Bluegill Fly Rodders

Comment

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on April 4, 2015 at 9:36am

You're gonna get a hundred answers, Carl, you know that right?

I use a 20$ SA line, a couple
of no-names that cost less and a few of absolutely uncertain pedigree.
Now, admittedly, I'm not a Fly Brands junkie.
I'm unimpressed by a name, especially if it has a hefty price tag to go with it.

For all my panfish and bass whipping, these work all right. Would I be impressed by a $100 line?
Without a doubt... For a C-note, I better find something impressive.

For most of the fishing you're likely do in Gallatin, Id thin you'll do fine for $25-$35. I'm sure Reba would be unimpressed by more... and ain't that what matters?

Comment by carl hendrix on April 4, 2015 at 9:02am

question for the fly rodders---  what is a good line??  courtland 333??  rio???  has anybody tried that superfly line yet??   some fly lines have a kind of heavy price tag- but are they good lines??  not just talking about dt- wf- fast sinking-- just name brands !!

Comment by jim cosgrove on April 4, 2015 at 8:53am

when teching someone to flyfish you want the rod to load with as little line as possible.you also wanted the slowest rod possible.i am completely self taught but was fortunate enough to get to know one of the best certified casting  instructors in the midwesthe sure helped with my casting by just explaining the physics of it..if they cannot feel the rod load they will have a hard time getting any rhythm .the eagle claw rods are a steal and are nice soft slow rods.decent line will cost more than the rod.

Comment by Ray Ditzenberger on April 4, 2015 at 7:35am

That article does not tell the whole story. We must remember that not all wf lines are created equal. Some have long front tapers, some have long rear tapers some have both, some long heads, and some have short heavy heads. All of these have different casting characteristics. You can also change those casting characteristics by changing the front tapper length. If you have a line that has a long front taper and you are having trouble getting some of your larger sized poppers to turn over you can begin cutting the front tapper off in say 6" incremants. until you get the result that you like. There are limits to the results that can be attained. No matter what you do a 3/0 popper will not cast well on a 5wt line. .....I have a 5wt wf line that got damaged about 3 1/2' from the front tip so I cut it off and put a new loop on the end and took it fishing. I like the way is casts now better than when it was new. I am not suggesting that you go cutting your lines but it can be done and sometimes with good results. These long front taper lines, I believe, is one of the reasons that many like to over weight their rods especially if they generally don't fish much over 30' away.  These long front tapers just won'l properly load the rod on shorter casts.

This does not even take into account the Wulff triangle taper lines and a lot of anglers really like them. They should be great roll casting lines and great for fishing trout but I doubt that they are good for casting heavy flies. But I can't say any of this for sure since I have never used one. I do have a Wulff line on my 9wt salt rod and I just love it and it shoots really well.

Comment by Andy is OptiMystic on April 3, 2015 at 6:39pm

It crushes my reasoning for going WF for the most part. I rarely feel the skinny line between my fingers. Every now and then I do, but 90+% of the time I am using the part of the line that is identical between WF and DT, but I can't turn the line around to extend the life.

Comment by Marty Lemons on April 3, 2015 at 6:09pm

Thanks for posting that article link, great way to look at the DT/WF debate

Comment by Andy is OptiMystic on April 3, 2015 at 2:16pm

I switched from DT to WF some years back based largely on false assumptions. This is an interesting article:

http://www.scientificanglers.com/insider/2012/04/wf-vs-dt-debate

which makes DT sound like a good choice for Ray's point also - if the kids damage it learning you can turn it around.

Comment by John Ratliff on April 3, 2015 at 12:36pm

Thanks guys.  I will go with a 7 1/2 5wt with a double taper, and as for as bugs Carl and David have seen some of my poppers and other bugs.  Thanks for the thoughts.

Comment by carl hendrix on April 3, 2015 at 10:47am

John-  for what its worth-- those fly rods at wal mart ( martin fly rods) come with line ;; reel;; even a few bugs for around 30 to 40 dollars.  that way you can have a matched set up.  like Ray says-- a long rod for youngsters-- can be hard to use!  if you can find a short rod in around a 5 wt;; i would opt for it!  GOOD LUCK JOHN!!!  and remember-- P A T I E N C E !!!   your gonna need it!!

Comment by Ray Ditzenberger on April 3, 2015 at 10:24am

To John....IMO a 5wt would be the place to start. Only because in general it is a little more versatile than the lighter rigs. I personally prefer a 2 or 3wt but they do restrict what you can throw a little more than the 5wt and the 5wt is still a fun rod to use for sunfish. My personal recommendation however is a shorter rod for youngin's. I started my granddaughter on a glass 6 1/2' 5wt. It takes much less strength to swing a shorter rod than a longer rod. Most 8 year olds are not very strong. I personally would not put over a 7 1/2' rod in their hands. Even shorter would be better. Why wear them out when they first start out? Even many of us old adult men have shoulder and/or elbow problems throwing 9' rods. When they get stronger and develop their muscles and tendons and they want a longer rod for some reason then they can move up. I am not sure many will agree with me but it is what I did and I would do it again. .....It matters not whether you start them a wf or dt line. A level line would be ok IMO. If they step on the line or damage it in some other way the loss is less and if the damage is close to the end of the line just cut it off and put on new terminal tackle.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• …
• 74
• Next ›
• Page