I've always wanted to start fly fishing.

[Gabe]

I've been facinated with fly fishing since I was a young bait caster, but never had the chance to do it. I even have a tying setup that's over 15 years old, just life got in the way and never got the rod and reel.

I'm seen quite a few video's and I have two people who fly fish that sit next to me at work and are willing to help educate. Should I just get a cheap starter 6wt set, or buy the 9wt from the get go? Any recommendations would be great, I'm really at a point in my life where I want to take my fishing to a new level. My primary fishing would be on the Clack and Eagle Creek.

Also, I'm in Hillsboro so I figured if I ever wanted to just get out and practice (without disappointment) I could just head to Hornings Hideaway for an hour or two.

[stephan009l]

Well I taught myself how to flyfish on the Little Nestucca for the occasional summer/winter steelhead and ofc the jumpin' sea run cuthroats And I used 2 live in Hillsboro, and the place your talking bout I dont remember at all, but if your intrested in learn I would say try fishing small streams with somewhat slow water, clack would b good, Personally the Nestucca I think is the best to fly fish even if your a beginner, its always a blast!!

[giggsy70]

Glad to hear you are thinking of taking up the passion of fly fishing. I would start witha 5 or 6 wt, definately not a 9 wt. a 9wt is for salmon and that is about it. where as a 5 or 6 wt will give you plenty of options. You will be able to go after trout, bass, summer steelhead, shad. If you go to the old Sportman's Wharehouse now Outdoor Wholesale they have a good selection a economical type would be WW Griggs they go for 49.99, they also have TFO in various models ranging quite a bit in price. If you can go to a BI-MART you can sometimes find a Lamiglas Cascade series for 70 something and that is not a bad rod. If you live in the Portland area there is a fly-shop in Welches run by Marc Bachmann they have a good selection of higher end rods, they do offer some Echo rods and they are very nice. If they do not have the model you want Echo is based out of Vancouver and I am sure they could have it next day. Another option is to by the Reddington set which includes rod,reel,line and backing you just attach a leader and go. Good luck and try not to get addicted.

[Gabe]

Glad to hear you are thinking of taking up the passion of fly fishing. I would start witha 5 or 6 wt, definately not a 9 wt. a 9wt is for salmon and that is about it. where as a 5 or 6 wt will give you plenty of options. You will be able to go after trout, bass, summer steelhead, shad. If you go to the old Sportman's Wharehouse now Outdoor Wholesale they have a good selection a economical type would be WW Griggs they go for 49.99, they also have TFO in various models ranging quite a bit in price. If you can go to a BI-MART you can sometimes find a Lamiglas Cascade series for 70 something and that is not a bad rod. If you live in the Portland area there is a fly-shop in Welches run by Marc Bachmann they have a good selection of higher end rods, they do offer some Echo rods and they are very nice. If they do not have the model you want Echo is based out of Vancouver and I am sure they could have it next day. Another option is to by the Reddington set which includes rod,reel,line and backing you just attach a leader and go. Good luck and try not to get addicted.

Thanks! I'll take yours and others recommendations of a 6wt. Possibly swing by the Hillsboro Bi-Mart this evening and see what they've got.

Well I taught myself how to flyfish on the Little Nestucca for the occasional summer/winter steelhead and ofc the jumpin' sea run cuthroats And I used 2 live in Hillsboro, and the place your talking bout I dont remember at all, but if your intrested in learn I would say try fishing small streams with somewhat slow water, clack would b good, Personally the Nestucca I think is the best to fly fish even if your a beginner, its always a blast!!

I could definatly work the Nestucca, I make trips out the coast often since my parents are in Otter Rock (just south of Depoe Bay).

Horning Resivior is north of Hillsboro, it's a U-fish place that allows fly fishermen to fish catch and release for $7/hr. I learned about it from Matthew's thread about Ed Fast's Nuclear Trout.

[seamslayer]

I wouldn't fase out the 9 weight completley. The rivers I fish on the Olympic Peninsula are frequented by nine weight fly rods. The bennifit being able to turn over heavily weighted fly's on huge sink tips, and to turn large fish in heavy current, makes this nessesary. If your rivers have similar traits, and if you intend to target coho as well I might go with the 9 weight. Or you could just be like me and become so addicted to fly fishing that you quickly acquire both and then some.

[Arctic]

I would also learn the Wilson. It is pretty productive, and for a river I know next to nothing about, I catch alot of fish in it. It is also a blast to flick big bugs at. The steelhead will rise to tie one on. Not off of the surface, like OP fish, but they will move a few feet up in the column to slam bugs.

I used an old 6 wt., purple wrapped Lamiglas a few times, and an 8/9 TFO for the majority of my Eagle Ceek Coho last year. Mind you this was the bastardized drift gear deal, but the 8/9 was nice. Little heavy for fish that average 8 pounds, but luckily they were giants freekin pigs last season! The 6 wt. just buried to the cork and stayed there until you brought them in. I was just up in Woodland last week to pick up a twice busted rod, and I did see alot of fly outfits for less than 75. A G200, or somethin, 9', 2 piece, 8 wt., was 54.99.

[Chinook SSSF]

I do agree with all of this that a 6 weight is a good size to learn your casting on without strain but when it comes to coho......I would step up to a strong 8 or an average 9 weight so YOU do not get worn out buy big red bucks....lol I have broken both 8 and 9 weight fly rods on coho and its not because they are so big but rather how much brutality a fly rod can see during just one day of "on fire" coho fishing.

Does not matter what fly rod I use my wrists give out after bout 3 days on eagle creek..........for that alone IM glad to have the 9 weight to work for me and not putz around with the fish.

[Gabe]

Thanks to everyone for the advise. I was at Sportsman's warehouse this afternoon and picked up an Okuma 9' 8wt 3 piece combo. ($85, and there's another one on the shelf if anyone cares)

I haven't had a chance to play with it because I was drifting the Clack this afternoon (1 trout), but I figure I'll start out with a piece of yarn on the end of it and go in the back and setup a 4'x4' tarp to hit....bucket will come later

As for picking up another rod, let's see how long I can last and which direction I go once I get rolling Bet it won't take long.

I tried the upper Wilson in the middle of last month, started at the hole right by the mouth of Ceder creek and moved down, had no luck at all. Was I just there at the wrong time?

[stephan009l]

Thanks to everyone for the advise. I was at Sportsman's warehouse this afternoon and picked up an Okuma 9' 8wt 3 piece combo. ($85, and there's another one on the shelf if anyone cares)

I haven't had a chance to play with it because I was drifting the Clack this afternoon (1 trout), but I figure I'll start out with a piece of yarn on the end of it and go in the back and setup a 4'x4' tarp to hit....bucket will come later

As for picking up another rod, let's see how long I can last and which direction I go once I get rolling Bet it won't take long.

I tried the upper Wilson in the middle of last month, started at the hole right by the mouth of Ceder creek and moved down, had no luck at all. Was I just there at the wrong time?

Btw, just a heads up for every really but mostly you, theres a bit of a secret on the nestucca river if your gunna fly fish it. Theres some campgrounds out in the mountains(only certain people will know where i'm talkin bout) and if you can find that portion of the stream, youl have an awesome chance for summer steelehad, and 22" cuthroats. I'l advise you use Elk Hair Caddis fly's when u fish the the tail end of the current, and for the deep pools mix with up with an black ant fly 4-6" above the end of ur leader, and at the bottom attach a small orange or pink egghook( i think some call'm globugs???"
But anyways you do that an i'm sure youl catch both the steelies and sea run trouts!! Good luck!!

[Gabe]

Btw, just a heads up for every really but mostly you, theres a bit of a secret on the nestucca river if your gunna fly fish it. Theres some campgrounds out in the mountains(only certain people will know where i'm talkin bout) and if you can find that portion of the stream, youl have an awesome chance for summer steelehad, and 22" cuthroats. I'l advise you use Elk Hair Caddis fly's when u fish the the tail end of the current, and for the deep pools mix with up with an black ant fly 4-6" above the end of ur leader, and at the bottom attach a small orange or pink egghook( i think some call'm globugs???"
But anyways you do that an i'm sure youl catch both the steelies and sea run trouts!! Good luck!!

Nice. I have a LOT to learn. I couldn't sleep last night so around midnight I got up and spent over 30 minutes trying to figure out how to change the reel to right hand......finally found the instructions bound up in the rod bag.

Fun part was removing the bearing casing. As soon as I got it out of the spool I thought this line should be added to the instructions:

"Caution: Sudden release of bearing case from spool can cause it to go flying behind your spider infested workbench"