Suggestions

[TheTexan]

I am looking for a fly rod for a 7 year old and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. Anything to stay away from? Any particular weights better than others? We would mainly be using for stream fishing and small lakes.

Thanks!

[MacFish]

The only thing that I would say is while I doubt you want to spend several hundred dollars on a quality rod, reel and line combo for a 7 year old, I would be leery of going too cheap. I found out the hard way that there's nothing worse than trying to learn on a bad set up.

[Abalone]

I would base that on what size fish you are fishing for.
If it is small trout buy him a 2/3 or a 3 wt. with a dry line. I use a 4 wt. which is fine for most fish but many times I get into the 12 inch class of fish and with I had a lighter rod.

Budget: Most novice type, Including me, go for the cast.

Typically you will see guys at the Sportsman show putting on a show see how far they can cast. It's not about the casting. You can cast any rod as far as you want if you learn to cast properly. The regrets I have with my rods are they are all too fast. With a fast rod you will have a stiffer rod tip. It is more desireable in most cases to have soft tip. Lighter tip, lighter leader less broken line. Trout can slam your fly so hard they just rip it off.

In the 2/3 wt. class or 3 wt. you can get a really decent Rod for $150.00. If that's too much money you need to think about G.I. joes etc. Reddington, St. Crioux. etc.

Then there's the reel and line....

I would start with a medalist and a floating line.
Then find someone to teach him how to cast and take him to a private pond where he can catch lots of fish and get addicted like the rest of us idiots. :laugh:

I hope this helps.

OBTW. some of the ponds I am talking about has big Bass.
But I don't know how to catch them.......

[Abalone]

Chances are there is someone on this board that has the perfect rod to give him or at least sell for cheap. I love to help kids get started and If I had such a rod I would give it to him. Kudo's for you for starting him out....and looking out for him...

[D$_KFalls]

One more thought ... for someone who's just learning, a medium to stiff action might be better. I learned on a 10-foot rod with a VERY soft action. I almost quit flyfishing after about the 100th time I untangled myself from the pile of line around my legs.

D

[clacksteel]

I know Cortland makes a setup specially for kids, and I think it is under $100. Cortland makes quality products.

[stoneflyguy]

I guess my first thought is how long do you think fly fishing will keep his intrest. We all want to start out on the best rods and would love to have the one that best suites all the needs. I have two young boys also and have thought of getting them started but one day they want to go and the next they want to play X Box or shoot hoops. I have looked at some cheap combo deals at Wal Mart and thought that would be the way for them to go before I spent a whole lot on something that they might lose intrest in or become frustrated with. I started out with a 4# that my grandfather built for me and loved it even though it had some wierd action. My next rod was a cheap eagle claw 5# and I have just kept moving up. My biggest suggestion would be to fish where fish will be caught easily. After catching a few on a fly rod he will be hooked. Then once you have his intrest get him a rod that wont tier him out. Most good dealers will allow you to line a rod up and try it out before purchasing it. All in all I would say start cheap but affective and then worry about spending some money. Good luck and happy fishing. I hope you have a life long fishing partner. :applause:

[TillamookChinook]

Don't make fishing complicated for a 7-year old. It is much more important for the kid to enjoy fishing than it is to learn flyfishing.

I speak from some experience. I encouraged my two sons to flyfish with me on camping trips, but they never caught much so they never got interested. I sent a stout flyrod along with my younger son when he went to graduate school in Alaska and he never used it. He didn't even take it on two trips to Kamchatka. But he thoroughly enjoyed dipnetting for salmon in the Copper River when he had lived in-state long enough to get subsistance fishing priviledges.

Maybe start your kid out on bait and bobber for bluegill.

TC

[TheTexan]

Thanks for all of the tips and suggestions.

My son is very interested in fly fishing. Our last camping trip I had to take food to him while he fished! He hasn't hooked anything yet, but hasn't gotten the least bit frustrated. I plan on taking him to a small pond somewhere to just get him into fish.

I know of the trout pond in Sandy, do they allow fly rods? Are there any ponds for fly fishing near Corvallis?

Thanks again for everything!