Ok, now that the mods have founds us a home and Dwight has us formatted in place, lets move forward, having read Dusty’s excellent What You Always Wanted to Know About Fly Fishing, But Were Afraid to Ask - A Fly Fishing FAQ

I continue to believe it best to keep the tackle thread separate from technique so let’s all start at the beginning with tackle and learn and re-learn as beginners.
First of all, as a beginner, I would find it helpful to find a good fly combo kit, with rod, reel, fly line, and leader - a case would be handy.

Let’s have everyone’s idea of what kind of tackle you would choose for fly-fishing your pond?
Gonna fish for BG - Bass?
Bluegill only – maybe a 5 wt?
BG and Bass – how ‘bout a 6 wt?
How much money you wanna spend? (OK I know you experienced guy already have fly tackle but your ideas are important.) This stuff can be a hole in the water that you throw money in and we don’t want to go there…

OK, let’s get this beginner tackle thing moving - then I’ll tell you what beginner set I bought my grandson-in-law for his Christmas present.
Thanks,
George Glazener

I have a hard time remembering how to tie knots. Can I use one of these instead?

IIRC 2-3 wt for BG, 7 wt for LMB. Floating fly line. I like WF line. Real tapered leaders are nice, but I'll also tie on straight mono.

George, care to explain how to translate "X" weight (or size) tippets into something that a beginner can understand? If using a real tapered tippet, now much can you shorten it before you have to replace it?

I am fortunate to have a father who gets superb discounts at Orvis and frequently gifts me when I have a want (Yes, I am pretty spoiled). That being said, good used rod/reel combos can be had at auctions or yard sales. I use a 4 wt for blue gill, and they seem to hit anything I tie on, small ant or spider flies, poppers, small wooly buggers, nymphs. Nothing like a 10" bg on a 4 wt rod. I use heavier leaders (10X) due to lots of underwater structure. One thing that can run into money is not using tippet materiel. You lose a bit of leader every time you retie a fly, tapered leaders can add up buy tippet spools in different sizes to extend the life of your leader.

For LM I mostly use a 6 with many of the same flies, just bigger (and don't forget the tippet). Use a drop rig (large popper with a nymph tied 2-8" below) for the chance at a double, lm with bg or maybe two lm!!

If I only had 1 fly rod, it would be the 6, bg are still fun, and large bass or other predator fish are possible. But bass are my target, would probably stick with the 4 if bg were target.

If you are fishing from shore, a small box that can be comfortably carried on your body to hold flies and tippet materiel in along with a pair of hemostats are very useful.

If you are close to an Orvis store, they give free basic fly fishing instructions at many of the stores. If you are near Richmond VA, ask for Dale and tell him his daughter sent you.

What is a tippet?

Essentially the last few feet of mono before your fly.

Scott, thick fingers make for difficult knots for me. I've pretty much good to the Double Surgeon's knot for the leader/tippet connection. It's easy to tie, and because of that, I rarely screw it up. You can use it for line to line connection, or just to make a loop if needed.

Fly line to leader? I just get furled leaders that have loops at both ends. There are several good companies to buy them from, but I get mine from Robin's Custom Leaders.

Backing to fly line? I have one of those cheap pressed steel nail knot tools, and it works great. Cheap to buy, and rarely am I retying that knot anyway, so I can do it on my desk with plenty of light.

As far as actual tippets, with the water color we have here, I use none. George got me started using regular mono fishing line, and it works well. If you have gin clear water, then a real tippet may be needed, but I hate to pay for 10' of line when I don't really need it here.

Scott, don’t overthink this stuff or make it complicated – that’s what runs potential fly fishermen nuts –
Forget about the xxxxx’s on the leader package - use lbs just like you always do – forget about that fancy connector – that’s for a trouters – learn the knots….
Dusty told you already, but arbor knot around the spool axle – Albright knot to connect backing to fly line – nail knot fly line to leader – knots you always use to tie to a hook.
Goggle is your friend – good knot tyin’ instructions!
That’s why I recommend a COMBO FLY RIG - all the knots are already tied for you.
We doin’ redneck pond fishin’ remember – let’s keep it simple,
G/

And to go along with this, does anyone know of a good link to add here for the knots you guys are talking about? Perhaps it might contain diagrams and something to show how they are done?

And then there are the guys like me who have inherited the tackle and may not need to buy anything. It may be good "hand me downs", ...or not. How do we start identifying what we have and whether it's any good.

For example: the fly rod I have. Is there a way to identify it when comparing it to what you recommend?

In regards to WT mentioned above; I am assuming line weight, not flyrod?

FnC, I use Grogs for knots. They even have a phone app.

Grogs

I'd love to get into fly fishing. I plan on fishing for bluegill and bass and I'd spend around $100/$150 to get started just to see if I like it as much as I think I would. Seeing that I know absolutely nothing about it but I'm a quick study.

Cisco, you can absolutely get started for that amount. YouTube Lefty Kreh to get a feel for casting technique. He's just an amazing guy who makes fly casting very easy to understand.

Lefty huh? That's good cause I'm a lefty! I will check it out as soon as I get time. Thanks for the tip Al.

I have multiple fly rods and reels and for someone who wants to give it a try going to Bass Pro or Cabelas and getting one of their outfits would be a good choice. Comes with everything you need at whatever price point that you choose. I have a White River outfit (Bass Pro) that I bought for my boys to learn with and it cost $100 and I will use it just as quickly as I would my Sage or St Croix outfits. The White River outfit is actually quite good for bluegill or small bass.

Fish n chips, I was hoping someone would ask this question – thanks..

The first thing I would do to ID manufacturer and specs is to give the fly rod a good cleaning so you can read the info on the butt section of most rods ….if not see if you can determine if it is graphite of fiberglass construction.

The cleaning goes for the reel and fly line as well.
Clean the reel like any other – just some WD40 and a toothbrush and cloth for wiping.
Clean the rod with warm soapy water with brush for guides and reel seat, dry and spray on 303 protectant – wipe down.

Fly line cleaning requires special treatment – if it has a lot of memory and wants to coil up like a “slinky’, tie it between two posts or you will have a tangled mess.
Examine it for cracks – if cracks buy a new WFF flyline to match the specs on the rod.
Tie between two posts (I’m talking old fly lines) and take a cloth with soapy water, run back and fort a couple of times, rinse and let dry.
Then go to your favorite Auto Supply store and have them you order (if they don’t have it in stock):
303 Aerospace Protectant – this is the best stuff I have ever used to restore or service fly lines – special formula for carbon-fiber and vinyl materials.
DO NOT USE ARMORALL!

Fly lines are engineered to match the designated rod weight.
To determine the fly line specs you can weigh the first 30 ft of fly line on a powder loading scale measured in grains.

If all I have done is to confuse you – answer the questions as best as you can and take pictures – some of us may get lucky and help you out.
George

George, this stuff?

http://www.303products.com/protectant.html/

If so, which one?

Scott, it's all the same stuff to the best of my knowledge.
Just get the smallest container available - a little bit goes a long way.
G/

Bill, the consensus on starter fly rigs from the majority of folks appear to be the Bass Pro and Cabelas combo units.
I cannot comment on any of these, not having cast a single one.
My only recommendation would be to purchase a six weight for ponds BG and Bass.

I went another route for my first pond fly rod as well as the starter combo fly kit I bought my grandson-in-law for Christmas.

Let’s have a bit more chatter regarding starter rigs before I divulge my addiction?
George

Yes let's do because I'm going to get something and practice alot before spring!I have looked at various starter kits at BassPro but have no idea what I might need.

OK guys, I'm seeing 2 pc, 4 pc from 6'6" to 9'. reading the reviews are 1/2 good, 1/2 bad on most of them. I'm seeing one from Hobbs Creek that might fit but......

Dwight - Because leaders are tapered, everytime you cut off a fly and tie on another, it gets shorter AND the end where the fly is tied gets thicker. Tippet is thin, non-tapered line that you tie onto the end of a used leader to add length back and to reduce the diameter of the line at the fly again. You might add 18 or 24" of tippet and after a while when that gets short, cut it off and replace with new tippet.

The smaller the fly you are using, the thinner you want the line to be at the fly end so the fish don't notice it. I might buy 6 or 7 foot 6X leaders and they are great for small flies for BG. When they shorten up some, I either add 6X tippet (and continue using for small flies) or use them for throwing bigger flies for LMB.

Managing the line is all about fooling the fish. Fly line is big and obvious and will spook fish. A tapered leader is less noticeable to the fish and gets the fly away from the spooky flyline. When the leader gets shorter and the end gets fatter, it becomes more noticeable, so you tie on tippet.


Cisco - I don't see an advantage to 4 piece rods unless you're stuffing them into a backpack to access remote water. I've got one 4 piece, but now that I'm a bit older and less ambitious, it just sits in the closet.

OK, my turn….
When my son Jeff built “our” pond in about 2002, we had all kinds of ideas abut what fish we wanted to stock. I had about 10 years experience fly fishing striped bass on Lake Texoma and salt water species with appropriate tackle – Loomis 8, Sage 9, 10, and 12 weights – all hand crafted with affordable components, rigged with the best reels I could afford.

I did not have a suitable fly rod for pond fishing, so I began my search.
The big box combo units just didn’t suit my fancy.
I found local fly rod manufacturer Temple Fork Outfitters to be the solution to my problem, discovering the owner was a long time acquaintances from the fishing world, with outstanding reputation. I have been an avid fan of TFO every since, so I may be a bit prejudiced.

TFO does not sell direct, so IIRC I ordered a TFO 2pc, 6wt Signature fly rod from an on-line fly retail fly shop - one of the best med/fast fly rods I have ever owned – rigged it out with an inexpensive reel and fly line.
With some 10 years fly fishing experience I was capable of making good decisions.
That is a problem for folks getting started without reliable guidance,

I just bought a TFO NXT 5-6 wt combo set with a fly rod, reel, fly line, leader and case Christmas present combo “starter” fly kit for my grandson-in-law.

My answer to folks seeking recommendation for pond fishing starter fly kits is always a TFO 2pc, 6wt Signature fly rod for about $100 bucks and rig it out yourself with reel, line and leader, or a 5-6wt TFO NXT combo fly kit for about $200.00, that includes a 4pc fly rod with reel, fly line, leader and case.
Temple Fork Outfitters provides a no-fault, no questions asked lifetime guarantee for repair or replacement with fast turn-around – they are good folks and friends of mine.

These are just my thoughts on likes and dis-likes so do your homework and select the fly tackle that pleases you best.
Good luck,
George Glazener

I have a 6wt for bass/bluegill.

I prefer just using spinning tackle and baitcasting stuff for most bass lures, but I will throw a woolybugger big enough to catch some small bass from time to time.

I like a small beadhead nymph in my pond. It gets down fairly quickly and catches all the size fish in my pond (which is usually my purpose for the fishing I'm doing since our pond is new).

Most of the time in a lake I like finding the fish with my fly gear so I'm not wasting bait then catching the bluegill with bait once I'm on a nice bed.

I've got a BPS combo. I've gotten one rainbow on the reel, but otherwise I've not really cared about it for my fishing to be able to comment. I have a 8'6" 6 wt. fwiw.

I prefer to just use my trout dry flies and wet flies for bluegill vs. poppers sold for bream. I find you miss too many on them, and even though the strike is nice, I catch more of the fish that hit on my other flies.

FWIW, I was in Cabelas this evening and a guy tried to collect on the "lifetime" warranty that was on the fly rod that he bought from there. He actually bought it from another Cabelas, but he was here on vacation and fishing in one of the local streams for steelhead.

Basically, they told him that since he didn't buy it at that store, AND he didn't have his receipt, he was SOL. The Cabelas store where he bought it is about 3 hrs away.

Just a word of warning.

He wasn't a happy camper.

Thanks George and Al!

Temple Fork Outfitters sounds good George.

Ok George, when we go...maybe we should
"nix" Cabela's, and head to this place.


Tail Waters Fly Fishing Company - Dallas, Texas

Store Location
2416 McKinney Ave
Dallas, TX 75201

"Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company is TFO's Flagship Dealer!
Temple Fork Outfitters' office and distribution warehouse is located ten minutes from our shop here in Dallas. This geography gives us a huge advantage over any TFO dealer in the country. We essentially have access to their entire inventory of fly rods as well as their new casting and spinning rods. Fulfillment is not a problem when you order ANY Temple Fork rod. Even if we don't have it in stock, we can "make a TFO run" and have it in less than twenty minutes! We can promise you the big box stores will not provide this service, and you will pay the same for it!"

Zep:

Park in the back. It's a real crapshoot for street parking. Don't drool over the fly selection. Been there and it's amazing.

thanks esshup

ps: you must have been there on a weekday?
that is pretty close to downtown Dallas
and that area can get a bit crazy on weekdays.
I would think Sat parking would be better.
I've driven by there before, but never gone in.
Will do on back parking lot.

That sounds like a plan - never been - have my own fly shop right here at home.
Let's go - have to have a designated driver..

Correct Zep, it was during the week.

TW's is where I shop. Good folks, and they do fish for LMB and BG, so they're all over that.

They are just across the levy from TFO, and make a daily mid-morning run as needed.

I second Al's recommendation of Tailwaters. There are some great folks there and they've always been very helpful when I needed something.

I'll also echo George and Al on their support of the fine folks at TFO. You can have my Mini Mag when you pry it from my cold, damp, pruney fingers!

Dusty, welcome back.

You didn't throw a Lowline Angus in the cargo hold of the plane for me, did you?

Considering that I was without my luggage for about 36 hours thanks to the fine folks at O'hare, I didn't think bringing you an entire bovine animal back was a great idea. I have a really nice picture of my bag sitting against a barricade as our plane backs away from the gate. A cow would have looked exceptionally sad in that scenario, especially after they sprayed it with de-icing compound.

Dr. Abney..... er Dusty.... Al and I and others have missed your wit and wisdom - welcome back home from the "nort" country!
George

Thanks, George. I missed seeing water in its liquid form.

hey Guys - time to step up to the nest level:
http://www.tforods.com/fly-fishing/rods/mini-mag-series.html#.UueJ1NLnYrg

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=364365#Post364365

I had a package on the porch when i got home today! Almost like a kid at christmas. A temple fork 6wt rod and an Orvis reel! Now the questions will begin. I've been watching alot of YouTube but I'll have to be beat over the head with something in order for it to sink in. The reel came spooled with backing and fly line but....
On the reel you have,
1-backing
2-fly line
3-leader?
4-tippet
mono? size and length? color?
I'll be fishing mostly muddy water for BG and LMB

If you have answers, I have plenty of questions

Thank you!!!

For BG and LMB, a lot of folks get by just fine with using one size of mono for a leader/tippet. However, one size/level leaders don't transfer energy very well, so your fly turnover at the end of the cast might suffer. Personally, I like using a furled leader with some mono tied on for tippet.

With a 6wt setup, you probably want your tippet to be no heavier than about 10lb test or so. You want it heavy enough not to lose fish unnecessarily, but not so heavy that something else breaks instead of the tippet if you're hung up or on a big fish.

I completely agree with everything Txredraider said.

I sometimes use a fluro line as the "Tippet" if I want to get a light fly down a little deeper a little quicker.

One cheater method I also use is something George taught me for marking fly line weight. At the shooting end of the fly line, he makes a wide mark with a marks-a-lot, and then several thin lines to mark the fly line weight. One thick line equals 5#, and then each thin line equals 1#. So, one thick line plus 3 thin lines equals 8# line. One thick line plus one thin line equals 6# line. This makes it easy to tell what the fly line weight is if it's been taken off the spool. What it also does is act like a strike indicator for light bites. I may not feel the bite, but the stripes make it easy to see the line move if a fish runs with the fly.

Clear as mud?

Due to suggestions and good reviews, I've been intent on purchasing the TFO NXT combo ($209-$229) but now see that Cabelas has their RLS+ Combo on sale right now @ $159.99 (regularly $319).

The reviews appear to be good (better on the reel than the rod), but does anyone have any personal experience with the RLS+

Thanks!

PS - Luckily I've had no problems with our local Cabelas

I bought the TFO Series II a few weeks back but no, I have absolutely no experience with it or any other. Well I do but so far it's all bad but that's because I haven't been out to George's yet to get some professional help.

Cisco, casting a fly rod is just one of those things that suddenly click once you do it correctly. I consider myself to be adequate, but if I don't drag the fly rods out for a few weeks I get fast and wristy. Both are bad. To me, it's almost like swinging a gold club. You take it back to a full finish, then accelerate to impact. George would be happy to help, but he'll stick your rod but in your watch band if you do it wrong. Believe me, I know.

Keith, fishing rods of any kind are one of the most personal decisions you can make. I have "cheap" rods that I love, and more expensive ones that I don't. Cabelas is great about letting you try rods, so I might to that first. I knew exactly what I wanted, and was adamant about it, until I got it. The parabolic bend to the extremely fast taper are all out there. Try to cast a few, then go with what feels right.

Al, that's great advice in itself, thank you! I tend to overthink things

Cisco, I learned on my cousin's fly rod in which he said "Keith, if you can learn on this old crappy fly rod, you've got it made". So to spare you with all the gory details of snagging trees and trucks while learning, within an hour I was catching fish and felt very comfortable casting.

I'm so ready for Spring!

Yea, I've been playing with it some and somedays it seems pretty comfortable but other days, I just can't seem to get it. I tied a pc of twine about 4" long on as George suggested and out in the clear, away from trees and trucks, I did OK but my backyard has trees and electric wires so I think it might just hinder me some but I'm still trying it. My fish are biting good now on worms and Stubby Steve's so I really want to catch one on a fly. The wind really screws with me with the fly rod.

You can practice roll casting in your back yard.

I've got to watch more of Lefty's videoes on the Esshup. I'v got a pretty big pool so I'm going to try it there.

Respectfully disagree - that's the only cast that needs a "water haul" to load the rod.
G/

I stand corrected! This makes thing #2 that I learned today! Thanks George.

Not really a correction Scott, maybe a useful tip for a beginner, depending upon the fly caster skill level. Backyard grass just doesn’t create the tension on the fly line that water applies that “loads” the rod.
Very useful cast.
Best,
George

I do have a "cement pond" back there but don't want to get hung up in the wires.

Cisco, I start every practice by casting my fly rod horizontal to the ground for a few minutes. This does several things. 1) It stays under my power lines. 2) It's an easy visual if I'm breaking my wrists and opening up the loop. As the line falls, I can easily see if I have a tight or open loop. 3) I think, "pass a plate" this gives me a mental picture and helps keep me from rolling my wrist over during the cast. 4) It's much easier to see if I'm keeping my fly rod tip moving on a straighter line.

It's kind of hard to explain, but just a few minutes each practice gets me started correctly.

With the weather we've been having, a flatter cast really helps the fly line stay under the wind.

Thanks Al, I'll give that a shot. I'm going over to get some professional training this weekend if the weather holds.

Great! Educated eyes really speed things up. George trained me, and what I thought I was doing was not necessarily what I actually was doing.

With his help, I've learned to hit the water almost every time now.

Maybe our PB flycasters will find these youtube videos helpful...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLfJBTctA4Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AcG4XkgG9c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eSKa6Pt3R0

George

Scott, you may find this you tube helpful for the roll cast.
I use more of a Lefty Kreh side arm presentation but this style is popular.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eSKa6Pt3R0

G/

Thanks George! That helps.

Yes sir, I actually watched those videos late last week then went out back to the cement pond and practiced some. The videos are a big help as I did cast "pretty" good but I still need some hands on instruction. I can almost "shoot" the line. I can cast the length of the pool that is about 40 ft. I can see how the roll cast works now that I tried it and I can see why some people I've talked to compared it to golf. Starts to get addicting. But I don't golf either! YET! Nope, golfing is not for me. Now I need to figure what to do IF I catch something(besides me)

Cisco,

I have always believed that golf is for people that don't know how to fish

CMM

Here's a little something to maybe give this thread a little boost again...

Had one of our first spring-like days Saturday with temps up around the 70 degree mark and coincidentally took a ride to Bass Pro Shops in Ashland so kid #1 could pick out a new flyrod for his birthday. He settled on a TFO Lefty Kreh Pro Special, 8'6" 4 piece 5wt. We had to check it out 'cause it was on sale for half price. Later I did a little research and discovered they've discontinued this model, but who cares it's a sweet rod and still comes with the lifetime no-fault warrenty. Then we paired it up with an inexpensive reel and some WF line. The 5wt may be a little light for LMB, but he also wanted it for panfish and trout.

So here it is, 1st fish on a flyrod from the pond this year. Right before dark he caught several HBG and this BG using a weighted nymph and a renegade fished wet with no weight.

When I edited this pic, I cut his head off on purpose 'cause he was in mid-blink and it looked like he'd been smoking one of them left-handed cigarettes

CONRATULATIONS!
TFO Lefty Kreh Pro Special, 8'6" 4 piece 5wt - a very good fly rod at a VERY good price.
I have one just like it except 9 footerl

The new model changes are mostly cosmetic except new tech stripping guides.
My original stripping guides are titanium which I like very much.
Nice fish!
George

This is a really good thread about fly lines, leaders and tippets.
Don't miss it....
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=379686&page=1

A week ago finally bit the bullet and bought one of the White River $100 fly rod combo kits (9' 5 wt), at my wifes urging to get off the fence and just do it. Also bought a few "store bought" flies. Fished with it a little and caught a few fish. So far, so good.

Salesman at Bass Pro was a nice guy to talk to and seemed to know a lot about fly fishing. Mentioned they were having classes on using a fly rod and also fly tying. I had mentioned to my wife that tying flies might be right down her alley. She does all kinds of crafts including beading, knitting, spinning, making jewelery, and I don't know what all else. So she signed us both up for the free fly rod casting class and herself for the free fly tying class. Both 2 hour classes were well worth the time (bout a two hour drive for us to get to the store).

Well she tied 4 flies while in the class and we came home with three parts to a kit for fly tying. So far she is working on the 7th fly for the day, and mentions "this is addictive". So looks like I will no longer have to worry about buying store bought flies.

Looks like we are both into fly fishing, in one fashion or another.

Look on-line. There are some really, really realistic looking flies being made!! (I think they are made mostly for the competitions tho) https://www.flyfishingpoint.net/en/artic...ampionship-2013

Snrub, CONGRATULATIONS to you and your Lady – fly tying is opening the door to fly fishing - it’s an addiction.
To catch a fish on your own hand tied fly is really fun.
Start simple and don’t spend a lot of money on materials until determining what patterns you like that work for fish targeted.
Craft store and fabric stores are good sources for materials as well as beauty supply for wig hair.
Fly shops and big box stores for specialty items.
Don’t forget roadkill..
I have tons of links for fly tying sources.

Ask questions - there are fly tyers on the forum.
Thanks for your post,
George

That's the exact same rod and reel I bought form the BPS. I like it for a start up combo! Works for me just fine! I have had a blast with it! You have sooooooo much more flexability as to what you can cast with a fly rod! The more I use the more I like it!

RC

I saw that in your post above and was happy to see you were pleased with it.

Now if only these hundred degree temps and wind would stay away, I could get some more use out of it.

I have a habit of treating myself to an early birthday present so since I was close and they were having a good sale on what I hope is a good combo, a trip to Cabela's was in order and luckily they had 1 left! It's Cabela's RLS+ Fly Combo, 9' 6wt, 4pc.

The "fly guy" at Cabela's was very knowledgeable, has his own fly tying business, guide service, knows all the greats, and written a book (and so much more he offered to share) . So, I asked him to set me up with some flies for BG, LMB and HSB, which is what you see pictured.




Needless to say I'm a bit stoked and just waiting for it to stop raining. And hopefully I'll have a picture to post of my first catch on my (own) new fly rod!

I got about an hour in before I got dumped on and took several casts before the first hit, then ended up with 9 total before the rain hit again.

The first 3 caught were BG, HBG(?) and surprisingly a RES!

What a blast!!!!





I first tried the curly tail on the jig head as shown in the upper right of my previous post but found it very difficult to cast due to the weight of the jig head. And had the same trouble with the wooly bugger. Instead of casting the line I felt like I was casting the fly and it was definitely a struggle! But the bumble bee popper (much lighter) was much easier and it's what I caught all the fish on.

Any suggestions or tips when using the heavier flies?
I'm also struggling with getting much distance. It seems the more line I let out, the more it loads up(?) yet I'm trying real hard to not go forward or back until the fly/fly line has fully extended.

Maybe it's just a matter of more practice, but thanks in advance for any help!

Keith

Heavier fly, more practice will help. Another thing is when throwing weighted flies use shorter leaders and tippets. On the gear side of things a heavier rod (8wt) makes casting weighted or larger flies easier. The reason fies are weighted is to get them to sink. Duh!! Another solution to getting the fly to sink is to use a sink tip with an unweighted fly. A sink tip is basically a heavy leader that goes on the end of the fly line and the tippet/leader goes on the end of the sink tip. Sink tips come in different lengths and different sinking rates.

Keith, Cabela's RLS+ Fly Combo, 9' 6wt, 4pc. really a nice combo rig – CONGRATULATIONS on fly combo – nice fly selection as well!
Maybe a faster action than a beginner rig but not sure - a friend of mine just bought a 5 wt but haven’t cast it.
Kirk’s suggestions are well taken – fly rods are like golf clubs – hard to play a round of golf with one club, so as you go forward a heavier fly rod will be needed for tossing big bass bugs. Also his thoughts on sink tips, integrated sinkers etc are good info.

But that stuff will come in time, so have fun with your new found “addiction” with your smaller panfish flies.
If the RLS+ is a fast action as I believe it to be, I would “up-line” it with an 8wt floating line – as you know, you are casting the fly line and not the fly – an 8 wt fly line has a heavier “belly” and I believe will handle your larger/heavier flies.

Just my thoughts with early morning fuzzy brain – need another cup of coffee.
Have fun with this stuff and don’t let it get complicated.
George

Dirk and George, thank you both so much for the great info!

The fly rod my cousin taught me on and left with me for a while I'm guessing was 8' 6" and possibly 8wt since I had no troubles at all with casting heavier flies so that certainly makes sense. And with struggling with just the wooly bugger, I can't imagine trying that jitterbug looking fly!

And I too am still fuzzy-brained and on my first cup of coffee so as I soak all of that in, can you also address the issue of not being able to get much distance, even on the lighter flies?

Yet maybe that too is just a matter of needing more practice, and maybe without a fly tied on?

Thanks again!

Keith

PS - It's 7am and feeding time so I'm off for more 'practice'

Keith, I wouldn’t worry about distance right down – focus on fundamentals and practice on your pond, or as I practice do, “on the grass” in my back yard. When fundamentals and line management is achieved, a “double haul” will increase your distance and handle windy conditions.
You are doing well – keep up the good work!
George

Thanks, George!

I at least got a little more practice in this morning, until,,,,,,

Got a new combo on order today as they had no more in stock, and there was no questions at Cabela's on returning the broken one.

There was a different guy (Bill) in the fly fishing department and he was awesome! Took the time to visit with me about casting the heavier flies and ended up taking me outside with a comparable fly rod to see first-hand how I was doing and offer some additional tips.

He suggested pointing my feet perpendicular to the direction I'm casting so I can see my backhand (and my thumbnail), and to keep my line straighter he suggested stopping my backhand at 12:00 as the rod tip invariably will end up at 10:00, to speed up my back hand and at the last minute to twitch my wrist, then going forward to also give it a minor snap at the last minute and to be sure and extend my arm as I "throw" the line forward.

I ended up with very little arch in my line, getting a full extension of the line going forward, then laying the fly on the water as it should. He also suggested setting a garbage can lid about 25' away (using 25' of line) and keep casting until I consistently hit it. Then instead of moving it farther away, keep making the target smaller until you can hit it at the size of a dinner plate.

He also taught me the single-haul which I'll need to spend some more time practicing as I had a habit of bringing my hand down during the forward cast instead of keeping it up high to "haul" in the line when going forward.

Watching youtube is one thing and definitely helpful in learning the basics, as well as tips and instructions offered by others, but the hands-on instruction was invaluable!

All in all I was getting more distance, a full extension of the line and very little arch in my cast. And now that I'm so excited about putting to use what I learned today, I have to wait the week or so for my new fly rod to arrive.

And to think this isn't even the tip of the iceberg in the art of fly fishing! Very excited to say the least!

OOOHHH! ready for a spey rod?

just kidding, it sounds as if Cabela's was helpful. Like all things in life it's surprising what you can learn if your willing.

Keep at it, soon it all becomes 2nd nature.

Had to look that one up, Dirk!

And I'm beginning to discover this is a very large iceberg, but exciting none-the-less.

And as a note to my lesson recap, (excitement/adrenaline was still rushing) I'm sure these suggestions were based upon making corrections to the way I was casting but made all the difference in the world for me. So if any of it is correct (by fly-fishing standards) and helps just one new-be like myself, then mission accomplished!

BTW, my replacement combo (see http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=386301#Post386301) has been shipped and will be here by end of day tomorrow so I see a weekend of fly fishing, this time bringing along a "lead snack" in case of another snagged snapper