Fly Rod Advice

My wife has said she wants to learn how to fly fish. I've ordered 200 trout ranging in size from 12" to 16" to stock in our pond, but know absolutely nothing about fly rods, flies, or fly fishing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Orvis sells a basic combo that is solid and affordable. Starting out, I would go with a 5wt or 6wt.

Field28 said:

Orvis sells a basic combo that is solid and affordable. Starting out, I would go with a 5wt or 6wt.

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Thank you. Does wt refer to the weight of the pole, the line, or something else?

My kids first rod was a Orvis Clearwater (25 Year Warranty) 9' 5 weight. I feel they are a great value and perform well.

The weight of line that rod and reel will carry and throw. 5 and 6 are fairly standard trout weights. Some guys will use a 3 or 4 for brook trout. Smaller fish and many times fished in closer quarters like heavily wooded mountain streams.

Yep, Rover that is the combo that I was thinking about.

I would suggest a 6 to 8 wt. When summer rolls around big blue gills and bass are just as much fun as trout and a bit more rod is useful in getting them out of brush. You will want to use that weight floating line and get an appropriate backing material to the actual fly line (so the reel is filled). Orvis carries all of that. The package above would be ideal because of both the quality and line and backing are solved for you.

Then you need leaders. Orvis has a large range of tapered leaders. For trout and bluegills with dry flies and small poppers, a 9ft 5X leader is hard to beat.

roverandbrew said:

My kids first rod was a Orvis Clearwater (25 Year Warranty) 9' 5 weight. I feel they are a great value and perform well.

Clearwater® Fly Rod Outfit

Easily the best fly rod outfit you can buy for the money, the Clearwater series includes options for every angler.

www.orvis.com

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roverandbrew said:

My kids first rod was a Orvis Clearwater (25 Year Warranty) 9' 5 weight. I feel they are a great value and perform well.

Clearwater® Fly Rod Outfit

Easily the best fly rod outfit you can buy for the money, the Clearwater series includes options for every angler.

www.orvis.com

View attachment 724187

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5wt Clearwater would be perfect as a starter - particularly if trout is the main Quarry. Most Orvis retail locations offer FREE casting instructions.

Thanks guys for the quick responses. That's a great picture, knowing my wife she will want the full ensamble.
A few years ago she wanted to go with me on a bison hunt in Wyoming. "It will be a fun adventure", she said. So, we went to the Kuiu store; she came out with enough gear to survive a winter in Antarctica - and then sat in the truck after the first 10 minutes of the hunt.

The orvis 5 or 6 I found at scheels has been perfect for my girls as they started out. We started with a 5 and floating line and moved to sinking line in the fall. One has become a fly rod purist, awesome that you can plant trout to learn on!

Looks like a trip to the Orvis store in Dallas is on the horizon. Fish arrive in about 3 weeks.

Assuming that budget isn’t a limiting factor, have her try as many rods as she is willing in front of an experienced caster. A multitude of factors contribute to a distinctly different “feel” between rods. She will most likely naturally gravitate to one type. Starting out with the wrong rod and developing poor habits that need to be overcome later on can damper a lot of the enjoyment of fly-fishing. Fly-casting lessons or an experienced mentor can be invaluable starting out.

If cost is a consideration, put the money in the rod/line/lessons and go cheaper on the reel.

The Clearwater is the way to go. I have one that is 25+ years old and it’s still a great rod. The new ones are even better.

Firebird said:

The orvis 5 or 6 I found at scheels has been perfect for my girls as they started out. We started with a 5 and floating line and moved to sinking line in the fall. One has become a fly rod purist, awesome that you can plant trout to learn on!View attachment 724208View attachment 724209

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Great pictures.

I put the pond in when we bought this place. It's only about an acre, but it's 40' deep. The dam wall is about 10' above grade, the other 30' is below grade. There's a few spots where it might be 45'. The bottom is solid clay and we took a few extra "bites" with the excavator to create some holes and hiding spots.

The key-way and dam were packed with a dozer and sheep's foot. There's a couple springs flowing from the bottom which we had to divert. Interestingly, with the exception of where the water actually emerged from the springs, the bottom was solid enough to walk the excavator on. I did manage to get the dozer stuck twice.

We rough cut the sides with the excavator, finished the slope with the dozer, and track-packed all the sides. The slope varies from 2:1 to 3:1 - it's steep!

When the dirt work was done, we placed some root-balls, big logs, and boulders on the bottom and along the sides to create some habitat.

It's currently stocked with Crayfish, minnows, blue-gill, a few catfish, and bass.

The fish farm people said the trout will survive till March, possibly April - so net out any remaining fish or let them die. There's a remote chance some might survive longer due to the depth.

The recommendation for lessons is a good one - thanks.

Hopefully she will figure it out and enjoy it. A friend tried to teach me years ago. After an agonizing day on the river it was decided I should just buy line and give it away.

Definitely get her into lessons or a club if one can be found. I have three rods: a 6wt "noodle"; a great 7wt; and a heavyweight 9wt. All three are great for specific situations but are each now discontinued brands. She will not need a terribly long rod unless fishing from a float tube/platform. Longer rod = heavier = more work required. If you live in windy country, I recommend an extra spool/box of line in one or two weights heavier. Switch out to heavier line on windy days. Easier to stay ahead of the wind. She should have adequate head protection, especially as a novice. She will undoubtedly get hit in the back of the head a few times. "Flats cap" works well but maybe not if she has a lot of hair. In Alaska wind I wear my Frogg Toggs breathable rain jacket with hood up and ball cap underneath (to keep hood out of my face). I would say I am about an expert fly fisherman but in those windy conditions I can still get whacked.

Think about getting her started tying flies. Keeps her motivated in the off season. Gals really seem to take to the crafting side of the sport. And start planning for a trip to Alaska. Once she's fly fished up there she will be hooked on the outdoors big time.

Above all, you need to impress upon her that fly fishing is not like learning to ride a bike. It will take some persistence. No need for her to learn double hauling for now. Bypass any instructor who wants to jump into that right away. He's just trying to impress himself. I think I still know how to double haul but haven't bothered with it for years. I'd have to refresh myself. Roll casting is even fussier to learn but definitely has a lot of uses, especially in areas with limited back casting space.

Orvis makes good stuff but typically a lot more money than I would spend on a beginner who, it sounds like, may not be terribly dedicated to outdoors at this point. Fenwick or South Bend make respectable rods if they are still in business. All my gear was either bought used (but like new) off ebay or given to me by my brother who is addicted to acquiring anything new and fancy. Keep an eye on ebay. Lots of good package deals come up there. I bought my heavyweight rod and reel from a SC couple who were liquidating their recently deceased son's stuff. They were delighted to learn it was heading to Alaska. That had been their son's dream. Fly fishing gear is like computer stuff. Seems most aficionados just have to have the newest best thing, making it relatively easy to find good used gear at great prices. Unlike computer crap, fly fishing operating system (the fisherman!) never becomes outdated. Good gear can last him a lifetime. Not compelled to upgrade. I guess Bill Gates hasn't taken up fly fishing or he'd figure out a way to make replacing gear mandatory every couple of years.

Franco said:

My wife has said she wants to learn how to fly fish. I've ordered 200 trout ranging in size from 12" to 16" to stock in our pond, but know absolutely nothing about fly rods, flies, or fly fishing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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The smallest rod that can chuck a streamer or wooly bugger is going to be a 4wt. The size of trout you're referencing would be suitable for a 4wt or a 5wt. A 5wt has the backbone to chuck things into the wind a bit better and also to toss bass poppers of the small/medium size.

Most of the rods sold today are very biased in favor of large western waters (9' length) or to be used for nymphing (fishing with a bobber by a fancier name)

If it were me, I would look for a 8.5' 4wt or 5wt if you're just fishing your ponds. If you think you might want to fish small streams for brook trout as well, I would look for a hard-to-find 7'6" or 7'9" 4 weight.

As to what brands and what "action", most of the rods today are way too stiff, known as fast action rods. They are harder to get the feel and to time the cast than a moderate action rod. Moderate action rods are most often fiberglass and can be much more affordable than the carbon fiber high end "fast action" rods.

Reddington makes a few nice glass rods that are under $200. Don't buy a travel rod that comes apart in a million pieces, a 2-3-4 piece rod is way easier to work with and won't come apart all the time.

Vintage cane rods can be a wonderful thing as well. Antique Orvis bamboo cane rods hold their value and are very durable compared to other cane rod types. A fine antique will cost you $500-$800, LESS than their top of the line, soulless Helios carbon fiber rod.

For flies, you want some poppers, dry flies, and a lot of wooly buggers. For tippet, you want 3x, 4x, and 5x. You want a Weight Forward (WF) or Double Taper (DT) FLOATING fly line.

Red Leg brought a great point with the bluegills. Those summer pan fish and bass are excellent to practice technique and timing on. Hell of a lot more fun than just practicing in the yard.

rookhawk said:

The smallest rod that can chuck a streamer or wooly bugger is going to be a 4wt. The size of trout you're referencing would be suitable for a 4wt or a 5wt. A 5wt has the backbone to chuck things into the wind a bit better and also to toss bass poppers of the small/medium size.

Most of the rods sold today are very biased in favor of large western waters (9' length) or to be used for nymphing (fishing with a bobber by a fancier name)

If it were me, I would look for a 8.5' 4wt or 5wt if you're just fishing your ponds. If you think you might want to fish small streams for brook trout as well, I would look for a hard-to-find 7'6" or 7'9" 4 weight.

As to what brands and what "action", most of the rods today are way too stiff, known as fast action rods. They are harder to get the feel and to time the cast than a moderate action rod. Moderate action rods are most often fiberglass and can be much more affordable than the carbon fiber high end "fast action" rods.

Reddington makes a few nice glass rods that are under $200. Don't buy a travel rod that comes apart in a million pieces, a 2-3-4 piece rod is way easier to work with and won't come apart all the time.

Vintage cane rods can be a wonderful thing as well. Antique Orvis bamboo cane rods hold their value and are very durable compared to other cane rod types. A fine antique will cost you $500-$800, LESS than their top of the line, soulless Helios carbon fiber rod.

For flies, you want some poppers, dry flies, and a lot of wooly buggers. For tippet, you want 3x, 4x, and 5x. You want a Weight Forward (WF) or Double Taper (DT) FLOATING fly line.

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Very good advice all the way! I'd forgotten about Reddington. Good quality at a good price. I might go with a 6wt outfit for a pond that size. Also something that will work on western creeks and rivers. And maybe even in Alaska ... unless heavy bear activity. Then you'll need a rod that can get a larger fish in quicker for quick release and fast exit. Also it's typically windy up there and heavier rod handles that work better. When working at Katmai I watched dudes with 5wt rods fighting the Alaska wind. More than a few wound up digging flies out of their scalps or cutting their line when jammed up by bears!

Field28 said:

Red Leg brought a great point with the bluegills. Those summer pan fish and bass are excellent to practice technique and timing on. Hell of a lot more fun than just practicing in the yard.

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Practicing in the yard is okay but remember to periodically wipe the line clean. Dirty line doesn't cast well and can be frustrating, especially for beginners.

I think the advice for glass over carbon rods is smart, especially in the beginner stage. Carbon rods are light and wonderful for their purpose. But also surprisingly fragile. Especially fishing in wind or for a novice learning, one can expect to whack the rod with flies on occasion. Then suddenly one day for no apparent reason the fancy carbon rod snaps bringing in a nice trophy. That is the reason!