how much on a rod and reel .

[OH POLLOCKS !!!!!]

hi all i wanna start doing some fly fishing. and dont wanna spend 100's of pounds on a rod and reel..

thanks :happy:

[Snaggletooth]

A couple of combos on this site under £100.

http://www.tacklebargains.co.uk/acatalog/Combos_and_Kits.html

[themrbeast]

i was looking at the Ron Thompson Zensorflex Complete Trout Fly Outfit
£60 and you get every thing you need (i hope), never done fly fishing but it seems a good package to start with


http://www.fishingmegastore.com/acatalog/Fly_Fishing_Outfits.html

[crazyplums]

you need something saltwater proof if you want to use it in the sea.

i have a 5# loomis which Stan M built for me, it's a bit light for sea, but fun!

my other rod came from ebay, about £30 for a 8/9# 9ft salwater rod, firefly angling sillhouette i think, not a bad rod, and fairly easy to use.

both my reels are shakespeare alpha graphites, only about 15 quid in the shops, no point spending loads on a reel as they only hold the line.

line i buy from 'ruddthebud' on ebay, helpful guy. very well priced too, recomended by a very good fly angler to boot!

[geffaz]

gota say i opened this thread thinking ut oh hear we go!
the usual clap trap the best this and expensive that
usual a platform for sombody to brag about how expensive
ther gear is (is that a good thing?)
but mr plums has talked alot of sence ther, low cost,
the reel being just a line holder (salt water proof)
and a half sencible value rod! were not talking
about dropping a nymph on a rissing trouts nose
in some crystal clear £200 aday chalk stream!
we be lobbing big fluffy flys and stripping em back and
hoping somthing nails it!


good stuff

[ms1000]

Ive just bought a few of these reels from ebay. Absolutely cracking value.

Type this into the searchbar " AIRFLO BALANCE FLY FISHING REEL SIZE 3/5 "

Obviously get a 5/6 or 6/7 if needed. Also this fella ( tacklediscounts ) sells some good value fly rods.Ive had a couple of very light travel rods and theyve been excellent.

[sweeper driver]

For saltwater fly fishing I use a Bloke Bass Special...9', four piece rated for #8 lines. I use a Pflueger Trion 12 reel with it, it's the dogs bits for swff'ing. I can throw a full WF9I line plus a bit of backing with it, and it's more than capable of stopping anything that swims in UK waters.

Good for carp on the fly too...

[OH POLLOCKS !!!!!]

thanks evrybody for all the tips and advice on this :thumbs:....

[Nomad]

Hi there,
If I may be so bold; go to a fly fishing instructor for a day so he can show you a few things and so he can explain something about how fly rods and lines work and how a good line needs to shoot and to load the rod in order to cast any distance at all with any form of accuracy. I have fished fly for almost 30 years now and the biggest mistake and waste of cash was to buy a rod and line without really knowing what I was looking for. As opposed to other forms of angling the rod and line match, as well as the action and speed of the rod are paramount to any form of success and will definately make the difference between giving up in frustration and perhaps catching a fish.
The above applies to fly fishing ANYWHERE, salt water or fresh.
You really need to know where and for what fish you want to fish before you even start, as unfortunately there is no such thing as a 100% allround outfit that will fish small streams for brownies, night fish for sewin, cast a streamer to a stew pond rainbow and catch a bass in an estuary.
Unless your intention is to fly fish for big game such as sailfish, the reel is really only a place to store your line. Here you can save your money unless that is, you are some kind of tackle freak (which tend to abound amongst fly fishermen). But please, please, please don't waste your time money by buying cheap crap and buy the best rod and line you can possibly afford from a 100% reputable fly fishing dealer. This really will pay off in the long term and save you chucking a useless rod and line in the corner to catch dust for ever more.
Regards,
Nomad

[gareth1234]

so what rod is suitable for catching the small brownies but also capable of small bass and pollack/mackeral from the sea? Is there such a thing?

[Nomad]

so what rod is suitable for catching the small brownies but also capable of small bass and pollack/mackeral from the sea? Is there such a thing?

Hi Gareth,

This would depend on where the small brownies are being fished for.
For small streams up to medium rivers such as in South Wales I wouldn't use anything more than a 4 or 5 weight rod in 7 to 8 ft length with a double taper floating line. Anything more would be overgunning it.

For bass or mackeral I wouldn't go anything less than a 7 weight, depending on where I was fishing going up to 8 or even 9 weight rod in 9 or 10 ft with at least a weight forward line or better a shooting head in floating, slow sinking and fast sinking (for fast sinking the shooting head would be better). Anything less would be useless in anything more than a slight breeze.

But as I said, money spent with a good fly fishing instructor to explain a few elementary things is well spent.

Rgds,
Nomad

[gareth1234]

cheers mate, lots to think over there.

[pompeyboy]

Must admit im looking into the fly fishing on sea thing for the bass,will have to find some-one for some advice:victory:

[ickypimp]

get yourself one of these setups...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/9ft6-BEGINNERS-FLY-FISHING-KIT-ROD-REEL-LINE-MORE_W0QQitemZ360016966709QQihZ023QQcategoryZ23819 QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

I have just started getting into swff, i am using the leeda streamfly II in a 7-8 weight it will come with a line .. get yourself a floater or intermediate so you have one of each (weight forward) you can get millends on ebay for under a fiver.. pompey boy i can sort you out with some flies... i have been practicing my casting down by the bunny pipe... even had a bite the ther day

[pompeyboy]

I will do that m8y,glad to see you had a bite,is it possible we can meet so i can see you in action m8y:victory:

[ickypimp]

for sure... it aint pretty but if you wanna come and have a thrash be my guest.. this is still very much virgin territory for me, there is something really satisfying about getting a bite on a fly you made yourself

[boiliestop]

go carp fishing 3 rods alarms bivvy (tent) a bedchair go to sleep and wait for the beep now thats relaxation for you lol

[ickypimp]

go carp fishing 3 rods alarms bivvy (tent) a bedchair go to sleep and wait for the beep now thats relaxation for you lol


And then skull drag a wet carrier bag into the bank, requires skill, finesse and a light touch ...NOT...... then there is the bivvy divvys to contend with.. no thanks :giveup: i whould rather take up golf :shock:

[SuperBassMaster]

And then skull drag a wet carrier bag into the bank, requires skill, finesse and a light touch ...NOT...... then there is the bivvy divvys to contend with.. no thanks :giveup: i whould rather take up golf :shock:

agreed lol

[borntofishforcedtowork]

if ur looking to start i would strongly recomend a 9-10ft 7-8wt rod. Preferably a greys. tested alot of rods over the years due to fishing alot of compretitions whilst in the england youth squad and greys have always come out on tops for me. plus they have a lifetime guarantee. if ur thinkin of fishing resevoirs or still waters i would recommend a 7wt. as for line and reel. i use the dragonfly concept alwthough there are alot of large arbour reels on the market atm which are real good. dragonfly concept is about £35 and comes with 2 spare spools. so not too bad. never die on u. lines, i always use cortland. cortland pink for floater, a clear for intermiediate and summit like a di 7 or hi di for the bottom. cant relaly go wrong. ur lookin at about £35-40 each for the lines. but they are the best money can buy imo.

If u realy wanna push the boat out, try a greys patinum x, alot more expensive but great rods. used mainly by competition anglers to get the fish in as quick as poss but good casters and worth the money if u ever wanted to enter the competition scene.

As for rivers, use a much lighter rod, maybe a 8ft rod with a 4-5 wt line. Total different style of fishing but satisfiying wen u catch ur first ever true wild brownie. Tecniques to learn include bugging and stalking.

For nething saltwater related u wnat to b aiming to buy yourself a heavy 9 or 10ft rod that uses at least a 7wt line. Not much of an expert in this area but some of the cortalnd rods, especially cx have been gd wen ive used them. Neways hope this helps, gd luck and im sure if u give it a go ur never look back.

Take it easy, j

[ickypimp]

If u realy wanna push the boat out, try a greys patinum x, alot more expensive but great rods. used mainly by competition anglers to get the fish in as quick as poss but good casters and worth the money if u ever wanted to enter the competition scene.

would rather have a bloke, sage, loomis, scott, reddinton or st croix myself




For nething saltwater related u wnat to b aiming to buy yourself a heavy 9 or 10ft rod that uses at least a 7wt line. Not much of an expert in this area but some of the cortalnd rods, especially cx have been gd wen ive used them. Neways hope this helps, gd luck and im sure if u give it a go ur never look back.

Take it easy, j

10 ft is too long casting heavy lines and heavy flies long distances on a 10 foot rod will tire you quickly stick to a 9 foot, 8 to 9 weight is ideal, weight forward line in a sink or ghost tip being the most useful followed by intermediates

[borntofishforcedtowork]

not really a fan of alot of the american rods. personally think that sage in particular are overated. reddingtons arnt really that expensive. As for a 10ft rod, like i sed i dont really kno much about saltwater fishing, but i wud imagine a larger heavier rod wud b gd for playing a fish such as a bass. Theres nothing wrong with using a sinking line on a 10ft rod, casting a heavy line is always difficult neways and can b hard work. casting with a shorter rod with a lower wt line wud b more difficult and cud put alot of pressure on the rod. Neways thats my opinion. j

[lobbit]

shimano , and daiwa rods are good mid range rods that can give the big guns a run for the $ , airflo lines best bar none , reel wise dont go overboard they are only line stores for 90% of the time rimfly , daiwa or any under £30 will do to start off
decide whether its distance or pressentation thats important if its distance you want a rod rated wf 7/8
if after wild browns in ankle deep water amongst overhanging trees a dt4 rated rod

if you turn up at a loch with a sage, orvis set up and a vest that looks like a fly box it wont mean a thing to the fish
a few practice casts over grass with a bit of cooton on the end of you line
is a good start or just go to the water and your practice casts might get you a trout ?