Southwestern Montana's Premier Fly Fishing Guide Service

Techniques - Buying New Gear

Thursday, October 10, 2013

At some point in time you will or might want want to treat yourself to some new fly fishing equipment. Whether it be a new set of waders, a fly rod, new reel, or the entire enchilada. I get asked quite often what brands and types of equipment I prefer. Here is a brief synopsis of what I tell everyone.

Buying a new rod—
You want to match your new purchase to what you want to do with it. Are you chasing steelhead? Fishing creeks you can jump across. Or wanting a streamer rod to fish Montana's big rivers with trophy trout. Rods come in a variety of weights and lengths. You want to match your rod to your species and conditions. If you are fishing Montana on the Yellowstone, Madison or Missouri rivers, a six weight nine foot rod is hard to beat. I prefer a mid to fast action rod to deal with the variable wind we have and the flies we fish. I prefer Sage rods, but there are many other companies making great rods. Each rod has its benefits and shortcomings. My advice to everyone is to go to your local fly shop, grab a few rods that you are interested in and give them a cast. Which rod feels best in your hand? Each casting stroke is slightly different and which rod preforms best for you? You might be surprised that the $250 rod might be easier to cast than the $700 model. Just like driving a new car take it for a test drive and buy what feels best and suits your needs.

Reels—
In trout fishing, reels just basically hold the fly line. Drag is more important in salt water than freshwater. Large arbor reels are nice for picking up line quickly when needed, but a moderately priced reel works just as well as those real expensive reels. For around $150 to $225 you can buy a great reel that will suit all your needs for trout fishing in the Rockies.

Waders—
This year I have bought many different companies' gore tex waders for my rental pool. From Orvis to Simms and Redington. They all have been great. We usually use waders in the spring and fall and wet wade (without waders) during the summer. I would have to rank from my experiences the waders for breathable ability in this order: 

  1. Simms
  2. Orvis
  3. Redington

Redington offers a good wader at a moderate price but they do not breathe like Simms. What price do you put on comfort? You can buy a pair of Simms deluxe waders for about $500, or a sweat a bit more in a pair of Red's for around $300. Orvis has made big strides this year in their waders and are right in the middle of the price pack and breathe ability. Simms by far makes the best product but how many times during the year do you use your waders should answer this question.

If you have any specific questions about buying new equipment just Contact Us. I would be happy to answer any specific questions you might have.  

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