new guy

[francisj]

hello everyone
im totally green when it comes to fly fishing and trout fishing in general. i grew up on the delaware river ( not a lot of trout fishing here)and have fished deep sea since i was old enough to go.my inlaws bought a place just outside jim thorpe and i caught a few browns and a rainbow in the lehigh this year on a micro spin combo. now im on the hook.fly fishing seems like a great time so im going to go for it. i bought a pfluger combo at walmart that when i opened it was pretty much junk so i returned it. so i have a couple of questions with xmas comming up.

1) i saw a quarrow combo at dicks much better than the walmart one metal reel 5 wt 8'6" with switchable retrive is this ok to get me through learning to cast and a season or two before i start to upgrade?

2) is there a fly assortment (cabelas sells several of these) that i should grab. that will work best for this area.

3) i already have heavy and light waders and a vest and a trout net and all the other basic gear that goes with fishing in gereral is there anything else i need

4) is a 5wt combo enough for small mouth. i caught a lot of them on the lehigh too.

thanks in advance

 

[whheff]

Welcome to the sight. There are many people on here that can give you excellent advise on any question you may have.

I started with a Cabela's 8'6" 5wt combo. You can also check out LL Bean too.
If you go to the Little Lehigh, Dave can tell you what flies you need to fish there. Local shops will point you in the right direction instead of buying flies that you may not use.
As for having everything, you will never have everything in this sport. Again, talk to the local fly shop guys.
I'm sure one of the bass fishermen can answer your last question.
A lot depends on what type of rod action you like and so forth. There is no cut and dry answer to any of your questions. Try different equipment before you buy.
Just me 2 cents worth.
Hope this helps you.
Bill

 

[Chief]

francisj, welcome to the world of fun - stop at the Classic Fly Fisherman in Lansdale, PA for all the help you need.
Chief

 

[Fishidiot]

Welcome francisj, to Paflyfish.com (Paff) and to fly fishing (FFing). This Beginner's Forum is the place to ask basic questions. If you haven't already done so, take some time to scroll back through this forum and see what folks are talking about.

Yes, a 5WT fly rod will work for smallies. It's on the light side and is a size normally associated with trout fishing. However, a 5 WT is the standard for new folks staring FFing so if it's your first fly rod, you should go with the 5. If you find later that you're really hooked on FFing and really dig smallies, you can get a 7WT for bass. In the meantime, your 5 will work.

 

[dc410]

francisj,

Welcome to the Paff forum. There are a great group of folks on here with a lot of information and experience. Keep asking questions and you can learn a lot in short order. Good luck with your new endeavor, you picked a good one!

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Welcome aboard. You will not only find this site great but if you get a chance there are many opportunities in the spring and summer to attend newbie jams as there are some great guys who take their time to get you going and moving forward.

Take my advice with a grain as I started FFishing in April (never picked up any type of fishing rod prior) but I started with a 9' 6wt and it has worked great for both WW and trout (when I catch'em). Per flies .. I would get a bunch of the basics, ask local shops what is fishing well when you head to a creek, BUT search the forum and try to find some threads like "Your Go to Fly" and the like.

I may have some threads bookmarked BUT I am sure I wrote down notes on those threads and if I can dig it up I'll throw you some info. That said, I'm sure many will post some advice for you as well.

Where in Bucks are you located

 

[djs12354]

Welcome to one of the best places to learn that you will find.

This is a great bunch of people here that are willing to share their knowledge, both here and in person.

Read through some of the older threads, you'll find it time well spent.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. While there is always some good-natured ribbing going on here (right Fox?) it is rarely mean-spirited and you will learn a great deal.

 

[Chaz]

Depending on where I m I use a 4 wt. or 6 wt. for smallies. I'm not familiar with the combo your writing about, so I can't comment on it. However, Cabelas has outfits that will meet your needs. Check out Cabelas.

 

[JackM]

The only rod I ever lost was a Quarrow. I liked it alot. You should be fine with it for trout and bass. The main issue with bass and lighter weight rods is not handling the fish, but handling the flies. Wind resistent poppers or heavily-weighted streamers are easier to manage on a 6 or 7 weight, but not impossible on a 5.

Welcome to the site and the sport. Give yourself time to learn before spending too much on equipment.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I don't know what your budget is for a combo, but the best inexpensive combo that I've found (and I know I plug this combo a lot) is the Reddington Crosswater. It will get you through the learning curve and then some. I've been fly fishing for 15+ years, just bought one of those combos because I needed an inexpensive 5wt 9' in a pinch, and I really love it. I let a friend use it about a month ago who never touched a fly rod, and he found it very easy to cast.

 

[perrycountypappy]

Welcome to the passion. Just so you know there is a fly tying jam this saturday, the info is on the home page. I know you are just starting but and I'm not sure they do this there but it may be a great place to buy some flies from some guys who will be able to help you. If you ever come to the yellow breeches or the Little J let me know ahead of time I will help you out on some flies. Have fun and don't give up!

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Welcome.GG

 

[untamed_spirit]

Welcome Francisj. Lot of good info here.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Welcome aboard.

 

[francisj]

thanks alot guys i got the quarrow combo and a couple of flys that seem to always pop up as staples. i practiced casting a little and i have a long way to go but i started getting the hang of it.looks like its going to be a long fun road. stagger i live bristol boro.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

WELCOME to the Fly Zone. Fly fishing can be a passion in a short time. I did'nt care for it until this gent on the Nashiminy Creek told me to put a dropper (Prince Hared Nymph) about 2 1/2 feet from the dry fly (off the hook bend) before I got hooked.
Some say 65% some say 80% of all trout hit below the surface. So what ever the depth is you want to make sure that your nymph bumps bottom. Also just as important is Leader and Tippet line sizes. I make my own out of left overs. My most common setup is (Starting from the Fast Forward Floating line is: 3' of 10lb to 5' of 4 or 6 lb to the fly and than 2 1/2 feet of 2 or 4lb line from the dry fly to the nymph.) Love Vanish Floro.
I don't know if it's because Trout have great eyesight or can sense the vortex of the line, but usually the small pound test line produces better.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

The lighter tippet works better because it drags less and thus looks more natural. Getting a "drag free" drift will result in more hookups. Presentation of the fly is more important than what fly you present to the trout. ;-) Two flyfisherman can fish side by side with the same fly and the one who presents it correctly will catch more fish.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

SO.....Curious as to what you purchased? Also, If I may add...There are alot of flyfishing videos on line. I have watched several of them. (Very good learning curve for me.)

 

[francisj]

i got the quarrow combo from dicks.its 5 wt with line leader and case and ive seen some good vids on the web. now how do i get to carrinagee hall???

 

[mushumatt]

I wouldn't worry about building your own leaders or tying flies at this point. Pre made knot less leaders will do perfectly for you, as for flies I would say sz14-18 pheasant tail nymph, hares ear nymph, copper johns, sz18-20 brassie, zebra midge, sz16-20 scuds/sowbug, sz14-18 caddis, sz18-22 bwo, royal coachman, humpty, terrestrials, streamers. That is a good starter for flies, and obviously you dont need to get all of them, or even all the sizes noted. For the first few years i fly fished I carried maybe 20 flies with me total. Alot of fly fishing is experimentation, and trial & error. Practice casting alot, im out 3-4 times a week for about an hour casting my line.