old f--ts with flyrods

[SizeMatters]

question for you fly fishing veterans, Im gonna buy a fly rod and see if I can catch a fish with it. Is the ready to fish kit at walmart decent enough to start fishing with? Ive never touched a fly rod and I dont know much about it but that will soon change, just looking for advice on wether the kit is good enough to get started or is there a better kit out there to invest in? any advice appreciated, Ive always been interested in fly fishing now im finally gonna try it

They sent an ad with one of my orders this week for this combo........same rod I ordered with other components ready to fish. Cabela's lifetime warranty on this outfit.  https://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=2665700&type=product

[SizeMatters]

Got my backordered 8 wt reel and put the outfit together, took it for a test run yesterday.  Casting into a 20+ mph headwind I managed a couple dozen nice gills 8 to 10 inches and a couple bass.  Maybe a bit much for average panfish and local trout in open water but I see the advantage in pulling these big gills and bass out of the weeds without breaking off.  Looking forward to a calmer day and bigger prey.

[taxid]

Sounds great. Nothing more fun than catching panfish on a flyrod!   

[SizeMatters]

Yesterday was fly rods only, no jigging rod crutches. Took a few on the 8 wt. but the 4 wt. was the star.  Lots of fish, 7 species taken on the same fly.

[taxid]

Yesterday was fly rods only, no jigging rod crutches. Took a few on the 8 wt. but the 4 wt. was the star.  Lots of fish, 7 species taken on the same fly.

Sounds like fun.

[rgfixit]

Hit the backyard stream today with the 3 wt. caught gills, Rockies and smallmouth. Picked a bag of crayfish for tomorrow morning.




Fun stuff and a nice cool stream on a very hot day.

Rg

[trapper2000]

do you use a screen to catch the
 crawfish or just your hands?

[lowaccord66]

Landed pb brown for the fly on a phesant tail beadhead yesterday.  Over 18".  Should of taken a pic but after a long battle on 3.6lb tippet in warm water I said screw it. 

[rgfixit]

do you use a screen to catch the
 crawfish or just your hands?

Just turn over some rocks and sneak up on them. About 50 or so in 20 minutes. Only produced a few bass this morning though. Threw everything but hand grenades. They just weren't biting. I'll go back to the stream tomorrow and have a whack at some carp.

Checked my Mulberry trees and they're just a couple days away from a really good drop. 

Rg

[rgfixit]

Just waiting a bit for it to warm up and I'm off the the Carp pools

Rg

[lowaccord66]

Just waiting a bit for it to warm up and I'm off the the Carp pools

Rg

Good luck.  That sounds like some excitement.  Remind me what weight rod are you using for them?

[rgfixit]

Well, I looked at the stream and opted for the 3 wt again. The carp were already cruising, a pattern that makes them near impossible to coax with a fly. Caught many smallmouth, Rockies and gills. Lots of fun.

In the stream I use the 5wt mostly for carp. On the river, 10' 6" 6 wt, 9' 8wt or the 9' 6" 9/10 wt. tomorrow morning I'm going to give them a try under the Mulberry trees on the Canal with the 6wt rigged for big game. If they don't cooperate I'll probably chase some bass with top water flies.

Rg

[trapper2000]

I went and  checked a  mulberry tree near my house   big crop  on top  but  half flowered on bottom still I thing the berrys  will fall  in a few  days

[lowaccord66]

I was after the trout last night..had to get through a trough to get to a piece of water I wanted to nymph.  Slipped and swam!  Thank god for wader belts.

Thanks for the details RG.

[rgfixit]

Went 3 for 8 this morning.





And...yes....those are my Mulberry flies.

The first 3 hit like freight trains (they all do) and snapped 0X tippet like it was 7X. I probably put too much pressure on them trying to keep them out of the bushes and debris on the shoreline. I got a little better at sort of keeping them under control. The 6 wt performed like a dream and I cannot say enough good things about Red Truck Diesel fly reels. They're built like tanks and are worth every cent.

I'll be back at it tomorrow.

Rg