Best products from r/flyfishing

Hey just want to follow up since I'm not sure if anyone else has.

Before I dive into trout streams I'm gonna make a major recommendation. MSP probably has some of the best smallmouth and muskie water access in the world. The Mississippi and St Croix rivers are both incredible fisheries. There are also a number of lakes in the cities areas that are killers for largemouth and again muskie/pike. There's 3 lakes in particular that don't allow motor'ed boats and have pretty accessible shore fishing (Isles, Calhoun, Harriet, sorry to everyone else, but I don't think it's a secret anymore). I have seen 50"+ fish get pulled from them, and have had my my follows on these lakes. Side note, for sure gonna catch ones of those fuckers this year. If you don't have an 8wt, or a 10/11 for muskie, I'd highly recommend one. Primary reason being that most great trout streams (with easy access) will be 1-2 hours outside of the cities.

Second recommendation, get a Wisconsin fishing license. If you're a first time buyer they offer a discount. They know what they're doing, because guarantee you'll be back again next year. The Kinnickinnic is right over the border in River Falls WI and has great access and pretty good fishing. There is a metric fuck ton of water to cover though, but that's the closest.

Right in the cities area is the Vermillion, but access can be kind of funky, and it's not the most wade-able river so you end up somewhat limited to what water you can really fish. Down south a little further in MN is Whitewater, which has some pretty sizeable fish, but definitely sees more pressure. Farther south is the Root River and all it's branches (like 120 river miles worth). Sees a lot less pressure but is a solid 2 hour drive.

Pretty much all of MN and WI allow access to water at bridges. Many land owners have provided easement, but for the ones that don't keep your feet wet and you're in the clear.

If you're looking for some reading, I just picked up this book, which is a little outdated in terms of stocking and access information, but does a great job covering the various hatches and forage, and includes some strategies to try.

Lastly, both MN and WI have started a C&R "pre-season" so-to-speak. So basically the only time streams are closed is mid-October to the first Saturday in January. Whitewater is open year round even! Definitely check the specific water you're looking to fish though, dates and seasons vary from river to river.

Hope this helps and good luck! Check out the Great Waters Fly Expo in a couple months (http://greatwatersflyexpo.com/). Good place to connect with more locals and TU has a big presence there.

Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Welcome to a lifelong addiction! I agree with a lot of people on here that buying a good book will help you out a lot. Likewise, spending some time casting before you hit the water will make for a lot less frustration. A good book will help you know how to cast right and what it feels like. I don't own it myself, but I've heard good things personally about this book:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1592288189

Now as to your equipment, whatever works best for you is what you should fish with, regardless of how cheap it is. That being said, there is a big difference between a professionally designed rod and a generic fly rod. If you can possibly afford to step it up a bit in your price range, you will set yourself up with equipment that will easily keep you both happy and challenged for 5-10 years. Here's my recommendation (just a recommendation, nothing more, nothing less):

Temple Fork Outfitters make professionally designed rods that, like most major brands, have a lifetime guarantee and you can always return it (or a piece of it) for a repair. They are able to offer a seriously nice rod for less because the manufacturing is done in China. The company and design is in the US. Basically, it's a great rod for a lot less because of where it's made. http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/

Ross reels are like the GMC of fly reels. Nothing fancy, but super dependable and you get everything you need to do the job. My first reel was a Ross (anyone remember the Cimarron?) and I keep it around because it's every bit as usable as when I bought it 12 years ago. They're seriously good reels.
http://www.rossreels.com/

As to the length, I strongly suggest something near a 9'. It gives you enough flex to "feel" a backcast so that you can establish a good cast early on. This way, you won't have to break bad habits later in your life. The standard weight for a beginner is 5. However, don't feel intimidated by a 3 or 4. If you're fishing for trout, these are all acceptable.

This was a bit longer than I expected, but I hope it is useful. PM if you have any questions that I can help with.

EDIT: Sorry, one last thing!

The less fished the water, the more likely you are to be successful on it. Spend a bit of time looking around your area on google maps or topos and find water that may be smaller, but is further from a road. Any time water is visible from a road, you can almost guarantee it has been fished earlier in the day before you. Finding somewhere remote will give you some positive feedback on fishing and keep you from getting frustrated early on.

Ok, I'll shut up now.

I can't speak for the CZN, but I've fished the Cortland Competition 10'6" 3wt for the past two years and love it. Your added length is crucial for reaching spots while still tight lining (and staying in direct contact with your fly(s) at all times as best you can), and also tippet protection (looking at you Syndicate w your glorious rods).

As /u/pwigglez mentioned, also very important in the game is your leader set up. Done properly, this will play a huge role in your presentation and success.
(Hint-your reel and fly line (outside of euro-specific lines, which are awesome) don't mean much in this game)

And IMHO, if you're serious about going after some successful nymphing, Dynamic Nymphing by George Daniels is an absolute must read. I'm prob on my 4th time through (currently re-reading it) and should be your starting point for your approach and rig set up.

Best of luck and keep asking questions--there are a ton of awesome nymphing guys on here that I've learned a ton from on this sub!

/u/Independent is on the right track, as usual - that site is a goldmine. Be sure to check out not only the patterns, but also his blog posts. He's been less active in recent years, but that doesn't diminish the quality of the information in the older posts in the least.

Which book did you buy? If you don't already have it, snag a copy of The Best Flies for Carp by Jay Zimmerman - it's full of great stuff. And although I'm not much of an Orvis fan in general, I have to admit that the Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp is really good. Kirk Deeter is the real deal. If you're looking for tying instructions for those, it's easy enough to find most of them - but InTheRiffle has a nice playlist of excellent patterns. FlyGeek and a few other custom tiers also have carp-specific patterns.

Finally, if you want to kick it old-school and read about where fly fishing for carp really got started, track down an old copy of Carp on the Fly by Barry Reynolds and Brad Befus. It's still relevant!

If you haven't rage quit at least a dozen times on the first half-dozen trips, you aren't trying hard enough. Occasionally they'll be easy, but very rarely. Most of the time they're really hard to fool, and often harder yet to land.

Good luck! Come back and post your fish, K?

Observation is your best friend. Learn to recognize what's on/in/under the water. Check out Handbook of Hatches by Dave Hughes for a good basic guide to what trout eat and flies to match them. The Mayfly Guide by Al Caucci (PA fishing legend) is more specific but a beautiful little book. Trout Streams of Pennsylvania by Greg Landis is a great guide to our wonderful state's streams and often gives specific advice regarding what hatches may be found on a particular one. Edit: No Hatch to Match by Rich Ostoff is a great guide for all those times that there aren't bugs on the water.

I'm also in SE PA (Philly) and would be happy to meet up and wet a line. Drop me a PM if interested.

Where do you live? CT?


Fly fishing has a pretty serious learning curve, from my experience. I assume being avid fisherman, you are pretty comfortable working a lure such as a Rapala? The very fist type of fly I would suggest you try is streamers. It's very straight forward and you can work the streamer like a standard lure. Buy some wooly buggers in various colors and stick to them for a while.


Secondly, catching fish in february isn't easy. If we're simply discussing chance of success, I would suggest you focus your fishing efforts in April/May/June when the water temps help fish activity.


After catching some things on buggers, I would try nymphing and dry flies. A great book on nymphing is Dynamic Nymphing by George Daniel


Lastly, if you are still struggling, find someone to bring you out and work with you. I'm too far from CT to assist, but you can hire a guide or maybe someone on this board lives up there and would take you out and help.


Best of luck! Would love to see an update to this when you finally do land some fish!

I have a book called Trout Streams of Wisconsin and Minnesota that I look into occasionally, but you can also look on the DNR website for streams that hold trout.

When nymphing my presentation is almost always the same -- get the fly to the bottom and have a drag-free drift. I'm hoping to do a video on beginner nymphing tactics within the next couple weeks too.

When fish are rising I'll try to catch a fly in my hat to better identify it and it's size. Insect hatches change throughout the season. A drag free drift is probably even more important when dry fly fishing.

I have a blog that I update after pretty much every outing. I discuss stream conditions, hatches, flies used, etc. It's also beneficial to visit your local fly shop to get good intel on the area streams.

Hope this helps!

It, of course, depends on your style of fishing as well as budget. I’ve had a great time fishing the Eagle Claw Featherlite in the 3/4wt with a DT line in small streams on the North Shore of Lake Superior and the driftless region. Though it is limited in the variety of water it can fish it’s an extremely inexpensive rod that over performs and I don’t have to worry about babying. For a more lower-medium priced and all-around rod a St. Croix mojo trout or a few of the rods from Echo (ION XL, Carbon XL, and their Base) might be better choice as they are longer and thus more versatile. I haven’t specifically fished either but I have the St. Croix mojo bass for smallmouth in the Mississippi and absolutely love it, it’s light and shoots line like a cannon! With its accolades I can’t imagine the mojo trout to be anything but great; there are also lots of options for lots of applications. To speak on Echo’s I’ve handled their base model in the shop and it was a bit heavy for my tastes; however, I have their ION reel and am a big fan. For an upper-medium tier rod I have a Sage Foundation in a 4wt. While a bit higher priced than the others it performs phenomenally. It is very light weight but can still handle bigger flys than you might expect a 4wt to as well as delicately present dry flys with laser accuracy. At the shop I was within a few inches of hitting a bumble bee at 40-ft and that’s what sold me on it.

https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-Featherlight-Weight-Yellow/dp/B00019NAOS

https://stcroixrods.com/products/mojo-trout

https://echoflyfishing.com/single-hand-rods-2019/

http://t15440-s23596.mozu.com/product/freshwater/foundation-freshwater

Wild Waters on Amazon has great starter kits. Rod, reel, fly line, rod case, even flys.

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https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Water-Fishing-Complete-Starter/dp/B001IAHX6A/ref=sr_1_4?s=hunting-fishing&ie=UTF8&qid=1542169559&sr=1-4&keywords=fly+fishing+rod

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https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/13180987011?_encoding=UTF8&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Wild%20Water&ref_=w_bl_hsx_s_lg_web_13180987011

Got something similar for my girl. Excellent quality. Definitely in your budget.

You don't need a name-brand product to have a great time on the water. Save the money.

Tight lines and good luck!

Here's my two cents. While I agree with others on Orvis Clearwater being a good starter, what is most valuable in terms of bang for buck, etc., I recommend being very basic for your first set up. If you end up liking it, this will be your backup gear as some day down the road, you are going to buy way better gear than what everyone is mentioning here. My first combo was this: https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Water-Fly-Fishing-Complete/dp/B001IAHX6A/ref=lp_2603723011_1_1?srs=2603723011&ie=UTF8&qid=1496980622&sr=8-1

I still use it on occasion and have like 4 other rods/reels now. I have a Cabelas LSi as my "good rod" and a Ross Cimarron as my reel. I recommend going basic for your first combo and finding out if you like the sport. If you do, you'll want to get something better than an entry combo anyway.

The Prestige one you linked looks like it would probably get you started and has some of the other tools you would have to buy as well. Just a pack of some sort, forceps, nippers, and floatant (all things I consider must haves) will set you back $40. Some of the other included stuff looks pretty shitty but on the whole, seems like a good deal to me. If Cabelas makes the rod, it should be part of their warranty program as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Water-Fishing-Complete-Starter/dp/B005ETGEFW/ref=sr_1_4?crid=26863Y0GGG9PH&keywords=wild+water+fly+fishing+combo&qid=1568663895&s=gateway&sprefix=wild+water%2Caps%2C325&sr=8-4

I started with this back in 2014. It's more about just getting a rod in your hand and giving it a go. If you've never fished before this one is nice because it comes with the leader tied on ready to fish. If you end up enjoying the sport you'll end up buying something new and better pretty quickly.

As far as warranty goes you wont probably wont get one for any of the sub $100 outfits.

I know this guy, and have fished with him (he doesn't guide anymore though). Get his video and you will learn to slay.

https://www.amazon.com/European-Nymphing-Strategic-Approach-Jasper/dp/B0077EOPBW/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=aaron+jasper&qid=1559049786&s=gateway&sr=8-2

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https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Dead-Drift-Indicator-Simplified/dp/B01GWCD3DA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mastering+the+dead+drift&qid=1559050111&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1

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In it, he has leaders, flys and techniques. He's an east coast guy and one of the fishiest guys I know. He also has a long pedigree of other fishy guys including being good friends with Davy Wotten.

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I fish the east coast and pocket water primarily so if you have any specific questions ask away!

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Here's what I can say about Euro-nymphing. Presentation is everything. Master the drift. Once you have your drift moving nicely, learn to set the hook. Line twitches? Set the hook. Your nose itches? Set the hook. You'd be suprised at how soft the take is on the east coast. Trout like to grab it ever so softly and then "nah" spit it back out. Set the hook! My biggest improvement after learning to drift? I am super twitchy when it comes to hook sets.

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The second part is, I see too many fisherman with lead boots. They sit and fish the same damn spot over and over. If you are nymphing, you should be moving. You should also be moving mostly upstream. Cast, drift, cast drift, try a new spot. Nymphing allows you to cover a lot of ground, and cover you should.

Redington Crosswater combo ($132 with Prime)

If he likes smallmouth and catches them in his favorite creeks then get the 6wt. If he prefers trout then get the 9' 5wt option. This rod in a 6wt will also work for pond/lake fishing for bass. If he went to a bigger river then he would do fine with it as well, whether wading or in a boat.

He will also need a leader and some tippet. For $8.61 you can get him an individual leader, or for $16 you can get him the three pack. For tippet, if you get him the 8 pound leader then you should get him the 8 pound tippet for $7.57.

For leader longevity he will want tippet rings for $11.72. This will allow him to use his leaders for much longer rather than needing to re-buy leaders sooner. I know we're outside of your budget at this point past the leader, but if you can swing it then all of these things will provide what he needs outside of flies. Maybe someone else is getting him presents and could supplement the rest. Sometimes fly rod combos will come with leaders, but I didn't see it mentioned on the Crosswater combo. You'll notice I tailored it more to bass. If you find out he's more of a trout guy, then read on.

For $10.78 you can get a 3-pack of 9' 4x leaders. He can fish small streamers and nymphs with these, but would want a thinner leader for dry flies. For creeks he will probably fish small streamers and nymphs most of the time anyways, so this is a good choice (in my opinion). You'll still want the tippet rings listed above to make the leader purchase last a long time. For tippet, a spool of 4x tippet material for $11.43. The tippet prices seem high to me so you might want to dig around some more for options.

Other doodads to consider would be nippers and a zinger, hemostats, and a net. Teeth are a substitute for nippers, but biting through fishing line does wear your teeth. Hemostats aren't as necessary if he pinches the barbs on his hooks. You can get away with not using a net, but it is easier on the fish and the fisherman to use one.

Hopefully this helps and points you in the right direction. If you have questions just send me a message.

Fishing is the best practice. If you don't have a mentor, invest in a couple fishing trips with good guides. You'll learn exponentially faster with a mentor or guide than you ever could on your own. Find a guide that's familiar with your home waters that you think you will fish the most. Learning a stream and how to fish it is half the battle.

I would also recommend Joan Wulff's book, New Fly Casting Techniques. She has a gift for simplifying the fly cast in easy mechanical terms and her book includes exercises and tips for improving your casting accuracy and distance.

If you're getting into trout fishing, the best advice I can offer is to be patient and give yourself time. When I was learning to fly fishing, I went fishing thirteen times before I caught a trout. (Of course, I grew up in southeastern New Hampshire, which is pretty lousy fishing to begin with.)

Two great resources for beginners are Sheridan Anderson's comic book Curtis Creek Manifesto and Tom's awesome Orvis Fly Fishing Learning Center, which offers both text and video instruction.

Surprised no one suggested a net. Not sure what species you're targeting, but it it's trout you should really scoop up a rubber/rubberized net. This net is crazy durable and way better than other nets in the same price range.

If you're targeting bass/saltwater fish, you're probably fine without one. Trout are giant babies compared to most other fish, and can die if you handle them wrong. I'd skim an article about trout handling too, if you know the main do's and don'ts you should be fine.

Polarized shades are nice to have too, they help you see your fly on the water and fish in the river if the water's clear. You could grab some cheap ones at wally world, but I think dropping $50 on a pair of sunclouds is worth it. Go for copper/brown lenses, they're the most versatile. Even if you don't stick with fly fishing, they're nice to have.

I think the best instructional books for a beginner are either the Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide or the LL Bean Ultimate Book of Fly-Fishing. For fun reads, you can't go wrong with any of John Gierach's books. Trout Bum would be a good starting point.

hey man! I'm a bit closer to your age, and am not going to try to convince you to spend "just a little more" (i.e. typically twice as much, or $300) to get something with a lifetime warranty. It's a different world financially when you don't have a full time job...

I've had both the encounter and two of redingtons competing entry level setups, the redington crosswater combo, and the redington path combo.

I found the encounter to feel a lot cheaper, and stiffer, than even the cheaper redington option (the crosswater). If i were you, I'd get the crosswater on amazon or in your local fly shop for $110-$160 (price varies https://www.amazon.com/Sportsman-Supply-Inc-Redington-Crosswater/dp/B000M5W2HC/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=redington+crosswater+combo&qid=1566474530&s=home-garden&sr=8-8 ) or spend a little more and get the path, which does have a nice warranty, and comes in the exact dimensions you want ( https://www.amazon.com/Redington-Fishing-Outfit-Crosswater-9-Foot/dp/B074KMBXHL/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=redington%2Bpath%2Bcombo&qid=1566474588&s=home-garden&sr=8-1&th=1&psc=1 ). Both will likely end up saving you some money over the encounter--and both are just as nice, if not nicer.

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That said, the encounter is a solid choice, and you really can't go wrong with whatever gets you fishing!

It's all a process, and we cant answer everything for you.

Try a free class on the basics. Bring your rod and reel to the class, ask them questions about it. They'll help you out.
http://www.orvis.com/flyfishing101

Try watching some videos to shed some light on how best to approach things. http://howtoflyfish.orvis.com/video-lessons

Try asking a flyshop near that river what to throw. They'll know whats working so you can stop asking yourself if the flies are correct. They'll be able to answer a lot of things.

Try a book or two about everything else.

Easy reading: https://amzn.com/0936608064

Detailed reading: https://amzn.com/0385308167

Streamers are more work, hands down. To be efficient you need to cover a lot of river. Fishing streamers is a ton of fun however, particularly large ones. I usually fish big ones (sometimes trailing a bugger or smaller zonker) with a full sink line. All in all if you're interested in streamer fishing, I highly recommend this book. I own it and have read it a few times at least - the knowledge can be applied to other aspects of fishing too.

I use one of these, specifically the SLV 56, and it's awesome. I've cast thousands of times with it and caught hundreds of fish, and it's like new. Plus, it's right at your budget!

Barry Reynolds Carp on the Fly The OG carp bible

The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp: Tips and Tricks for the Determined Angler

Dan Frasier's new book The Orvis Beginner's Guide to Carp Flies: 101 Patterns & How and When to Use Them

You're also going to have better shots at carp on foot, rather than in a boat anyways.

And you do realize that John Montana Bartlett does 90% of his fishing on the Big C, as in the Columbia river, right? Thats PNW

I bought this combo from Wild Water for my beginner setup, and it did the job. I learned how to cast and caught quite a few fish. I've since upgraded, but I keep it around as a backup.

It may not have the backbone for throwing big bass flies, but I think they offer a 7/8 wt starter combo as well. For $94 it served me pretty well. The fly line is decent. The reel isn't great, but that's the least important part for a new fly fisher anyway. It holds line and has a functioning drag, and you don't need much more than that.

Curtis Creek Manifesto is an excellent beginner's guide.

The Curtis Creek Manifesto by Sheridan Anderson will get you up to speed very quickly. Get the fascinating story of the book here.

Thanks. Is this the rod. I can't figure out if it's a 3/4 or a 4/5:

Eagle Claw Featherlight 3/4 Line Weight Fly Rod, 2 Piece (Yellow, 6-Feet 6-Inch), 4/5 weight https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00019NAOS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_y4a1xbGHJ6R9D

There's never been a better time to get fairly priced rods small enough for youngsters to get started.

Probably the first one most people would mention is this Featherstick. It's been around for awhile and lot of folks had their introduction on that rod because it's short, light, and inexpensive. It's basically just a thinner, more flexible regular pond rod.

The next step up are generic Asian factory rods from the internet. There's about a thousand companies all selling basically the same product, so it's your choice. Again, anything under 3wt will usually be available in lengths under 7', and these brands will usually be under 75$. Search around mass internet markets like eBay and Amazon and you'll find what you're looking for.

Crazy to think that even 15 years ago a lot of these options didn't even exist.

I love my Okuma SLV 56. The drag system is incredible for the price. I've used reels 5 times the cost, and really don't notice a large difference. Also, depending on where you fish, you will very rarely actually utilize the drag.

I'm a big fan of the Okuma SLV reel. Available through Amazon. I have the SLV-89 paired to my Access 9 wt.

Yes, but I love this thing: https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-Featherlight-Weight-Yellow/dp/B00019NAOS?th=1

You'll look cooler.

It seriously takes a lot of tying practice to make them not bulky - Use smaller thread, less thread wraps and all together, less material.

You'll see your patterns get simpler and simpler, tapers getting better, taking less time, etc.

If you're in the mood for some deep research and stuff, get George Daniels "Dynamic Nymphing" book - It's not all about that euro, it covers everything. Especially weight.

rod
+
reel

You'll need backing line, fly line, a tapered leader, and some tippet to rig that all up.

After that, flies, and that's the absolute bare essentials. Should be well under $100 to test the waters.

And once you catch your first fish, you'll need more flies, floatant, splitshot, strike-indicators, 5 different kinds of tippet, weighted forward fly line, forceps, nippers (the sharp ones), a net, waders, boots, sunglasses, those things to hold your sunglasses, a wading staff, four Patagonia hats with trout on them, multiple other rods and reels, spools, a truck, a rod tube holder for the truck, etc ad infinitum...

Buy this book, it's worth every penny.

http://www.amazon.com/Dynamic-Nymphing-Tactics-Techniques-Around/dp/0811707415

I've got all sorts, as I tie my own. I do use a 11' 3-wt., but you can "high stick" nymph with any length of rod. I know there have been posts in the past on Euro-nymphing, and so, just search.

If you really want to know more, this book by George Daniel is a classic. He also has some videos on YouTube.

Pick up the Curtis Creek Manifesto.

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https://www.amazon.com/Curtis-Creek-Manifesto-Illustrated-Paraphernalia/dp/0936608064

Get the cheap Eagle Claw Featherlight in 3/4wt. It's 6'6" and only $25 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Fly-Fishing-Completely-Revised-Updated-Illustrations/dp/1592288189 This book is a phenomenal resource for all things fly-fishing

http://www.amazon.com/Curtis-Creek-Manifesto-Illustrated-Paraphernalia/dp/0936608064/ref=sr_1_72?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331140933&sr=1-72