Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} New to fly fishing new to forum

[Carl Zmola]

Dan said he was thinking about something. We really should get a swap
meet set up. I am on the other side. I have too much stuff.

Ebay is actually not bad if you know what you want, but it is a bit of a
gamble if you don't and occasionally the postal service will crush a rod
(though I've never lost money) and occasionally you can end up with a
rod that has undisclosed flaws (a tip that is short or broken guide).

Carl

On 02/03/2013 09:49 AM, Nedak wrote:
> Thanks for the efforts of this forum. While I see that there is a
> prohibition for buying and selling and understand...what is
> recommended for those with excess equipment and those newbies with
> less (me) who might want to pick up some used gear as we move up the
> fly fishing equipment ladder.
>
> I know ebay, craigslist but would much rather deal with a more closed
> environment like this forum.
>
> Thanks again.
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[Sardman]

Come to a beer tie and talk to people. Also, visiting a local fly shop is not a bad idea. Spending a ton of money on gear for a sport you don't even know you are goign to follow, is not a good idea, but also wasting your money on bad gear may even make you give up prematurely.

 

[Todd Kuethe]

I was in a similar position about a year ago when I first decided to give fly fishing a try. I spent my money on a morning session with a guide, active club member Rob Snowhite. He taught me enough to get started, and on his advice, I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought a cheap outfit to get started. I fished pretty hard for several months until my cheap set up (about $50 total) broke. By then I learned enough that I felt comfortable plopping down a couple hundred bucks on a mid-level intro kit (Reddington). When I wear that sucker out, I should be ready for a Helios.

That's what I would recommend. Spend the money on a proper guide and some instruction. Buy a super cheap set up, new or used, knowing that it will eventually break. Upgrade along the way if you stay with the sport.

Also, just get out there and fish and have fun.

[TurbineBlade]

I'd bet the ranch that you could find a fly rod from someone at a beer tie ;).  I'll second Todd ^^ in that my having gone out with Rob early on helped me get started and made me enthusiastic about really getting into fly fishing.  I'd encourage that route!

Also +1 on visiting a local fly shop.  They're a really, really good source of local information for things you probably won't even think about (weather conditions, slippery rocks, access points, naked weirdos, patterns, etc.), and they can save you a lot of frustration.  I'm biased toward Urban in Alexandria because they're the first I visited, chatted with, etc. and they're close to home.  The other shops are excellent too, so you're probably set no matter where you live or choose to go.  

Don't worry -- lots of newbies around too.  I'm you, just 6 or so months down the road.  

Gene

[Brendan]

highly recommend avoiding the super cheap options... basic rods are hard to screw up but there's still a significant difference between those cheap box store starter kits and the ~ $150 fly shop starter setup. Most importantly, the crappy reel and line can really kill the buzz. With TFO, FFB, Reddington offering quality intro kits, worth the $75 difference. also, worth ingratiating yourself w/ the local shops...and having them help you get setup. The box of flies, leaders and 'getting started' guides in those packets are worthless. 

Would be nice to setup a local gear exchange site. who manages the tpfr site?  there is a lot of free/opensource software for this kind of thing. 

[Daniel Davala]

Guys, I run the TPFR site - as in I decide its course.  Dalton Terrell is the Web Master.  A separate Buy-Sell-Trade forum is a top priority for me, so hold tight.  I have 99% of the logistics laid out, and I have a BST forum moderator all lined up.  We should be good in another week or so.  It is also my commitment and requirement to keep buying, selling, and trading off of the main forum, indefinitely and I have very good reasons for this.

 

Back on topic, while I definitely agree about the better quality of fly shop starter setups, I can't really disagree about starting super cheap.  I started fly fishing over 20 years ago with an opening investment of $40.  That bought me an 8' 5/6 South Bend "Black Beauty" fly rod, a South Bend "Finalist" (Pflueger Medalist copy) reel, a #5 Level floating fly line, a crummy wet fly selection and a "Dial a Popper" set.  I couldn't have been set up more poorly, but I had TONS of fun with that outfit and caught a ton of fish.  Working at a shop now, this is not the route I recommend, but it can certainly work just the same. 

 

The most important thing I think for the new fly fisher is to get connected to a bunch of other fly fishers who are passionate about the sport, the resources, and who are willing to share.  Looks like you're well on your way in that regard. 

 

Dan Davala

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[Jeffrey Silvan]

I've played from both sides of the street. All I had was a 7 wt fly rod, and wanted to do some fishing on the Gunpowder with an appropriate sized rod. I had no idea how much fishing I would actually do, so I bought a cheapo 3wt combo for about $60 that included everything I needed to get on the water, minus the flies. I've since been fishing with it twice. Now that I've had it for some time, I don't realistically see myself taking more than a couple trips per year where I'll use this rod. To me, it's hard to justify spending a few hundred bucks on something I'm going to use so infrequently when something like what I bought works just fine, albeit without the quality you'll find from some of the bigger names. That being said, if I do find myself fishing that rod more frequently, I wouldn't even blink to upgrade.

On the flip side, when I got my girlfriend into fishing, we got her a 6 wt Orvis rod/reel - I believe it was the Streamline model. Not quite the base, but still one of the more affordable models coming in around $200 with the coupon from her Orvis Fly Fishing 101 class. That rod has been used more frequently than my 3 (although still not as often as my 7), and I believe it was worth every penny. Its quality makes it far easier for a beginner to cast compared to my cheapo rod, and the peace of mind that comes along with the Orvis warranty (think about all the thinks that a beginner could do to a rod) makes it easily worth it. 

I still haven't sprung for a high end rod like a Helios, but I imagine once I'm ready to replace my everyday 7wt, I'll be barking up that tree.

[Steve]

I went with the Prius of fly rods (8 1/2 ft 6 wt plus reel package for $150) when I first started a decade ago because that's what the salesman was programmed to say, now I never use it, except as a back up and a loaner.  I prefer my 5 wt for the TPFR when I'm feeling sneaky, and 7 wt for throwing big flies.   I have 9wt and 6wt two-handers, and all my reels are under $100 (mostly Okuma) except for my Orvis Battenkill mid arbor.  I've purchased perfectly good rods for under $250 and hate the ones for which I paid under $100.  So, there is a middle ground in my opinion.  

 I have two good friends who started fly fishing in the past two years and they have both invested much, much more than I have in tackle, and they are happy…but it doesn't mean they catch more fish or cast any better.   In fact, I recommend NOT going high end until one really knows what they prefer, or need, depending on fishing style, environment, quarry and budget.  Just my two cents.  

The 6 wt was fine for most fishing.  A great fly line makes a huge difference though.  

- Steve

[Brendan]

yea, my purchasing has been more towards a variety of decent rods/reels than high end models of any set length/weight. 

I think I started out with the same setup as Dan though the 7/8 weight version. that finalist was a mess, but the worst part was definitely the crummy line.  It was only because I loved fishing that my interest kept up, that initial setup definitely slowed my conversion from spinning. Once i picked up my first half-decent fly rod, a fairly cheap $125 st. croix, I fell in love with the sport. casting was considerably easier and while i'm still far from Lefty or probably most people on here, i felt as though the line movements were at least starting to resemble the guys in those old vhs tapes.  Even now i'm not sure i could cast that thing w/ half the distance and accuracy of my current 7wt setup (nothing fancy, sage vantage which isn't great, but decent)

I'm pretty cheap when it comes to equipment but sometimes that means investing in quality....definitely no gear snob, tho would love one day to own a bamboo outfit, but i guess the main point i'm making is that you can get a good setup for a lot cheaper than most people think at the local shops so it's worth that investment rather than throwing away $75 on junk at Walmart, Dick's or Sports Authority.  

In terms of an incremental steps up... I think the local shops also offer some amazing rods in the $200-300 range that will take advantage of your improving skills, the upcoming shows are a great time to test/compare, but beyond that would focus more on picking up a couple different types of setups before dropping $800 on a winston or whatever.  

good luck, 

b 

- Steve

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[Dubble Haul]

Right on Brendan. I had a similar experience and wasted time and money on the wrong stuff. 

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[Jarrod Hills]

I'm relatively new to fly fishing. Had, and still have a cheapo graphite rod. Took an all day course down in Lexington and used a few different rods and got used to feeling the differences between them all. Came away wanting a slightly less that 9 foot 5 weight. Picked up a Sage Flight (still on closeout) last year and a Greys reel. All for under 320 bucks, including backing and line. Last week I relined it with heavier line and I know love that rod. I had consistency issues in cast but with 6 wt line, its where I want it to be. I sometimes pull out the Scientific Anglers cheap rod and mess around but you can feel the difference. Echo, Sage, Redington, St. Croix have some great rods for not a lot of money. Perusing Ebay for lightly used rods is always fun too. There are a ridiculous amount of used once or twice high end rods and reels.