What's a good starter SW Flyfishing setup?

[Bassets]

can anyone reccommend a good start up outfit? Heard anything about Temple Fork rods?

[Bob Parsons]

I found the a reddington package at the Goose Hummock to be a inexpense and met my needs as a beginner. Other stores may have similar packages. LL Bean has a good starting package in their Quest series.

[ChrisAkeley]

I started with the redington's red.start setup and it served the purpose nicely. There are some other threads discussing temple fork rods, all of which I believe are quite positive.

[Capt.ChrisLembo]

If I was just starting out I would look for a good used reel on EBay rather then find a new lesser quality reel. I would also only consider a large arbor type such as the Orvis Battenkill large arbor, Ross, Loop Evotec etc or a Penn 2.5 is nice for low $....I have bought 6 reels (1 Abel, 1 Loop ,2 Pate, 2 Penn)off Ebay or Fish-Golf.com all in good condition for short $ and they all are fine. The new lesser reels I bought I ended up selling and should have done the former in the first place.

Check out the Australian fly shops as the exchange rate makes new stuff very cheap. Shipping should only add $20 to a reel you can get for almost 1/2 price.

For a rod..... go to the web site of Versitex of America and check out their rods. They are made from top notch components, have an unlimited lifetime warranty and are very reasonably priced.

[soundfisher]

I'm a big fan of ebay and thanks for the www.fishgolf.com link. When buying off of ebay, just be aware that some of the merchandise does not come with U.S. warranties.

For instance, the Loop reels out of Australia. Also, Orvis recently flooded the market with Redington and Hart reels at their tent sales. Redington has a strong lifetime guaranty, but the warranties on reels sold through the tent sales will not be honored. These tent sale reels were etched with little scratches on the spool and reel and dozens have been sold on ebay over the past couple of months.

Finally, if you are just beginning, it might be a good idea to patronize your local fly shop. If they are good, the guys there can provide you with a ton of valuable advice and insight which will make up for the difference in prices.

[Quicksilver]

This is being picky, but Loop reels are manufactured in Sweden not Australia. Loop reels come with a one year warrenty. If one were to buy an U.S. reel with a one year warrenty they would be in the same boat. I check out ebay every day for fly fishing stuff. The best deals I've found have been at the classified section here or at the Virtual Flyshop. I went through the same learning curve with reels as the Capt. I started with a really low end reel, "moved up" to a Cortland rimfly, then a Cortland magnum 140D. I still use the rimfly for shad and really like the fact it can be easily palmed for drag. I have no use for the 140D. I almost always use one of my three Lamson LP-4s for my fishing, even though I have two Loops, a Pate. I am a big fan of Lamson and the way they stand behind their product. I hope you can borrow some equipment and test it fishing before you lay down hard cash. Most of the first $400 I spent on fly fishing gear was for junk.

[Capt.ChrisLembo]

Loop are made in Sweden, however I was referring to contacting an Australian fly shop since the aussie/swedish exchange and the aussie/us exchange makes the reel very cheap in us$. There is a fly shop on FishGolf.com selling the new Loop Evotec LW 8/11 for $320.00 and it is $500 new in the US.

I started with Cortland 140d and it was OK but wore out fast. I then switched to Lamson LP4's and found them to be great reels except that the construction is such that the post that holds the spool in place can bend or come loose causing less that perfect operation.


That is fine for striper fishing but unacceptable for bonefish. Even large stripers and Bluefish usually don't take out that much backing and it is usually not that fast. That is also an issue to decide what you are fishing for. A large Bone or Cuda will strip off 150 yards of backing in 7 seconds.

Pate,Abel,Penn,Loop, Orvis have diffeent construction and heavier drags. They are constructed better for fast running fish.

WWW.Flyshop.com
WWW.FishGolf.com
WWW.Ebay.com

I have bought reels on all 3 with success. I don't have a problem with used reels as a good one lasts forever and most I buy have had no use. Rods I would never buy used.

[soundfisher]

Sorry, I did not mean to suggest that Loop reels were made in Australia. I just meant that if you buy a Loop from an Australian dealer (i.e. from ebay), you will get a 1 year warranty instead of a 5 year warranty if you were to purchase one from a US authorized dealer. Furthermore, if your Loop reel purchased from an Australian dealer has a defect, you cannot take it to a US dealer: you will have to send it directly to Sweden and deal with them (or maybe the Australian dealer will help you out). The difference in the warranty coverage is not worth $180 in my opinion, but it's just something to consider.

My previous post was intended to convey that you should be aware that some of the equipment on ebay are somewhat "grey market" goods. Like I said though, I love using ebay, and I do think that you can get a great deals there -- my suggestion is to ask the seller questions before you purchase.

Bassets, sorry to get so off topic. To answer your original question: you haven't given much to go off of (i.e. price range, what type, size fish you'll be shooting for, etc.), but I'd start with Redington gear. They have solid products with a variety of price ranges, and they come with lifetime warranties.

My guess is that you probably aren't ready to commit to the thousands of dollars in equipment that so many fly fisherman end up with. If you are, then this thread could get much more interesting -- haha.

[michaelnefm]

I like Redington for a good start up outfit. It is relatively inexpensive and comes with a lifetime warranty. Can not beat that.

[Bassets]

Thanks for all the advice. I guess I shouls have been more specific about my situation. I am looking to spend no more than $450 for th ewhole setup and I will most likely be targeting stripers and blues. I have no immediete plans to take on bonefish. I'll have my hands full learnig the basics. Any opinions on gloomis adventure reels? Thanks again for the info.

[michaelnefm]

That Redington outfit I was telling you about is perfect for blues and stripers. It is what I started on here in CT a few years ago. Between the rod and reel you should not pay more than $350-$400. Go with a 9 or 10 weight and get a good intermediate sinking line. That will cover you for wade and boat fishing.

[Capt.ChrisLembo]

A few days ago I received the New Loop Evotec LW 8/11 that I purchased from a fly shop in Australia via internet. I received the reel in 3 days and it is an exceptional reel. I have only used it 3 times so far but it has performed perfectly for a 7 lb Bonefish and numerous Jacks and Cudas. It is very lightweight. I contacted Magnus Karlsson at Loop regarding the warranty and he assured me that if I mail in the registration card the 5 year warranty against defects is in place regardless of how I purchased the reel. I paid $320 US $ including shipping. I could not buy any used reels of this quality on Ebay nor any new of this quality for $320. You can reach the shop through FishGolf.com site where they have a number of auctions. If you have ever fished Australia you will understand that the equipment they use has to be tough since all their fish are big bruisers.