Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Product sources Fly Fish Starter Combos

Temple Fork Outfitters has a quality starter fly fishing �combo� set for $149.00.
Fly rod is TFO �Series One� IM6 graphite, medium action with a lifetime �No Fault Warrantee�

Reel is Okuma large arbor graphite, spooled with weight forward floating fly line to match rod with tapered leader.

I�m sure that Cabelas and Bass Pro carry this item, but I like to do business with www.burfish.com where you can speak personally with the owner if need be.

Last year I caught a 29-inch �record class� Rainbow trout on one of these rods and it handles like a dream.

Yesterday caught and landed a couple of �record class� one-year-old, pound and a half HSB from our pond, which was even a better experience�

George Glazener

Watch out George you sound like you're chasing records...

That does sound like a very nice outfit for the price.

fly fish combo--have read the post re: TFO fly fish starter for $149. any other suggestions for a decent pan fish fly rod combo--- i remember reading on one thread a couple years ago about one that several people recommended but can't locate it now. anyone remember that recommendation or have another for inexpensive/decent flyrods? thanks for info.

Barnes1 needs to get in on this thread.

Meadowlark...?
MEADOWLARK...??
MEADOWLARK...???


(damn 2005)

What ever happened to Meadowlark? He hasn't been here in a long time. On another site where he also regularly posted, he was posting at least until January 2009. His website has photos from this past spring.

For a number of years, my life goal has been to emulate Meadowlark and George G.

He got a burr under his saddle .....

... I believe Lusk put it best (or at least the most humorously) when he said "He got mad, so he took his football and went home."

So much for the annual Pond Boss Bluegill Bowl. Jeez no parades, no cheerleaders, no half time show....

...just as well I guess, seeing FMB dressed up like a cheerleader kinda creeped me out, not enough to look away, but still.


Moral of the story is place nice or play somewhere else.

any suggestions on the tfo fly fish combo or a better value product? would like to buy a couple decent beginning fly rod combos to see if it's something i want to begin again. please see my post above asking for advice on this subject--if i need to be on a different forum please advise--thanks

Hey GA

You're not going to find anything IMO near that price range for that quality. Many fly rods go for $600+ - just so you have some perspective.

If George says he likes the TFO, that's plenty of endorsement for me. I casted a TFO Mini Mag at the conference for some time around the pond during demonstrations and was surprised at it's balance and sensitivity in correlation to it's pricing.

If you haven't fly fished before and aren't sure whether you'd want to stick with it, you might be able to find a less expensive fly rod/reel combo from Bass Pro or Cableas. BUT, that is strictly $$. For the best value, the TFO combo is the best that I've seen. Earlier this year I bought a Mini-Mag and a
Prism CLS fly reel. It was right around $300.00 with backing, line and a leader all put together. It is easily worth twice that. I shopped here:
Burfish

I think from time of order to arriving at the house was 3 days. (including the day that I ordered it).

gpr, I now recommend the TFO NXT combo set for beginner/intermediate pond fly fishermen - the 5-6wt for BG and small LMB, and the 8-9wt to toss bigger bass bugs.
Around $200 bucks for rod, reel, line and case - with a no questions asked life-time guarantee.

As Scott mentioned above, the Mini-Mags are the best all around pond fly rods I have ever fished - they run about $300 bucks for flyrod, reel, line, and case with life-tiem guarantee.

I would be leary of purchasing the Big-Box" cheap starter sets.
Buy quality - cry once.
Buy cheap - cry twice.

Check with Todd Overton at Overton Fisheries - he is a TFO dealer and PB advertiser and supporter.

George:

I agree 100%. I only suggested the cheap set because he was starting out and wanted to get a couple of sets. I figured $40-$50/set would let him figure out if he really liked fly fishing before he dropped $400-$600 on a couple of sets. If he liked it, he could put the cheaper sets aside for kids and upgrade.

If you're around a pond with kids or grandkids, nothing wrong with $40-50. You will cry less if it gets broken, as mine did last year. Not using it, just general proximity of kids or clumsy adults. A supreme quality fishing item should be used or exposed when alone.

Burger, you and Scott are correct of course about rod breakage around kids but if they are serious about learning to fly fish I believe quality is the route to go.
Someone mentioned above that cheap and inexpensive are not the same and I agree.

Here�s a good link to another forum pertinent to this discussion.
http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4141574/3/Fly_Fishing_Rod_Help

TFO has a new kid�s rod that is high quality and inexpensive � even a good starter rod for any age but for adults there are better choices due to small handle size IMO.
http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/products/rods/bug-launchers.html

Tear �em up � bust �em up - $79.95 with no questions asked lifetime warrantee.

FYI I have a 6-8wt Mini-Mag combo in stock if anybody is interested!

many thanks to all for information and recommendations. i fly fished pretty regularly back 35 years ago so i imagine many improvements have been made. i was wanting to get a friend of mine and myself a "beginner" set to see if we preferred the more active form of "phishing" or the more laid back "cork in the water". again thanks to all. i'll research your recommendations and make a decision. thanks gpr