What is a Good fly fishing Rod and Good reel for a reasonable price that i can catch redfish on also what kind of line and tippet do i need? Also I have no idea what i am talking about if you cant tell. I want more than anything to start fly fishing the flats and other areas and am looking to get the right equipment for the right price. Help!
Welcome… Scan the FF section for equipment recomendations. I like my TFO Axiom 8 wt. I have an Okumo reel the total was under 450.00 that includes line, backing, leader, tippet. Check out Charleston Angler or Hadrells. Good folks at both places. Check out you tube for casting video, practice… practice… This is a great time of year to start,good tides good fishing.
spend the money on good equipment and the time. Its an old debate but Id say spend the more on the rod than the reel. good line is important- RIO and Scientific Anglers make great redfish lines. 10-16lb tippet depending on situation.
You have opened a can of worms and started debates for sure with this one. I know it sounds like an easy question but it is a deep multifaceted one to say the least. you are going to get many thoughts and opinions on this.
Here is my suggestion. Get a good reasonably priced rod, like a TFO or an Orvis Clearwater in a 6 or 7 wt. Check out orvis because they run deals on free reels with a rod sometimes. Okuma has some nice entry level rods, as do some of the other companies, like TFO. I am not affiliated with TFO, I just know they make good stuff for nice prices and have great service and warranties.
A nice line will help and you might be able to find some on craigs list or ebay.
Probably the best thing anyone can tell you is to go to a fly shop and spend some time with a salesman there, but just make sure he knows you are researching and trying to learn. If they are worth a crap you will get no pressure, and they will talk to you like a fisherman not a commission.
Good luck!
Far better it is to dare mighty things to win glorious triumphs even though checkered with failure, than to take ranks with those poor spirits who never enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
All the above discussion is it. When it comes time, spend good money and it will treat you well!
Only advice that I can give that helped me in my dreadful first decision…is if you know anyone who currently flyfishes and has some outfits for you to try out. Ask to borrow one, or use one and tag along next time they venture to flat…get a feel for what suits you as you learn. Different outfits act and do things in many different ways. A lot of people learn quickly with a medium action rod, because they say its more forgiving as you understand the “load”…others do well with a fast action rod, and pick up on quickly. If you know anyone who can loan you an outfit, that would be great. Also, as mentioned, go to your local fly shop…most of which are comprised of fisherman just like you and had to start themselves one day before…and its and art and love for flyfishing, and I’m sure will be very willing to assist you. Once you get a good understanding of what suits your style and needs, you’ll be better equipped on your search. Keep an eye out at your local shops and big retail stores. I was very lucky on my first buy after I was clear to what I wanted…I was able to land a clearance rod and reel that was discontinued the previous year. It was put out on the floor marked down, and marked down some more! Big score for me, and to this day, is still my favorite outfit! Like you, I purchased my first for hunting the reds on the flats!..now caused an addiction that keeps going and going!
Good luck on your search!
quote:Best to get an 8wt for your first rod. Go 9wt if the 8 isn't available.
Originally posted by scotty dspend the money on good equipment and the time. Its an old debate but Id say spend the more on the rod than the reel. good line is important- RIO and Scientific Anglers make great redfish lines. 10-16lb tippet depending on situation.
6wt will have little if any stopping power for a red fish on a grass flat.
For your second rod get the 7wt.
I go 8 to 12 pound leader and 20 pound tippet if I suspect oysters.
18’ CC w/ 115 Yami
Buy the best rod you can afford. Don’t worry about the reel. They are pretty to look at , but an Okuma will serve you well here.
Make sure you get a rod with a lifetime warranty. TFO for the money has the best customer service. You can get on in the $200-$250 range and find an okuma online dirt cheap.
My first outfit was a tfo professional with a reddington reel several years ago. I just baught a sage z axis and I wish I would have gone straight to the top. There is a major difference in the good stuff.
chris.
Here is my 2 cents. There are many rods that will give you years of great service. Make sure you get one with a lifetime warranty and a good reputation. I would definitely choose an 8wt if I was just to get one rod for Redfish. 7wt and 9wt are also good choices but I would say an 8wt is the best all around.
I would also recommend that you try rods out before you make a purchase. The only setback to this is your casting skill. If your casting skill is not at least decent, testing a rod might give you some false information. If your casting skill is good it would be well worth it.
If you haven’t been casting very long I would recommend a casting class with a local outfitter, or joining a flyfishing club where you will be able to find many willing to help. When your skill is decent and you can double haul, then test some rods and find one that fits your needs.
I have been using a Sage FLi rod, 8wt for the last year and a month, and it has performed great on high tide flats. I am still using the sage line that came on the combo, and I have caught over 65 redfish on it. I have a sage Z-axis that is a great rod, but I reserve its use to those occasions when I have an opportunity to fish from a flats boat. It has orvis wonderline redfish on it, and since I have only used it on a boat it is still very slick and I can make the more distant casts that you need to make from a boat.
For leaders I use a 7.5’ 20lb abrasion resistant leader, and put about 1.5’ of 20lb silverthread copolymer line as tippet. The tippet is really just so that I can preserve the length of my leader. I tie a new 1.5’ tippet each time I go out and a leader lasts me several months if I do not break it, or loose it (had one nail not, glued, pull off on a fish this year, and broke the actual fly line once this year).
There are many reels that are good enough to use. Find something salt resistant, and make sure you clean it off good after, and goes double for the rod. Hope this helps and good luck.
JohnH
JohnH0802
well i have decided on an entry level TFO signature series 9 wt with an Okuma SLV reel and SI redfish line came to around 280 when everything was said and done