New to flyfishing, want to catch 'gills

Would you suggest starting with a 3wt or something like a 4 or 5wt? I understand playing the fish, as I currently seldom use anything bigger than 4# line, but I was just wondering what you thought would be a nice setup! I would be interested in one of the Cabela's combos that come with EVERYTHING. The Genesis outfits, in a 4wt but it's and 8*6" rod and I don't know if I need anything that long in the waters I normally fish (smaller ponds and rivers). Would I be able to get away with a 7' or maybe 8' or so? Thanks for the input!

Fly selection is next as well as location on structure.

Flies, poppers, and what else?

Fished in structure or near structure?

Thanks again!

I have a 9' Cortland Combo 4-5 weight. For panfish only, I'd go with something like a 2-3 weight - maybe an 8' or so. Don't ask me which one as I've been looking too and haven't found it. Most combos seem to be 4-5s with good reason. On flies, I've had good luck with hares ears and some of the similar ones. In fall, I've had good luck with grasshopper and cricket imitations. In the evening, some of the dry flies work well for bluegill and crappie. I'm a novice though. Here is a good site.

http://flyanglersonline.com/

I'd go with a 5wt, no shorter than 8'6". It's a little more versatile.

I'll echo the FAOL website as a great resource. They have a bulletin board devoted to warmwater plus special panfish and warmwater features everyweek. You'll find lots of good fly recommendations, also.

For starters, try some basic nymphs and scuds plus a few small poppers and dry flies.

One of the best deals I've seen for a fly rod combo for a beginner is from an FAOL sponsor. Its a 8.5 foot 5wt. 2-piece with everything but the flies to get a beginner started. It would be a good all around fly rod for trout, bream, specks, and bass. Cabelas might beat this deal but its worth a look. Scroll down to the "silvertip fly rod combo". $66.95. Lighter weight rods (like 4wt. or less) are okay under "ideal" conditions meaning low wind. I have a 6.5 foot graphite 4wt. I really like but it can be tough to cast in high wind. So I use a heavier 8 foot 7wt. fiberglass rod for high wind conditions.

http://www.dorber.com/flyrods.html

I'm sure that most any fly combo from Cabelas or BPS (Bass Pro Shops) would be fine also. It would probably be best for you to try a rod out to see how you like the feel of it first before buying if possible (make a few casts). Most combos have a booklet on knots and setting up your combo. I would try to make sure I had one of those booklets that usually come with the flyline.

There are a lot of flies for bream. Many will fall under the fly selections for trout but there are also flies specially tied for bream (hard to find these). Small poppers with rubber legs are always good to have on hand, especially yellow ones. White spongy spiders, scuds, small wet flies (#8-#12 usually), small wooly bugger streamers and bucktails, small dry flies, nymphs, and so on.

I fish surface and subsurface structure. Weed beds and edges of shoreline, docks, fallen trees, stumps, lily pads, and so on. Sometimes in the structure but mostly near the structure within three feet of it. You will most likely lose a lot of flies. Just part of it.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. That's how we learn. Someone will know or make a suggestion. The bottom line is to do what works best for you, not me or the next guy. You might find a better way yourself. Best of luck.

Here are a few beginner links:
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/beginnermenu.html

Fly Fishing 101
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/

I like a 4 wt 8' I also do best with foam spiders I tie myself, the trick for the big ones is cast and let it sit...

Wow thanks. I appreciate the help! I like the look of the Silvertip! Thanks for that, cheaper than most everything else I have seen. Do you know what they charge for shipping? Just curious because I can get a Redington combo here in town for 69.99 with everything but leader, well thanks again!

Here is the contact page:

http://www.dorber.com/contact.html

I went to their order page for that combo and shipping from $35.01 and up is $9.95. Arkansas adds 8% sales tax. $76.90 total it looks like. If you like the feel of the Redington (cast it a few times if you can) and it meets your needs, then get that combo. I would get the outfit that I like the feel of when casting and meets my own needs. You may have other needs. Its ultimately what your needs are for your type of fishing where you live. Good luck and have fun.

[deleted

A Black fly. Or a small spinner with a Black Fly. Anything black. Or flick out the fly line with live bait on it.

If you want to catch a lot of fish, and I mean good fish, don't limit yourself to just a flyrod. It's a fun, but specialty item for bluegill. And is probably the least effective of all methods, under most normal conditions, that I've experienced. But if you enjoy it, try a Black Fly with a tiny speck of red somewhere on it. The best is to put it where it comes naturally. :)

Don

There are alot of really good and inexpensive combos out there. I have the SA combo from Wal-mart. It's a 5-6 wt and is actually a really great entry level rod. It comes with rod, reel, backing, fly line, and leader. I think they run about $50.00 for the combo.
Wal-mart also has some really inexpensive wet flies, popping bugs, and bream bugs. I think the wet flies are around $4.00 for 24 flies, the popping bugs are about $8.00 for 8 bugs and the bream bugs are about $6.00 for 8 bugs.
If I was just starting out for bream on the fly rod this is the way I would go.
You can also buy some micro buggers, micro jigs and bream killers.

I really like fly fishing for bream. Around here it is one of the more effective methods for bream fishing. We will often run a two fly rig with a dry or popping bug and a wet fly or bream killer about a foot from that. It's not uncommon to catch two fish at once alot of times. In fact I will take fly fishing for any species over any other kind of fishing. You can offer a fly in alot more and realistic presentations than you can with other gear.

Bream often hang around structure, but that doesn't mean you will be able to see the structure. Most folks think that they have to see the structure(like trees, weeds, and such) themsleves before there will be fish there...... which is simply not the case. There is all kind of structure under the water where bream live. Don't limit yourself to fishing right under the brush.

As you go along you will learn all kinds of new things that will help you be a better flisherman and allow you to catch more fish on the fly. I learn something each time out and fly fishing has taught me alot of new things about the fish I chase.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by croppy1

If you want to catch a lot of fish, and I mean good fish, don't limit yourself to just a flyrod. It's a fun, but specialty item for bluegill. And is probably the least effective of all methods, under most normal conditions, that I've experienced.

---

I agree and do not limit myself to the fly rod and neither should other anglers, but I do catch far more bream (and good sized keeper bream) on a fly rod than I ever do or have on conventional tackle and that includes live bait (worms, crickets, etc.), not always the biggest, but the most bream. Fifty to 100 bream in one day's fishing on the fly rod is normal for me under normal conditions. Maybe that's due to the fact that 90% of what bream (like trout) eat are insects and the other 10% are baitfish, aquatic worms, and so on which can also be imitated with a fly. Shellcrackers may be the exception feeding on scuds, snails, worms, and other crustaceans, but I can still catch a lot of Shellcrackers on the fly rod by using insect flies, scud flies, and worm flies. The fly rod is my most effective method for catching bream and is by no means a "specialty" item soley for Bluegill or used in a rare special case as far as I'm concerned. Both kinds of tackle have their place but conventional tackle takes a back seat to the fly rod for me when it comes to bream.

But don't take my word for it that insects and their larvae are the dominate food item for bream, look at this FWC link and pay close attention to the headings of "Feeding Habits" for each fish:

http://www.floridafisheries.com/Fishes/panfish.html

I don't think that Wal-Mart still offers that SA combo. I think all they offer nowdays is a Shakespeare combo for like $20. I really want to do this and just want to figure out what the best combo would be. Oh well, I will stop by Dick's tomorrow evening and see what they have to offer as far as ready to fish (-flies of course) combos go. Thanks for all the help, and to the gentleman who said fly rods are specialty items, umm...I think live bait is a specialty item for bream. I catch A LOT more on even a small Rooster Tail and they are typically bigger.

Drew,
All of the Wal-marts here carry the SA combos and this is why I threw it out there. They also carry Shakespeare, Cortland, and two other brands as well.
I know each Wal-mart is different, but was just letting you know what I have seen in our local stores.

I would much rather have SA or Cortland than Shakespeare, but you know how that goes.

Andy,

Don't know if you have one near you but K-Mart has some Scientific Anglers combos and other fly gear here. I've seen the shoddy Shakespeare combo at Wal-Mart and I really would not even consider it. No Cortlands here where I live.

I was in Wal-mart tonight and they also have a nice Eagle Claw combo in a four piece with rod, reel, lines and rod tube.

I agree on the Shakespeare. I wouldn't want to own one either.

Just throwing this one out there. I got a 6' 4wt from BPS. It is kind of expensive but also was ready to step up some. I have a Cortland 8'6" 5-6wt that I started with. This new one is also going to be used to trout fish on some of the smaller mountain streams around here. Got to find a good 9' 4wt rod for the larger streams around here to trout fish. Like the feel of the 3-4wt rod just my preference.

Will check KMart!

These SA combo pages might help. They also have a dealer locator.

http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/sc...s_system.jhtml

http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/sc...ts_ultra.jhtml

If you have a Sports Authority near you, check out the Reddington Crosswater rods. I've heard good things about them, and they're on sale now.

I found a Cortland combo I really like, the only thing is its a 9' rod as opposed to an 8 or 8'6". It is a 5wt and comes with everything but flies and extra leader and tippet material.

drew the longer rods are better for the starter they are more forgiving than a shorter one and accuracy comes a little bit easier. as long as there is plenty of roomto cast. i myself use a 7ft 4wt but most of the places that i fish are pretty confined. someone mentioned faol and it is an excellent site for the beginer as well as a veteran good luck and good fishin

Drew,
Ya got good info here.
Being as you are looking at "entry level" gear for now (as you should be), it might be advantageous for you to hold out for a shorter rig. Seems the inexpensive rods tend to feel a bit heavy in the hand and the shorter stuff might be a bit more "balanced" feeling.
If and when you progress or advance to the more expensive stuff, even 10' rods are light "in hand".
Just random thought of little importance. Main thing is GET STARTED. It is (can be) a very enjoyable road....the one leading to proficient FF'ing. :)
.....lee s.

I found a Martin 8ft combo at the local Kmart and have no idea what to think about it. It has a 5x leader, 6wt line, and an assortment of flies. It is only $20.00 Don't know what I could expect as far as the quality goes. ..Also, I found a Berkley Cherrywood 8' rod 6/7 for 2299 with no reel or anything...I could get a decent reel by Pflueger for $35 loaded with line, and then a fly box and some flies.

It doesn't sound like your options are that great at the local stores. In that case, I'd suggest getting a Bass Pro or Cabelas starter outfit. Both of them have good combos that are better than what you've mentioned. Bass Pro has a lot of fly gear on sale now, too. Both BP and Cabelas also sell Temple Forks (TFO) fly rods which are a great value.

Another option would be the Global Dorber group:

www.dorber.com

Although I have never purchased anything from them, I hear nothing but good reports.

Yeah. I agree with Kevin. I don't know about the current quality of Martin who used to be pretty good quality. I definately would not get a cherrywood rod. BPS or Cabelas might be your best option if you can't get the Silvertip from Dorber if you can't find one to try out that you like. I still suggest a 5 wt. to begin with. Sounds like you are having difficulty finding a good rod to try out locally. While a graphite is great for distance, I would suggest a fiberglass rod for a beginner since it is slower casting and more accurate so its more forgiving of casting errors for a beginner. But finding an affordable glass rod can be difficult. EagleClaw fiberglass Featherlights among some other lower end companies (Fenwick, etc.) have some good glass rods at an affordable price. What I did was order an EagleClaw fiberglass 8 foot Featherlight from a local (not chain or franchise) hardware store with the option of buying if I liked the feel of the rod (they would send it back if I didn't like it at no charge since their tackle representative visits the store on a regular basis). I liked it and matched it with a Scientific Anglers Model 58 lightweight polymer graphite reel from K-Mart. A really great casting lightweight outfit for me but this might not be great for you. Just another option you might consider. Like Lee said, the main thing is to get started. Best of luck.

Get a 5wt. If there's any wind you'll be glad you did. And if you ever try trout fishing the transition would be easier. Go with some hares ear nymphs, and a few flashy ones like a sinking bee or royal coachman. A few dries isn't a bad idea, fishin' em is just plain fun, but you'll catch more on wets.

I bought a 5wt starter kit from Cabelas, 3 years ago. I use mine with a 5ft leader and use very small jigs to catch panfish. 1/64, 1/80, and 1/100 oz jigs work great for me. I even use bigger jig and plastics when i find the big ones. A 2lb crappie on my rod is awesome. I'd like to find some shellcrackers to really have a blast. Won't go wrong with a 5 wt.

I used to fish the Everglades a lot with a flyrod and used to have a blast catching gills on a popper. The ones with the rubber legs and feathers on the rear. Bass used to tear them up also. Best of luck to you it is great fun.:rolleyes:

Definitely get some dries too. I have a Cortland combo I got a few years ago and was using a royal coachman with very good success last nigt. I have also had very good success with some others. It is neat to catch them on top. On wets, the hares ear and few others do very well for me.

Been away awhile, I got a Cabelas Three Forks 7.5' 3wt rod with a SA 2M35 reel loaded with WF3F line. LOVE IT! Thanks everyone! I appreciate it!

Great to hear it, Andy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chaunc

I'd like to find some shellcrackers to really have a blast.

---

I would get some #10 size (or smaller) scud flies for those Shellcrackers if I were you, chaunc. That's what they go for ;). Along with some pencil poppers or crease flies for surface minnow imitations. I sometimes use a popper/dropper rig. The scud fly tied to about two feet of 6lb. test mono with the other end tied to the bend of the surface fly or I just fish the scud fly by itself. Small #10 or smaller nymphs like a Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear Nymph or a Pheasant Tail Nymph might also work if you can't get any scud flies.

but i didn't have my fly rod in the boat.:( I'm takin it with me next time i go there tho.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...n/Img_0456.jpg
Bet that would have been awesome on the flyrod, but had a blast on my ultralight jigpole.:D

Wow!, chaunc. Real nice mess of Shellcrackers. You using live worms on that jigpole?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dixieangler

Wow!, chaunc. Real nice mess of Shellcrackers. You using live worms on that jigpole?

---

No live bait. Got em all on a jig and crappie nibble. Most under a float, drifting over shell beds.

That is a find mess of red ears. Fly rod would be fun.

What size Royal Coachman? I have #14 Renegades, #14 fur ants, #14 sponge spiders, etc.

Found my scuds. I'll be sure to give them a try next time out. Thanks for the info DA.

Andy,

Royal Coachmans work fine. If dry I use a size 12, if wet I use a size 10. I usually don't use any fly below a size 12 unless the bream are picky about larger flies or if they are hook educated. You could probably get away with larger flies than size 14. I mostly use size 8-10 flies, occasionally size 12, rarely smaller. Have fun :).

chaunc,

This link really helps me out by telling me what critters Shellcrackers eat so I can use flies that imitate them. Scuds are freshwater shrimp, a crustacean :D. Nymphs (larval insects) work good as do small minnow or streamer flies. I've caught Shellcrackers on #4 Crease Flies before which are a foam type surface minnow type of fly that's sort of like a pencil popper. The link below does mention small fish :).

Feeding Habits for Shellcrackers:

Quote:

---

Feeding Habits - Redears are opportunistic bottom feeders, foraging mainly during daylight hours on a variety of invertebrates. Important food items include snails and clams which are crushed by grinding teeth in the throat; larval insects, fish eggs, small fish, and crustaceans. In some areas snails may be secondary to insects as a food preference.

---

Link:
Redear

Crease Fly

Best of luck chasing those Shellcrackers.