Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => Fly Fishing Cafe => Topic started by: Xgolfman on November 20, 2005, 10:28:49 AM

Title: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Xgolfman on November 20, 2005, 10:28:49 AM
i've always wanted to do this but have never gotten around to it...now i am, i went down to H&H with a buddy who has flied for years...between him and the salesman i was told the 6 wt was the best starting point..i got a sage fli 6904...mid price range sage....i was told this would be the easiest to learn on and could be used to fish all the trout species....the reel was way overkill but I'm an idiot when it comes to reels..just love um...Ross evolution...I've got one spool with floating line and one with  a sinking tip...Now the guy at the shop said I'd be better off with sinking line versus sinking tip for lakes etc...guy i was with said no sinking tip is better as sinking line is tough to cast???  as they have to order the spool i can switch out if you guys think one is better...thanks for the advice, i was reading down the page and saw what you were saying about 6 wt's there..if i could use this for trout and possibly coho's/pinks....god who am i kidding..i can see an arsenal being amassed already..
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Rowdy on November 20, 2005, 03:22:44 PM
Right on!  You picked up a sweet little setup there, for a first combo.  It will do you well for the rest of your fishing days.  It's rare to see someone start off properly with quality gear....most just buy cheap and within a year they wind up getting something nice...thus wasting cash on the first purchase.  Everything the guys at the shop told you is true....your learning curve will be easier with that rod, and you will be able to target pinks and ho's with it (in the right situations....but not all).
  As far as the wet line (full sink) goes...get a full wet line...who cares if its harder to cast....you gota learn right?  I would recomend a slow intermediate sink line, one of the clear ones, otherwise known as a slime line.  I have the fast sink ones too, but seem to always turn to this line for all of my sub surface presentations.  The sink tip lines are better for moving water situations, not lakes.  I also think a wet line is easier to cast than a sink tip.  Good luck with the obsession...it only gets more expensive from now on!  ;D


Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Stone on November 20, 2005, 05:39:35 PM
That's a nice setup you have there, Golfman65.  It's a setup that will provide you years of pleasurable casting and catching, with no need to upgrade as your skills improve.

Full sinking lines are not any harder to cast.  I find that my Scientific Anglers Uniform Sink line is one of the easiest casting lines that I own.  The skinny diameter and slightly heavier head makes the line shoot very easily.  A full sinking line, like an intermediate or a faster Type II, is definitely more usefull in the lakes...but a sinking tip also fishes well off of shallow structure and the edges of weedbeds.

My lake rods all have two lines, and I can take any one rod and be able to cover just about everything.  One spool has a Rio Versitip line, and the other has a full sinking line of some sort.  The Rio Versitip may be expensive initially, but it really saves you money in the long run as it's like having four premium lines in one, and you cover lakes and rivers with it.  You also don't need to carry or buy as many expensive spools.  Just some food for thought if there's room in your budget.

Welcome to flyfishing...I know you're going to have a blast!
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Xgolfman on November 21, 2005, 04:39:07 PM
thanks for the info, both you guys..i called the shop and talked to the guy there about it and am going to go with a moderate sinking line that will work in lakes etc. better.....
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Rowdy on November 22, 2005, 05:43:41 PM
Sounds like your set for almost all stillwater situations. I remember my first setup. I bet your excited...you'll have a blast!
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Xgolfman on November 24, 2005, 09:50:45 PM
i am...i'm gonna go out tomorrow, Friday on a lake for some WTF fishing...by the way, happy thanksgiving....errrr that's right you guys celebrate it in the summer???? who the heck eats turkey when it's hot out???  :o :o ??? ::) :P
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: DragonSpeed on November 25, 2005, 07:47:21 AM
i am...i'm gonna go out tomorrow, Friday on a lake for some WTF fishing...

First time out will be a case of "Try not to hook myself in the ear/head/back/leg/anchor line....."  Catching fish will be a bonus ;)

Quote
by the way, happy thanksgiving....errrr that's right you guys celebrate it in the summer???? who the heck eats turkey when it's hot out???  :o :o ??? ::) :P

People that live in places that are -10C or so now ;D
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Stone on November 25, 2005, 09:22:13 AM
i am...i'm gonna go out tomorrow, Friday on a lake for some WTF fishing...by the way, happy thanksgiving....errrr that's right you guys celebrate it in the summer???? who the heck eats turkey when it's hot out???  :o :o ??? ::) :P

LOL...since when was October considered Summer?  ;D

Happy belated Thanksgiving to you too.  Get out there and flog some water.
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: RalphH on November 27, 2005, 07:06:55 PM
When I was starting out I found I could cast a sinking line farther than a floating. Floating lines are thicker - hence more air resistance.
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: DragonSpeed on November 27, 2005, 07:22:45 PM
When I was starting out I found I could cast a sinking line farther than a floating. Floating lines are thicker - hence more air resistance.

Yup, and just plain heavier.
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Stone on November 27, 2005, 08:32:59 PM
Yup, and just plain heavier.

Actually, no...a particular weight flyline technically should be the same grain weight no matter if it's a floating line, a sinking-tip, or a full sinking line.  It's diameter may increase or decrease, affecting density, and it may contain glass or tungsten beads or air bubbles in the coating, but it's grain weight should remain relatively constant if the line weights stay the same.

And like I've mentioned before...I've also found sinking lines to be easy to cast.
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: DragonSpeed on November 28, 2005, 01:43:07 AM
I can feel my 5wt sinking line load up, but I can't say the same for my 5wt floating ???
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Xgolfman on November 28, 2005, 01:27:09 PM
i am...i'm gonna go out tomorrow, Friday on a lake for some WTF fishing...

First time out will be a case of "Try not to hook myself in the ear/head/back/leg/anchor line....."  Catching fish will be a bonus ;)

Quote
by the way, happy thanksgiving....errrr that's right you guys celebrate it in the summer???? who the heck eats turkey when it's hot out???  :o :o ??? ::) :P

People that live in places that are -10C or so now ;D

ok, so i almost hooked my cheek...left a nice welt..damn that hurts when it's cold :P
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: DragonSpeed on November 28, 2005, 03:23:02 PM
ok, so i almost hooked my cheek...left a nice welt..damn that hurts when it's cold :P

I suppose it depends on which cheek ;)
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: Stone on December 01, 2005, 09:51:01 AM
I can feel my 5wt sinking line load up, but I can't say the same for my 5wt floating ???

Dragonspeed:  Are the two lines from the same manufacturer?  And you start out with the same amount of line from the tiptop with both lines?

I don't know what the answer is.  Technically, if the lines have similar profiles (ie. WF, DT, etc.), and the same AFTMA line weight rating...then they should both be the same grain weight for the first 30 feet...which is how they measure line size.  Every 10' of extra line you add after that would add another line weight to the amount of line that you're casting.  So, false casting 40' of WF5 line is like false casting 30' of WF5 line, etc.

The only thing I can think of is that there may be slight differences between line manufacturers' standards, as well as small differences between product lines within one manufacturer.  Also, the generally skinny profile of sinking lines make them easier to cast (lower drag) than the generally fatter profile of floating lines.
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: funpig on December 01, 2005, 03:18:03 PM
Stone & Dragonspeed:

Stone is right about the AFTMA weight being the same for both the floating and sinking line for the first 30 feet of line.  But the distribution of the weight is more forward (closer to the end) in the sink tip and I would surmise that this makes it easier to cast the sink tip than the floater.  Just as a WF line is easier to cast than a DT line.

And another thing, a 5 wt line is ideally 140 grains but in reality it can be anywhere between 134 to 146 gr. and still be 5 wt.   I would guess that typically a floater might be in the lower end of the range and a sinker will be pushing the higher end.
Title: Re: what about this set up? my first fly rod/reel...
Post by: younggun on June 29, 2006, 01:56:21 PM
i've got a fenwick 6wt, great all around rod, i've got trout, coho, jack springs, and the odd pink on it. Biggest fish on it was an 8lb jackspring, i was afraid the rod was gonna break! I think a six weight is an excellent bigginers rod!