Any Fly Fishers here

[singlesix]

Looking for advice on starter equipment. Yes I can google it and did; but, looking for actual advice. I been a fishing ever since I was a kids and want to start something new. Beside kinda running out of things to buy for my guns so need a new hobby.

 

[tyrajam]

I'm into fly fishing, I hit the little retention ponds in the neighborhoods and usually take a trip to oregon every summer to visit my family and do a little fishing. Flymasters on Alisonville is a little pricey but there are great people in there to help you out. What are you looking for and what do you want to know?

 

[ahighland]

What kind of fish are you looking to catch? It is a bit confusing at first, but if we know what you want to catch we can help you out.

 

[tyler34]

I used to fly fish a lot a go up to my cousins in portage for the salmon run every year but marriage and a child can hamper that. I do still do fly tying fairly often as a hobby.

 

[jonkertb]

fly fishing is about my favorite....here on Heritage Lake there are some nice slab bluegills that are fun on a 9 ft 4wgt :>)

 

[rhart]

WARNING! Flyfishing can be very addictive and expensive.

I have helped Many people start out flyfishing. For starters, unless money is no object, avoid Flymasters for now. Ok, I already saved you 750.00.
Its hard to own one flyrod, like owning one knife or one gun.
However, I would recommend, for starters, a 5-6 weight rod and reel. This will be good for panfish and most trout. Get you a rod/reel combo for 100 bucks. You need the appropriate size (5-6) line and get 4 or 5 leaders for now. Also, get a dozen or so misc panfish flies, bugs and poppers. Actually, I would suggest Orvis in Carmel for some help. You do need help and you cant rely on getting it anywhere else in the city (besides flymasters)
There is a special "feel" for casting a flyrod. See if you can find someone to get you started. If you need help PM me. Igts like golfing, you dont want to pick up bad habbits early.
Good luck

 

[singlesix]

Thanks for the replies. I will be fishing mostly Panfish - Bluegill and Crappie. Maybe the occasional Bass that happens to hit. Yes I was looking for a starter set. Will check out Orvis.

 

[6birds]

Thanks for the replies. I will be fishing mostly Panfish - Bluegill and Crappie. Maybe the occasional Bass that happens to hit. Yes I was looking for a starter set. Will check out Orvis.

rhart, I wouldn't be so hard on FlyMasters, they have more experience and helpful knowledge than most, and they DO NOT pressure you into an $1200 Sage when you walk in the door.

I have been a customer of FlyMasters for almost 10 years, and use WildCat Outfitters (Zionsville) for 5-6 years, and Orvis for 15 (the last 4 using the new store in carmel). I have taken fly casting classes from all of them, bought equipment from all, and tie flies at FlyMasters, and now at home.

Single Six, if you haven't, take a class. It will teach you enough about casting to get you good in just a few weeks, and that casting knowledge will make it very easy to shop for a flyrod that matches your casting style.

I have 2-4wt, 2-7wt and a 12wt, with a mix of Orvis, Sage and St Croix rods.

If you would like to try any of them for a few weeks/months to get you started, please let me know. With a name like Single Six, you gotta be a trust worthy guy! I'm in Fishers, I'll meet you anywhere in town you like.

 

[DanO]

I have been fly fishing for almost 30 years, and have had the privilege to go to a lot of the "meccas" of fly fishing. I agree with the above advice as far as the addictive nature of fly fishing.

If you buy a cheap rod it will be less fun to cast with, but you do not want to spend too much before you know you will stick with it. I suggest the Temple Fork Outfitter rods, Lefty Kreh models. IF you have a Bass Pro near you, (I know, small fly departments, but mine in ortage ROCKS!) they will have TFO rods. Take some lessons and then go have a ball!

 

[singlesix]

Yes planning on taking lessons. Let's hope I have the coordination to cast.

 

[Lock n Load]

I havent fly fished in 20 years, my niece is wanting to try it so my son and I may get back into it too. We were really looking at the fly gear at the sport show a few weeks back.

I still have alot of flys that I tied myself, in Michigan we had outdoors classes in school, belonged to the MI Steelheaders (Salmon and Trout fishing club) and we used the tails from the black squirrels in Northern MI on many flys, I used to get $5 per tail for the extras when I was a teenager.

Keep us posted with your progress....

 

[meldusty]

It is addictive be cautious

 

[Ashkelon]

I know nothing about fly fishing but got a pflleger medalist reel and 6.5 foot Kodiak fiberglass rod for x-mas as an inheritance gift. Supposedly the man who used these caught quite a few trout in his day. Anybody familiar with these antiques and are they useable or should I just outfit with new gear? Thanks for any input

 

[ChalupaCabras]

Cabelas had St.Croix triumph series rods for $50 recently. I have been VERRY happy with my 9ft 4-6wt. Check out the webpage, they may still have them availible.

Additionally, check out custom rod builders. They are not as expensive as you would think. JSmith Custom tackle, located in Jonesville MI (517-849-7137) makes great rods of all kinds, including fly rods, for very reasonable prices. I got the chance to paw up his stuff at a county fair this week, and was highly impressed with the quality and low price. He uses St.Croix and other high modulus blankes to make his rods.

I would probably go custom build in your shoes. I just got a custom built 6 foot ultralight lure rod a few months ago from a guy in Edwardsburg who builds them. You would not believe how sensative and flexible this thing is. I have been slaying the gills with that sweet little honey

 

[wraymusicman]

I have to echo the above, and say that I started on a 7-8wt that was great for windy WY lakes, but not so good for mountain streams. Graduated to a 5-6wt, but still not great. Finally bought a 4wt 4piece for backpacking, and now I don't know what do do with the others.

TFO is definately one of my favorites for the price!

BTW - for less expensive rigs (if that's the way you decide to go), check out Cabelas outfits. Rod, reel, line all included for a decent price, although the quality is good, the 'feel' is just OK

 

[teddy12b]

I've been fly fishing for about 10 years now give or take a few. I currently only have one fly rod and it's a 4 piece 5 weight. It'll handle most everything, but once you start getting into the huge fish you'll want something bigger.

If you are going to go after mostly small fish, then I'd suggest either a 0 or 1 weight fly rod with a reel that has zero resistance. I used to have a Sage 1 weight with a large arbor reel that was incredible for catching blue gill & small bass with, but I ended up selling it on Ebay after I hadn't used it in a long time.

The best kept secret in the midwest is all the rivers in Michigan that are full of trout, steelhead, & salmon. Most people think you have to go out west for those fish, but it's not entirely true.

My brother is a fly fishing nut and buys a lot of his gear on ebay. He has more fly rods than I have guns and that's saying something. If you do your homework, ebay is an incredible place to pickup some great gear. Lots of guys watch a movie and buy all the stuff then realize they don't want to stand in a river all day and they sell it.

 

[eldirector]

I am a newbie at flyfishing, but really enjoy it! My father-in-law is HUGE in the Indy flyfishing scene, and got me started. My wife is actually a great flyfisher (got it from her dad). I'll have to check my gear, but I know it is a 5-6 wt., 9' Orvis rod. Decent gear is a lot more $$$ than spinning gear. Whatever you do, get something decent!

Bass fishing on a fly rod is a blast! So are bluegill and pan fish. My FIL goes for steelhead in northern Indiana and Michigan.

I'll second Orvis as a place to get started. My FIL knows the FlyMasters guys real well, so I'll plug them too. I actually pick up a lot of supplies from Gander Mountain (line, leader, assorted flies, etc...). You can go hog wild with "gear", or have fun with the basics. I don't even have waders: just a rod, real, line, leader, and flies.

I'll have my gear out in a week or so. Who's up for an INGO fishing trip?

 

[ahighland]

I'd recommend

Rod:
TFO Professional Series 9' 5 weight rod $150
Solid rod, best value IMO, good warranty service(I've used it). Good all-around size and weight.

Reel:
Orvis Battenkill Bar Stock III $130 OR
Orvis Battenkill 5/6 $90 OR
Ross Flystart 2 $55
Reel is the area you don't really need to spend a lot of money until you get into bigger fish.

Line:
Many choices. I like Rio and Scientific Anglers lines personally. Don't go cheap here. I would expect to pay $45 at least for a good line. Usually if you buy and line and reel at the same place they will load it with backing and the line for you. If you buy them separate they usually will do it for a small fee. Or, buy 20lb backing and look online to do it yourself.

Leaders:
Cabela's knotless tapered leader 4-packs are good to start with. They are decent quality and priced at around $9 for a 4-pack. You probably go through leaders a little faster when you first start.

Tippet:
Lets you repair and add to your leaders so they last longer(multiple fly changes, wind knots, etc). Spools should last you a while, so you might as well get decent stuff to start with. I use Rio, a lot of people like Frog's Hair. Don't worry about Flourocarbon for now.

Flies:
Do some reading and visit a good fly shop. That will help you the most as to what will work for what you want to catch.

Misc:
You will want a couple of other things.
Flybox, simple cheap foam one will do.
Some kind of nipper to cut tippet with. Nail clippers work but can be annoying to use.
Forceps are helpful to remove flies from fish.
Maybe some floatant if you end up fishing dries.

The rod and line and the most important items. Reel is basically line storage for smaller fish. Other stuff is cheap to upgrade as you discover what you really need.

I've bought some stuff from JL Waters in Bloomington. I haven't been to any of the Indy stores yet. I like Little River Outfitters. Little River Outfitters - Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains - Online Catalog
They have free shipping and you won't pay sales tax. That said, supporting the local guys is good, and you can learn a lot from them.

Taking classes for casting is a good idea. It starts out hard, then you get fairly proficient quickly. Artful casting is the long hard road. I've taught myself from reading and videos online, but I'm sure I have some bad habits.

It sounds like a lot, but once you dive in it becomes much less confusing.

 

[BtownBlaster]

Fly fishing is more addictive than crack. I read about it in a book, thought I'd like to try it, and withing six months had several rods and reels, and a much lighter wallet. That being said, anyone have any good spots in south-central Indiana you'd like to share?

 

[singlesix]

I figure I'll hit the same spot I fish now.