Anyone getting ready for fly fishing season?

rookhawk

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Just curious if any of you are getting ready to hit the waters and what you’re doing for tackle?

I’m still unpacking and realized I parted with my 3-4-5 weight trout rods thinking I wouldn’t get much use out of them. Now those are the sizes I need for local waters of course! My son got a 5wt Reddington glass rod for Christmas of ’22 and he found an abused Hardy/Orvis CFO reel that we repaired last Fall to put on it. I found a nice custom glass rod in 4wt I had never fished and recently got a Hardy Perfect narrow spool to put on it. I hope we can get out on the water this weekend or next to give them a go on Browns.
 
I haven't been into it as much the last few years for various reasons, but love flyfishing over any other type of fishing. Hoping to get out soon for native brook trout and landlocked salmon, but waiting to see what we actually get of the currently estimated 2-3 feet of snow over the next 3 days which would put us at 5-6 feet total over the last 2 weeks. This is more than we received all winter and I'm not all that keen to go wading through it to get to the rivers (likely to be chest deep on the northern rivers where the best fishing will be). I fish mainly rods I made myself, though I have a few specialty rods I use when needed- one being a light weight glass rod for dry fly fishing only.I have founds rods of 3-6wt to be sufficient for fish up to 10 lbs. Steelhead at about the 10 lb mark and above I move up to a 7wt switch rod and use 8wt rods for 20-40 lb king salmon. I have Greys ( the more affordable side of Hardy) and LL Bean reels, although I have stopped getting new Beans equipment since they changed their warranty and upped their prices while dropping the quality of their products. For light work like most native trout, I have actually found the new versions of cheap Asian CNC machined reels with disc drag to be completely sufficient and reliable.
 
Just curious if any of you are getting ready to hit the waters and what you’re doing for tackle?

I’m still unpacking and realized I parted with my 3-4-5 weight trout rods thinking I wouldn’t get much use out of them. Now those are the sizes I need for local waters of course! My son got a 5wt Reddington glass rod for Christmas of ’22 and he found an abused Hardy/Orvis CFO reel that we repaired last Fall to put on it. I found a nice custom glass rod in 4wt I had never fished and recently got a Hardy Perfect narrow spool to put on it. I hope we can get out on the water this weekend or next to give them a go on Browns.
Learned as a kid with glass rods. With all the new technology, I still prefer a moderate action glass rod. My “camp” is along a trout stream in Pa.
 
Heading to Montana with the family in the middle of June for our annual 3 day float trip.

HH
 
I confess I was trying to catch walleye as the spawn began but then another guy caught a rainbow on his fly rod so I made a switch. Rainbows were taking anything resembling a fish egg. Never caught any walleye
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We typically float the Yellowstone or Madison rivers depending on what’s hot.

HH
The Madison is in beautiful shape right now, a little low but fishing well. Sunny and 60 degrees here today, I'm looking at the river from my window. We need a little more snow to give us good water thru the summer. Hope you have a good trip
 
Learned as a kid with glass rods. With all the new technology, I still prefer a moderate action glass rod. My “camp” is along a trout stream in Pa.
If it’s on Penn’s creek, or white deer, I’ve probably fished past it.
 
I took the rod out yesterday to look for sea trout but only caught a 20 inch striped bass.
 
Hoping to get up to the White Mountains of Arizona in the near future for some stream & lake fishing.
 
My Chest Pack is ready for the new season too - fly boxes nearly full , rods , reels and waders all cleaned and all my bits and pieces sorted. All I need now is a bit of milder weather.
 
My Sage rod I bought over 20 some years ago is sitting in the garage still awaiting the call of duty that hasn't come since we left Idaho. The lot we have up there now to build on is calling louder and louder for our return. When we do it will come out again and hopefully add a 4wt Winston I've always wanted to be used on the smaller spring creeks.
 
Will be going down to Kenai and Russian River for sockeye and trout a few times this coming season.

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