Noob Fly Fishing Equipt question

[Where's Bruce?]

I have also enjoyed telling fly fishermen that it's a great way to learn how to catch bait. LOL
My idea of fishing has primarily been to board a long range boat for ten days or more. But now that I'm doing more backpacking and hunting I am considering trying the fly approach. It would be a new challenge and no...I will not wear pastels! ROTF!

So, without reading the menu from right to left...what's the best flyrod/reel combo for the eastern Sierras. I know nothing about weights, differences in reels, backing or flies. I tried FF once in my life, it was the only time I ever had a pierced ear (big dry fly) and aside from trees...that's albout all I hooked. But on my last trip to the lakes above Bishop I saw the potential to nail some nicer fish on the fly. Any advice greatly appreciated. This is the opposite of what I'm used to but I have successfully caught tuna and dorado on 6lb test.

 

[SDHNTR]

I cut my teeth in the outdoors in the Eastern Sierras. Love flyfishing. In fact, for the most part now, unless I catch it on a fly, I dont get too excited anymore. And don't think you cant use one in saltwater too. I caught a pile of Yellowtail and tuna this year on the fly, as well as corbina and perch from the beach, and bass and halibut from the bay. Love it.

Back to your original question... I have a bunch of fly rods for the Eastern Sierra. A 6' 2 wt for little high country brookie streams, a 7' 3 weight for slightly bigger streams/fish, a 8' 4 weight for most streams with average to possibly larger fish, and a 9' 5 wt that usually gets reserved for float tubing or lake fishing from a boat.

If I had to pick one and try to be as versatile as possible for the ES , it would be my 8' 4 wt. I don't like too much length as you will often be fighting brush in most streams. But you probably do want some length for fishing the more open sections of the upper Owens, and lakes. 8' is a reasonable compromise IMO.

Or buy two. A 7' 3 wt set up for tight brushy streams, and a 8'6" 4-5wt for the bigger stuff.

And you don't need to get too snobby, especially at this stage of the game. I've fished and/or owned plenty of Orvis/Sage/Powell/Winston/Scott high end type rods, and a simple Reddington will do the job just fine. And for trout in the area you are talking about, the reel is even less important. For the most part all it does is hold the line. Unless you find yourself tangling with bigger fish, you will hardly even wind a fish on the reel. No need to drop big dollars here, IMO.

I like RIO fly lines. I find them more durable and functional. Durability is important as a rookie as you will spend plenty of time with your line in trees/willows and/or having it tangled up at your feet.

Have fun. Fly fishing is good therapy.

 

[Ben]

The Winston Passport ended up at the top of a fly-rod shoot out done by Yellowstone Angler in 2012. It was about half the price as 10 or so other rods. I picked one up then and couldn't be happier.

I tend to stick to the smaller reels because of weight and because you don't really need a lot of line.

Orvis recently made a web series about beginning fly flying. I haven't seen it yet but I would recommended checking it out or taking a beginning class from your local fly shop.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I agree on an 8' 4 weight. If you get too short it can be problematic to fish lakes that are surrounded by brush or rock banks.

Don't spend a lot of money on a reel. All it does is hold the line. For the kind of fishing you are doing, a drag system is pointless. Look at 60-80 bucks max on the reel, or shop used and find a cheaper one. Get the smallest one you can find so that it balances that light rod.

 

[FreeRange]

I think Echo makes some of the best value rods out there and they are a great company to support. The echo solo kit comes in 8'6" 4 wt, nothing shorter but that is a pretty good all around rod for lakes and streams. On tight streams just learn to cast less and use the length of the rod to your advantage. Going up in price echo has some other great rods. Tons of great fishing in the eastern Sierra, if you get tired of catching dink brook trout up high go to the upper Owens in the winter for some "Crowley steelhead"! Also fly fishing for Corbina has got to be some of the most fun fishing there is.

 

[BroodBuster]

You can't go wrong with a Cabela's combo set up. I wouldn't spend much money at this time until you know your hooked. Also a lot of the cheaper rods are actually easier to learn to cast then the top of the line rods. A 4wt is a good all around mountain rod.

I'm a little strange in this regard but I prefer a casting rod as I can cast everything from flies to spoons with it. Not to mention I can add a salmon egg for when I get hungry .

 

[DeepMauka]

Practice lots, and you can make anything work. I would also suggest to learn how to roll cast well.

 

[schmalzy]

How many of you guys fish during your bivy/spike hunts? First timer here and am seriously considering bringing the 4 wt with me next year.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

How many of you guys fish during your bivy/spike hunts? First timer here and am seriously considering bringing the 4 wt with me next year.

Mostly for scouting, when I hunt I am hunting, not fishing. Few exceptions there. Different on an extended trip.

 

[orionsbrother]

Listen to SDHNTR. He's spot on. My only suggestion would be to first purchase a hack package rod and start out playing with panfish. They're very accommodating. Then pick up a decent rod, nothing top of the line.

 

[Bmcox86]

Try a tenkera Rod set up. It's great for backpacking

 

[schmalzy]

Appreciate it and my apologies for the hijack! Hard to beat tfo rods on the warranty though. and x2 on buy a cheap reel! Put 70 dollar fly line on a 40 dollar reel.

 

[2ski]

For what you want I wouldn't be afraid to pick up a Walmart special as me and a buddy call them. Add some quality line instead of what comes in it and you're fishing.

 

[Jason Snyder]

For what you want I wouldn't be afraid to pick up a Walmart special as me and a buddy call them. Add some quality line instead of what comes in it and you're fishing.

sacrilige bro...

 

[2ski]

I know. How dare I. Especially living in Bozeman.

 

[kodiakfly]

I've not fished the Sierras specifically, but the specifics mentioned sound spot on for mountain fishing.

I agree that nowadays the options for affordable gear is endless. A lot of rods are made "offshore" which is a fancy way of saying China, which actually can put out decent rods now. TFO, Redinton and Echo all come to mind. Look for one with a lifetime warranty because breaking rods happens and it's worth the extra money over a rod that may only have a 5 or 10 year warrantee.

I also use Rio lines almost exclusively. They do live up to their specific designs and they cast well.

I do partially disagree with the reel just holding your line and it doesn't matter beyond that. True, for high mountain trout you're not palming the spool on blistering runs. But neglecting the quality of your reel will get you a junky reel. I've seen handles and reel feet fall off with a fish on, spools crack, spindles break off and drags just totally fail to nonexistence. You do need "some" drag to keep your line in order and not just free spooling. A buddy did the $50 reel job and his drag lasted about a day and after that he couldn't even cast because his spool would spin while casting and he had line everywhere. Also avoid reels labeled as "carbon" or "polymer." They're not carbon or polymer and are basically plastic and won't last. That's your $50 reel. Just like the Bushmaster AR built from that crap, there's some out there that last, but drop it on a rock or it falls off your tail gate and it's toast. I've seen more of those break than anything else.

And if you ever get into big fish on a fly...let me know. I used to think a 7wt was huge...now my average is 10/11 and go up to 13's and a 16 for halibut, so my trout knowledge is a bit rusty these days. I like big fish in open water, and I only do it on a fly.

 

[SDHNTR]

I've not fished the Sierras specifically, but the specifics mentioned sound spot on for mountain fishing.

I agree that nowadays the options for affordable gear is endless. A lot of rods are made "offshore" which is a fancy way of saying China, which actually can put out decent rods now. TFO, Redinton and Echo all come to mind. Look for one with a lifetime warranty because breaking rods happens and it's worth the extra money over a rod that may only have a 5 or 10 year warrantee.

I also use Rio lines almost exclusively. They do live up to their specific designs and they cast well.

I do partially disagree with the reel just holding your line and it doesn't matter beyond that. True, for high mountain trout you're not palming the spool on blistering runs. But neglecting the quality of your reel will get you a junky reel. I've seen handles and reel feet fall off with a fish on, spools crack, spindles break off and drags just totally fail to nonexistence. You do need "some" drag to keep your line in order and not just free spooling. A buddy did the $50 reel job and his drag lasted about a day and after that he couldn't even cast because his spool would spin while casting and he had line everywhere. Also avoid reels labeled as "carbon" or "polymer." They're not carbon or polymer and are basically plastic and won't last. That's your $50 reel. Just like the Bushmaster AR built from that crap, there's some out there that last, but drop it on a rock or it falls off your tail gate and it's toast. I've seen more of those break than anything else.

And if you ever get into big fish on a fly...let me know. I used to think a 7wt was huge...now my average is 10/11 and go up to 13's and a 16 for halibut, so my trout knowledge is a bit rusty these days. I like big fish in open water, and I only do it on a fly.

AK halibut on a fly? I gotta hear more about that!

 

[huntin'monkey]

The 8-foot 4wt suggestion is spot on. Great all around rod. Don't get hung up on brands. Instead, figure out your budget, make a list of all the lifetime warrantied rods in that range that your local shops carry and then go cast them all. The most important thing in buying a rod is getting one that fits your casting style. A few years ago, uber-super stiff telephone pole rods were all the rage. I hated the way they cast, preferring a medium speed rod that actually does the casting work for you. I went the bamboo route, though my boo rods are "fast" for cane. They cast more like medium speed graphite rods than what most people expect from bamboo. My old fishing partner, on the other hand, did amazing things with super slow parabolic cane rods that took a day and a half to make a cast. It all depends on your personal timing, find the rod that works for you and you'll be happy.

 

[kodiakfly]

AK halibut on a fly? I gotta hear more about that!

It's been a continuous learning curve that started in 1999. Originally I used 800gr lines on 13 and 14 wts to sink a fly (line delivers the fly...no jigging or bait) to the bottom and let the current take it out along the bottom and I start stripping line in and halibut hit it. Been through some other techniques and now I'm working on chumming fish to the top and actually fishing higher percentage, shallower depths with feeding fish.

Here's my first one from probably 99 or 00.

 

[Kevin_t]

I use a tenkara rig for the colorado san Juan's and did well this year

The rig weighs 5 oz and I use a nice rod with standard furled line and tenkara style flies ... Nothing fancy and not to much thinking.

I did well catching fish with this setup and smoked a lot of cutthroats