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New member...
#12790326
06/13/18 12:52 PM
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239
Fly Fishing Scout
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239 |
Just wanted to say hi.
I currently live up in North East Texas and I have been fishing all of my life. I was introduced to fly fishing in November of 2016 at a BSA training called Powder Horn. That started my addiction. LOL
Currently, a fly rod is a staple of my fishing quiver. I have three boys, 7, 10, & 13 who are my fishing companions. It is awesome when they chalange me to see who can catch the most fish and tell me the I have to use the fly rod.
I started out buying a Cabelas 8 wt Prestige III Combo when it was on sale last September. I chose an 8 wt due to the fact I love to bass fish and wanted the ability to throw streamers. I have several local ponds that I can fish at which produce 5 to 10 lb Bass. After watching a couple of blue gill fly by my head when I set the hook with that 8wt rod, I think it might be time to start looking at a 5 wt.
V/R
Duane
Texas Mason, Bells Lodge 798. To be one, ask one.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12790365
06/13/18 01:23 PM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,078
karstopo
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,078 |
Howdy.
I like having a variety of weight rating in rods, my assortment is from 2-10 weights, and you really dont have to get reels or even line for each rod weight. Rods can generally cast line on either side of their weight rating and most reels fit 3 rod weights.
You might take a look at the CGR series of fiberglass rods for panfish. They are a good value and seem pretty perfect for ponds and lakes. Ive got every one except the 3 weight and they all see action on a wide variety of fish, fresh and saltwater.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12790639
06/13/18 05:38 PM
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239
Fly Fishing Scout
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239 |
Karstopo, from the information that I posted, that is awesome advice.
I am actually catching those Perch on top water lures and streamers. Those panfish are so aggressive my boys are catching them on #3 size worm hooks and plastics. Currently, I am still trying to determine what I can and cannot throw with a #5 with my current skill level.
I was looking up how to tie perch like flys when I found fly fishing videos on flying worms, froggy flys, and dragon flys on YouTube. (Awesome videos Hook-Line&Sinker!). One of the stepping stones that led me to this fly fishing forum. LOL
Background. I was able to attend a couple of meetings with the Red River Fly Fisherman out of Sherman. However, when I became the district training chair in my Scouting district, that became a challenge. The district meetings are on the same first Tuesday of the month as the RRFF meetings.
I have received quite a bit of guidance from Mr. Jerry at Cabelas. Awesome guy. He has been a wealth of knowledge. You can only read so much and try to process information. And then you still have to verify the merit of what you read. (Eg: the mono vs braid debate. Nuff said. LOL)
Right now my questions have to do with lines and matching gear.
(((Eg, I have read that WF is what is suggested from bass fishing. The WF is a benefit when casting heavier lures. However, how would a DT line perform. From what I have read DT will mend and D cast better than WF line. OK, the DT will not cast as far as the WF. Not a big deal, I can cast 40+ feet with an 8wt Glass Rod with DT line. I am more concerned about throwing a fly accurately at 30-40 feet, just saying... Ok, well, how would a 5 wt rod do with DT line casting bass lures?)))
Gear: (What I currently have.)
RLS combo - 904-8
Prestige III combo - 904-8
Bighorn Fly Combo - 904-5 (I purchased this setup last week. My oldest has show an interest in fly fishing and I thought this would be a good starting set up.)
I picked up a RLS II reel (5-6wt) out of the bargain cave for 40.00.
Also have: (purchased at garage sales for scouts to use in the fishing merit badge.)
8.0ft Shakespeare: 7/8 wt, 3pc - Glass Shakespeare Auto-Reel 6wt No Taper
8.0ft Shakespeare: 7/8 wt, 3pc - Glass Shakespeare 1094 7/8 small arbor 8wt DT
8.0ft Martin: 8 wt, 3pc - Glass Martin small arbor. 7 wt flat
8.6ft Eagle Claw Wright & McGill: 8 wt, 2pc - Glass Eagle water rod Shakespeare 1094 7/8 small arbor 8wt DT (This is a nice set up!!!)
Current interest:
A nice 5 wt rod
Who can compare the Orvis Clearwater vs Redington Vice
Or how about the Cabelas Vector? This is a GII rod and Cabelas has an awesome warranty on their rods.
Or an even better question, is a higher grade rod worth the money??
Currently looking at Scientific Anglers and Rio lines.
Ok, anyone live near the Sherman area and would be willing to go out for coffee one morning??? LOL.
Duane.
Texas Mason, Bells Lodge 798. To be one, ask one.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12790714
06/13/18 06:43 PM
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,238
RexW
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,238 |
Right know my questions have to do with lines and matching gear.
(((Eg, I have read that WF is what is suggested from bass fishing. The WF is a benefit when casting heavier lures. However, how would a DT line perform. From what I have read DT will mend and D cast better than WF line. OK, the DT will not cast as far as the WF. Not a big deal, I can cast 40+ feet with an 8wt Glass Rod with DT line. I am more concerned about throwing a fly accurately at 30-40 feet, just saying... Ok, well, how would a 5 wt rod do with DT line casting bass lures?))) I would not spend time worrying about how a WF line compares to a DT. At the most common fishing distances, youll rarely notice the difference. Heres why I say that. A general purpose WF line will have a head length somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 feet. Add 3 feet of line at the tip, add another 8 feet for the leader, and then add another 9 feet for the rod length, and youll need to make a 65 foot cast from your toes to the fly before the running line portion of a WF line even reaches the rod tip. There is a whole lot of fishable water with a 65 foot radius of your toes. There are more options and choices of taper designs available for WF lines than for DT lines. There is nothing wrong with using DT lines, but they are getting harder to find these days. With the variety and easy availability of the modern WF taper designs, I just dont see a reason not to use them. Personally, Id spend my time deciding between a floating or a sinking line.
Fly Fishers International certified casting instructor TFO Rods pro staff
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12790718
06/13/18 06:44 PM
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 9,419
Floon Swenson
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 9,419 |
I love DT lines. There was a time when DT lines were the thing and everybody threw them. They've kind of gone by the wayside for most folks, but I still really dig them.
That said, they're not great for bass bugs. You want some weight on the front of that line for big bass flies.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12790735
06/13/18 06:58 PM
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239
Fly Fishing Scout
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239 |
You are awesome.
I am running a 5 ft leader of 20 lb test and a 5 ft of 14 lb fluorocarbon tip. I am casting an honest 60 ft with my 9ft 8wt set ups.
Last Saturday evening I was putting a split shot weight on the line to get the lure down. This is one of the tricks Mr Jerry suggested I do when I was getting bumbs, but not bits.
Looks like I needed an education on sinking line vs using split shot.
Texas Mason, Bells Lodge 798. To be one, ask one.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12790759
06/13/18 07:20 PM
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239
Fly Fishing Scout
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239 |
Floon, from what little I have read and tendered with, I think the DT line has its place.
The problem I have is I know just enough to get me in trouble. LOL
Rio still makes a DT line and I have read good things about it. But there in lies my problem. Bass fishing is a smaller facet in fly fishing. The articles singing the prasies of DT line were from trout fisherman.
Texas Mason, Bells Lodge 798. To be one, ask one.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12790845
06/13/18 08:37 PM
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 9,419
Floon Swenson
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 9,419 |
Floon, from what little I have read and tendered with, I think the DT line has its place.
The problem I have is I know just enough to get me in trouble. LOL
Rio still makes a DT line and I have read good things about it. But there in lies my problem. Bass fishing is a smaller facet in fly fishing. The articles singing the prasies of DT line were from trout fisherman. If you need to manage a bunch of line in a mend, DT's work awesomely, they'll deliver a fly pretty gently, and they roll cast great. That's why I like to use them for trout a lot of the time. For bass, though, I'm usually fishing in the wind on an open lake, and I love to throw those gnarly big flies that are the size of my sock, and both of those situations work better with a WF bass taper line. Plus I can shoot a lot more line and really cover some water. Like Rex was saying, though, a WF line gets it done in about all situations, and there are so many taper varieties made that it's easy to see why they are the go to lines for most of us.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12790944
06/13/18 09:42 PM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 338
Glitchmo
Angler
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Angler
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 338 |
For a given manufacturer's "trout" taper, the DT and WF lines are identical until you get past the head. And, as RexW said, this would generally be about a 60ft cast. If you're hitting that routinely with a 5 wt, I'm impressed and more power to you.
This is a long way of saying, don't worry about it. Most manufacturers will have a range of (WF) lines that trade delicacy for power (ie. ability to turn over big flies). The DT line probably only comes in a more delicate "trout" taper. That said, go to a shop, try everything they'll let you, and see what you think.
Personally, I do just fine bass fishing with my 5wt and a trout taper. I tend to fish ponds and streams with this combo and I switch to the eight weight, which has a more powerful line on it when I'm on bigger water.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12791038
06/13/18 10:54 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,327
Meadowlark
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,327 |
Welcome Fly Fishing Scout. Regarding sinking line... There are several different ways of getting your fly down.
Split shot is one and works ok but has the distinct disadvantage of hitting things which you don't necessarily want hit, e.g. your head, your partner's head, or possibly worse your rod which may very well show up as an "unexplained" broken rod one day soon. Those can each be disastrous says one who has done them all. In addition, casting with split shot, especially multiple ones with double drop flies can get really tricky on windy days.
A full sinking line is a viable alternative and it has its advantages but I find them difficult to cast myself which probably stems from lack of using them.
A good compromise I've found are the sinking tips that you can attach to your WF floating line using loop to loop connections. You can get various sink rates from intermediate to fast sink and different lengths to fit the situation and/or your casting preferences. Easy to carry several with you and takes only seconds to change out. Very easy to cast although some complain about "hinging effects" but I've never noticed that as a problem myself. I've used sink tips in 5 wt through 12 wt and never had any problems with them.
On the DT vs WF discussion, I was told years ago that the big advantage of the DT was when it wears down, you can just turn it around and use the other end. Personally, I've never turned one around and haven't heard the marketing guys make that claim in a long time.
A lot of this comes down to what you enjoy doing...do what is the most fun for you.
p.s. should add that mono floats and flouro does not...something to consider also in the rigging considerations.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12791192
06/14/18 01:24 AM
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239
Fly Fishing Scout
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239 |
Glitchmo, I can hit 60 feet with the 8wt. I am still getting there with the 5 wt LOL. And will do on the line. I think the consensus is just by a quality WF line.
Meadowlark, I am kicking myself in the but for not buying the Scientific Anglers WF sinking line that was in the bargain cave for $24.00...
Baitcast or Spinning reels, I can hold my own. With fly fishing, there are a lot of elements I have to learn.
Texas Mason, Bells Lodge 798. To be one, ask one.
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Re: New member...
[Re: Fly Fishing Scout]
#12792043
06/14/18 06:54 PM
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239
Fly Fishing Scout
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 239 |
Noted. I have been told/advised stay all even or odd to diversify, however, the people who have told me that had every weight rod from 3-12. LOL
When I get more comfortable with the 5wt, Ill look at the 3wt.
I just got a phone call from the lovely Mrs. Who said she was at Cabelas and asked if I needed anything. (Ps, the Mrs. has an Agg degree and loves to fish.)
Lets just say I now have Scientific Anglers 5wt WF sinking tip. I have 3 large arbor 5/6 reels, so it looks like one of them will now be reeled up with a sinking line.
Texas Mason, Bells Lodge 798. To be one, ask one.
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