New guy from Lehigh Valley with some questions

[Tanker]

I’ve finally made the decision to start fly fishing. I really enjoy fishing for Shad on the Delaware in April and May, but I seem to lose steam and get a bit bored/frustrated spin fishing the area creeks and ponds the rest of the season. I am a very active fisherman and have never been one to throw in some live bait and wait. Not sure what took me so long, but I think fly fishing will be right up my alley.

I’ve done some research but wondering if anyone in the valley can recommend any fly fishing classes in the area? I don’t know any fly guys personally but know I will need some help.

As for gear I believe a 5wt at 9 foot or 8’ 6 will work for me. I plan to fish the local streams/ the Lehigh and some bass ponds and lakes, so I understand the 5wt looks to be the choice, but would appreciate recommendations. Specifically the Orvis Clearwater combo caught my eye. It is more than I was looking to spend, but the 25 year rod warranty seemed very attractive.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have.

 

[Tigereye]

5 ft 9 wt is the 30-06 of fly rods. Clearwater is an excellent tool and warranty is great also. If your focus is the LV, an 8'6" should work well also as the streams are not that large with the exception of the River of course. If your not in a hurry, keep an eye on the swap forum here. Decent rods pop up pretty often for $100 +/- ..

Dont go overboard on a reel. All it is , is a place to store line. Again, as a starter I would think used.

As your first line I would go with either a Weight Forward Floating 5 Wt (WF-F5) or Double Taper Flotating 5 Wt (DT-F5). (assuming you purchase a 5 wt rod). As a Newby, Cortland lines available at Walmart will have you on the water for

 

[Dave_W]

Good advice from Tigereye.^

Regarding classes, they can often be had through a local Trout Unlimited (TU) chapter or a local fly shop. I'm not sure where to look in the Lehigh Valley, but there are options out there.

Welcome to our online fly fishing (FFing) forum Tanker (were you an armor soldier?). We're glad to have yuh. Feel free to continue to ask questions.

You picked the right hobby, but we're biased.

 

[Vaughn]

Welcome Tanker!

There are several TU chapters in the Lehigh Valley.

Little Lehigh (Allentown)
Monocacy (Bethlehem)
Hokendaqua (Northampton)
Forks of the Delaware (Easton)

Keep an eye on https://fbweb.pa.gov/calendar/ for a Family Fly Fishing program. Forks of the Delaware TU will be holding one in Oct at Jacobsburg State Park (it's not on the calendar yet).

 

[poopdeck]

I can help! I've been a beginner fly fisherman for 6 or 7 years now. First let me address two myths. Fly fishing need not be expensive. If the orvis rod is more then you want to spend go buy one that's more affordable. You won't see a difference and a cheap rod cast as well as an expensive rod. My first was an 89 dollar cabelas combo 5 wt. still use it, I still love it and I can cast it with ease. Only thing different is I replaced the line.

2nd myth...... fly fishing is hard. BS. Its no harder then spin fishing it's only different. No need to join clubs, no need to take lessons unless your looking for instant gratification or you just want to. If not your in luck because it doesn't take long to learn to cast. Plenty of YouTube videos that will get you on your way. I started casting in the backyard but after about ten minutes I was bored and feeling stupid casting in my backyard where I had zero chance of catching a fish. Went right to the creek and continued my casting practice and instantly caught fish while learning. The more you do it on the water the faster you will learn what works and what doesn't. It won't take long to learn.

I recommend starting fly tying right away as well. Super simple and a great way to winter over.

Grab a cheap rod and get it out on the water. Good luck and have fun with it.

 

[SteveG]

In addition to seeking classes, and reading/watching plenty of beginner articles/videos to get familiar with basic techniques, and equipment nomenclature, I highly suggest asking if someone local would like to go fishing with you. You may very well learn a few things in one outing alone.

 

[Tanker]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Regarding the screen name I wasn’t in the military, just a goofy nickname I used to have that I felt would be a good screen name.

Vaughn, thanks for the info. I am close to Jacobsburg and fish that part of the creek often. I know the upper reaches of the buskill don’t hold as much fish as other sections but it’s so pretty up there. Getting my spinners snagged all the time, and seeing them be useless on rising fish is a big reason why I decided to give it a go.

Good insight poopdeck. I’m not a snob with my tackle by any means and I’ve never had a rod/reel worth more than a $100 or so combined. However I’m the 25 year warranty attached to the Orvis Clearwater seemed really nice, and this combo seems like a solid deal.

https://m.orvis.com/category/clearwater-fly-rods/2S7H/

I’ve been intimidated a bit about fly fishing for some time, but see plenty of guys without pretty casts out there lately. I figured hey I can do that too (probably)!

 

[larkmark]

My 12 yr old grandson has been out 3 times with me and caught several trout each outing. Also had a blast catching sunfish . All on dry flies. Once he understood the idea of getting the dry fly to drift naturally (just like the bubbles in the water) he started catching fish.
Casting any distance will take a bit of practice. I see some very good tutorials on Youtube that would get you started. I believe Orvis has some.

 

[larkmark]

On the rod. I know that Orvis setup will be fine. If trout is your main quarry I would go 4 wt in 8.5. Just my take. i have a 5 and 4 and rarely ever use the 5 on my local creeks. It is lighter and gives a better/gentler presentation in my view.

 

[Vaughn]

Hey Tanker, just sent you a pm.

 

[afishinado]

Welcome aboard as a FFer as well as a PAFFer.

I agree, the Orvis Clearwater rod outfit in a 9' 5wt would be a great rod to get you off and running with fly-fishing.

I checked around, and if you are available any of the next few Saturday mornings, the Orvis store in Plymouth Meeting offers free FF101 classes. Plymouth Meeting just off the NE Extension 30 minutes from the LV exit of the PA turnpike.

I was one of the teachers for those classes a few years ago and they are great. They have a FFF certified casting instructor for casting and also teach knots, fly selection and basic techniques; just what you need to get started. You can also test cast the rod and have them set up your outfit with backing and line. They have and can recommend some flies to get you started.

In addition, they also have a second FF201 class, also free where they take you to a lake for on-the-water instruction. They have been running classes at Deep Creek Lake I believe, which is not far at all from the Lehigh Valley.

Here is the Class Calendar for Orvis Plymouth Meeting >
FF101 Class

Again, welcome aboard. As you can see, there are plenty of guys on here willing to give advice and help you out.

Good luck.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

I 'm not recommending cheap equipment. I recommend making sure the balance of the rod set up is the most important factor when choosing a fly rod system. When the reel is set up properly with backing and the balance is there, you should have hours of fun. I check the balance by using my index finger under the forward part of the cork. If it tips forward it is front heavy and this will make your arms tired real quick. The more the rod is balanced, the more casts you'll be able to make.

For better equipment:
Every day for the next 6-8 months toss all your lose change into a bucket and see what you have. You'd be surprised at how much money you'll have to invest in after that wait period. And if it means an upgrade to your current gear...

 

[Swattie87]

PennypackFlyer wrote:
For better equipment:
Every day for the next 6-8 months toss all your lose change into a bucket and see what you have. You'd be surprised at how much money you'll have to invest in after that wait period. And if it means an upgrade to your current gear...

I get 1-3% cash back on my Amex depending on where I shop and what I'm buying. Pay it off in full once a month. I rarely pay cash, only when absolutely necessary, and thus very rarely generate change. Now what do you suggest?

I do typically "cash in" my cash back in the month I go on a vacation, many of which are fishing related in some way. Should I be putting this to better gear instead?

 

[Steeltrap]

I will take exception (and my opinion and $1.29 will get you a coffee) about rod differences. Several years ago I purchased the Orvis Encounter package for about $150. A few years after that I was able to borrow a Orvis Recon 8'6" rod ($430) and the ability to easily cast farther, and more accurately was quite a difference.

The Recon rod is built as a "fast action" rod in that the rod is pretty stiff up to the top maybe 3'. This helps prevent the rod tip from moving up 'n down and side to side once you have stopped your forward cast motion. The less the tip moves the more energy the fly line has to "shoot" to it's spot.

FWIW

 

[Tanker]

Thanks again, and you guys have been so helpful and friendly.

Fly Fishing gear can be a bit pricy I suppose relative to spinning gear, but still a relatively cheap hobby. I could be dropping big money playing golf, or buying a motorcycle or boat! A couple hundred on some nice gear is a drop in the bucket (this is what I will tell my wife).

 

[PennypackFlyer]

There is possibility in that cash back......Which reminded me that I have some I can cash in on.

 

[pcray1231]

Its like most other things.

Is more expensive gear better? Yep. In general (there are exceptions, you can find some gems).

If it's 5x the price, is it 5x better? No way. There's a huge premium on a little better. This is true in most outdoor hobbies, including fishing, golf, hunting gear, etc.

You can have plenty of fun with cheap gear. And when you get to the point you want some nice gear, start with the most important. For instance, if you are a brookie aficionado on our blue lines, the reel isn't a big deal, but either bombproof waders or a nice wet wading setup is. If chasing big fish on big water from a drift boat, skimp on those waders but the reel might be more important now.