Serious Fly Fishing Setup

[Stillwater]

Check this out if you want Pike fly gear. This is out of Sweden, but the rod is designed for Pike. Even called Esox Lucius.

http://www.bromanodell.se/index.php?...howProduct=143

[jwm]

Beautiful rod indeed!! Any idea if they sell them in Canada, or how much they cost?

[Woody]

Reaction Outdoors,45 Barry Crescent, Halifax, Nova Scotia is the nearest one to you (even nearer to Clive!) if the shop is still going...The Spinning Rod's with the cork handle are very very similiar to my Zalt Rod (also made originally from the same part of the world, the Swedish are cool when it comes to Pike!) On the photo gallery of the kids and the dad holding the 30lb Pike up, on the right of the picture there is a Rod set up with a Zalt Lure ready to go. Talking of Lures, on the gallery page for them, number 4 is a Roach and number 5 is a Shit Roach, they wont sell many of them with a name like that, it'd soon put you off!

[Stillwater]

Reaction Outdoors,45 Barry Crescent, Halifax, Nova Scotia is the nearest one to you (even nearer to Clive!) if the shop is still going...The Spinning Rod's with the cork handle are very very similiar to my Zalt Rod (also made originally from the same part of the world, the Swedish are cool when it comes to Pike!) On the photo gallery of the kids and the dad holding the 30lb Pike up, on the right of the picture there is a Rod set up with a Zalt Lure ready to go. Talking of Lures, on the gallery page for them, number 4 is a Roach and number 5 is a Shit Roach, they wont sell many of them with a name like that, it'd soon put you off!

I am Reaction Outdoors lol. Not in Canada yet although some are coming in the next month or so. I do not have a shop though, i am a distributor.

[Ed]

Hey Jon,
It was nice to meet you and get to fish on Sunday. I hope you had better luck after I left the island and again, no doubt, today. I should preface the next bit by saying I fly fish mostly for trout in the credit river and am just learning as drifting a nymph is a long way from casting a spinner with a spinning reel in terms of casting and retrieving technique. I have no experience tarpon fishing and have not spent much time chasing pike with a fly rod. That said, I have some suggestions...

With regards to fly fishing equipment, you said that you had gotten a 8 weight reel loaded with appropriate line. I assume that they put some backing on that as you'd definitely need it for pike. If you already have a reel then the next step is obviously a rod. Sage makes very high quality rods (I have a 7 weight) but you're going to get in the $3-500 range very quickly. Temple Fork Outfitters are making rods with a lifetime warranty that are very impressive that can be had for under $150 depending on what size you are looking at. I have a 5 weight for trout fishing and it is a very good rod. The quality of a rod is a big deal in fly fishing as it determines how easy casting is and therefore how tired your arm gets. I would recommend, if at all possible, trying a few rods to see how they feel to you.

For stores that are semi local I like Wilsons (on Queen East as mentioned above) and Grand River Troutfitters. Bass pros shops has a lot of stuff and is definitely an option but I prefer the staff in the other two places myself as they are both dedicated to fly fishing and the staff are enthusiastic fly fishermen to be sure.

Good luck with the new rig!
Ed

[Gary Switlick]

i recently bought a 6 weight temple fork and though i don't have a lot of experience fly fishing yet i am very happy with it jonathan. i used some others and even picked up a $900 sage and liked the feel of the temple fork much better.

[jwm]

Ill look into that brand. Really what I need is an inexpensive rod that can take a massive beating. I'll wait to get those fancy stainless handle ones later.

[Kid]

Ill look into that brand. Really what I need is an inexpensive rod that can take a massive beating. I'll wait to get those fancy stainless handle ones later.

Ya dude, I have the TFO Lefty Kreh Proffesional Series 6wt, and I beat the shit out it for two years before it broke, idk how it happened, just pulled it out of the case and it was busted :angry2: Anyways, I called up TFO and they had me send it to Texas with 25 bucks and it was back in two weeks in one piece! actualy... four pieces

You can pick up the 8wt for about 160 bucks, but its quite a bit more if you want the two handed model.

[Mixer]

As someone who fly fishes exclusively, the best advice I can give is this:

Try before you buy.

Go to Wilson's or another fly shop knowing how much you have to spend on a setup. I don't recommend big stores like Bass Pro as the monkeys that work there aren't usually skilled in fly fishing. Sometimes they are, but I've found that to be a rarity. If you talk nicely to a shop owner or manager and tell them you want to buy a whole setup, they should do their best to accommodate your need to try stuff out.

Try casting at least three different rods in your price range, plus a few above and a few below. Rods come in different 'actions' - slow, med, fast, and in-betweens. What action works best for you is determined by your casting style. Sure, Sage rods are nice, but there are a lot of other quality brands out there. I own six rods and not one of them is a Sage. Pick the rod that feels the best to you.

Reels don't need to be pricey, but they can be. Since you are hunting pike, a strong drag will be necessary. Two options here, Click/Pawl and Disk. Disk drags are typically better at stopping line-peeling runs, but again know how much you have to spend (cheap disk drags won't last more than a few fish). Depending on where you plan to fish (stillwater or rivers) you'll need more than one line and therefore more than one spool. Two options are spool or cassette. Spools are usually about half the price of the reel (because they are half a reel), cassettes are cheaper because they swap out inside the reel frame and are made of a plasticy material.

Then comes fly line. Floating - floats on the surface. Sinking - comes in sinking rates between 1 inch per second to 12 ips. Which to use depends on how deep your foe is. You'll want to try a few different brands here too. I perfer Rio. It's on the high side of the pricey scale but believe me, if you buy the cheapest stuff, it won't be long before you wish you hadn't. I speak from experience.

Also, If you aren't an experienced fly caster, seriously consider taking some casting instructions. You'll enjoy your time on the water more. And besides, you just dumped a bunch of money into the gear you're waving around, why not spend a few bucks and learn to do it right.

Based on your plans, I would go for a 9 foot, 8 weight. It'll cover you for most fish. But it won't handle Tarpon.


Cheers,

Paule


EDIT:

I neglected to mention, and I want to make sure that you're aware, that all components - Rod, reel and line - must be matched to the same weight. ie: 8 wt rod + 8 wt line + 8 wt reel.
There are options for mismatching rod and line, but they are not something that new fly fishers really need to worry about.

[Kid]

Try before you buy.

:good: