Well I just received in the mail today straight from UPS my 1st flyrod. It is a cheapo because I am not skilled yet. I have flyfished before but never persued it. Now if it works out I will have to invest in something more to my liking. Any tips of types of line, flies for western washington, or just good luck. Now I can frequent another part of the forum and learn from another group of skilled anglers.

I don't know specifics for W. Washington, but in general you will need a floating line, a full sink like a type IV, and a sink tip. You sound like you may be on a budget so decide if you will be fishing mostly lakes or rivers. In lakes you'll end up using the sinking line most of the time, in rivers probably the floating line.

Probably the #1 suggestion is join a club or go fishing with other fly anglers. That is the fastest way to learn and also start your fly collection. I don't know how many flies I've given away to new flyfishermen.

Well you said you recieved your fly rod,but you didn't tell us what weight line it says to use. That info helps when you are asking questions. I use a floating line in the summer and if I fish lakes I will use a sink tip leader. It/That seems to cover all my requirements for summer fishing. But most of the time just a floater with long leaders.

I would suggest going with a multi-tip system..Some good ones that are offered are the versi tip by rio, cabelas multi tip, cortland and the yancy line tip system...By having the complete set of tips you will be able to fish in any given scenario without having to buy and then load extra spools with different lines.


Hope this helps,
Drew

Thanks for the tips and replies
1.)No I am not really on a budget but I love spincasting and don't want to spend loads of money on something I am not even comfortable with.
2.) I beleive it hold line from 4-8.

right above the handle it should have the information for the rod. There should be something Like #8 for an eight weight.
What kind of reel did you get?

I would start with a floating line because you can do almost anything with it.

D3: My god that is a sweet avatar.

Anyway it is cheap. Scored it on EBAY from a sporting store.

Martin "Willow Creek"
8.5' Line Weight 7/8
Reel is a Martin 60

That is the info I have. Brand new, reel is all metal and rod has a corked handle and is green in color.

Just need to get line and flies and learn how to tie the line. I know it has a leader and all but not how to use it.

I love my avatar... sorry but I have to gloat about it. Its a 38 pound Atlantic Salmon. Its the second one I've caught that big but the first picture. I caught the other one when I was 8 yrs old. This one was caught last summer and I lost one even bigger. The fly was a 2/0 Red Abbey, Upper Looking Glass, Restigouche River, New Brunswick CAN.
I would go to a fly shop and have them show you the basic knots... nail, blood, surgeons and maybe a turle(sp) knot. Those are all good knots to know. I would also have them put the backing and flyline on the reel. I believe that most flyshops will put a butt section of leader on the flyline so that you can connect leaders with loops.
I would say to go to NW Angler in Pouslbo because I worked there last summer and know what you will get but you are in Arlington and I have no idea what fly shops are out there.
I would put a Versi-Tip system from Rio on your reel because as a beginner it gives you the most versatility, but if you dont want to pay that much, just go with a strait floating line and you can ajust the leader length to fish different depths and techniques.
Once you have your line and everything is ready to go, start casting. Good casting will catch you more fish than good equipment any day. If you can't cast then the odds of catching fish, especially from shore, is drastically reduced.
Sorry its been so long winded. Good luck, and maybe we can get out this summer and catch some SRCs or some silvers when they come in.
david

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE==

D3Smartie,

I too intended on commenting about your avatar, but was beat to it. I was thinking the Grand Cascapedia, but I suppose the Restigouche will do!!!

Was it on one of the private camps (Camp Harmony, Restigouche Salmon Club...) or maybe Upper Red Pine Mountain, Grog Island? Judging from the water height and hook size, has to be early June???

Nothing quite like those mint bright hens fresh from Chaleur Bay,

William

I think that he is from Auburn and not Arlington. And if he was from Arlington. He could go to Hook,Line,And Sinker. But Accorging to his homeport he is not.

Cool thanks D3. I will have to check the local fishing store and request some help. What price are we looking at on a versa-tip system? Or a website to point me in a direction.

thank you old man... I am illiterate and cannot read.
whatever like it matters. one of those eastside cities is the same as the others.
I think that the versi-tip (RIO) will run around 100 dollars and I am not sure what the other versi-tips will cost. One thing about the rios that is good, is that the loop is reinforced so that you can get a continual motion out of your fly line rather than having it cast like it is segmented.
There are lots of new lines coming out so I am sure that there probably some cheaper options. I just dont know.

innland-- I am lucky enough to have the option to go up there every year. I had not been in several years because of baseball during the summer, so last year I had to make up for lost time. It is a private lodge. Kedgewick Lodge.
I arrived there on july 4 (good guess just a month off) and it was just as the water was receeding from second rain storm. The water was really high and the big fish were moving. I caught 3 fish the first night and as the water continued to clear up, I kept on catching some big fish. I have some more pictures from this summer although that was the biggest. Let me know if you guys want to see them and I can post them up.
David

D3S,

Considering how tough June fishing was this past summer, for the better part of Eastern Canada, you really hit it PERFECT. Congrats on the great fishing (and catching) and getting such a speciman to the bank.

Were you fishing the Kedgewick River or the upper Restigouche? Just curious as I have spent most of my time salmon fishing the Matapedia and Grand Cascpapedia. Two rivers that do indeed carry a decent number of repeat MSW salmon as the one in your hands.

Don't worry about gloating over your fish- I too know what it feels like to handle salmon that large and, quite frankly, there is NOTHING in angling that compares (unless you get a 40+).

Tight lines,

William

inland- I dont know how familiar you are with the Restigouche or if you are at all, but our water is from the junction pool where the kedgewick meets the Little main down to Soldiers, which is a pool we share with Larry's Gulch, a gov't camp.
We also have rights to the first pool on the Kedgwick but in the past we haven't fished it because of how good the rest of our water is and how the camp on the kedgwick's pools have been severly damaged by changes in the river.
I had a good streak for 3 days where I caught a 26, 33,and a 38. I got the 33 on a dry which was awsome. The dry fly fishing was great and I tried to do it as much as possible. It makes it easy to pull the fly away from those damn grilse. :p
I probably could have limited almost everyday if I hadn't kept purposely missing grilse.
On the last day I was there I lost a salmon that was bigger than my 38. I was pissed. I still have nightmares about that fish. I saw him take and everything.

The Rio versitip system costs $115.00 plus tacks. And the one by Cortland is under $100.00. It is the 444 series. And Cabela's has one just a little cheaper. And all the little towns mentioned are on the West side of the hump not the East side.

OK oldman I guess I am just not clear enough. I meant the east side of the sound.

Floatuber,

Given the price point of your rod and reel, and my assumption about your apprehensiveness to invest too much in fly gear right now, I'd suggest the following:

Check out Sportco in Fife for an Air Cell Supreme fly line for about $26. I've been flyfishing over 30 years, and I still buy 'em and have never bought a line costing over $40. I'd recommend an 8 wt. Going to the heavy side of a 7/8 inexpensive rod is usually the better choice. Buy a couple cheap Berkley or other tapered fly leaders and whatever you like for tippet material. Get an introductory book on flyfishing while you're there. There are several recent volumes that will provide the basics you need.

Next, call around and find a fly shop that carries Air Flow products. Buy a couple of their 10' sinking leaders, a medium sinking speed and a super fast one. That will be your sinking fly line for a while; you can can a full sinking line later, when you know exactly what you need. You'll also need to patronize a fly shop for flies - buying bait is expensive - until you learn to tie your own.

Good luck, and enjoy this marvelous addiction!

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

The best way in my opinion to start fly fishing is to get a Double taper floating line to match the line weight of the rod you just got.. I suggest buying a good name brand fly line. A cortland 444 is hard to beat and will be a good line for starting out no matter where you fish or for what species. It is common to recieve advise saying to start out with a weight forward line I believe that to be bad advise because it forces you to learn advanced casting techniques before you are ready for them..

The beauty of opinions is that they're like navels; everyone's got one. I prefer and recommend a weight forward line in almost all cases, especially in line weights seven and up. I use and teach the same casting techniques to beginners with both line designs, and there's nothing too advanced for students with enough apptitude to actually fly fish.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.