Howdy,
I'm just getting into Fly Fishing this year and was wondering what people here recommend in terms of gear. I currently live in Southwest Montana, so I'm looking for a 6 or 5 weight 4 piece 9 foot rod. I'm currently looking at one made by LL Bean on eBay, but there is also a "swap meet" for Fly Fishing gear coming up this Saturday. What brands have a reputation for being higher end, reliable, and durable. Also, does anyone know of a good bag for hiking that a travel tube could attach to?
>>700764
go to the fishing general
>>700764
You've chosen a good weight, size, and configuration for all-around general purposes. Beyond that you start splitting hairs and it doesn't really matter for a beginner.
I would suggest though that you don't go cheap on the rod. It is worth investing about 150 for a good rod, not much worse than the higher end rods, yet a huge step up from the $50-60 budget ones. Manufacturing technology is amazing nowadays and it's super expensive to make a fantastic rod. If you have to go cheap do so with the reel.
I would also get a damage warranty/insurance on whatever rod you choose because eventually breaking the tip is almost guaranteed.
I don't think you have to go too crazy if you're just starting out. I started on a crappy $20shakespeare, then once I moved to where there was no good fly fishing I upgraded for whatever reason.
For around $200 I got a fairly good kit at a sporting goods store, got a #8 for going after bass,pike,muskie, crappie, works well for me.
All my spinners & casters are Fenwick, they work well for me & hold up well. If I had to look for a new fly rod, I would check them out to see what the have.
>>700764
Hey man I'm in the same situation. I'm in the bitterroot and just getting into fishing. I just moved here. What areas are you fishing? Know any good spots?
Also anyone know of any YouTube videos that are worth watching?
>>700764
here's a tip for super cheap and effective floatant:
ingredients:
paraffin wax
lighter fluid
small container (that can contain a fluid without leaking)
step 1 cut off some slivers of wax and put into container
step 2 fill container with lighter fluid
step 3 boil some water
step 4 close container, place container in hot water and let wax dissolve into lighter fluid
step 5 when it's all dissolved you can dunk dry flies into the solution and then take out and let dry for around 5 minutes. you can dab the excess with some tissue.
it's flammable until dry so be careful if you smoke. I haven't tried it fishing yet but it seemed to work very well in a home test in cold water. I have heard it lasts a very long time in practice though.
I happened to use sex wax in my test because it is a little more supple and I had it on hand.
Woah... All these Montana bros flyfish... Silverbow here who else is waiting for the thaw?
>>702352
The entire big hole and Georgetown lake.
Op i think your best bet would be to get a TFO or redington fly rod. Theyre reasonably priced and have lifetime warranties (someone ran over the tip and it broke i sent it to redington and they sent me a new one just had to pay for postage).
5wt is probably the way to go but you guys have some big browns so 6 wt would be fine aswell.
>>702572
What else is there to do in Montana?
>>700764
for fly rods I started with a temple fork outfitters rod and those have been servicable. They're not spectacular but they work decently at a reasonable price.
I recently handled a douglas dxf at a store and that thing just felt like it should be an excellent rod. It's a little pricey but you also have a warranty which is invaluable as a new fly fisherman when you're likely to break something. It's middle of the road pricing but I think excellent quality from my tactile perception. If you're planning to fish any larger lakes where you need the distance, go with the 6 weight.
I have an anecdote about reels too. I bought a pfleuger trion and this cheaper reel by this company streamside. Anyway the cheaper reel allowed me to land larger fish on lighter line while the pfleuger one has seen more lost fish with heavier line. Let it be a lesson to always just choose the cheapest reel with the smoothest drag. if you tighten the drag and it is at all incremental avoid the reel. You want a very smooth consistent tension.
this is the streamside reel. I do recommend it if you can still find one.
http://fishingandhuntingheaven.com/fishing/products/fishing-reels/fly-reels/streamside-prestige-fly-reel
>>702592
so after all it looks like it's only available in Canada. It's about 109 CAD which works out to about 80 USD. Kind of a shame. It's a great reel for the price.
Been into fly fishing for about 10 years now. Im from Europe so suggesting something you dont have in Murica is pointless. Get an ok mid range rod and line.... Reel is pretty much for holding line so you can cheap it out in the beginning. Dont buy expensive first rod because you will want something else in a few months anyway! I use cheap carbon fly rod for about 70usd and its great (got it used for 30)... U can get ok set for around 150-200usd in europe
Pretty much visit taimen.com everything you find there is worth buying
>>702352
I'm from Missoula. I flyfish and usually go up the Blackfoot valley. Georgetown is good for regular fishing though same with flathead
>>702578
Lots actually but don't tell anyone
Any other Montana bros up for a suck and fuck / meet up in the woods?
>>702618
Here are some resources for you.
Nymphing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=3dhKgm4dztg&app=desktop Can't really say much besides Humphry masters nymphing and small water fishing, which is one of the best although frustrating ways to learn the basics of nymphing, once you get confident you can start using the czech technique, if you find it enjoyable.
There are so many techniques, but nymphing is pretty much the basic and most efficient way to catch fish. Just don't let the western fags tell you it's bad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m0QbVTWhtw
Fishing with dries is pretty much the same as nymphing, instead of relying on indication from your line or bobber, you can watch the fly drift, this seems to be one of the more demanding disciplines, because there are narrow windows where it produces, I personally find this the most rewarding way to fish, because the strike is exciting! Dry flies are the baits that sit on the top of the water, mimicking a flying, or terrestrial bug. I really like to for-go an indicator when nymphing and use a dry fly, with a nymph or two tied underneath the dry.
Streamers is probably the most proactive way to fish in my opinion. It takes finesse to present a streamer in almost any setting, it's also a great way to present a large bait to an even alrger fish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZFcPICZ7tM
Streamers also play a large role in LMB and SMB fly fishing, most methods can be applied to almost all species, and work well for top water, and sub surface fishing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkgKWWNqP04 - this video may be a joke, but it's absolutely perfect.
These seem to be the main disciplines, it gets much more complicated as you learn more. Another thing to remember is some attractors will work anywhere at anytime, However to produce more fish learn the water you are working,
as a beginner you should get a rod that can cover a wide array of fishing, I recommend a 6wt, 8-9feet
>>702618
oh damn sorry man, I meant to reply to OP.
apologies.
>>702757
Yeah m8, meat me at the Bonner truck stop and we'll see where the night takes us
>>702352
I wish I could help you, but I'm not really sure where I'm gonna go. I have friends that forced me to get into fly fishing so I guess I'll be going with them. I know in the past that they go to Craig, MT to fish. I'm from Missoula, by the way, but I go to school over in Helena.
>>702753
Planning on going to the used FF gear sale tomorrow?
>>703167
Carol is gay.
>>702786
Thanks so much for this info. I'm a beginner looking to get into fly fishing (using my spinning setup until I can afford a fly rod/reel), and I found the videos very helpful. Any more info you have for beginners techniques would be super
>>703186
Tru, that's why I'm going to FVCC next semester. Also, it's spelled Carroll
>>702753
Hey im from alberta. If i came down there this summer would you be interested in taking a weekend fishing trip and showing an anon your waters? I could show you some nice places up here in exchange. Need to take a trip this summer. One creek up here i had 50 cutthroat in a day one time. Very nice quiet area with few people and camp where you please
>>703380
Carroll is at least a good school anon, why would you drop out to go to community college?
>>703598
Remove syrup
>>703633
Because they have retarded pre-reqs and I changed majors. Plus, I can get a job up there while I study.
>>703754
There being Kalispell. I have a ton of family up there that'll let me stay at their house for free.
>>703598
I am a solitary weirdo who doesn't have much interest in meeting people online but if you were to take a trip to Montana I would tell you to go through the Flathead area and fish the north fork of that river. Go south and then east and hit the Blackfoot on its eastern portion and its north fork. Then head southeast and fish the Yellowstone and the Madison. There are many creeks in these areas visible from the highway and you could also fish these. Don't get a guide just find some empty water and you'll find some good holes.
>>703168
I don't need anymore gear so no, but where did this take place?
>>703828
sure. solitary weirdo is par for the course on /out/. If you were to take a trip to alberta I'd recommend heading along the forestry trunk road in two stretches: starting at highway 22 where it meets the old man river and up to kananaskis and the stretch from nordegg to caroline. bear spray is recommended. thanks for the tips.
>>703829
Blackfoot River outfitters, copped some good stuff that I'll post momentarily. Still need waders though
This is what I ended up getting. Reddington 4 piece 5 weight 9 foot rod, reel, and bag set. Reddington bag with some flies (got that for free from a family friend). Some other flies and a case. A pair of LL Bean boots that I got for a very agreeable price.
>>702578
literally what i wouldve told my beginner self. TFO is good enough that even though I'm a few yrs into fly fishing, it easily is good enough for my casting ability, not to mention i broke my rod twice and got it replace bc of warranty. reel is less important, but if i were to give advice, get something with a closed drag, itll keep the dirt and shit it will come into contact out of hurting the inner workings. i bought a lamson for like 100. but its not crucial.
for flies. im clearly biased, but a decent starter fly tying kit will let you make 80% of what youll need. but most likely youll get addicted and spend many hundreds on stupid shit like feathers and beads like i did. but it is a fun hobby.
ps. fly line makes a difference, but if you dont want to spend a ton, get a middle of the road line $30-50 and just clean it every few outings
>>702786
watch that first vid. nymphing is the highest percentage technique for trout. i like dries the best, and hated nymphing when i started. it catches fish like crazy also i took a class with humphreys, he is the closest human equivalent to yoda i could imagine
>>703915
I used to find nymphing disagreeable until I started using czech style (colored custom leaders that are 12+ft long, fishing directly upstream.) Sometimes with a spey rod
>>703923
funny you say that, ive gotten decent at nymphing with a yarn or foam indicator, but just started "czech nymphing" and it seems deadly. not to mention less complicated than other forms of nymphing
>>703927
My favorite is how rewarding it is when you've gotten good enough to know a strike from your line and leader movement. not having to cast an indicator is great, but a longer leader and tippet can be unruly sometimes if you aren't patient. It's also fun to experiment on leader lengths and rigging options. Humphreys split shot method (two split shots placed varying distances apart to "roll" bottom) is deadly with czech method.
I started out with the kit by scientific anglers in 7/8 a few years ago.
Quality and performance are okay i guess; it works for me.
I fish for pike, perch and saltwater fish.
What's a good inexpensive pole/real case. I need one soon because I'm doing high mountain lakes this spring/summer
What is a good case for hiking?
