Fly Rod
I am looking into buying a new fly rod for an upcoming trip to Wyoming?
I am looking into spending 150-250 dollars on a new rod. Any recommendations? Also, i am debating between getting a 4 wt or a 5 wt. What would you recommend, and what are the advantages of either, considering my situation. Also, what kind of flies should i tie to match the hatch. I will be going in July. Any help would be really appreciated.
Go with the 5wt. There is a difference. The first 30' of 5wt line has a standard weight of 140 grains, while the 4wt has a standard of 120 grains. The 5wt line in over 15% heavier and will be much more capable of carrying hairwing dries, weighted nymphs, beadheads, and dropper rigs. In addition, the rod required to cast that 5wt line will have the added power (in the same rod make/series) to deal with the wind that is an ever present issue on western waters. A 4wt rod/line will leave you wanting more; you'll be more suceptible to wind knots, have more issues with your fly hitting your rod tip, have less ability to reach out a few additional yards when you want to, and will be more often frustrated. If you wanted a rod for making delicate presentations on a quiet, windless Spring Creek back East, I could see the 4wt being your best choice. You pick your rod/line for the conditions.
As for which rod, there are many to choose from. If you have dedicated fly shops in your area, go there and handle them and try a line on them. Casting in a parking lot doesn't simulate fishing conditions, but it does help compare one rod against another.
Brands: Go with a reputable brand. Scott, Sage, Winston, Loomis, T&T, and others have been around for many years and each produce quality lines of rods that fall within your budget. For these, you will be looking to spend near the upper limit of your budget, but rods in the lower end of your budget are characterized by lousy designs and poor quality components.
Length: For general purposes, 8 1/2' will be great. Long enough to highstick nymphs and reach acceptable distances, but not so long as to be unwieldly on small waters in tight quarters. It will also be more useful on other waters than a rod considerably longer or shorter.
Scott makes the A2 in a 8 1/2' for #5. The A2 is US made with nice components. Pleasant med-fast action. Good company. Great value.
http://www.scottflyrod.smashingdesigns.com/a2/index.shtml
Sage makes this same weight/length in both their "Launch" and "Fli" series.
http://www.sageflyfish.com/dyn_prodlist.php?k=83548
Orvis has their TLS Power Matrix discounted a few dollars to $250.
http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=9368&dir_id=758&group_id=759&cat_id=7906&subcat_id=7907
I'd steer clear of Bass Pro for fly gear. It's not their focus, and the quality and selection of their "White River" products are evidence of this. You might go as far as checking a Cabela's if they have a location near you. They do have a couple product lines that fall in your target range, appear to be of reasonable quality, and come with warranties. That's as "big box" as I'd go in Fly Fishing.
You can contact fly shops near your destination to learn more about hatches and effective patterns on the particular waters you plan to fish. Some of the larger shops have websites that list this information, so google a bit.
But since you already tie flies, no sense in spending money on general patterns when you get to your destination. With the growing numbers of hatches during spring and early summer, there's no reason not to take some general Dry Fly patterns with you. Humpies, Stimulators, Wulffs, H&L Variants, and other bushy attractors are not only good for passing hatchless midday periods (especially during the peak of summer), but they're great for suspending nymphs on droppers. The Adams, especially in parachute form, is always good. Downwing dries can be particularly good with summertime caddis activity. Consider Elk Hair Caddis, Hemingway Caddis, Lime Trudes, Royal Trudes among others.
For subsurface, PT nymphs are effective at representing the nymphs of PMD, baetis and other mayflies that are present at all times. Hare's Ears, Zug Bugs, and Prince Nymphs, whether standard or beadhead, are always good for representing immature caddis and mayflies. Also Copper Johns, Fox's Poopah...and the list goes on. You don't need to take them all, but why spend money on general flies when you can spend that money on specific, hatch-matching patterns at your destination?
Some hatches, like drakes and stoneflies, can be hard to anticipate. You should count on PMDs and caddis. You'll have both hatch periods and mating and egglaying flights with all. If you are familiar with tying spinners, you might wrap up a few in advance. Even if you don't hit a spinnerfall, or the spinners you tie are a shade or two off from the natural, they make effective attractors during non-hatch periods.
You might want to include some terrestrials, especially ants and beetles since you'll be fishing soon after spring runoff typically ends. You'll be a bit early for good hopper fishing, but some of the hopper patterns make great indicators on dry/nymph dropper rigs. Check out the local shops for these when you arrive. Tyers have gotten very creative with foam and hair hoppers.
On rich waters, like some spring creeks, hatches are the name of the game much of the time. On your typical freestone stream, they won't be as prolific. So don't worry about perfectly matching the hatch on freestoners. It can get very involved, and there is a strong chance you won't encounter hatches of Biblical proportions during your visit.
Hope you have a great time on the water!
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