I got a job this summer as a backpacking guide in New Mexico. I’ll be in the Rocky Mountains and will have access to a bunch of streams and rivers. I can’t catch a ■■■■ spot tail but I want to try my hand at a trout or two. what weight rod and reel will i be talking? is 5 wt going to be sufficient? I will be hauling this stuff in a backpack around for 3-4 days at a time. Is a 9 foot rod necessary or could i go with a more pack friendly 8 ft?
What kind of flies am I going to be looking at? I assume no crab, shrimp or MM patterns or clousers…
Every piece of tail you turn down is a piece of tail you didn’t get.
I think you are going to want a pack rod, so at least four pieces. I think you can get away with an 8’6". The types of flies are going to depend on the time of year and if there are specific hatches going off at the time you will be there. I am sure you can find a fishing board that is geared more to that area, but the info I gave you should be a decent place to start.
Enjoy and be safe.
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.
Sounds exciting. Get at least a 4 piece but if you can find a 5 piece Winston LT in a 4 or 5 weight you will love it. The 5 would be a great all round rod and would throw larger flies and handle the inevitable wind you will find. A real sweet rod. Be sure to tie up some hopper patterns for later in the summer and some Chernobyl ants, Club sandwiches, beetles and other terrestrials, etc. If you are hiking back up into small creeks I bet the trout will not be very picky. Have a great time.
18.5 Baycraft Flats Edition
Johnson 150 Oceanrunner
Wood Driftboat
March Brown Ltd. Period. Multi peice rods form 2wt all the way to 12wt. Made for packing and travellin but still cast like a 2 peice rod. Check 'em out. Seriously…
OK Rap, a 8 to 81/2’ 4wt with a floating line would be perfect. tippet down 3x (streamers) to 5-7x (dries). small dries, nymphs, scuds (for tailwaters) and few san juan worms for after a rain. you should be set. get a kick net to sample the stream contents and match accordingly. carry a wide range of size nymphs. 20’s and 22’s and no where near too small
I appreciate all the help however I think $300 and $600 rods may be a little bit out of my league. I’ve found a kit by Ross for $200 that’s got the rod, reel, and line. That might be somewhere more near my range. Mad Mike you got a similar setup at the Angler for me? Or does anyone have a used something that’d keep me in that price range?
Every piece of tail you turn down is a piece of tail you didn’t get.
I have an 8 pc 5 wt LLBean travel rod that has never been used and sounds like it would be perfect for your circumstance, retails for 175 could part with it for 150
What part of NM are you going to be in (if you say the NE of NM near Taos I have a ton of info for you)?
As far as rod’s go…if you are going to be fishing small streams go with a 7.5ft 3-4wt. If you’re going to be fishing big water then go with the 8.5ft 4-5wt. Also a good overall line would probably be a weight forward line. Make sure to get something that is stealthy (think olive drab…stay away from fluorescent pink, green and yellow stuff). Concerning flies…this totally depends on what type of water you’re going to be fishing.
I lived in NM the summer before I reported to El Cid. Had a great time backpacking and fly fishing for slimmy’s.
What part of NM are you going to be in (if you say the NE of NM near Taos I have a ton of info for you)?
As far as rod’s go…if you are going to be fishing small streams go with a 7.5ft 3-4wt. If you’re going to be fishing big water then go with the 8.5ft 4-5wt. Also a good overall line would probably be a weight forward line. Make sure to get something that is stealthy (think olive drab…stay away from fluorescent pink, green and yellow stuff). Concerning flies…this totally depends on what type of water you’re going to be fishing.
I lived in NM the summer before I reported to El Cid. Had a great time backpacking and fly fishing for slimmy’s.
C-
I’ll be near Cimmaron which is about 50 miles east of Taos. It’s still NE NM so lemme hear all you got! As far as the water goes, I think it’ll be both big water and small streams, probably more small streams though.
Every piece of tail you turn down is a piece of tail you didn’t get.
I think I know where you will be working. If so you are going to be in for some amazing fishing. Well at least I had an amazing summer out there (I was actually in Cimmaron). I’ll pull out my old maps and get back to you on Monday.
I think $300 and $600 rods may be a little bit out of my league.
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I know what ya mean but when you spend it on a MB rod you won’t buy another rod and you’ll actually save money Remember a fly rod is an investment… why buy a VW Bug when you could have a Mustang
What part of NM are you going to be in (if you say the NE of NM near Taos I have a ton of info for you)?
As far as rod’s go…if you are going to be fishing small streams go with a 7.5ft 3-4wt. If you’re going to be fishing big water then go with the 8.5ft 4-5wt. Also a good overall line would probably be a weight forward line. Make sure to get something that is stealthy (think olive drab…stay away from fluorescent pink, green and yellow stuff). Concerning flies…this totally depends on what type of water you’re going to be fishing.
I lived in NM the summer before I reported to El Cid. Had a great time backpacking and fly fishing for slimmy’s.
C-
I’ll be near Cimmaron which is about 50 miles east of Taos. It’s still NE NM so lemme hear all you got! As far as the water goes, I think it’ll be both big water and small streams, probably more small streams though.
Every piece of tail you turn down is a piece of tail you didn’t get.
xHCFKx
sounds like you're spending the summer at Philmont. if so the HUGE CONGRATS
What part of NM are you going to be in (if you say the NE of NM near Taos I have a ton of info for you)?
As far as rod’s go…if you are going to be fishing small streams go with a 7.5ft 3-4wt. If you’re going to be fishing big water then go with the 8.5ft 4-5wt. Also a good overall line would probably be a weight forward line. Make sure to get something that is stealthy (think olive drab…stay away from fluorescent pink, green and yellow stuff). Concerning flies…this totally depends on what type of water you’re going to be fishing.
I lived in NM the summer before I reported to El Cid. Had a great time backpacking and fly fishing for slimmy’s.
C-
I’ll be near Cimmaron which is about 50 miles east of Taos. It’s still NE NM so lemme hear all you got! As far as the water goes, I think it’ll be both big water and small streams, probably more small streams though.
Every piece of tail you turn down is a piece of tail you didn’t get.
xHCFKx
sounds like you're spending the summer at Philmont. if so the HUGE CONGRATS
Rap, havea safe tri and enjoy them little fish and learn how to fly fish so when ya come back here you can finally nab a big ol red otf I’ll keep the flats warm for ya
You will need a 9ft, one piece, 11wt rod and at least a 10wt reel (so you can battle the wind and large flies), loaded with lead core line throwing purple leeches in a size 2. Always fish downstream because those wild fish always look downstream for their food. Makes lots of noise because that makes them aggresive and then whack that purple leech down as hard as you can. That is all you need to know.
“The good fisherman is surprised when he doesn’t catch fish: I am just the other way around.”
Gene Hill, Passing a Good Time.
