New to Fly Fishing.

Hello, I'm going to buy a 5/6 wt fly combo and I have some questions. What kind of fish could a 5/6 take? I'll mainly be fishing for panfish, bass, and occasionally carp. Could this setup handle the fish stated?

Here is the link
https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Water-Fly-Fishing-Complete/dp/B001IAHX6A/ref=sr_1_1?s=hunting-fishing&ie=UTF8&qid=1468726663&sr=1-1&keywords=fly+fishing+combo&refinements=p_36%3A1253557011

That ought to be Baby Bear Perfect!

Dang, even carp???

Fly line is really strong (like 30 lb braid strong). A big carp would bend the heck out of a 6 wt. rod, but is definitely possible to use for such a fish.

Cabela's is going to sell their Prestige Collection Fly outfit for $119.00 (50% off regular price) from April 6-19. I have the 5 wt setup and can highly reccomend it. I don't think you can get a better combo for less money.

You won't land EVERY carp but it would be a fair fight on most

I took my son steelhead fishing in CA (he lives there)and handed him a 5wt Orvis (cheap) rod (I don't remember if I gave him a 5 or 6 wt line, it was his first time with a fly rod and the 6 would have made it load better)and he caught a very respectable Steelhead with it. Some close friends move to Col last year and I gifted them a Cabela's Prestige outfit mentioned above in 6wt. I understand that you can go up and down a size (or 2) on line with these graphite rods as well but I have very limited experience there. What you are supposed to do is determine the size fly you intend to cast and then chose the line & rod that will present it as you should. Good luck
Tio

are you a source of squirrel tails?

Hmmm maybe?

Honestly there isn't much you can't fish for in this state with a 5/6. Typically in Texas (aswell as all of the other 'warmwater' states) the rod is matched to the kind of fly you'll be throwing, not to the size of the fish you'll be going after.

For instance, large 'froggy' spun hair flies would be a little difficult to throw with a 5wt, and then the distance potential is greatly diminished since the rod/line doesn't have enough grunt to pull frisbee flies through the wind and instead will just catch wind and fall. A good choice for that kind of arsenal would be either a 7/8wt or a fast action 6wt (although anything with a fast action is kind of like driving a race car with very little, er um, 'forgiveness' for casting error). It's kinda backwards from trout fishing, but makes a load of sense considering we throw very big, wind resistant stuff both inshore, and in the salt. When you get the hang of things and get good at your casting, then I find that a good fast-er action 6wt to be the all around Texas region rod.

Don't spend a fortune, a lot of those rods aren't going to be keen for beginners and have a lot of optional extras that you'll probably not even care about. The cabelas prestige combos are strictly meant for newer casters and run under $150 for everything. They come in a whole bunch of different sizes, just make sure you get the 9' 5/6 wt and it'll properly hold you over for several years.

Whatever you get, line it up with 6wt WF-F of your choice and 6' of 12# mono. The larger line will sacrifice a bit of distance, but will help with casting.

I would also add wind to the equation along with fly size. A 5 weight has more than enough power to handle bonefish but if the wind is blowing a steady 15mph with gusts up to 20, you'll never get your fly to them.

One thing which really helped my casting was learning to control loop diameter. The goal is usually to throw a very tight loop which provides the most control and ability to cut through wind. However, as flies increase in size, opening up that loop by lengthening your casting stroke allows me to throw some large hair bugs. I've seen some really great casters like Kevin Hutchinson throw giant flies on very light rods using this technique.

One valuable tip I had learned when transitioning to fly fishing was to buy a fly line that is 1 weight heavier than the rod. It really did help with casting. So if you are going to buy a 5wt rod, use 6wt line on it.

So with a 5/6 weight rod, would I use 7?

check out a TFO outfit. It has a lifetime warranty for anything that happens to it.

A 5/6wt rod feels more toward a 6wt to me. I would go with a 7wt line. It would definitely helps on windy days. I don't use a taper leader or tippet fishing in TX -- just straight mono or fluoro. I got my start and learning through Cliff Hilbert, have adopted his methods and caught tons of fish of various species. He has written a few articles so you can google his name. Here is one:

http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/warmwater-articles/135-bream-fly-fishing-cliff-hilbert.html

Thank you so much for this information. What pound mono/fluro should I use?

6lb or 8lb Invizx (blue box)

I think this is the article Cliff forwarded to me originally.

http://thebasspond.yuku.com/reply/9904#.WOV42XUSwUQ

I thank y'all very much with all this information. I'm definitely gonna hold off on carp for a while until I get used to fly fishing. So, I'm assuming 8 lb leader/line (sorry, still getting used to the fly fishing terms) is the best in my case for carp?

Smurfs invisix yellow box regardless only way to go for tippet! Well exept been trying out my new seagar yellow label actual fly fishing tippet seagar grand max yellow label. Have to say after the last two days good stuff! Been using 3x it's 9. Somthing lb.

I was so exited seagar started making tippit is the only reason I got the 3x to try. Because the 5x and 6x spools I got won't get to try till Colorado. If over 6lb line get the 200 yard spools of invisix in the wt. you want hands down! But if you just have to have a 25 meter tippet spool grand max is great so far.

Regarding overlining: match the line to the rod until you are sufficiently accomplished a caster to discern the rod loading as you cast. Your 5/6 should perform just fine with a 6 weight line (start out with a WF6F; it'll prove to be the most versatile choice). As you gain experience you will learn that not all rods need to be overlined; each rod is an entity unto itself, and different casters use different techniques at different skill levels. Overlining some rods will make long casts more difficult to achieve, especially for a relatively inexperienced caster.

Dang it!

So I was able to get out today and test out the new rod. My goodness, I can tell you I already have that fly fishing itch. It is so addicting to get that good cast that looks like it's just floating in the air as it lands elegantly on the water. However, living in Texas, the wind is crazy. Any ideas on how to cast better in the wind? Go up a fly line size?

Dealing with wind is a challenge. Working on a more sidearm cast will help get below the wind. Practice casting with the wind blowing from all directions because how you cast changes depending on where the wind is coming from. Even coming from behind is tricky as you have to punch your backcast through it. Working on a cross-body cast will help when it is blowing in from your casting-arm side.

Learn to double haul. You will need higher line speed to punch the fly through the wind. Eventually you will have a wide range of fly rods and reels, and might end up using an 8 wt setup on really windy days.

Spending a little time with a competent casting instructor will shorten the learning curve significantly. All of the local clubs have a good instructors in them and they offer classes throughout the year.

What about leader and tippet size for the fish listed?

For panfish/bass use a 7.5ft 3x tapered leader, or 6-8ft of 8lb mono/fluoro.

For carp you'd likely want a longer 9-12ft tapered leader for better presentation.

What poundage should I use for carp?