Beginner's rod advice

[georgie150]

Hi there,

My boyfriend wants to get into fly-fishing. His 30th birthday is coming up and I would like to get him a rod to get him started.

I have absolutely no idea about fly-fishing (tried it once when I was 13). So please could someone give me some advice on what rod I could get him - brand / length etc. Not sure of prices but I'd be looking to spend between AUS$100-200.

Thanks so much in advance,
Georgie

[flydog]

Hi Georgie,
Why not book him a couple of lessons instead, then he can try different rod lenghts & weights, then your money is not wasted

[Mugshot]

Originally Posted by flydog

Hi Georgie,
Why not book him a couple of lessons instead, then he can try different rod lenghts & weights, then your money is not wasted

Im in same boat, done coarse fishing and sea fishing but looking to start fly fishing....I was looking at lessons but they are quite expensive! £35 an hour the ones I saw.

[chub1]

Georgie(and mugshot)it depends on what type of fishery you are aiming at.I'm sure if you can give a general idea,ie rivers,large rivers,small stillwaters or large stillwaters then someone will be able to help you.

[Mugshot]

Well Im looking at fly fishing in a small reservoir (link below)

http://www.flyfishthornton.co.uk/

Just double checked and its £25 an hour

[Dubbed Squirrel]

That Thornton`s reservoir looks excellent and I reckon you won`t go far wrong with a 9`0" 6/7wt or 9`6" 6/7wt rod, with a floating and a medium sink intermediate line, that`s what I`d use. As for casting lessons, I tried to teach myself to cast, by watching others, then practicing `til I got it right, or so I thought. It was one day I was fishing on a stillwater, and the guy fishing about 20yds away, came over and pointed out some faults (turns out he was a qualified instructor) and gave me a few tips. Impressed by his knowledge, I booked 4 lessons with him, turned out to be £80.00 well spent. I`d picked up so many bad habits teaching myself, the difference was like night and day and I haven`t looked back since.

[flydog]

Must agree with DS.
But before buying anything I would have some lessons and seek some advice

[..::Pike Pirate::..]

id back that up. ive never had lessons but learned from dad/grandad and coupled that with watching people and watching online/TV tutorials for more guidance

and then a 9 foot or 9'6" 6/7 weight with intermediate line on one spool and floating on the other, both with a single taper for when he goes it alone was what i started with, and havent really felt the need for anything else, as im a jack of all trades so dont need ultra specialised kit.

hope we've helped!

[Mugshot]

Im going to take a one hour lesson on casting after your feedback :)

Going to wait till payday then book it in! Ill tell you how I get on.

[LittleFish]

Given the cost of an even half decent fly fishing outfit I would say that paying for intsruction is the cheapest way to go.If you go to a half decent tackle shop you should be able to try before you buy.

Oh and by the way Georgie if he is starting from scratch your other half will need an entire outfit not just a rod as fly fishing reels and lines are totally different to the kit used for other kinds of fishing.