Fishing Rods, Reels, Etc.

[HongerVenture]

It has been years since I've done any anglin'. In Boy Scouts I used to win fishing contests left and right. Dad and I went fishing several times each summer growing up; frequently with friends. I always seemed to be a lucky angler. It was amazing how well fishing went for my dad and I with our Kmart rods and very basic tackle set-up. The rods and tackle I had growing up are long-since gone.

So I'm looking at picking up a cheap casting rod and possibly exploring fly-fishing as well. I very much want to be able to fish on our trips so we can have fresh dinner in remote locations.

Do any of you have advice on re-entering this sport? I'm not looking to buy top of the line... quite the opposite actually. I'm looking for affordable equipment that will allow me to "test the waters" and see if I want to pursue this very far.

I know I can get cheap casting rods at Wal-Mart or any sporting good store. I've found $90 start-up sets for fly-fishing. Anyone give me pros/cons to these ideas?

In addition, I am still looking for someone to show me the ins/outs of fly fishing. I'm assuming this isn't something you can teach yourself. True or false?

Any advice, comments, criticism, thoughts, concerns, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks!

Joel

 

[OverlandZJ]

Joel, i wont claim to be the most experienced angler out there but i know this....the fish dont know if your equipment is from Eddie Bauer or Wal-Mart. Presentation and a little knowledge are everything.

I'v always used cheaper rod-reel combo's for bass and trout fishing. They wont last years (especsially the reels) but i got my moneys worth out of them.

On a trip to Northern Maine we brought our spinning gear and were not having any luck even though we could see trout rising the evening before.

A local happened in and was talking to us. He suggested that we really needed to run to the local Wal-Mart (1.5hr drive) and pick up a cheap fly combo. We did so the next morning and the next evening my son was onto trout with a few flies the local gent was kind enough to give to him. That was 2 years ago this month...my son is now hooked on fly fishing and i havent had the time away from work to go with him. He's now tying his own flies and being very successful.

My point is my son is pretty much self tought...he bought books and video's and he seemed to pick it up very easily. (too bad he couldnt do that with algebra). PM me your address and i'll ship the books and video's to ya, send them back when your through with em.

He also found some local fly fishing forums and started asking questions. One guy who guides in the area took a liking to him and met him at some local locations and tought him a few things.

As he progressed he bought some nicer equipment.

 

[atavuss]

I just picked up several ultra light action ugly stick open reel combos at Sports Authority for less than 25.00 on sale. they were already loaded with 4 lb. Berkeley line as well. makes it less painful when they are broken as my buddy slammed his truck door and snapped the tips off on two 40.00 trolling ugly sticks (only a month old)........still managed to catch a 22" rainbow and a 18" brown trout with the broken rods though.

 

[Wanderlusty]

Shoot, I picked up a $25 start up fly fishing set at Academy Sports (dunno if they are regional or national) and a friend got the same kinda setup at Wal-Mart. Works fine. Well, haven't caught much with it, but that is nothing new.....

 

[sacto_patrol]

I would suggest looking at shimano. If your looking for spinning reels the Symetre 2500 van be picked up for $30 and will last forever if maintained. Look at the lower end shimano rods and Rapala makes a decent rod in the $30 range with 7 guides on the 6'6".

 

[Nullifier]

well if you're really wanting to be cheap then a little zebco 33 unit for fresh water is great. There have probably been more fish cought on zebco 33 then ony other reel ever made. I would combine it with an ultra light ugly stick rod. should be about $40 for the set up.

As far as fly fishing is concerned you will not spend much on a reel maybe $30 but plan on $125 range for a decent rod. It is easy to get a small fortune in tippets, flies, backing etc.

If you"re on a budget stay with conventional tackle.

P.S. one other set up that people always laughed at with me on canoe trips was I had one of those instant fisherman rods you see on TV after 12 a.m. It was in my portage pack and I busted off alot of bass, specs, walle eyes, trout etc on my canoe trips. I also had no storage and transport issues. They work great.

 

[BlueFly]

Joel, it's great when you can circle back to something you enjoyed as a kid and pick it up again, especially if it holds good memories of time spent with your dad. For me, fly fishing brings all sorts of pleasure beyond having something for dinner, so get out there and get a line wet!

You can learn from books, but check your library or ebay for fly fishing videos by folks like Joan Wulff, Mel Krieger or Lefty Kreh- it's tough to describe the rhythm and feel of a cast on the printed page.

Your local fly fishing shop will offer classes for a fee, but they will also be able to tell you about any fly fishing clubs in your area. A club will usually offer classes and perhaps even equipment to try for a token membership fee. I highly recommend you hook up with one if you want to even out the learning curve.

As to equipment, if the cheap intro outfit is what gets you in, go for it. If your patience and budget allows, though, take your time, learn enough to get an idea of what would be a good fit for you and shop around. For not a whole lot more money, you could get a good rod and flyline and a cheap reel and have a serviceable setup you'll enjoy for a long time.

Good luck!

 

[mountainpete]

Lefty Kreh

I strongly recommend his videos to learn how to fly cast. I was at one of his sessions and got a chance to learn from him in person. His technique to train casting is excellent and you will be up and running quickly.

Pete

 

[JonS]

I do a ton of fishing. I'm basically a full timer now. Where and what will you be fishing for most of the time. There's tons of great reasonably priced gear. ********'s sporting goods has some 9BB Okuma spin reels for only 24.99. You can't go wrong with them. Just need to determine size. Ugly stiks are great as you can't break the things. They're not the best performing but do the job. The more info you can provide the better.