I’m new to fly fishing and I’ve been practicing on the ponds at Pine Forest CC where I live. Caught this little shellcracker the other day. I have a pretty low end setup right now. I would like advice on rod, reel, leaders…etc… for the salt water. I do a lot of traditional fishing for trout and reds in the rivers but I want to get into the flys more. any advice would be great…
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22’Sea Hunt 200 yamaha
Jim Beam me up…
Standard for most saltwater applications is an 8wt rod/reel. Your budget is pretty crucial in deciding what to go with.
A nicer rod is more important than a nice reel - the reel basically just holds the line, the rod is what gets it out there. Again, the amount you are willing to spend is pretty important.
I got a lower-end setup that I’m completely happy with - a 9’ 8 wt. TFO Signature Series rod, a G.Loomis Venture 7 reel, and Scientific Angler’s Mastery Redfish line. The setup was about $275.
Hope this helps.
Go to a nice fly shop and throw some different set ups so you can get a feel for what you like and what feels good within your price range and budget. I agree that the rod is the most important componient of your set up, but you don’t want to skimp on the reel after all the salt is pretty hard on all of your tackel so look at your entire set up more as an investment that you will use for several years. While you can spend a lot more something in the $200.00 to $300.00 range should put you in a pretty good quality rod or reel. If you buy them as a package, you can usually get your backing and line for free as well as possibly get a pretty good discount on the combo however, I’d stay away from pre package factory deals, most will not hold up to the harsher conditions you’ll face in the saltwater environment.
Faith & Grace has a very nice 6wt setup for sale right now. Email him through the site.
Good luck.
Be there or be on the Short Bus!!
2005 236 Sailfish
225 Yamaha 4-stroke
I am going to disagree with saying that the rod is more important than the reel. Just as any rifle is only as good as its scope any fly rod is only as good as its reel. The reel is going to help you fight and land the fish, and it needs to stand up to the elements and saltwater. For the new fly caster the diffrence between a 200$-600$ fly rod will be hard to notice but, when a ten lb redfish starts tearing off line your reel and drag quality could mean the diffrence in landing and loseing a fish.
Buy the nicest reel you can afford or after a few lost fish you will buy a new one anyway!!
02 Pathfinder 1806
Yamaha
quote:
Originally posted by chattahoocheeI am going to disagree with saying that the rod is more important than the reel. Just as any rifle is only as good as its scope any fly rod is only as good as its reel. The reel is going to help you fight and land the fish, and it needs to stand up to the elements and saltwater. For the new fly caster the diffrence between a 200$-600$ fly rod will be hard to notice but, when a ten lb redfish starts tearing off line your reel and drag quality could mean the diffrence in landing and loseing a fish.
Buy the nicest reel you can afford or after a few lost fish you will buy a new one anyway!!02 Pathfinder 1806
Yamaha
But what good is the reel if you can’t get the fly to the fish? 
I’ve got to respectfully disagree with chattahoochie. The reel is nothing more than a spool to keep your line. Reds can be landed with a reel without any drag if the reel has an exposed spool rim. The rod is where you should devote your dollars. There are several inexpensive, corrosion-proof reels that would be more than adequate for reds and trout. One of my cheapest reels is a Teton Tioga and it handles even bonefish quite well. Scientific Angler makes some graphite reels that are even cheaper, corrosion resistant, and pretty durable. I would count fly line as the second most important expense.
Truth be known, for most summertime red fishing, you don’t really need a great rod either. Casts longer than 40 or 50 feet are rarely needed. In the winter, when you need to stay as far away from the schools as possible, a high end rod can make the difference in catching one fish out of a school or being able to stay back and pick several off before they get educated.
The Temple Forks Outfitters (TFO) rods are some of the best rods for the money out there IMHO.
chattahoochie is right about the rod thing though. As a beginner, it’s hard to pick out the right rod even if you get a chance to cast them first. How are you supposed to know what “right” feels like?
Some more tangible things to look at are the weight, stiffness, “speed” and diameter.
By weight, I am not talking about the line rating. Here I am referring to how much the rod weighs. Obviously, a lighter rod is less tiring to cast. A little bit of extra weight feels like a lot after a long day of thrashing the water.
For longer casts, stiffness allows more energy to be transferred into line speed. You just can’t cast very far with a noodle rod. Stiffness and line rating are somewhat synonymous but even within different manufacturers, and indeed even with the same manufacturers, some rods of the same line rating are stiffer than others. The line rating, which is commonly referred to as the “weight” of a rod, is a semi-standard r
quote:
Originally posted by Palmetto BugI’ve got to respectfully disagree with chattahoochie. The reel is nothing more than a spool to keep your line. Reds can be landed with a reel without any drag if the reel has an exposed spool rim. The rod is where you should devote your dollars. There are several inexpensive, corrosion-proof reels that would be more than adequate for reds and trout. One of my cheapest reels is a Teton Tioga and it handles even bonefish quite well. Scientific Angler makes some graphite reels that are even cheaper, corrosion resistant, and pretty durable. I would count fly line as the second most important expense.
Truth be known, for most summertime red fishing, you don’t really need a great rod either. Casts longer than 40 or 50 feet are rarely needed. In the winter, when you need to stay as far away from the schools as possible, a high end rod can make the difference in catching one fish out of a school or being able to stay back and pick several off before they get educated.
The Temple Forks Outfitters (TFO) rods are some of the best rods for the money out there IMHO.
chattahoochie is right about the rod thing though. As a beginner, it’s hard to pick out the right rod even if you get a chance to cast them first. How are you supposed to know what “right” feels like?
Some more tangible things to look at are the weight, stiffness, “speed” and diameter.
By weight, I am not talking about the line rating. Here I am referring to how much the rod weighs. Obviously, a lighter rod is less tiring to cast. A little bit of extra weight feels like a lot after a long day of thrashing the water.
For longer casts, stiffness allows more energy to be transferred into line speed. You just can’t cast very far with a noodle rod. Stiffness and line rating are somewhat synonymous but even within different manufacturers, and indeed even with the sam
I’m all over the board on this. I have a nice Winston 3wt that I love for trout, brim and bass. I also have $20 Cabelas 8wt that I really like. The line on it costs twice as much as the rod.
I agree you should cast several. Buy what works for your cast. If you go with a pricier rod, make sure it is one with a life time guarantee. I once broke a $650 rod that wasn’t mine. I almost had a heart attack. The owner barely flinched as the manufacturer fixed for shipping charge only. For that money you get quality for life.
The rod is important, the reel certainly matters, but not as much. Do not forget to GET GOOD LINE! It really matters - no matter what your rod or reel is. You will cast better with quality line. I am cheap - but I get good line.
This is some great info… that gives me a direction to go in now.
One other question… How long of a leader do you guys use?
22’Sea Hunt 200 yamaha
Jim Beam me up…
quote:I usually buy tapered 9' and shorten a little.
Originally posted by BigDaddy8This is some great info… that gives me a direction to go in now.
One other question… How long of a leader do you guys use?22’Sea Hunt 200 yamaha
Jim Beam me up…
In reality both the rod and reel are important. However, if I had to pick which one is “more” important I would have to go with the rod. As was previously mentioned, if you can’t get the fly to the fish, the reel is useless. Secondly, you can find some lower end rods that really do cast well, especially for beginners, TFO is such a brand. However, these rods are often heavy and will tire your arm fairly fast which will therefore result in sloppy casts. Now if you are fortunate enough to set the hook in a big fish, the reel does become important. When chasing tarpon, it gives me piece of mind to have a nice reel like a Mako or Tibor attached to the rod, because I know once the hook is hammered home, it is only a matter of seconds till I see the backing come shooting out of the reel. Honestly, the vast majority of the time with fish around this area, you do not need a top end reel and can hand line most of the fish if you so choose, but if a big boy shows up and you hook em it is nice to have good tackle. Look at it this way, you fish for pleasure and relaxation, if you tackle fails you it starts to become less pleasurable and less relaxing. So, my advice would be to do whatever you need to to get by, but do buy a nice rod and a nice reel in that order.
“Fishing is alot like sex…when its good,it’s really good, and when its bad, its still pretty good.”
I like to tie my own leaders, it is cheaper and you can customize the length with ease. Generally speaking, I tie shorter leaders with mono tippets if throwing topwater bugs (the mono does not sink as fast as fluorocarbon, but sometimes this is good ie. Dahlberg divers). Other wise, I usually tie something in the 7-9’ range. If the fish are super spooky step it up 12’. Generally speaking, I always tip it off with the last section tied in fluorocarbon. Typical setup on my 9wt is as follows: 50lb section of mono attached via nail knot to fly line ending in a surgeons loop. Leader: section of 40lb mono starting with a surgeons loop, followed by 30lb mono, 20lb mono, ending in 12lb fluorocarbon. All attached via blood knots. I build the leaders for my 6wt when trout fishing the same way, but with lighter mono weights (start at 30 and step it down).
“Fishing is alot like sex…when its good,it’s really good, and when its bad, its still pretty good.”
Thanks 23Sailfish… I emailed Faith and Grace about his. Sounds like a pretty good deal!
22’Sea Hunt 200 yamaha
Jim Beam me up…
I grew up fishing for bass, bream, and mtn trout with the fly and the reel was normally obsolete for this type of fishing. I used the same logic when buying my 1st saltwater setup. Big mistake. Get a good corrsion resistant reel with a reputable drag system. After my drag had worn out and then seized up on a crappy Gloomis reel on a few reds, I upgraded totally to a st croix and lamis setup that hasn’t failed yet. Your choice depends on the fishing conditions. If you’re going to use the reel, get a good one. If you’re going to be casting a lot, get a light high end rod. Anybody can catch freshwater fish and mtn trout on a bulky rod, but carrying that around for saltwater fish is a pain.
IMHO… the rod should be about 60% of your setup the reel makes up the other 40%… Alot of good info has been stated already so I won’t regurgitate any of it… Coming from freshwater most people will give you the whole “reel just hold the line” bit, but in saltwater the reel does much more than that. A good drag is important, but sealed rust resistant components are most important of all. There are alot of good reels on the market that will not break your bank, but will give you what you need for any saltwater application… (look into lamson)…
As far as the rod is concerned… you really ought to cast a few before you decide. The biggest factor will be determining where you are as a caster and fisherman, and what you need the rod to be able to do for you. Once you establish that, I would recommend buying a rod that is comfortable to you… not what someone says is what you need, but what you feel… Another thing I would add though is this… Always buy a rod that has a littl higher skill level than you… you will grow and improve, but a begginner rod will always just be a begginner rod… buy a rod that will challenge you a little, something you can grow into, and you’ll get a lot more use out of it.
Good luck to ya on this…
Mad Mike
quote:
Originally posted by Palmetto BugI’ve got to respectfully disagree with chattahoochie. The reel is nothing more than a spool to keep your line. Reds can be landed with a reel without any drag if the reel has an exposed spool rim. The rod is where you should devote your dollars. There are several inexpensive, corrosion-proof reels that would be more than adequate for reds and trout. One of my cheapest reels is a Teton Tioga and it handles even bonefish quite well. Scientific Angler makes some graphite reels that are even cheaper, corrosion resistant, and pretty durable. I would count fly line as the second most important expense.
Truth be known, for most summertime red fishing, you don’t really need a great rod either. Casts longer than 40 or 50 feet are rarely needed. In the winter, when you need to stay as far away from the schools as possible, a high end rod can make the difference in catching one fish out of a school or being able to stay back and pick several off before they get educated.
The Temple Forks Outfitters (TFO) rods are some of the best rods for the money out there IMHO.
chattahoochie is right about the rod thing though. As a beginner, it’s hard to pick out the right rod even if you get a chance to cast them first. How are you supposed to know what “right” feels like?
Some more tangible things to look at are the weight, stiffness, “speed” and diameter.
By weight, I am not talking about the line rating. Here I am referring to how much the rod weighs. Obviously, a lighter rod is less tiring to cast. A little bit of extra weight feels like a lot after a long day of thrashing the water.
For longer casts, stiffness allows more energy to be transferred into line speed. You just can’t cast very far with a noodle rod. Stiffness and line rating are somewhat synonymous but even within different manufacturers, and indeed even with the sam
OK, I’ll bite. My reply will be embedded in caps only to stand out from the original quote, not for emphasis.
BEGIN QUOTE:
I would respectfully have to say that most of what he said is not true…
Yes you could land redfish on a reel with no drag… but that means you will have to palm the spool… this will put an uneven amount of preasure on the fish increasing your chances of breaking leaders, and giving slack to the fish… A drag will help you keep even steady preasure on a fish… and will also let you subdue hi quicker… that means less stress on the fish. Also those graphite reels are ok in the fresh water, but thir all but worthless in the salt… if you wash them well they may last a while, but they are in no way corrosion proof and will rust out eventually every time… Take one of those down to the keys and stick a poon and let us know how that turns out for ya’…
REDS AREN’T REALLY THE DRAG BURNERS THAT SOME WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE. RARELY DO THEY GET YOU INTO THE BACKING IF YOU PLAY THEM WELL. A GOOD DRAG HELPS BUT IT ISN’T VITAL TO CATCHING REDS. AS A BEGINNER ON A BUDGET, THE DRAG ISN’T WORTH MOST OF YOUR BUDGET.
As for not needing a good rod for summertime redfishing… That makes no sense… just because your not casting far doesn’t mean you don’t need a good rod. Fishing for tailers, as im sure others on here will attest to, may not require long casts but it does require accuracy… To attain accuracy you need line control… line control comes from good rods (i didn’t say expensive… I said good)… Cheap low end rods don’t have the same level of accuracy and higher end rods… period. And just in case you weren’t aware, tailers are not the only redfish that are around in the summer… sometimes you do need to reach out and touch one at 60’ or better…add in some wind and that cheap ole’ rod aint looking so good anymore.
I COULD MAKE MOST OF THE CLOSE CASTS NECESSARY FOR TAILING FISH WITH A WILLOW BRANCH. A GOOD ROD IS NICE, BUT NOT VITAL FOR SUCH CLOSE CAS
With the top end rods your paying for technology which is typcially lighter in weight and more sensitive than piror editions… that’s why most are smaller and lighter. While you are right, you can throw a fly on a cain pole or just about anything else that you can attach a line to, that’s not necessarily a good idea for any level of fisherman nor is it going to make someone enjoy the sport or grow in the sport. If you enjoy fly fishing there’s a good chance that you’ll want to do it in other fisheris with others species of fish, it’s also a pretty good bet that if it’s in the salt, it’s going to be windy…a lot, so my advise is that if your going to fish a lot throw several sets up then buy as much rod and reel that you can affort that feels good and works for you irrespective of the brand, just make sure the barnd carreis a good warrent and you can get the service you expect, it will pay dividens ten fold in the long run.
Yeah… all shop guys are arrogant biased theives… don’t shop locally, go to bass pro, or better yet call cabela’s and just figure it out on your own… that will work out much better… I hear you can catch redfish on a 3wt, so why spend the extra money on that expensive saltwater stuff…
I think i’ll quit reading up on catalogs, technical specs and reviews and just take the word of internet “pros”… Its really easy to be an “expert” behind a keyboard…
You don’t want to come talk to me… I’ll just sell you the most expensive thing I can… I could care less if you know what your doin or not… all you need to know is what I tell you… Trust me… I’m a shop rat…
Mad Mike
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