Fishing:
Getting Started in BTB Fly Fishing - Part I: Gearing Up
Your First Outfit(s)...
OK...you're getting started in BTBFF, and want to buy your first outfit. But you begin looking, and all of a sudden you realize that it’s not as easy as you thought. There's new terminology and technology to deal with, unfamiliar manufacturers, wildly varying prices...where do you start?
Our usual quiver
We're not going to start with a description of the basic parts of a fly fishing outfit. If you need help with the basics, consult your local fly shop, or one of the resources listed in the "Notes4Newbies" section in this article.
What we did was to ask our regional moderators for their advice. They represent decades of experience, and are on the water more than they'd like to admit, so they should have a good feel for what works and what doesn't. We asked them for starter equipment recommendations if:
- They could only buy one outfit
- They could buy two outfits
- They could buy three outfits
We didn't ask them for specific manufacturers or models, but rather for general specs on equipment, what they'd use it for, and any other comments they might have.
There were some common themes in their comments:
- Buy name-brand equipment.
Nowadays, it's hard to find truly horrible gear from any of the name brand manufacturers. True, there are some manufacturers and / or models that may be standouts in a particular area, but at this stage of your fly fishing career, it probably won't make that much of a difference to you. By all means, do your homework - talk to people, make some Internet inquires, test cast a few - but don't overwork it. Make a choice, then move on.
- For rods, this list
includes (in no particular order): Sage, G. Loomis, Thomas & Thomas,
Scott, Albright, Temple Fork Outfitters, Echo, St. Croix, Orvis, Powell, Cortland,
Redington, and Graphite USA, among others. Some of the major
retailers, like Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops, also make decent
rods. Key
points: large guides,
and a secure reel seat that will fit the reel you select.
- For reels, this list
includes (in no particular order): Tibor / Pate, Abel, Ross, Galvan, Cortland, Bauer, Temple Fork Outfitters, Albright, Scientific
Anglers, Loop, Charlton, Nautilus, Sage, Fin Nor, Seamaster, Orvis, Lamson, Teton
and Redington. Key
points: large diameter spools are better
than small diameter; smooth drag (the standard for many years has
been cork disk, but there are now several alternatives), corrosion-resistant
materials and finishes
- For fly lines, this
list includes (in no particular order): Scientific Anglers, Rio, Airflo, Cortland,
and Teeny
- For rods, this list
includes (in no particular order): Sage, G. Loomis, Thomas & Thomas,
Scott, Albright, Temple Fork Outfitters, Echo, St. Croix, Orvis, Powell, Cortland,
Redington, and Graphite USA, among others. Some of the major
retailers, like Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops, also make decent
rods. Key
points: large guides,
and a secure reel seat that will fit the reel you select.
- Buy the best you can afford, but don't break
the bank (unless you want to). Equipment from any of the companies mentioned
above will be fine for a starter outfit. As you gain more experience, you
will develop your own tastes in equipment, and can upgrade later to exactly what you want. If you feel like you have to splurge, start with upgrading the reel first.
- Learn to cast. Oddly enough, many people spend more time focused on the
equipment they're going buy, than how to use it effectively.
Recommendations for one outfit:
| What | Specs | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Rod | 9', 9 or 10wt, graphite |
This one outfit will cover a lot of bases - from inshore species like calico bass, bonito and barracuda, to smaller yellowtail, tuna and sharks. You'll be a bit over-gunned for the small stuff, about right for fish into the teens (larger if there is no cover and you are a patient person), and under-gunned for the bigger stuff. On the low end of the price range, expect to pay somewhere around $335 for an entry-level outfit: for example, a TFO Left Kreh Signature Series rod ($110), Teton Tioga reel ($165), Scientific Anglers Custom Tip Express line ($40), and 250 yards of Scientific Anglers 30lb braided Dacron backing ($20). On the high end you could pay around $1,000 more: $1,420 for a Sage Z-Axis ($670), Tibor Riptide ($630), Rio Outbound integrated shooting head ($70) flyline and 350 yards of Spectra backing (approximately $50). |
| Reel | Single action, direct drive or anti-reverse; roughly 4 inch diameter spool, large arbor; cork or synthetic disk drag | |
| Fly Line | Integrated shooting head, Type 6 sinking | |
| Backing | As much braided Dacron or Spectra backing as will fit (minimum 250 yards) |
Recommendations for two outfits:
| What | Specs | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outfit #1 | Outfit #2 | ||
| Rod | 9', 7, 8 or 9wt, graphite | 9', 10 or 11wt, graphite |
A lighter outfit for inshore species like calico bass, bonito and barracuda, and a heavier outfit to match small-medium yellowtail, tuna and sharks. You'll still be be under-gunned for the bigger stuff, or medium-sized fish near cover. Prices will be roughly the same as above. |
| Reel | Single action, direct drive or anti-reverse; roughly 3.5 inch diameter spool, large arbor; cork or synthetic disk drag | Single action, direct drive or anti-reverse; roughly 4 inch diameter spool, large arbor; cork or synthetic disk drag | |
| Fly Line | Integrated shooting head, Type 6 sinking | Integrated shooting head, Type 6 sinking | |
| Backing | As much braided Dacron or Spectra backing as will fit (minimum 150 yards) | As much braided Dacron or Spectra backing as will fit (minimum 250 yards) | |
Recommendations for three outfits:
| What | Specs | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outfit #1 | Outfit #2 | Outfit #3 | ||
| Rod | 9', 7, 8 or 9wt, graphite | 9', 10 or 11wt, graphite | 8' or 8' 6", 13 - 15wt, graphite |
The addition of a heavyweight rod rounds out the basic quiver. You'll still be a bit under-gunned for the biggest stuff, but this last outfit will be about the best you can do in terms of controlling a large fish near cover, or a large offshore fish which sounds. Don't expect to be able to consistently cast Outfit #3 without a lot of practice and some strength exercises! Outfit #3 will be used for big, tough fish, so you might want to invest in a higher-end reel. On the low-end of the price range, you will be looking at adding around $150 to the overall cost. For example, the TFO Terry Hayden reel runs around $380 vs. $165 for the Ross Cimmaron.. |
| Reel | Single action, direct drive or anti-reverse; roughly 3.5 inch diameter spool, large arbor; cork or synthetic disk drag | Single action, direct drive or anti-reverse; roughly 4 inch diameter spool, large arbor; cork or synthetic disk drag | Single action, direct drive or anti-reverse; roughly 4.5 inch diameter spool, large arbor; cork or synthetic disk drag | |
| Fly Line | Integrated shooting head, Type 6 sinking | Integrated shooting head, Type 6 sinking | Integrated shooting head, Type 6 sinking | |
| Backing | As much braided Dacron or Spectra backing as will fit (minimum 150 yards) | As much braided Dacron or Spectra backing as will fit (minimum 250 yards) | As much braided Dacron or Spectra backing as will fit (minimum 350 yards) | |
Some variations and accessories to consider:
- Add extra spools or duplicate outfits, but with different density lines,
such as a floating line.
This will give you more versatility. A floating or intermediate sinking fly line is a good second line, because they will allow you use popping bugs or other shallow-water presentations - Try a traditional shooting head setup instead of integrated
shooting heads
Traditional shooting heads allow you to switch density of lines very easily, and they cast farther with less effort. But they do require a little more setup.
That's it for your initial purchases. In Part II of this series, we'll talk about rigging the outfit (connections, leaders), and in Part III we'll talk about some other things you might want to buy...
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