First Fly fishing rod

[willyum10]

Hello All,

I am new to fly fishing, and I live in the Fairbanks area. Curious about a few things.
1. Are there fly fishing shops in the area that I could go to and ask some questions about?
2. I can look on you tube and ask friends for advice on how to fly fish, but I learn by hands on training. Is there anyone in the Fairbanks area that offers fly fishing lessons?
Any answers will help and be greatly appreciated.

[ak_powder_monkey]

sadly the fly shop in FBX closed down soon after sportsmans moved in

rumor has it that theres a couple shops around town that still sell equipment though one of the archery shops maybe... There may be a few guides around who do the upper chena, search the internet... I think the closest actual fly shop would be in Talkeetna, if that guy is still there.

[jakec5253]

Big Ray's had a fishing section when I was there in December. Pretty much the whole down stairs is fishing stuff, a lot of it fly fishing gear.

[kuskoblues907]

Any recommendations for an anglers first fly rod? What should and shouldn't I be looking at/for? Name brands, combos, and any advice would be great. Looking for a setup that isn't too harsh on the wallet but good enough to last a while as the little brother gains more experience flyfishing.

[lgall]

I got the TFO 8wt combo and like it so far. The rod has a lifetime warranty. I would also look into the Echo Rods and a Lamson Konic reel if you wanted to piece together your own set-up. I would Mossy's Fly Shop if you wanted to go this route.

[danattherock]

TFO would be hard to go wrong with. Great value and warranty. For reels, if a 6wt and under, I would look at the Orvis Battenkill bar stock. I have 6 of them on 4 wt and 6 wt setups and love them. With a few accessories, a TFO rod, and a Orvis reel and extra spool (one with floating line and one with sink tip perhaps) you could get set up for around $300-350. If you wanted to go a less expensive route, you could get a $130-150 Cabelas starter kit and then buy some flies locally and throw them in a dip can. Did it myself.

http://www.orvis.com/store/product.a...68&cat_id=7627


-Dan

[kuskoblues907]

Thanks for the feedback. Going ahead with a combo kit from Cabelas seems how I need to get myself a few things from there as well. As he gets better at flyfishing we'll look into upgrading.

[danattherock]

Be sure to get a Tie-Fast (brand) nail knot tool. A great tool for attaching leaders to the fly line and childishly simple to use. Don't buy flies from Cabelas, buy them locally. Better quality flies and better selection. Get a good pair of nippers and hemostats. Most everything else is optional, but these few things are mandatory. My suggestion is to keep it simple and then add things slowly as you find a need for them. Basically, do the opposite of what I did. I could have a fly fishing yard sale and never miss 90% of what sold. Start off with the basics is my recommendation. If you want to splurge on one thing, get a high quality fly line like a Scientific Anglers GPX floating line.


-Dan

[WyoWill]

Line: Figure out what weight setup you want first. You probably want something in the 5-8 weight range. 5-weight for the grayling end of the spectrum; 8-weight for the coho end of the spectrum. Get a weight forward, floating fly line.

Rod: Look for a ~4 piece rod with a good warranty that is designed to cast the weight line you purchased. Something around 9 feet in length and medium-fast action. Redington makes decent less expensive rods, as does TFO.

Reel: Something with a decent drag that is made of aluminum (machined if you can afford it) and balanced to your rod. I don't think you can beat Lamson reels for the money.

[fishfood]

Line: Figure out what weight setup you want first. You probably want something in the 5-8 weight range. 5-weight for the grayling end of the spectrum; 8-weight for the coho end of the spectrum. Get a weight forward, floating fly line.

Rod: Look for a ~4 piece rod with a good warranty that is designed to cast the weight line you purchased. Something around 9 feet in length and medium-fast action. Redington makes decent less expensive rods, as does TFO.

Reel: Something with a decent drag that is made of aluminum (machined if you can afford it) and balanced to your rod. I don't think you can beat Lamson reels for the money.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/Pro...&cdf=TopSeller

I just ordered this one for my first rod. An 8 wt, with reel, line and case for 70 bucks and it sounds like decent quality from what I could gather.

edit: sign up for their email promotions and you can get an even better deal. I'm a VIP member and I got it for 44 bucks. Pretty awesome deal if you ask me....