Taking up fly fishing

[SAfish]

Hi all,

I want to begin fly fishing and I need some advice on a basic setup. I will begin with fresh water as my brother has a farm outside De Rust with a dam full of bass and some really descent sized carp. The water is quite clear and I will be able to do sight fishing. What would be a descent setup without busting the bank? I am basically looking for a setup that is not too expensive, but it must be durable enough to handle all the knocks and bumps from a novice. My wife is going to ::cavmn me if she sees me venturing into a new facet of fishing, but hey I have to try it all. Please help!  

 

[DJP]

Hi SAfish. Sonder om brands te noem sal ek vir jou aanraai om 'n 6Wght outfit te kry (stok, lyn en katrol).

Stokke raak baie ingewikkelde storie maar een basies ding om na te kyk is wanneer jy die stok agter vashou en dit 'n goeie skud gee en dan jou hand verslap moet dit binne paar bewegings weer stil staan. Probeer dit in die winkel en jy sal sien dat meeste duurder stokke hier beter vertoon. As 'n reel is slapper stokke meer vergewend vir begginers en stywer stokke meer vir gevorderde hengelaars amdat dit "tighter loops" gooi.

Spandeer bietjie geld op die stok en lyn maar moenie wory oor die katrol nie koop maar 'n goedkoop een want mens gebruik dit selde. Katrol stoor maar basies die lyn.

Maak seker die katrol kan teminste so 50-60m backing neem. Varswater vis gaan nie somer verder run nie. Selfs vis soos elf en klein leeries sal jy redelik gemaklik kan hanteer.

Kry vir jou weight forward dryf lyn om mee te begin dit tel maklik van die water af op en sal bietjie verder gooi as die dubble tapered lyn. Helder gekleurde lyn help baie in die begin om te sien of jou aanbieding reg is so ek sou dit aanraai.

In die begin sou ek aanraai om weg te bly van te groot flies. Veral Bass word met groter flies gevang maar hulle gooi moeilik en dit kan baie frustrerend raak.

Vir bass sou ek meestal swart foam poppers gebruik (nie die heel grotes nie). Jy kan leker sien waar die fly is en wanneer die bass gryp. Onthou wanneer jy met 'topwater' flies vang om nie dadelik te strike nie maar eers so 2 tellings te wag sodat vis gedraai het...dit vat bietjie oefening.

Vir karp kan jy enige klein swart wooly worms (wooly bugger sonder hackle) no.12 en kleiner gebruik. Biejie rooi in die fly help soms as 'n "trigger". Tegniek is basies om te wag dat karp op bodem voer en dan fly so 5-30cm voor vis op bodem te plaas. Dit is egter bietjie meer ingewikkeld as dit. Goeie boek is "Carp on the Fly" deur Barry Reynolds jy kan dit bestel by Netbooks.com

Hoop dit help. Vra is vry!

 

[Ryan]

I suggest looking at the stealth or Horizon rods as entry level rods - these won't break the bank are ideal setups for the begginner and are a little more forgiving than the stiffer ones. I have had some stealth's for over 10 years and they still going strong.
For carp and possibly Saltwater Species don't look less than a 5wt rod - I am guilty of using a 4 for this application but it means I have really tired fish when they come to the net.
The reel is more a facility just to hold string on the lighter weight rods.Bigger rods bigger fish dictate better drags on the small stuff you can always palm the reel - for me it was critical that a reel did not have a noisy drag - nothing worse for me drifting down a wild part of the zambezi and hearing a noisy drag of a reel screaming behind the reeds - guess it is just personal preference.
One thing with Fly Line buy quality and they are damn expensive but don't sell yourself and buy a cheapie as tempting as it is - Fly lines should last many years provided you look after them. I have a preference for WT Forward lines but then again I am not one for small fly's and delicate presentations where the double taper helps.
Another nice thing with the double taper is when the line starts wearing out you can always swop the line around.
A floating line is a better way to start it is more manageable than singlines in the beginning. I only own 1 sinking line and that is for a 9wt for fishing for tigers in deep fast flowing water - for everything else I use floating and if I need to get down I just use longer leaders.
I see most of what I have written has duplicated DJP - -hehe great minds think alike

 

[SAfish]

Thanks guys, some very appreciated and interesting advice. I will go to my local tackle shop and see what they have to offer. What would be a good price to pay for a 6wt Stealth or Horizon? I will definitely target saltwater species later on so I have to keep that in mind as well. Who can live in Knysna and not try fly fishing?:sf:::

 

[Ryan]

R600-1k depending on Model

Before you buy see if there is somebody that might be able to offer you a few quality lessons.

Best is to learn Good habits early than to try and rectify bad ones later - lessons are a good investment and to the betterment of your fishing