new to fly fishing question.....

I own and operate a small sporting goods store and have lately been having lots of request for fly fishing stuff. So, I bought some basics, leaders, line, fly assortments, etc. I also started stocking a Pflueger fly rod combo.

Well, I decided that if I'm going to start stocking this stuff, I need to know what to tell people when they have questions.

So, I took one of the Pflueger combos off the shelf, put it together, and started to try to learn.

Here is my question. I can cast fairly well short distances of about 20' and less. Any past that and the fly just dies in mid air and piles up.

Is it my technique or just the cheap combo? It's getting frustrating to say the least. And most waters I fish will be lakes for bluegill, bass, crappie, etc. Not so much streams for trout.

I've watched lots of different videos and I seem to be able to get it to work fairly well as long as there is no wind. But, when I try to make a longer cast I can't get it to work. I have the false cast and shooting the line out down pretty good. Just can't seem to get much distance.

The rod I'm sure is a fiberglass rod in the combo and the reel.....well let's just say dime store quality. But, I'm not sure that investing in more expensive equipment will help me out.....or will it?

I took this set home to learn the basics, but will invest in better stuff when and if I get the hang of it enough to be competent in casting and fishing. Or, should I just bite the bullet and get at least a good rod?

Thanks.

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Originally Posted by luremaker

Here is my question. I can cast fairly well short distances of about 20' and less. Any past that and the fly just dies in mid air and piles up.

Is it my technique or just the cheap combo?

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At this point in your fly fishing career, I'd say it's both.

Let's consider the combo first. Ask almost any experienced fly fisherman, and they'll tell you the LINE is the most important piece of tackle. I"m not sure who makes the line that comes with the Pflueger outfit, but I'm guessing it's below average quality. The cheapest combos I recommend to people are the Scientific Anglers outfit ($110) and the Redington Crosswater outfit ($140.) The lines that come with them are made by Sci Anglers and Rio, respectively, two of the world's leading fly line manufacturers.

Also, you said you put the outfit together. Did you actually put the line on the reel yourself? I ask because most fly combos will come with a weight forward taper line, and it's very important which end of the line goes on the reel first. If you get that backwards, it will be almost impossible to cast.

As for your technique, NOBODY picks up a fly rod and casts fifty feet. Most struggle with thirty feet. Distance will come as your form improves. Get some instruction and practice, and you will definitely get more distance.

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Originally Posted by luremaker

The rod I'm sure is a fiberglass rod in the combo and the reel.....well let's just say dime store quality. But, I'm not sure that investing in more expensive equipment will help me out.....or will it?

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Better quality gear will definitely help you out, but you don't have to buy a $1,000 outfit to learn. I will post a good article on this tomorrow.

Thanks DB4Disco! the line was already spooled on the combo. Guess maybe I'm not as bad as I thought. I can get it to cast to @30'. I actually stepped it off last night while practicing. But, I do have troubles getting it to lay out straight.

I live in an area where there are few fly fishers, but hopefully someone with more experience than me will show me what I'm doing wrong. I may try and video myself to see if I'm seeing anything just glaring out at me. If I do, is there a way to post it on here to get critiqued?

Thanks again. I'm getting more determined to learn this as I think at times it will be very effective where I fish.

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

I will post a good article on this tomorrow.

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... and here it is:

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/showt...-the-right-rod

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Originally Posted by luremaker

Thanks DB4Disco! the line was already spooled on the combo. Guess maybe I'm not as bad as I thought. I can get it to cast to @30'. I actually stepped it off last night while practicing. But, I do have troubles getting it to lay out straight.

I live in an area where there are few fly fishers, but hopefully someone with more experience than me will show me what I'm doing wrong. I may try and video myself to see if I'm seeing anything just glaring out at me. If I do, is there a way to post it on here to get critiqued?

Thanks again. I'm getting more determined to learn this as I think at times it will be very effective where I fish.

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A few points:

1. If you can find a fly shop, fly fishing club, etc. within an hour or two of you, it will help you immensely and save you years of frustration. Even Bass Pro should have some good fly instruction.

2. Don't worry about distance. It's much better to cast 20' well than 30' poorly. Work on your form and the distance will come.

3. Most beginners use WAY too much effort. The guy in the video below is an excellent caster. He has 30' of line in the air. Take note of how little effort is involved.

http://www.sexyloops.com/flycasting/minimumpower.shtml

hhmmm.....maybe I'm using too much power? I'll try that tonight when I get home from work.

I found a local guy that has fly fished a little who said he would help me out to see if he can give me any advice. He customs builds rods but I don't know how much he actually knows about fly fishing....so we'll see.

thanks for the videos DB4Disco. I'll definitely try less power to see if that works better.

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Originally Posted by luremaker

hhmmm.....maybe I'm using too much power? I'll try that tonight when I get home from work.

I found a local guy that has fly fished a little who said he would help me out to see if he can give me any advice. He customs builds rods but I don't know how much he actually knows about fly fishing....so we'll see.

thanks for the videos DB4Disco. I'll definitely try less power to see if that works better.

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If you can't find a good local teacher, a DVD is a great alternative. Either one of these would be good.

http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Wulffs-Dy...rds=joan+wulff

http://www.amazon.com/The-Essence-Fl...ds=mel+krieger

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

If you can't find a good local teacher, a DVD is a great alternative.

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I just discovered this: free Joan Wulff videos!

http://winstonrods.com/category/wins...lff-videos.php

Very nice! Thanks for the links! I can already tell some things I'm doing wrong. Can't wait to get home tonight to try here techniques out.

Well still having trouble but getting to where I can lay the line out straighter so making progress

Keep at it. Rome wasn't built in a day. ;)

Got the chance to go to bass pro today and talked a long time with the casting instructor. I didn't upgrade to a better rod but did come back and took some line off the shelf and restrung it. Much better. I will still upgrade in the future but will learn the basics first with what I have. Thanks!

Flyfishing is NOT as easy as it looks, don't get too frustrated with it, and the wind can play havoc on even the best casters. Higher weight rods (7/8/9+) will be easier to cast in windy conditions. Lower weight rods (6 and lower) have less mass to throw or a lighter line (the line is actually what you try and cast) not the fly, and wind will not be kind. Try a 4wt with a light early morning breeze at sunrise, and you'll wish you had brought the 8wt. :biggrin

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Originally Posted by luremaker

Got the chance to go to bass pro today and talked a long time with the casting instructor. I didn't upgrade to a better rod but did come back and took some line off the shelf and restrung it. Much better. I will still upgrade in the future but will learn the basics first with what I have. Thanks!

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Glad to hear. I think Bass Pro is mostly geared to people just getting started in fly fishing, so you should be able to get some good instruction there.

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Originally Posted by luremaker

hhmmm.....maybe I'm using too much power? I'll try that tonight when I get home from work.

I found a local guy that has fly fished a little who said he would help me out to see if he can give me any advice. He customs builds rods but I don't know how much he actually knows about fly fishing....so we'll see.

thanks for the videos DB4Disco. I'll definitely try less power to see if that works better.

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let the rod do the work . I have a Eagle Claw "Black widow " that I bream fish with and 40-50 ft. is not a problem . timing on the back cast is crucial .

I bought an Okuma fly combo set for about $70. (The person who was teaching me fly fishing had no issues with it.) I also experienced what you experienced early on. Took about three days before I could get it out to about 50 feet which was enough for me. Biggest problem for me was using too much wrist . Once you get the hang of it, it becomes effortless so to speak.

-danny