1st Fly Rod 4wt Or 5wt

[brittsnbirds]

I'm with 3wt. I recommend you go with the 5wt. And I also 2nd Dano's comment, test drive the rod before you buy it.

With that said, I recommend you get with an instructor and take casting lessons. There is nothing more frustrating than fighting your cast. The instructor should have rods that you can try out, probably several different weights and actions. You will find out very quick which one works for you. As your skills increase you then can start purchasing the more expensive rods, but I would recommend waiting until your skill level increases.

I got my boss into fly fishing a couple years ago. He started with a WalMart special. One day he borrowed my TFO and appeared to be doing better. As his skill increased so did his desire to change weights and actions. He recently bought a little 4wt 9' Scierra from Cabela's for 49 bucks. I thought he was nuts to throw his money away. I watched him the first time he used it and his casting stroke was great. Much better than it was with his other rods. I took it for a spin and fell in love with it. Had I tried that rod when I was at Cabela's and they were on sale I would have bought 2. I currently have a similar one on order.

Moral of the story. Expensive rods may not be what you like. One day you may find that a 500 dollar unit is what you want. So far I haven't got that itch!!

Just my thoughts.

Pat

[vanven]

Without repeating much that was stated above, i concur. The most important thing you can do is cast the rob before hand. A lot of us have made that mistake in the past. My first rod was a Cabelas combo that was around $80. It was enough for me to realize how much I loved the sport. After a car door incident at Taney that rod went into the dumpster and I purchased a $300 rod from a fly shop. I didnt cast the rod, I didnt know to. I just took the salesperson's advice that it was the best possible rod for me. Now I am stuck with an Orvis rod I would love to get rid of. The 9 foot length and super fast action just dont mesh well with my casting motion. I would much rather fish the 8'6" TFO rod we bought for my wife. It just fits me so much better. If it didnt have a big pink ribbon on it.... Hopefully I can correct that purchase this summer with a new Z-Axis. I can guarantee my next purchase will much more informed.

I equate the process to buying a new set of golf irons. They cost about the same as a fly rod for a quality set. If you had the opportunity to have your swing analyzed and clubs picked out and fitted to your swing by a pro for the same price as ordering them blindly from a web page, you would be crazy to skip that opportunity. It is exactly the same when buying a fly rod.

I would definitely lean towards the 5wt over a 4wt. I never expected to see myself fishing at Taney in the middle of the night. Although I dont doubt it is done, but fishing a 4wt at night in the fall would just not work well. My 5wt feels really wimpy when I get into a quality fish.

I remember Dwayne telling me once he had his rod yanked out of his hand 3 times in the same night. On those nights you want a little more backbone.

-Jerod

[Terry Beeson]

Jerod,

I've had an 8 wt yanked out of my hand at night... And not just by Duane or Leonard... Those big ol' gals can work better than a double double mucho grande expresso...

And you hit the nail on the head with the golf club comparison.

[Paola Cat]

Not sure if the weight is a significant variable on the yanking .... LOL. I actually had a 5 weight yanked out of my hands while stripping a bugger at Tan Vat on the Current. Lost that rod forever. The golf club comparison is right on. My lovely bride cringes everytime I walk up to get the mail .... golf catalogs .... fishing catalogs .... I bet I never see 75% of them. Make sure that you test cast any rod that you buy. A 4wt or 5wt is an all around good choice. Pretty soon you'll be there with rest of us with an assortment of 2wts-8wts. PC

[wgm]

Pretty soon you'll be there with rest of us with an assortment of 2wts-8wts. PC

I think you might be right there...

if I start out with a G-Loomis 4wt, (not the best all around weight like the 5wt), I will already have an excuse to pick rod #2

I found a like new... never used Orvis Zero Gravity 9' 6wt, 4 piece, tip flex 10.5 at less than 1/2 new price with warranty card... anyone like this rod & weight as a 2nd rod choice if I start off with a 4wt as my 1st rod?

A 4wt and a 6wt should be a good start on trout fishing... right

Knowing what you know now... if you were starting out & were going to buy two rods for trout fishing, what two weights would you select?

I am going to try to find some rods to try out before I buy one ... if I can ... in Little Rock the only place I know of that might let me try some is the Orvis shop, this Saturday I am going to go to a fly fishing 101 basics seminar put on AFF, maybe I might get to try a rod or two there, not sure though...

[Terry Beeson]

OMG!!!! You said the "O" word!!!!

OK... Ok... OK... to each his own. But it ain't your father's Orvis... 'nuff said...

In answer to your question... hands down.... a 5wt and either a 7 or 8wt. 5wt for everything but fall nights... Then the 8...

[Danoinark]

OMG!!!! You said the "O" word!!!!

OK... Ok... OK... to each his own. But it ain't your father's Orvis... 'nuff said...

In answer to your question... hands down.... a 5wt and either a 7 or 8wt. 5wt for everything but fall nights... Then the 8...

Actually I like some of the Orvis rods...the one mentioned though will be fast as lightning. I would still try to cast it, or one like it before I bought.

Dano

[vanven]

Not to tear away from the original topic too much, but i am guessing any rod info would be helpful...

I like Orvis rods as well. The rod I mentioned above is a 9 foot 5 wt TLS tip flex 9.5. I like to cast the rod and I do like the 9 foot length as well. Casting it has always been an issue for me. It seems very unforgiving. I have been fly fishing for 3 years now. I tend to throw loops that are too tight with the rod and that leads to a lot of wind knots. Part of that is imperfections in my cast, i have no problem admitting that. I just think a slower rod with a little more flex would slow me down and make my life a bit easier.

My wifes rod is a TFO Ladies Casting for Recovery rod. I believe it equates to a Professional series rod. If you are looking for a very beginner friendly quality rod, TFO is hard to beat. I dont know anything about G Loomis rods so I cant say much about them.

-Jerod

[Danoinark]

Jerrod I agree with you. I have the same issues with a fast rod....

Heck you may be ready to cross over to the "other side" and try glass.

Dano

[WebFreeman]

I think the consensus is you've got to find a shop and try some rods. You're finding good deals, but they may not fit you. You may find a $100 rod at retail price that fits you better than a $500 at half price. The fish don't care if you are using a $15 Eagle Claw or a $1000 handcrafted bamboo. I would go to a shop, tell them you want a moderately priced combo and that you've never cast before in your life. They will set you up with what you need, what will be forgiving of beginner mistakes knowing that you'll get into it and they'll make a long-time customer.