Fly fishin guys

[fishnate]

I am lookin at getting a combo fly rod package from cabelas I am gonna use it for trout fishing I can fly fish but am by no means a expert.  Just wondering what you guys think as far as weight lenght ect..

[dp1175]

 9 ft  5 or 6 wt is what i use.

[uncoolperson]

I use an eagleclaw trailmaster, the cheapest reel I can find, and decent weight fwd 5wt.
then I pack a small, cheap spinning reel, and I'm good to go

[olsy]

For lakes and larger rivers I prefer a 9ft 5wt.  If I am fishing a small stream I like to use a 7.5ft 3wt.  

You may want to take a look at TFO rods.  They are a high quality rod at at a very reasonable price.

[BLKBEARKLR]

5wt, if you want to take decent trout.

One thing I learned when beginning to fly fish, a 60.00 pole is exactly that. Meaning i could not get a good roll cast, a good S or anything until I stepped up into the higher class rods. One thing to look at is how the entire rod moves, if it whips around from the tip about half way down, not a good rod.

Joe

[jackelope]

Where do you plan to do most of your fishing?
If you want to fish the small mountain streams and stuff I would not buy a 9' anything, maybe a 7 1/2' 3 or 4 weight...however if you will be fishing lakes I would definitely go with a 9' rod. If you plan to mostly fish out of a float tube on the lakes I would even look at something in the 10' range to get the line off the water a little.

A good universal sized rod would be a 9' probably if you had to choose 1. I'd look real hard at the redington rods or the Temple Fork Outfitters rods....great for the $$.

[jackelope]

5wt, if you want to take decent trout.

One thing I learned when beginning to fly fish, a 60.00 pole is exactly that. Meaning i could not get a good roll cast, a good S or anything until I stepped up into the higher class rods. One thing to look at is how the entire rod moves, if it whips around from the tip about half way down, not a good rod.

Joe

I disagree with the whippy rod thing...thats just a slower action...some people are good with a slow action, some are better with a faster action...doesn't mean it's a bad or good rod...just style and personal preference. With that said I will also say I don't think I have any flyrods that cost under $100.00. Fly rods are tough if you only want 1 to do everything. they all have a purpose and not 1 single rod will do it all well.

[Intruder]

For a beginner the combos from Cabelas are a good choice.  A 9' 5 weight 4 piece... moderate action, with a WF floating line, and a click pawl reel (a disc drag if you think ya need it) is going to be as about as versatile as you could get to start.  Buy at least IM6 level of graphite.  Unless your whole gig is going to be fishing super small and brushy streams the longer 9' rod is a must IMO.  Shorter rods are less forgiving and don't really provide any advantage unless you're trying to punch line into a strong wind (saltwater application). 

My wife has a Cabelas combo described above and we've used it on everything from the Clark Fork, to Silver Creek, to bonefish in Mex (only in specific applications).

[ribka]

I have 3 Cabelas fly rods and a few of their reels. They are my back-up rods on trips. To be honest not happy with the quality of a lot of Cabelas brand gear.
Reel seats have fallin off and have had to reglue them and 2 of 3 reels crapped out.

Go with TFO. Better quality for the same price and better warranty. If you ever get over to the Ellensburg area willing to help you out with casting and fishing.

9 ft 5 wt will work for you

My 

[fishnate]

Thanks for all the info I will be using it on larger lakes and decent size rivers.

[jackelope]

definitely a 9' or 9.5' 6 weight if it were up to me for what you are gonna do with it. 6 weight will throw better in the infamous eastern washington wind.

http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/products/combo.html

[Tealer]

I run a 9' 4wt for top water in lakes, and a 5wt for nymphs and sinking gear. I will step up to a 6wt from time to time on rivers especially when running a triple nymph setup.

[Phantom Gobbler]

I run a 9' 4wt for top water in lakes, and a 5wt for nymphs and sinking gear. I will step up to a 6wt from time to time on rivers especially when running a triple nymph setup.

Tealer, My favorite go to rod is an older 9 Ft. 4 Wt RPL+ Sage.  Is sweet for drys and has enough backbone to also throw nymphs.  For Rocky Ford and Spring Creeks on non-windy days, I use an 8' 9" 3WT. LL Sage.  It is a joy to fish with and is smooth and ultra sensitive.  I also agree with a 5 WT or 6 WT for larger lakes and streams.

[thinkingman]

I agree with the last 2 posts.
I have been fishing the Yakima river a fair amount over the last year.
My go-to is a 9' 4wt.
One thing not mentioned is the line.
I didn't realize what differences there are in line characteristics.
for fish under 2lb, the reel is nothing more than a line-management device.
Drag is almost meaningless.
I would look at a used, high quality setup before spending $200 on Cabelas pkg...plus Cabelas is famous for putting them on sale.
If you do use Cabelas, get one of their packages that includes SA Mastery GPX line.
It's where the rubber meets the road.
4or5 wt is going to get you into trout with dries or nymphs.
9' is the standard...a little more gets you line control, less?...I don't think I have a use for a shorter rod.
Don't get caught up in the 'fast, powerful rod' hype.
I have one and think I'd enjoy casting more with a more moderate, softer rod.
PM me for some demo ideas or if you want to meet somewhere.
Casting clinics are provided by most shops, as well as demos.
Take advantage of their knowledge.

[boneaddict]

As a beginner I'd look at getting a 5 weight, though I prefer a 3 or 4.  I'd also charge it with a 6 weight line.  It will load faster and easier for you when casting.  Until you become a pro, this will help you.  As stated 9 foot is the standard. 
My favorite rod is a 3 weight, and I also like a 4 weight on those eastern Wa lakes Jack is talking about becasue of the wind/float tube situation.  I fish with the 3 weight on the Methow and have even landed a steelhead with it though I was a little undergunned.  For streams I use a 7.5 foot custom 2 weight.  For salmon a 9 weight with a fighting butt.  It is probably a 10 footer, I can't remember that.  You can spend a lot of money on a set up.  I prefer Sage but do fish a G loomis once in awhile.   That being said, I have caught a TON of fish on the ole' graphite rod from the corner store.   Good luck and enjoy the sport.

[fishnate]

Thanks for all the advice everyone thanks

[jackelope]

I personally disagree with a  lot of the last few posts...
a newbie fly guy doesn't belong on Rocky Ford with a 3 weight...maybe a guy with a lot of experience fighting big fish on light tackle, but a newbie...no way.  don't get me wrong, I love the big fish light tackle stuff as much as the next guy.
Bone...I have a really hard time throwing big leeches with a 4 weight on a calm day...nevermind in the wind. I happen to like chucking the big stuff at times. I have 15 fly rods...one for every different possible condition. when I go to e-wa to go fishing I usually will have 4-5 different rods with me but thats not the point of this thread I guess...the guy wants 1 rod to do everything possible as a place to start flyfishing, and for that I am sticking to my guns with a 6 weight. you can do everything trout-wise period, and if you get a chance to do some summer steelhead fishing you've got your rod, and you've also got a rod for humpies and maybe even some coho's.
as far as reels go...thats a whole nuther can of worms...

[ribka]

I will have to agree 6 wt would be best choice. Especially for beginning caster and 6 wt covers, bass, trout, steel head, carp etc.
Enjoy catching on lightweight too. I take my 2 wt 7 ft Scott fiber touch rod to Idaho to catch cuts on dries every Summers. What a blast!

I only have 8 fly rods and wife gives me a hard time. I will show her this post in order to convince I need more

[boneaddict]

I think if you look and re-read my post Jack I wasn't suggesting a 3 weight for him. 

[Intruder]

Bone's suggestion regarding overlining by 1 weight is good advice.  Much easier for a beginner to get the feel of the road loading. 

Again... 5 or 6 weight rod in 9-9.5 foot is going to be the best choice for most of what it sounds like he's doing.  If you don't want to go w/ Cabela combos Orvis makes a decent one too in the Silver Label brand.  A lot will really depend on what you want to spend.  You can put together a decent setup by mixing and matching if you know what you like.  There are a lot more quality rods/reels out there today for a decent price than say 15 years ago.  2 pieces of advice
1.  Go with a 4 piece rod.... !!!.... so much more convienent to travel with and store.  Way out weighs the small cons (price and flex).
2.  Don't scrimp on the line.... buy a high end line.  They last longer don't have as much memory, float better, etc.

[jackelope]

I think if you look and re-read my post Jack I wasn't suggesting a 3 weight for him. 

gotcha bone, I was talking about this one:

I also like a 4 weight on those eastern Wa lakes Jack is talking about becasue of the wind/float tube situation

more or less referring to my ability to throw the heavy stuff with a 4 weight...

[Hunter mike]

Bottom line: No matter what you buy or how much you spend, you're gonna end up with more than one

5-wt is probably the most versatile for a first rod (or 6-wt if you're fishing for bigger trout or in the salt at all)

I would reccomend having a 3-wt in the arsenal if you fish any of the smaller streams around Washington - it makes the little 5-10 inch cutts that seem to be so plentiful a lot of fun.  Most streams will produce well with a box of dry flies on a summer morning/evening.  Many places I fish, it doesn't even matter what the fly is!

And also, don't buy a combo spin/fly rod!  Just get a fly rod setup and a seperate spinning reel (most the combo rods cast like crap).

[MichaelJ]

Anybody ever fished the Platte River in WY?  I definitely need a new fly rod and am 'supposed' to have chances at trout up to 4 lbs pretty easily in that area...  I taught myself to fly fish last summer and got pretty decent at it... I've found that casting is not very important, fly presentation, and not getting too close to the waters you want to fish are much more key, as well as practice setting the hook...  A whole lot of fun that I'm looking forward to getting better at!

Mike

PS:  Hope u don't mind me asking a question on your thread fishnate!

[Pathfinder101]

For what it's worth, I would say a 9foot 6 weight rod would be perfect for a first rod.   

[Intruder]

Anybody ever fished the Platte River in WY?  I definitely need a new fly rod and am 'supposed' to have chances at trout up to 4 lbs pretty easily in that area... 

Same deal as folks have been saying.... 9' 5 ro 6 weight will be fine on the Platte.  Wind can be an issue so a faster 6 may be a better choice.  You could carry an extra 7 weight line on an extra spool if it gets really blustery. 

[MichaelJ]

Thanks

[fisheral87]

I agree with the six weight as well as the step up in the line weight. But, you should be careful that the rod that you do choose has an action that will handle the step up in weight. The extra weight will not always help you. Form, will go just as far to helping you in adverse conditions.
Best thing to do is to go to a quality shop, any owner worth his salt should let you thread one up and cast it before you buy to make sure you get the setup that will work for you.

I have casted G. Loomis and Redington rods which are affordable options as well. Okuma reels I think are an under rated reel, some of their models have good ergonomics and decent drag systems for the money. 

I don't know much about TFO rods but I have heard good things.

 

Let us know what the outcome is.