Headed up to Plott Balsam Mountain...

... to spend a few days relaxing on the big hill.
Near Cherokee North Carolina and Sylva.
I don't fly fish yet but, I'll have to spend plenty of time in the fly shops near there. For the last week I've become addicted to watching YouTube Fly casting videos and reading through old threads on this Fly Fishing Forum. Now will probably step off the deep end into fly fishing. I'm not sure my brain can handle another technically involved pursuit! Deer hunting, bowhunting, reloading, lease maintenance, trout fishing, striper fishing, inshore fishing, boat maintenance, now fly fishing and I'm betting fly tying. Will subsequently have to review and revise my mountain camping gear and techniques and locations as well.
Not sure I can squeeze it all into my head (or my basement rec-room), but I gonna try!
I'm thinking about a 7'6" 3wt, an 8'6" 5/6 wt, and a maybe 9' 7wt. Not all at once, but I think this will eventually cover me for everything from blue-lining in the mountains, to the open waters of the Chattahoochee tailrace, to striper and some inshore trout and reds and triple tail. Got lots of big carp near me in Bull Sluice to stay busy sight-fishing and learning with also.
My wife says she is interested in learning to fly fish, also. So this gives me good reason for the first two lighter setups right off the bat. Maybe I'll need the 7 wt for the big carp? Or will the five wt handle a 5 to 10 lb carp?
Help! Somebody stop me!

You have been sucked in. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. Yep, sounds like you have it covered equipment wise. After nearly five decades of fly fishing, almost all mine from tiny tricle to big river is done with an 8' 3/4wt, or a 9' 7wt.

PS-you are headed to my backyard.

Lol...
Love to buy you a burger for lunch tomorrow...
As long as it's near a fly shop I can tell my host I need to go without being rude...

skip the 7 and go 8 or 9wt...imo

Mexican Squealer said:

skip the 7 and go 8 or 9wt...imo

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^^^THIS^^^

If your thinking striper fishing then I would say an 8 weight is at the minimum. The river striper are a lot stronger than the lake fish and you need some power to turn them from the structure. An 8 can even be on the light end. I use between 8-10 weights for striper. I use an 8 for carp.

I grew up fly fishing, for bream and bass on ponds and mainly creeks in south MS. I could cast plenty far. Recently got into fly fishing for trout, particularly wild fish in smallish streams. Distance is not a factor, but presentation is, for me. Had to teach myself how to land a fly, and line, softly at 30 feet or less. I can make my line and fly land like a butterfly at 20 yards, but close range gave me fits.

I said that to say this, YouTube videos are great for someone wanting to know the basic motions, but distance is often greatly over emphasized. Learn to cast far by all means, but the majority of your fish may be caught while casting only 20 feet of fly line, when a back cast is not possible. Good luck.

Main thing is don't overcomplicate it. Fly fishing is fun and reallynot that hard if you don't make it so. Basic skills will catch fish. Sure, it may not be pretty and may spook some fish but you will still be having a ball.

jigman29 said:

Main thing is don't overcomplicate it. Fly fishing is fun and reallynot that hard if you don't make it so. Basic skills will catch fish. Sure, it may not be pretty and may spook some fish but you will still be having a ball.

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Yep. Back when I was a kid, I caught hundreds of trout on little mountain creeks with a dry fly and a few feet of mono tied to a whippy birch sapling.

8 wgt. minimum for inshore reds and "trout". Oh, you can cast and fish with lighter rods, but the constant joker in the deck in saltwater is wind. Lots of wind. You'll curse the day you were born fighting wind with a lighter rod and saltwater flies...

Slummin' it at @5650'.
Having trouble getting signal out so will rejoin thread in a day or so...

You at the top of Lynn Lowery?

Tugboat1 said:

You at the top of Lynn Lowery?

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Zackly...
Looking DOWN on the Blue Ridge Pkwy...

Up there beside the cross. Look across the valley and you can see my sister's house.

cabelas has some nice rods on sale. TFO is a nice rod and not pricey.

NCHillbilly said:

Yep. Back when I was a kid, I caught hundreds of trout on little mountain creeks with a dry fly and a few feet of mono tied to a whippy birch sapling.

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Same here. Pretty much what they selling as a tenkara rod now lol.

1eyefishing said:

Slummin' it at @5650'.
Having trouble getting signal out so will rejoin thread in a day or so...

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I'm sitting at just over 4000' right now but I'm in the White Mountains in New Hampshire and going higher at day light chasing bows and brooks...

I'll get you out in a couple weeks up in North Ga..

So, I'm back from North Carolina. Still hot on the fly fishing thing, of course.
Visited the Orvis shop in Sylva.
I haven't bought anything yet because a buddy of mine says he has four St Croix setups that he will let me borrow. I'm going to let him borrow a fistful of Ben Franklin's in return. After that, I will know what I need to buy for myself.
I already have a 10 weight that I've never used that I picked up for a hundred bucks years ago. So I should have the range of setups that I want, shortly.
Then it will be my first this and that, and my first this that and the other.
I have fly fished before and caught trout before on somebody else's equipment, but will be after free lessons at Orvis, and probably a paid lesson in casting after that.
Then, my goal will be to fish with as many of you knowledgeable fly fisherman as possible in order to learn from those who are far more advanced from me.
Looking forward...

PS-I did not get time to make the hike to the cross on the mountain to get a view of Hillbillie's sister house. Although the place we stayed was only a few hundred yards from the trail leading up there. I did see the Cross from the valley near Waynesville. At dusk, in the mist and clouds, it was quite the sight from miles away. Hard to believe our spot was way up there on that Hill.

Browning Slayer said:

I'm sitting at just over 4000' right now but I'm in the White Mountains in New Hampshire and going higher at day light chasing bows and brooks...

I'll get you out in a couple weeks up in North Ga..

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Been there. If you get time, shoot on over to carabassett valley in maine, look on the map for a place called rapid stream. Medium sized creek with lots of fish, mostly brookies though.