Rookie

I'm a rookie too but didn't want to steal Randy's thread. I just bought a white river 5 weight rod and orvis reel, it has backing but I need the tippit (I think that's what it's called) and some flys. I have just exhausted all my knowledge of fly fishing in one sentence.I am looking to catch bluegill/bream mainly.

Anyway share some of that great advice that you can only get here on Woody's!

Oh yeah thanks for the new forum Mods!!! keep up the good work

Howdy,
I am no bluegill expert, but I think they are generaly pretty keen on your basic panfish popper. You know, painted cork or foam body, feathers off the back end, and a couple of pairs of rubber leags. You could try some basic trout dry flies too. Like an elk hair caddis for instance. You might also try droping another sinking fly off the hook bend of your popper. Maybe 14" of tippet to that second fly, give or take. Try a red SanJuan Worm, hares ear, or phesant tail as the dropper. I you are useing a droper and that popper goes under, guess what...

Leader and tippet. Buy 7.5' to 9' tapered leaders. Just buy the cheaper mono leader material rather than flurocarbon which tends to sink quickly. Then buy a 5x spool of mono tippet materia. Use a surgeons(tripple surgeons is quick easy and strong) or blood knot to tie an aditional 14" or so of tippet material to the end of your leader. Then the fly. You could skip the tippet section, but adding the tippet will preserve your original leader when you retie.

I use 6# or 8# mono. I hang 8 foot sections from my shop ceiling over night with 3 oz weights on it to make it straight (yea I'm cheap) I skip the tippit. I have noticed that in my area the colors white and pale yellow on poppers work wonders on bream weather its on the river or on a pond.

I would go with smallest tippet in mono that you feel the fish can handle without breaking off. With the flex of a fly rod you have a cushion that is pretty amazing. Get your kids to take the tippet (without the hook of course) and walk out into the yard with it. Or tie it to a tree. You will be amazed at how much pressure you can put on the line without breaking off. The diamater is key to them not being able to see the line. I like a 5x or 6x tippet size. The diameter in "X" refers to the "rule of 11". So if you take 6x tippet, subtract the 6X from 11 you are left with .005 diameter. You can look at different types of plain mono and get the diameter and base your purchase on that. Stren, and all others will still print it on the box. The 6x tippet I use is around a 4 lbs test. But the diamater is a little smaller than most standard mono. Trout, at least wild trout and fish that have been in stream for longer periods of time, are generally a little more picky than most warmer water fish when it comes to tippet size. But I have had bream and bass turn down flys when it comes to line size as well. So be prepared!

Great

Guys thanks for the great info especialy with all the details (linesizes and knots) Sounds like it's time for me to get busy

I would use a 5x or 6x tippet, but Toxic is correct in that a piece of 6lb mono will work for panfish. For bream, shellcrackers, etc..I like a foam rubber bug that I believe is called "The Thing" - they just pound it.

Thanks for the advice on the tippet. I have already made my first mistake I went and bought new leader and tippet only to find out when I got home that I already had the leader. I thought that the leader was the backing. I'm sure like with regular fishing you can never have too much line.

I did have a good sales man at Dick's Sporting goods tell me that I could by a reel with the backing, leader and tippet for only 1 dollar more than just the leader and tippet. It's probably not high quality but I'm just trying this as a cheap adventure for now.

Fishing on dry ground in the back yard for now.


Thanks for the advice!

Jeff

Baby Bear said:

Thanks for the advice on the tippet. I have already made my first mistake I went and bought new leader and tippet only to find out when I got home that I already had the leader. I thought that the leader was the backing. I'm sure like with regular fishing you can never have too much line.

I did have a good sales man at Dick's Sporting goods tell me that I could by a reel with the backing, leader and tippet for only 1 dollar more than just the leader and tippet. It's probably not high quality but I'm just trying this as a cheap adventure for now.

Fishing on dry ground in the back yard for now.


Thanks for the advice!

Jeff

Click to expand...

Land Shark takes a special leader!

Thanks for the tippet Bitteroot