Quick! Help! Fly lines, and the rest of the story....

Jennie@ifish · 02-09-2002, 07:29 PM

I got my beautiful 9 1/2 foot 8 wt fly rod from TH. It is SO beautiful!!!
However, I really want to start fishing, and I don't have a lot of money to spend on the rest of the story...
Giz walked me around and showed me what I need... But he mentioned getting two spools with the low cost Phlueger (sp) reel that he thought I should have.
I am on a real budget right now, and I want to fish!
A guy at a fly shop mentioned a quad tip line that was on sale at one of the other booths.
Does this mean I wouldn't need two spools? Would this be easier or harder for a newbie that doesn't know all the knots, and is visually not great at tying?
All in all, what are opinions on these multi tips? How do they work?
A little education needed here. I want to do what is right for the lowest possible price.
I know, a tricky thing. Fly fishing is really expensive, isn't it??? :shocked:
I pretended to cast all day in the booth today! What fun! I can't wait!
I so wanted to go to the kids trout pond and try it out!
Please answer here cuz I don't have easy access to all my e mail.
Thanks, going back to purchase it in the morning if the quad tip is a good thing.
Giz? Anyone else?
Jen

Pete · 02-09-2002, 07:47 PM

It all depends on where you are fishing. For most steelhead applications I find a floating line is perfectly adequate. I use different length leaders to adjust the depth I fish. Multitip lines are useful to adjust the depth and sink speed of your line, but they can be much harder to control because the portion of line under the surface is difficult to mend. Multi-tip lines can also "hinge" at the joint, making casting more difficult ... it depends on how the lines are constructed. You would want to cast the particular line with each of it's tips to see how they perform.

Steelheader69 · 02-09-2002, 08:19 PM

Hey Jen, you can get by with a pflueger, jssut eventually you'll want to move up. I used an old pflueger 1498, was old when I bought it, and never had a problem landing big kings on it. Just not as fancy as some of the new reels.

Now with multitip llines. The key is to check the loops. You don't tie them together, you interweave them, like puttin two different diameter lines together thtahave a doouble surgeons loop on them. It makes it great, since you cary a nice llittle walet with diferent tips, as opposed to a different spool. I use Rio Windcutters on my speyrods aan haven't had a problem with hinging. I also have some custom lines I've built myself and haven't had a problem with them either. Just keep those connector loops really tight. I make them just big enoough to slide over the line. Plus, there are pockets where a sinktip is nie to havee. Nice dep pockets you want tha fly down quick in. Saves having to throw a weighted fly (YUCK).

Wanna go cheap?? Check out ebay. You should be able to pickup up your llines and reel for about $40-50. That's buyinn a pflueger and possiily spare spool andlinns. I know I've bought well over $2000 worth of gear for just under $300. You just have to keep your eyes peeled. Mmakke sure you buy a reel with some liine capacity. Now, anotheer chhap alternative is the Okuma series fly reels. Ii've only handled a coouple, but seem ok. Not the bbest, but will get you buy. Iif you only had brought this up sooner. I just sold off a pflueger 1495 1/2 with spare spool and lines. Day late and a dollar short.

byteme · 02-09-2002, 08:27 PM

I don't know what the pfluger reel costs but you may want to check out the Okuma Sierra fly reel. Very reasonable price, the drag is smooth and extra spools are under $20. They are not top of the line but I think you get more than your money's worth. JMHO

byteme

rob allen · 02-09-2002, 08:42 PM

Jennie
it all depends on the fishing you want to do.

If you want to flyfish for summer steelhead only then I suggest getting the phluger and a standars double taper floating line. There is no need for a sinking line in the summer. The advantages of a double taper are that they are the same on both ends so when one end wears out you can simply turn it around. They also have better roll casting and mending charecteristics. there are no disadvantages other than they force you to learn to cast properly but I don't see that as a disadvantage.

If you also want to fly fish for winter steelhead you'll have a choice to make. It is possible fi fly fish for winter steelhead with a floating line however it requires a more labot intensive approach and requires heavy flies. Either weighted flies or flies tied on heavy hooks.
The other option is to fish with a sink-tip line sink tip lines are not as easy to cast as a floating line and once they land on the water they are impossible to control.
The multi tip lines are very well made and are very convenient but for fishing a single handed rod I don't think they are worth the expence.
If you plan mainly to fish the small coastal streams I would thing a floating line and some weighted flies for winter are your best option. I personally have never bought a spare spool for any of my reels because I think changing one in the middle of a days fishing is extremely inconvenient. However if you want to buy an extra spool I have an 8wt 10ft sink tip line you can have I'll never use it.

HT Buzzo · 02-09-2002, 09:02 PM

Caught my first steelhead today on a fly rod, and didn't stop swingin' the fly line all day. What a confidence boost. I've spent many hours alternating fishing drift gear and fly rod, but didn't hook up.

Today, first place I stopped, pieced up the old hand me down Cortland rod and Hardy reel (gift for my birthday last year, used) put on one of the local flies I had seen and tied, and there he was jumping and skipping, a nice sized nate.

I've had no luck in the past with split shot and weighted flies, but a guy in Corvallis told me about these sink tips with a loop on each end about three feet long. He said to just tie three feet of thirty pound mono above it and three feet of leter, liter, all of a sudden I can't spell leder- below it, and there you go.

Like steelheader said, you just loop them together and pull away the frayed ends if your leader (got it!) breaks. I had a problem in low water with this sink tip, but the creek was flowing good today, and this set-up was working.

I need new fly line, too. The line I have on now was there when the reel was given to me. It kind of sinks, but mostly floats.

I was looking in one of the fishing catalogs, and they don't make it easy to choose, from steelhead taper shooting heads, and floating lines, and nymph tapers, and spey tapers.

Good luck, I'm still juiced up from that fish today, need to tie some more flies, I guess. HT

rob allen · 02-09-2002, 09:36 PM

HT if your looking for just a floating line the SA ateelhead taper is a great line! Star away from standard weight foeward lines though the bellys are too short

Bubzilla · 02-09-2002, 09:46 PM

Jennie,

You can most definitely get by with only one spool. The multi-tip lines that are available commercially today are really great. You'll have a full-floating line, as well as a number of sink-tip options that way.

Virtually every line maker offers a multi-tip line these days. I have used both Rio and Scientific Anglers for many, many hours, and would have no problem recommending either.

Good luck

Point-of-Sale Clerk · 02-09-2002, 09:53 PM

Jen

I would recommend for learning a weight forward - floating line. Make sure you chose a weight of line that matches the weight rating of the pole.
The rest may be just a personal preference.

PS. It was nice meeting you today

P-O-S Clerk

Mad Mikey · 02-10-2002, 02:01 PM

Jen,

You WILL have to learn a few new knots though! Nail knot tool is very handy although you might wanna learn without it first. Blood knot and/or surgeons knot for joining leaders, I prefer a blood knot because it is straighter but a surgeons is easier to tie. Double clinch(you oughta know this one already) for down eye flies and the (I might be mixing these two up) Duncan loop or turl for up eye flies. Riffle hitch for skaters.
The best thing about learning the leader/tippet knots is you can make and customize your own steelhead leaders and save a bundle of $$$. You don't have to have a fancy tapered leader that costs 3 or 4 bucks a pop. I use a 20lb butt section, two middle portions of 15 and 12(Maxima chamealeon for stiffness) and a three to four foot tippet of ultra green or clear.(10lb) For Summer fish especially, learn what a shock loop is and USE it! It will greatly increase your hook to landing ratio! :grin:
Don't overcomplicate it and have fun!

Mike