{Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: New to fly fishing new to forum

highly recommend avoiding the super cheap options... basic rods are hard to screw up but there's still a significant difference between those cheap box store starter kits and the ~ $150 fly shop starter setup. Most importantly, the crappy reel and line can really kill the buzz. With TFO, FFB, Reddington offering quality intro kits, worth the $75 difference. also, worth ingratiating yourself w/ the local shops...and having them help you get setup. The box of flies, leaders and 'getting started' guides in those packets are worthless. 

Would be nice to setup a local gear exchange site. who manages the tpfr site?  there is a lot of free/opensource software for this kind of thing. 

On Monday, February 4, 2013 12:57:11 PM UTC-5, TurbineBlade wrote:

I'd bet the ranch that you could find a fly rod from someone at a beer tie ;).  I'll second Todd ^^ in that my having gone out with Rob early on helped me get started and made me enthusiastic about really getting into fly fishing.  I'd encourage that route!

Also +1 on visiting a local fly shop.  They're a really, really good source of local information for things you probably won't even think about (weather conditions, slippery rocks, access points, naked weirdos, patterns, etc.), and they can save you a lot of frustration.  I'm biased toward Urban in Alexandria because they're the first I visited, chatted with, etc. and they're close to home.  The other shops are excellent too, so you're probably set no matter where you live or choose to go.  

Don't worry -- lots of newbies around too.  I'm you, just 6 or so months down the road.  

Gene

On Monday, February 4, 2013 10:20:29 AM UTC-5, Todd Kuethe wrote:

I was in a similar position about a year ago when I first decided to give fly fishing a try. I spent my money on a morning session with a guide, active club member Rob Snowhite. He taught me enough to get started, and on his advice, I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought a cheap outfit to get started. I fished pretty hard for several months until my cheap set up (about $50 total) broke. By then I learned enough that I felt comfortable plopping down a couple hundred bucks on a mid-level intro kit (Reddington). When I wear that sucker out, I should be ready for a Helios.

That's what I would recommend. Spend the money on a proper guide and some instruction. Buy a super cheap set up, new or used, knowing that it will eventually break. Upgrade along the way if you stay with the sport.

Also, just get out there and fish and have fun.

On Sunday, February 3, 2013 8:38:30 PM UTC-5, Sardman wrote:

Come to a beer tie and talk to people. Also, visiting a local fly shop is not a bad idea. Spending a ton of money on gear for a sport you don't even know you are goign to follow, is not a good idea, but also wasting your money on bad gear may even make you give up prematurely.

 

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