re: The Fly Fishing Thread: Questions, pics, discussion all here

alright, thanks. I'm taking the orvis class in june and I may just wait to take the class and get one of there rod/reel setups since they give you a discount for taking it.

alright awesome, thanks guys. I'm pretty pumped to get out there and hook up on a big red tailing in the shallows

Y'all know anything about redington rods? I'm going to buy an 8wt Allen kraken(that dorado color looks great) in the next couple of months and a buddy suggested that redington is a good budget rod.

What's your budget? If you're looking at the $70 Crosswater or $110 Path I think they're ok options. I personally would rather a TFO or St. Croix because their warranty service is better and they're not made in China like the Redingtons or Echos. Cabela's has TFO Pros on sale right now for $100, normally $160.

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I thought TFO used a Chinese blank? Or maybe it's a Korean blank.

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Pretty sure it's a Korean blank.

Nonetheless, the TFO pro series is a great rod for the money. I know a few experienced guys that prefer that rod over many other more expensive ones.

It is a Korean blank, just got my BVK in the mail.

Guess I will use this opportunity to put all the shite I have here



I have an Allen Kraken for my 5wt Volant, also from Allen.

My favorite rod is my Sage VXP 5wt, which I usually pair with my Kraken. This rod is amazing and I can't wait to get more Sage gear in the future.

I have a 4wt Orvis Clearwater that I pair with their Access Mid Arbor Reel:



To be honest I don't have a ton of use for that rod and reel and I bought it on impulse after getting some birthday money. It is a good little setup though and a good bang for your buck one. It is fun for little rainbow trips to Arkansas, but I normally use my 5 wt there.

I have a TFO Axiom 8 wt paired with an Allen Alpha III reel that I use for all my largemouth bass fishing. The Axiom is a pretty good rod, but they are not manufactured anymore. It was replaced by the BVK, which is very similar. I just bought an 8wt BVK and it feels pretty similar in my hand, but I haven't been able to cast it yet. I am planning on a getting a really nice 8 wt sometime in the future. Maybe I will treat myself when I pass the CPA exam. The TFO's are great for the money, but I want something really legit one day. Also TFO's have a lifetime warranty. They are also located right here in Dallas, which I didn't know until I saw the warranty card. I might make an errand out of it to take it up there personally and see their facility.

As mentioned above, I just bought an Allen Kraken Dorado for the BVK 8 wt I got. It hasn't been shipped yet, so I will post pictures later.

This is what it looks like:



I am not going to lie, I like the look of the Allen reels a lot and I plan on snazzing it up with some bright orange backing. I got some Rio Redfish line to put on there that is a light blue, so it will be pretty cool looking. The guy at Tailwaters recommended that line for bass as well and it can obviously double as a saltwater line.

As far as non rod and reel gear goes, I am a lanyard fan. I bought a lanyard from Golden Trout Lanyards LINK

If you do not like wearing a vest on the river, I recommend Golden Trout Lanyards.

Specifically, I bought their "Mossy Oak" Lanyard (no affiliation with the camo hunting gear, just what it is called).



I wear one of those Buffs on the river. I burn terribly and I know some guys wear these things to take pictures in and look like ninjas or some shite, but this legit keeps me from getting scorched. Kinda looks like this:



I have a very basic pair of nippers, and honestly I could have used nail clippers. Abel sells nippers for like 75 bucks, which is absurd, but I am sure they work great. I stick with Dr. Slick products for my nippers and forceps. They are priced well and work just fine.

I have some small Orvis flyboxes for trout fishing, but for my bass flies (which tend to be gigantic), I bought the MFC Boat Box and let me just say, I love this thing.



Room for tons of flies and they don't mash into each other when the box is closed. It also floats and is water tight. You can also put a lock on it if need be.

For line, I like Rio products. I also like Scientific Angler, I have had good experience with both. I have several floating lines and an Orvis Bank Shot line, which is sink tip. That is a good sink tip line (tough to cast, but that goes for most sink tips, it is just different).

I use a Brodin net. Specifically, their "Phantom" series. This net is top notch and I will never need to use a different brand. Brodin Nets



For leaders and tippet, I typically stick with Rio. They seem to be of extremely high quality and do not coil as much as other brands.

For flies, I bought the majority of mine, but I also tie my own. I tried out Postfly box for 3 months, which is a flybox subscription service. Their flies are okay, but I prefer to make my own or go to Tailwaters and get some.

For Fly tying, I use a Peak Rotary Vice, and I typically look up recipes on YouTube. I have a fly tying book, but honestly I don't use it that much.

Other Gear:

I use Costa del Mar sunglasses. I have the Fantails:



I have the middle ones with the tortoise finish. These are very solid polarized sunglasses, and I highly recommend them. They cover from eye brow to top of your cheek bones, but they don't look huge on you and they are vented really well. I might try some Smith sunglasses in the future as well.

For waders, I have the Frogg Togg Hellbenders. I can't understate the value and bang for your buck on these waders:



Super inexpensive and very effective.

I wear Korkers wading boots. Again, very reasonably priced, and a high value.



Like a lot of wading boots, they have exchangeable soles where you can switch felt with rubber.

I have had no issues with my waders leaking, or my boots. The only downside I would say to the waders I use is that the front pocket is not water proof, but most of the gear I would put in there is either water tight or not damaged by water. I try to avoid putting my phone in there.

One very, very handy piece of gear that I got as a birthday gift was something I didn't even know I needed or wanted.

The Simms Taco Bag. Holy Santa Claus shite is this thing handy.



It zips out into a flat circle, and you zip your waders and other wet gear up to keep it from leaking in your car.



It has vents on the end in case you are driving for a while after getting out of the water. Once you get to your location, just carry it by the handle and unzip it with no leaks. A personal must have for me on the river.

I usually just wear those Columbia fishing shirts on the river. They are so affordable and the mechanics of them are very practical. Plenty of pockets, and I get the long sleeve ones that have the button on the sleeve in case you want to roll them up and keep them in place. I am sure you guys are all familiar with these.



Also, I love a girl wearing one too




Not trying to make this a hey look at all the stuff I bought post, but wanted to provide a brief description and review of some of the stuff I found valuable for my trips. It is no secret that fly fishing is an expensive passion, but we all know how much some of this stuff comes in handy.

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Cabela's has TFO Pros on sale right now for $100, normally $160.

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I'm looking for something to use around a large pond at my parents house to catch bream and bass, would I be better off getting that rod and bringing it to the fly shop in br to get set up or just go to the fly shop and talking with the owner to get a compete set up from him? This would be my first experience with fly fishing other than watching my uncle throw his in the pond.

I'd personally prefer to spend my money at green trout than cabelas if you're in br, but that depends on your budget. Money spent at a local shop is far better for your town and local economy that buying at a big box store. But that $70 certainly does make a difference. You could always give green trout a call. They might have a sale going too.

If you are not wanting to spend a ton but want a quick setup, Allen has a rod and reel combo that also comes with line, leader, and a case. It is $150, and I haven't used this setup before, but as I mentioned here, I love Allen products and it seems great for a beginner and the reviews are stellar.

LINK

It comes in 5 wt and 8 wt. If you are going to be fishing bass, panfish, and redfish, the 8wt would be the way to go.