The Cost of Modern Fly Fishing

[Jeff Higgins]

As most of you might already know, I retired a few years ago. I have had no trouble filling my time with my various projects and hobbies, but I have now decided it might be time to revisit one of my old favorites, one I kind of abandoned when my two boys got old enough to fish with me - fly fishing.

I still have all of my gear that I was using when I was active in the sport - an old Pflueger Medalist #1495 reel with two extra spools, a little bit newer Orvis Battenkill Disc 7/8 reel, a fiberglass 9 1/2 foot Fenwick 7 weight pole, hundreds of flies, and all of the small esotera required. I was worried, however, about my old fly lines - all top quality Scientific Anglers lines, a full floater, full intermediate sinker, and a sink tip, all weight forward 7 weights. I was afraid they were all permanently formed into "slinkies" from being on the spools for so long. So I started shopping for new replacements...

My God - one can now easily spend $200.00 or more on a stinking' fly line. You've got to be freakin' kidding me. And rods and reels - don't even get me started on rods and reels. A thousand bucks for a fly rod???!!! "Cheese and rice", as Chuck used to say... What has happened here, while I wasn't watching? This is insane.

In shock, I decided to really take a good look at my old stuff. Not that I "need" a new reel or a new pole, but if the lines are dried out, brittle, and hopelessly coiled, I will need new lines. At least three of them. Gulp... So, I unfurled all of them across the front yard and let them lay out and warm up in the sun for awhile. They were actually pretty supple, and laid out straight and flat. So I re-spooled them, and set about casting with them. The tippets and leaders all snapped, but I expected that, and that stuff is still cheap. Imagine my relief when all of the lines cast just fine, and continued to play out and lay straight after repeated rewinding. Whew - I think I can use my old lines.

I would like a new pole, though. My old Fenwick is fantastic, but it's only a two piece. I want something to pack on my motorcycle so I can ride way up some of our local rivers, on the logging roads that follow them. I would like a six piece rod for that. It looks like there are many that will fill the bill, but conspicuously absent from most selections is the ubiquitous 7 weight. It's weird - 7 weight used to be the most common "all around" for trout on rivers and lakes. And, like I said, my lines are all 7's. There area few available, and some are pretty reasonable, but maybe some of you fly fishermen can recommend one for me. 7 Weight, 9 to 9 1/2 foot, six piece. Any suggestions?

[vash]

Waders have come a long way. expensive!!

i wear Orvis waders, but i really want a pair of Simms. i feel they are better multitaskers.

[steveo12345]

What ever you do don't start shopping for waders! The prices have gone nuts and they all start leaking after a few seasons. You can find much less expensive lines that perform well. I bought a line from these guys and it works great. https://www.risenfly.com/ No affiliation with the company.

[71T Targa]

My only experience with fly fishing is watching 'A River Runs Through It' a dozen or so times.

For Trout, growing up in MN, I'd just use a worm on a hook with maybe one or two split shot a foot up the line. Cast it up stream and let it tumble past.
Mmmm, how I love Rainbow Trout fresh from the stream.

[MBAtarga]

A now retired previous co-worker of mine is deep into fly fishing. He was trying to get me interested at one point about 4 or 5 years ago. After putting together a starters list of equipment that was in the low 4 figures - I told him I had no idea it was so expensive. He told me Golfing is cheaper. I believe it.

[RWebb]

High-priced gear is used to "substitute" for a lack of skill and effort.

[bkreigsr]

I have had more than a few fish refuse to make a run at my lure because I was not using the latest Pflueger reel.
- they know - they really do !!!


~~~~<'')(((((((({<~~~~

Bill K

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by vash

Waders have come a long way. expensive!!

i wear Orvis waders, but i really want a pair of Simms. i feel they are better multitaskers.

PFFT! I wear 20+ year old Remington chest waders for my salmon fishing excursions. Damn things do NOTHING for those times when you get in the spots where the bottom is really soft. I'd post a pic of my nephew and I but I can't seem to find it now. He decided to go for it and I said "I'm right behind ya man!"

OT, Jeff.... it's not about the price tag, it's about the fun you have once you've paid that price. I bought my son some nice gear last year when we went salmon fishing up on Huron together. We stopped at Cabelas on the way and he was worried about the price of the gear. I told him "grab what you think is going to be the best and let's go have some fun!". When you're retired you should have the same attitude. Go get it and enjoy it. You've got some nice gear now put some nice line on it and go have fun!!

[craigster59]

Go with Temple Fork Outfitters for your rod (lifetime warranty like Sage at 1/3 price) and maybe an Allen reel, although in fly fishing a reel is more for line storage than anything else so what you have will work. You can also find some good deals on the whole package with line at Cabelas.

With this slowdown at work (I can't figure if I'm non-essential or non-efficient) I've gotten into tying flies. That's a $$$ Rabbit Hole you don't want to go down!

[Eric Coffey]

I have a couple vintage bamboo rods and Abel reels I am thinking about selling so I can buy a GT3.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by vash

Waders have come a long way. expensive!!

i wear Orvis waders, but i really want a pair of Simms. i feel they are better multitaskers.

There was a guy today on Eastern Sierra FF that was looking for advice on waders. One guy said "Simms are expensive and overrated. I prefer Dan Bailey's. I've owned 4 pair and never had a problem".

He probably would have paid lot less for a set of mid-range Simms that last 20 years than 4 pair of Dan Bailey's.

[Bill Douglas]

Jeff, my fly rod and reel are from when I was a ten year old but with new floating line. Not high end line, but OK stuff, and the setup worked like it used to. I did a five days away motorbike ride on my old Honda - a bit like your one and took the gear with me. I cut a section of plastic rain pipe that I could squeak the two piece fly rod into and off I went.

In eight hours of fishing a remote mountain river I got 11 trout and kept one. The funny thing is a buddy who laughed at my gear and had to have the best of the best did a big trout fishing trip for a week and got nothing.

[Jeff Higgins]

I'm all set on the "hardware", except for a pole that breaks down smaller. I have a great pair of neoprene stocking foot waders that I used to use both in the rivers and streams and out on the lakes while in my belly boat. I forget what brand on the waders, but the belly boat is a first year Caddis. Very simple and basic, and very light. It was made to use with a truck tire inner tube, but a few years into it a number of companies began making very lightweight liners for them, so that's what is in it now.

I do have an original Eagle Claw Custom Packer, a four piece spinning/fly rod that breaks down into four pieces and stores in an aluminum tube with screw-on end caps. It's probably the best spinning rod I have ever owned, but it's somewhat lacking as a fly rod. Too short, too stiff - it's like casting with a fence post.

Thanks for the tip on Temple Fork Outfitters, Craig. I've looked at their stuff but was unsure of their quality (it's a new name since I quit decades ago).

I think I'll be good to go when my leaders and tippets arrive. If my old fly lines really won't cut it, I'll start shopping for replacements at that time. And you know, I would bet that today's "entry level" lines are far better than my old "top of the line" examples from 25-30 years ago. I bet I could string up a $25-$30 fly line and marvel at the improvement over my old stuff.

[pwd72s]

Gawd, guys. I have an old Montague brand 2 piece fiberglass fly rod that I won in a Santiam Fish & Game association (Group now disbanded) banquet raffle when I was 12-13 maybe. Means the rod over 60 years old. The reel on it says "Bristol 69...Bristol Conn, USA". Dad gave me the reel. Dunno what the line is...had it leaning up against a wall in the garage. Just grabbed it so I could name drop on all my top of the line gear. My waders? Pair of shorts and chuck Taylor all stars. I'd fish a bit, climb out to warm up. Doubt I had $20 in the whole outfit.

Sure used to catch native cutthroat that were in a small stream near the Cascades summit of the south santiam pass tho. Logger who told us about the creek said he's have to kill us if we told anyone else about it. I never did. But like everything else in Oregon, it's probably been Californicated by now.

[berettafan]

if you're talking trout and the like you don't need the reel for anything other than holding line. go cheap on that.

i miss fly rodding streams very much.

[LWJ]

Paul,

I'm not kidding. I want to know this cutthroat stream.

Thanks
Larry

[vash]

Neoprene waders? You really should look at the new stuff. Life’s too short man.

Simms. My next pair will be Simms. Digging for clams, ocean fishing, float tube, AK fishing to bear hunting. Simms are the ticket. My Orvis waders are really good, but I take extreme care slipping them on. Even the instructions say, “the fish can wait! Don’t tear the seams trying to put them on quickly”. I paraphrased it, but it was rule #1.

My friend wore his Simms hunting for black bears out of a boat. He would just drop out of the boat and start the stalk.

[quicksix]

Jeff, check out Tenkara, might fit the bill for you.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Paul,

I'm not kidding. I want to know this cutthroat stream.

Thanks
Larry

Sorry...I gave my word.

[jyl]

Been a long time for me, but I had (still have) a four piece 6 weight rod (a Sage?) that cast every bit as well as my two piece rods. Make your own from blanks!