fly rod with spinning reel in fresh water?

[Fishaholic]

I have used a fly rod for jetty fishing with good success because you can feel the lighted strikes and have caught some very nicy greenling and perch on it. My question is would a fly rod   with a ultra light spinning reel work for drifting bobbers for trout? Its a  5/6 weight 8'6 3 peice fly rod?. maybe even for steelhead?

[uplandhunter870]

it would probably work given you have the proper weight fly rod for steels. i tried bobber fishing with a fly rod and spinning real with a slip bobber  for trout  (just trying to get some extra distance on the cast to get to deeper water from the bank) and found that with the traditional loopy wire eyelets on a fly rod the bobber stop gets hung up in the eyelets. would probably work well with a wrap style bobber or on a fly rod with spinning rod type eyelets

[Fishaholic]

I used braided line and it slides threw great. I always though about buying a cheap fly rod and re~eyeing it with casting eyes. I have an old fly pole I might try that on.

[Mr56Jeep]

I used braided line and it slides threw great. I always though about buying a cheap fly rod and re~eyeing it with casting eyes. I have an old fly pole I might try that on.

I could be wrong but I think this is how Gary Loomis got his start.

[muzbuster]

I remember my Grandfather had an old fly rod that had a few inches of the tip broken off of it, he put on a new tip eye and a spinning reel, that was the only rod he used for rivers, streams & beaver ponds. I couldnt begin to guess how many fish he cought over the years with that set up.....(old school make what you have work)

[jackelope]

You will get your butt handed to you if you hook a good sized steelhead on a 5 weight rod. I've caught a few on a fast 6 weight and you'll get a real good fight out of that.  I suspect that the reason you like the feel of the fly rod is more because of it's length and less because it's a fly rod. I use a 11' noodle rod with a spinning reel and light line(8lb test and 6lb leader) for bobber/float  fishing because you can feel everything and because of the great line control you get out of the long rod.

[Button Nubbs]

  and without a butt section reeling in a steelhead is gonna wear you out and be very awkward

[Bullkllr]

We used to make float rods out of 10 1/2 foot fly rod blanks (like 9/10 weight) before float rods were commonly available (which was not all that long ago).

There was a local trend in the 50s-60s (and carried over by a few die-hards much later than that) of steelhead fishing with a fly rod/reel with mono- split shot for weight and usually eggs/yarn. Sometimes a stripping basket was used. Also reels like Winonas (some guys placed reel on their belt even). Some called it "shotting". Basically flipping out a set length of line- can't get more accurate than that...

Trout fishermen have been using fly rods/spinning reels for generations. Makes the best bait rod out there (egg, powerbait, etc.) A bit heavier line 6-8# does not hang up in the snake guides as much; then use 1-4# leader.

[Cylvertip]

Bass Pro has their Micro Lite rods that are reasonable and are basically the action you are talking about.  The link below is for "float-n-fly" models which are a little longer. The float-n-fly technique discribed is typically a small craft hair jig suspended quite a ways below a fixed bobber.  I have several of these rods in various lengths.  I have caught a 10 pound chrome steelie on a 7'6"  model with 8/30 braid on it and it handled the fish just fine.  These bendy rods really wear fish out.  You can also look up Noodle rods.

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Micro-Lite-Graphite-Float-n-Fly-Spinning-Rods/product/10204878/#chart-container

[Fishaholic]

I have a bass pro shop ultra light thats 7'6. I want a pole thats longer thats why I asked about a fly pole.

[Cylvertip]

I think they have them up to 9' in the float-n-fly model.  check the link.  I have a 7'6", 8', and 8'6" from them, A 9'6" Lami "2nd" Noodle, and a 10'6" Browning noodle.

[newbs55]

Go to Wally World and look for the longest Rods in the store. They are meant for Jig Poles but essentially a fly rod blank with good eyes (The one i bought had titanium) they had them in 10-14' lengths and 8-10 line weight and 12-14 or something like that. I paid like 40 some bucks for one and slapped a Pflueger Medelist 10/11 reel about 300 yards of backing 150 yards of lead core and it is the sweetest trolling setup for trout. It would work sweet with a spinning reel too. It would probably be cheaper than putting new eyelets on a rod you already have.

[Button Nubbs]

Go to Wally World and look for the longest Rods in the store. They are meant for Jig Poles but essentially a fly rod blank with good eyes (The one i bought had titanium) they had them in 10-14' lengths and 8-10 line weight and 12-14 or something like that. I paid like 40 some bucks for one and slapped a Pflueger Medelist 10/11 reel about 300 yards of backing 150 yards of lead core and it is the sweetest trolling setup for trout. It would work sweet with a spinning reel too. It would probably be cheaper than putting new eyelets on a rod you already have.

Wouldn't be cheaper but certianly less time consuming

[Fishaholic]

I was looking and that fly rod I was going to use im not going to  but I do have eyes from a pole so I put eyes on a blank.

[Wilderness Addict]

Back in New York, a lot of people fished a fly rod with spinning reel on the Salmon River for steelhead. Most that I knew used at least a 8 weight, I used a 8ft 6 weight and it worked ok. I had to chase a few down river.