip for example - although I almost never use it. Anyway, the multi tip system comes with a wallet to store the tips - look for the card that identifies each tip type.

As Finder indicated, leader attaches directly to the fly line. I make my own "tapered" leaders as opposed to buying a tapered leader. I attach a 20 lb butt section to the fly line, followed by a few feet of 12 lb mono. I then taper it down, attaching 8 lb, then 6 lb tippet - depending on the water conditions. I like to attach the butt section using an "Albright Knot", but the standard knot is a "nail knot" - you can google these terms. I use a double surgeon's knot to attach the leaders together. Of course, the fly attaches to the tippet - which you can use the standard clinch, or improved clinch, knot. I like to use a duncan loop (I think that's the name) to attach the fly - as Finder knows!

Flies? Well that's a whole new topic. Check out the fly fishing section of this forum, or go to the sister site!

Have fun and good luck.

[11th Warrior]

Hey Pippen,

Although not specifically answering your salt questions, here are a couple of links I used when I started fly fishing a couple of years ago. They'll explain terms and common areas of practice. Hope you find them useful.

Flyfishing101

Theflyfishingguide.com/

I'm sure there are better links out there, but these are just the ones that got me started.

[Pippen]

Oustanding info guys and very much appreciated!!

11th....that "flyfishing101" link is great and illustrates some great info that I didn't find so easily laid out on a few other sites I had looked at.

One question about a "multi-tip" line; I see that a few of the tips note different levels of "sinking". Is just the 'tip' sinking or does the entire line sink as well?

According to the flyfishing101 website I would tend to think that I want a 8 or 9 wt line to go on a 8 wt rod? It also notes that I would be looking towards #2 as noted below....a "saltwater taper"? Based on the pic below....where it notes that the "tip" is, I would assume that the leader goes on to there? I guess I am a bit confused on a "multi-tip" line if the additional tips that were noted to come with it if they are actually the leaders? How do you determine what leader length to go with?




For the most part I am sure that if I do purchase "new" gear the person at the store should be able to help me out with the bulk of this, but I am just thinking if I see a good used set up to save a few $$$ to start out I know what I am looking for.

Finder....I also read your PM and please keep me in mind.


Thanks again guys for the well laid out replies and the links. I am sure as I read more I will certainly have more questions.....including reading your posts through a few times there will be more questions come up.

Very much appreciate the time taken to reply!!

Scott

[Flyfishin Magician]

Only the tips sink. The rest of the line is a floating line. You could go with a full sinking line - I've got a spool with a clear "slime line" that is a full intermediate sinking line. This is good for the beaches and might work well in your case too. However, the multi tip system will give you the most versatility IMHO.

[Pippen]

Only the tips sink. The rest of the line is a floating line. You could go with a full sinking line - I've got a spool with a clear "slime line" that is a full intermediate sinking line. This is good for the beaches and might work well in your case too. However, the multi tip system will give you the most versatility IMHO.

Thanks for the info FFM!!




As the "thread states"....I am a newbie and here comes a question that may be really dumb but in my reading around the internet I am a bit confused.

I know that I want a single action reel but is a "centerpin" reel one that is used for flyfishing? I was reading below and not exactly sure if a "fly reel" is different from a "centerpin" reel. I have googled a bunch of sites but can't really find a true definition as to whether or not there is a difference and if "yes"....what that difference is?

There are only a few different types of reels. The most common being the single action, which is pictured here on the left. With this type of reel, the handle is attached directly to the spool. There are no gears to change the ratio. These reels usually have a spring and pawl, or a disc drag. The spring and pawl is a simple and inexpensive drag, and is satisfactory for most smaller species such as trout and panfish. The disc drag is smoother and more precise. This is the preferred drag system for bass and saltwater anglers, where you must control a very powerful fish. Many reels have what is called an exposed rim. This is a very important feature to have. It allows the angler to apply drag directly to the spinning spool with the palm of their hand. You should insist on this feature when purchasing a reel. There are also reels that have gears to multiply your input, and there are reels that incorporate an anti-reverse handle. These are nice things to have in certain situations, but they are specialized in their application range. The last type of reel is an automatic reel. This reel has a large spring inside to allow you to retrieve all of your line with just a push of a button. These reels are not very common. They are heavy and do not store enough line. Your first reel should be a single action. When shopping for a reel, you will want to see what the capacity for the particular reel is. For example, reel X might hold a weight forward 5 weight line and 120 yards of backing, or a weight forward 6 weight and 80 yards of backing. Therefore, you should choose a reel that holds the line and amount of backing you chose earlier.

Again guys.....many thanks for the input and sharing the feedback!

[11th Warrior]

A centerpin reel has no drag. You do what's called "palming" to apply drag, which is effectively pushing the palm of your hand against the bottom of the outer spool to apply however much drag is required to fight the fish.

They're expensive, and really not what you're looking for. Most times they're either lined with straight mono and backing, or a braided line. In your case you're going to want a true fly reel with a quality disc drag to fight those salt-monsters

[Pippen]

A centerpin reel has no drag. You do what's called "palming" to apply drag, which is effectively pushing the palm of your hand against the bottom of the outer spool to apply however much drag is required to fight the fish.

They're expensive, and really not what you're looking for. Most times they're either lined with straight mono and backing, or a braided line. In your case you're going to want a true fly reel with a quality disc drag to fight those salt-monsters

Ha ha....."monsters"...I can only dare to dream and hope right now.

Thanks for the clarification 11th!

[ed604]

Hey honestly if money isn't an issue just go all out and get something expensive. The reason why is because when i first got my beginner set, I decided to save some money and not spend as much (echo fly rod, redington fly reel). Soon after I picked up a sage z axis 8 wt and a loop opti reel. I sort of wish I went straight for the sage and loop reel because now I have a back up 8 wt rod and reel. Good thing is that if any of your buddies ever wanted to fly fish, you could lend them the back up.


As for brands, I've done tons of research by reading reviews and asking tackle shops. Overal from what i've learned, Sage, GLoomis makes some good rods (with good warrantties). Great salt reels i'd say are ones made by Abel, Loop, Tibor, and Islander (canadian).