Small river fly fishing

tom

Well-Known Member
Evening all, I am after some advice on so e new kit , I am a member of a small river fly fishing club and want to get the most out of the trout I am catching , they are mostly in the 3/4 lb mark and I would like to get some light gear . Can any one recommend a set up or rod ? What line class and what rod ?
I don't want to spend loads of cash . Where can I get it from?
Advice needed
thanks
tom
 
I have no idea what you want to spend, but I borrowed a friends set up for fish of a similar size and it was excellent fun. A Hardy Demon 8ft/#4 coupled with a hardy ultralite DD, although I don't know the size. The line I used was a double taper Rio floater in a very fetching green. The Demon is discontinued now, and has been superseded by the Jet, but you can still find them new at game fairs and on online stores at a reasonable (for Hardy) price. Should be a decent starting point at least. Enjoy!
Alistair
 
I have a 6' Hardy 3 weight matched to a Hardy LRH Lightweight reel. Bought years ago the total cost was maybe £150? It's a great combination as a brook setup, but for real fun I also use the same reel to fish with a 6'6" Sharps Scottie split cane rod, bought secondhand for about £50.

TBH I'd probably fish a 8' or 8'6" 4wt by preference, as it's a far more versatile setup.

I've not fished newer rods for years, but Fawcett's and Sportfish both have a selection of short rods:

Greys XF2 Streamflex 6' #2 4pc - Stephen J Fawcett's Online Country Store

http://www.sportfish.co.uk/fly-fishing-tackle/fly-fishing-rods.html?rod_length_feet=4726

My godson just started fishing, so I bought him one of the Vision rods whilst he's learning and it seems pretty good. I think it's hard to buy a bad rod these days, but easy to buy an expensive one!
 
If the river is small enough that your fishing 3wt-4wt rods, I'd also make sure I used a double taper line as there won't be any need to shoot lots of running line at distance....Probably allows for nicer presentation too and on such a small water where the fish will be relatively close, you don't want to spook them with lots of false casting etc.... I've a small Shakespeare 3/4wt rod here, 7' long that I bought a DT line for and it's far nicer than the previous weight forward line I had for it...
 
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I have a 8.5" streamflex with no name reel and a high end floating line

put your money into the line and leaders
 
Had the opportunity to fish a nice stretch of the River Yeo recently and only wish I had taken just such a setup
4588186655_d671d9caae_z.jpg

as the rod I use on more open waters such as Gravetye was a ******** nightmare!
9_-_upper_lake_web.jpg


K
 
I went to sportfish just a few weeks ago and they did me a deal on Greys XF2 streamflex 7" 3wt, with Greys reel, top end line and backed reel, 5 packs leaders and about 20 flies. I think all in was about £280. Spoke to a Steve who was happy to give discount
S
 
For not much money, try the Shakespeare Agility Rise range Shakespeare Agility Rise Glasgow Angling Centre. They do a nice 6ft, 7ft and 7.6ft in 3/4 wt. I think that Exeter Angling Centre also stocks them.

Any double taper line will be fine and the reel is immaterial - I've not played a trout on the Taw off the reel in the last 5 years. I use a 7.6 4wt Cortland rod which is idela for getting in under the overhanging trees, is sufficient to cast the long pools when they present themselves and bends nicely on the rare occasion that I get a >1/2lb fish on.
 
Split cane rod, silk line ...... May be out of the budget !

that said, i have a nice philipson peerless here at 8' #5. £200 posted if of interest, but I suspect the OP will be wanting something a bit more 'modern'..yugh.l ha ha ha
 
Most of the bigger shops will put a package together to suit your budget, l have two Wychwood fly rods for nymphing and general fly fishing and a Sharpe's Belmont 10'6" #7 for sea trout and salmon, all good rods at reasonable prices.

Alan.
 
trawl the classifieds
I see no value in buying new when you can get almost unused top end stuff for a fraction of the price

I bought a 15" high end rod, two reels, 4 lines and god knows what else for £200 from a chap who was giving up
bought new it would have all added up to well over £1000
 
small river rod

bamboo rod 002.JPGI make my own cane rods..This one is a 7-6...4 wt, beautiful to use and look at
bamboo rod 007.JPGbamboo rod 009.JPGbamboo rod 012.JPG
 

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Another thumbs up for buying rods 'with experience' from the classifieds. I bought a 15' Bruce and Walker for £200 and a 15' Orvis for £50 around the same time.
And the Orvis is my preferred rod, a joy to cast.
 
Hi all - I fish a 7ft 3 weight john norris pro 2, on a stream you can jump across. It's actually a nice rod but quite soft. I used it last week on the mayfly on a bigger river, did ok but a short soft rod is difficult to switch direction with a long line out. My prime rod for the job was being used by my guest. Anyway the john norris own brand rods are pretty good and v cheap.
 
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