Which rod and reel should I get for fly fishing?
Ive been angling a spinner for years now and want to get into fly fishing. I live in Washington and was looking for a rod and reel combo to catch bass, trout, and occasionally pinks and steelies. I was looking into the Redington RS4 outfit, but was unsure what size tippet to get (1x or 5x) and what size reel to get with the combo. I am new to flyfishing and was wondering how I should go about purchasing my combo and what works best. Any answers help. thanks.
This question is very broad and a little vague. You don't say much about your budget or how much you know about fly fishing, which makes it hard to make good recommendations.
If fly fishing is something you really want to get into, I'd recommend that you start browsing fly fishing websites and get familiar with some of the brands and gear out there. At the same time, visit fly shops in your area, if you live in Washington state, and you live anywhere near a river, you probably can't swing a dead cat without hitting a fly shop. Talk to the sales guys about your questions -- they will give you their opinions on various gear, always erring on the side of expensive stuff, of course, but this will at least help you get acquainted with the options. From there, you can begin to eliminate choices and zero in on the outfit that's best for you.
Unfortunately, a fly fishing outfit that you can fish steelhead is going to be a little too muscular to fish for trout and bass. I'm concerned that a rod-reel combo that will do both will be slightly too light for the one purpose and slightly too heavy for the other. I like to fish streams and smaller rivers with a 5-weight or lighter, but for fishing steelhead and salmon you'd want a 6-weight at the very minimum, and probably a 7-weight.
Tippet -- you don't have to decide on one tippet to go with your fly fishing gear. Most people carry several sizes and some carry six or seven reels of tippet. The 5x tippet would be for fishing small to medium size fish -- 5x mono will have a breaking strain of around 4 pounds. Mono 1x tippet is for heavier fishing and will be around 10 pound test. Fluorocarbon tippet is stronger but has less give.
For a recommendation of actual rods and reels, check out Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO).
http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/
They are a relative newcomer to the world of fly fishing gear, but I have found their rods and reels to be outstanding and reasonably priced. They have a lifetime (user) warranty on the rod -- they'll replace any section, broken for any reason, for the cost of shipping for as long as you own the rod.
TFO rods and reels are more expensive than a combo you'd get at Cabela's or a sporting goods store -- probably set you back at least $200 to get a nice combination (then you gotta think about line...), but to my thinking, it's worth it.
If you feel like you have to get a pre-packaged combo from Cabela's or someplace like that, I'd recommend the Fenwick HMG combos that Cabela's has right now -- they look to be of fairly high quality and the prices seem fair.
Good luck -- you won't regret getting into fly fishing!
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DescriptionAbu Garcia Diplomat 904 LH Fly Rod and Reel Combo - Don't be afraid to travel the world to catch the biggest fish ! Everything is possible with these awesome Trout and Game Fishing combos, complete with backing, WF fly line, leaders connected together with a spot on needle knot and supplied in a CORDURA TUBE... |
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Shakespeare Freshwater Advanced Fly Combo - 9 Ft
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DescriptionShakespeare Freshwater Advanced Fly Combo - An excellent fly casting outfit suitable for the more experienced fly angler. Specifications: 9' Three piece carbon fly rod, 3.5" wide fly reel, WF7 fly line, 75m backing line, Tapered leader, Assorted flies. |
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