Some brown trout river fishing gear (uk)

[kieran1]

Hello everybody. this looks like a really good fishing forum so i decided to register here and my first posting is to ask this I'm 22. when I was about 10 I started fly fishing after my dads friend generously gave me one of his fly fishing rods. It was a fantastic old bob church light rod and from learning to cast on a grassy field, I ended up addicted for the next 5 years, fishing mainly rainbow trout farms and local rivers, catching hundreds of 1/4 - 1/2lb brown trout on almost entirely one fly - the BLOODY BUTCHER! the small brown trout went nuts for it! Since I left my reels and lines in the trout farm, about 7 years ago, I've not fished since but the bug is back. I'm desperate to get out into river fly fishing again and its what I'm gonna do ASAP once I've got some gear. But being so long and not being able to find my john norris of penrith magazine (what a shop, had the pleasure to actually go there once too!) Im hoping some friendly anglers here can point me in the direction of some fly fishing gear for river fishing brown trout. I am completely out of touch with weights of lines, the only thing i can remember is how to tie the leader to the line and flys! What length/strength of rod? ive forgotten all of it. I'm looking for a rod/reel/lines for between £50 and £70. The rod I'm after will only be for brown trout fishing so lighter the rod the better as playing the fish is the most fun part for me, and heavier rods are just not when theres a wee 1/3lb brown on the end of the line. I know the line needs to match the kind of rod but not sure what matches up with what so any advice on lines would be good. I would like a floating line and the one that sinks really slowly. a slow sinking brown coloured line is what ive caught most fish on, with a bloody butcher. fast sinking im not so bothered about. Reel too. ive got my flies, leader is dirt cheap so all i need last is a reel to go with it. for brown trout fishing, what would be a good one to go for? If theres any other trout fly fisherman here who gets the just of what im asking, and may be able to help, i would be very greatful! i think asking on a forum is a far better idea than going into a shop and asking the shop staff, whos interest is profit aswell as what is best for my re-emergence into the fly fishing gamee cheers kieran

[Rossthedon]

hey kieran, the best size of small river rod (in my opinion) is a 7ft 5 weight with a 5 weight line.
i fished the almond for years and all i needed was my 7ft #5
as for lines, any 5 weight line, either floating or intermediate will work with any 5/6 weight rod.

where in central scotland you from?

[isle of innisfree]

you might do worse than this deal, should suit what your planning on doing.
http://www.garryevans.co.uk/wychwood...100-2502-p.asp

[kieran1]

alrite guys. I'm from stirling. I just came back from the glasgow angling centre where I was intending to buy a 8ft ron thompson 4-5 rod with a stillwater SGT reel, floating and sinking line + 50 flies for £59.99, which is a pretty good combo deal i thought
If I had no flies Id have taken that, but because i still do have about 200 flies it still being a great deal, with the shit rod tempted me off it!
So i end up buying a greys aquaflecx 9ft 5-6 (£60 reduced from £90 but you can get it on ebay for 60 quid i think) with a greys G2 5-6 reel for £27 a floating and intermediate line (10 quid each) and braided loops and eco backing with a few flies plus 4lb leader. all came to about £120 so spent double what i was going to but have a much better rod and reel. so ive got everything to start fishing now.

The place has a casting practice part at the back of the shop and after being shown the "10 oclock eccelerate to 1 oclock" technique my casting is now just about smoothe enough to properly fish, and the rod feels almost identical to a shakespear ive caught many fish on before it snapped in the boot of my dads car..
I just need to get the line on now. Anyone got a good link to how to tie your line on? I've got the braided loops and eco backing but have no idea how these are used or how to put the line on properly.
once ive done that il be off for a fish
cheers kieran

[Rossthedon]

make sure and put the line on the right way round!
attach a braided loop on the first end off the spool, (just use a tiny bit of superglue when putting loops on)
wind however much backing onto reel,
tie on backing to loop as you would leader,
and wind line right off the spool onto reel.
i always stretch new fly line as it will have a little give on it but thats up to yourself

any probs gimme a shout

[kieran1]

i cant picture this..
do you mean superglue one of the braided loops to the centre of the spool, then attach the eco backing to that in the same knot as a leader..... and wind that into the spool? (if so, how long lengthwise of eco braiding should be winded into the spool)
then wind the line in. i cant remember any of this not even vaguely. do you know of any picture guides on the net? ive looked but couldnt find any, only spinning lines.
cheers

[Pleccy]

You can use a braided loop to attach the backing. Fly lines have two ends, a thicker tapered end to which a braided loop and leader is attached and the thin running line. As for the amount of backing make sure that you don't pack the spool with too much backing, if there isn't a large enough gap between the line and the edge of the spool it could snag when you are playing a fish.

Also just out of curiosity what are you using for leader material?

[kieran1]

I've got the backing on now. im going to put the fly line to the backing via a braided loop but not sure how you do it?
do you tie the backing to the braided loop then with the other end of braided loop with the hollow tube have braided loop in one half of the hollow tube, fly line through other half and dab a bit of superglue on the end to bond it solid?
or something..

[isle of innisfree]

I wouldn't use a braided loop to attach to backing, as it is possible to mix up ends if taken off the reel. Use a needle knot or nail knot.

[kieran1]

ive wrecked 2 braided loops now one due to a superglue mess... been trying a nail and needle knots for past half hour and havent come close. pain in the arse is there any other simpler knots that i can tie the backing to fly line?