Need advice...

luv2drum · Mar 8, 2010

The one you have should work for starters. Not going to see a huge difference untill step up in price a bunch or build one. 9' is a good general purpose length. You can still use it in a lot of streams with no problems and it will give you some extra distance in lakes and ponds. I live near Vill Rica, so if you ever want to get together to fish just shoot me a message.

centerpin fan · Mar 8, 2010

brantd said:
Yea the Okuma comes with everything and reading online it looks like a better outfit even though its about 40 bucks or so cheaper..here were the specs on the combo I bought, all this is greek to me I dont know what any of it means..but..rod has ceramic stripping guide, oversized snake guides cork handle with aluminum seat, reel is a large arbor, aluminum offeset disc drag, spooled with braid dacron backing, knotless tapered leader, superfly- WF floating line....? The rod is a 5/6 but does feel a little heavier than the other 5/6 I picked up..?

It sounds fine. As yaknfish said, it's time to get some flies wet.

DFB · Mar 10, 2010

Advice???

Brantd, you got a rig to start with, use it, get some practice, fish with some other people, try some of their rods (if they will let you) and then move on or stay with what you got. Everyone has their own idea of what works best for them. I fish graphite and bamboo rods from 6' to 10' from 2wt to 10wt silk and synthetic lines, they are all good, they all have their place. Fish, fish, fish and when you get tired take a break and then fish some more.

brantd · Mar 10, 2010

Loving it.. hadnt even caught my first fish and I am chomping at the bit.. printed off all kinds of maps to the streams, gonna go on a little camping excursion opening weekend maybe try out rock creek or smith creek up around Unicoi...

RJFortune · Mar 10, 2010

Smith creek is a great place to learn -- not a lot of casting there as much as high sticking. Just be careful to pay attention to what is above you. I was there Sunday and couldn't believe all the flies and leader hanging from the trees.

fwhitaker · Mar 10, 2010

BrantD,

Check out a "Eagle Claw Grainger" rod. $35 bucks, worth $150. It is a IM6 graphite blank, this is what some of the finest rods on the market are made from. It has a carbon fiber reel seat, and decent hardware. The kicker is that it is cheap, but it also has the lifetime replacement warranty just like the big boys Sage, Scott, Orvis, etc.

I would purchase a good float line, my personal choice is Scientific Angler GPX trout ($60) good for 2 years if cared for. Then invest in some good tippet and leader material...I would strongly recommend Flourocarbon Tippet.

Flies:
Bead Head Pheasent Tails - size 14 -22
Bead Head Hare's Ear (olive & regular) sizes 14-22
Bead Head Prince Nymphs -
Y2K's
any number of soft hackle flies
Wooly Buggers - Black/Olive/Peach
Elk hair Caddis
PMD -
Adams
Parachute Adams

These are a few just to start.

I wouldn't even begin to fish in Georiga without 2 reference materials
1. Trout Fishing in Georgia - Jimmy Jacobs
2. Fly Fishing in Georiga - David Cannon

No go out and loose as many flies as possible catching fish!

stasher1 · Mar 10, 2010

fwhitaker said:
BrantD,

Check out a "Eagle Claw Grainger" rod. $35 bucks, worth $150. It is a IM6 graphite blank, this is what some of the finest rods on the market are made from. It has a carbon fiber reel seat, and decent hardware. The kicker is that it is cheap, but it also has the lifetime replacement warranty just like the big boys Sage, Scott, Orvis, etc.

FWIW, I just picked up a Granger XG in 9' 7/8wt for bass, and the card that was wrapped around it said 1 yr warranty.

fwhitaker · Mar 11, 2010

They must have changed it, The few I used for travel and teaching were all lifetime....

Regardless its on $40 bucks

brantd · Mar 11, 2010

Decided to stick with the one I bought..talking to the guy at the counter it is supposed to be a pretty good combo...but i was practicing today and I am getting it out 20-25-maybe 30 feet in casts , but then it gets hard to control that much line out to get it any further...any casting suggestions or is this about the max to expect from it..? Just used to casting my spinners a country mile.. so bear with me..lol... keeping my elbow in and not breaking the wrist , actually getting it out there decent everytime, just not really far out...

centerpin fan · Mar 11, 2010

brantd said:
Decided to stick with the one I bought..talking to the guy at the counter it is supposed to be a pretty good combo...but i was practicing today and I am getting it out 20-25-maybe 30 feet in casts , but then it gets hard to control that much line out to get it any further...any casting suggestions or is this about the max to expect from it..? Just used to casting my spinners a country mile.. so bear with me..lol... keeping my elbow in and not breaking the wrist , actually getting it out there decent everytime, just not really far out...

Save yourself years of frustration and buy a casting DVD. I would suggest Joan Wulff or Mel Krieger to start.

Don't worry about distance now. Work on good form. Distance will come. It's better to cast 30 feet well than 50 feet poorly.

Potlicker60 · Mar 11, 2010

You can probably find some good lessons on you tube. Make sure you are letting the rod load up.

brantd · Mar 11, 2010

Yea , after watching them I really am wondering about my rod its a 4 piece and seems kind of stiff compared to some of the others I have seen with more action to load the line better..

centerpin fan · Mar 11, 2010

brantd said:
Yea , after watching them I really am wondering about my rod its a 4 piece and seems kind of stiff compared to some of the others I have seen with more action to load the line better..

If it's a combo, the line and rod should be balanced. Here's a key, though: a 5wt rod is supposed to load well with thirty feet of fly line out of the rod tip. If you're casting 20-25 feet, the rod will not be loading maximally. A heavier line will load the rod better at shorter distances. So, you could put a 6wt line on there, and see if that works better.

allenww · Mar 12, 2010

The weight of the line loads the rod. It may well be that even at its recommended weight it is not sufficiently loaded.

But before you buy a new line, add a one ounce weight to your leader and see if that casts better.

flyfisher76544 · Mar 13, 2010

Sounds more like he has a fast action rod. Go up to a 6wt line and it will help.

yaknfish · Mar 13, 2010

brantd said:
Yea , after watching them I really am wondering about my rod its a 4 piece and seems kind of stiff compared to some of the others I have seen with more action to load the line better..

And that, sir, is why so few people own one fly rod. And, why your first fly rod doesn't have to be your dream fly rod. Because it won't be your last fly rod.
Welcome to the slippery slope.

Need advice...

luv2drum

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centerpin fan

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DFB

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brantd

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RJFortune

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fwhitaker

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stasher1

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fwhitaker

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brantd

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centerpin fan

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Potlicker60

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brantd

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centerpin fan

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allenww

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flyfisher76544

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yaknfish

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