When I transitioned from spinning to fly, I was overwhelmed by the multitude of options for rods, reels, and lines. Like spinning gear, there is no one fly rod, reel, and line for all species, spots, and conditions.
If you are a trophy fish hunter with limited funds, then invest in a two piece nine foot moderate-fast action nine weight fly rod; an aluminum reel with a sealed drag; 30 lb backing; and a nine weight floating line. This setup will allow you to target a multitude of species under various conditions in both saltwater and freshwater.
For rods, I would recommend St. Croix Avid Series or Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO). There are not shortage of fly reels on the market. I would strongly suggest taking a look at Lamson reels. For lines, I like products produces by Scientific Anglers (e.g. Mastery Series Streamer Express).
In terms of presentations, there is no greater diversity than flies. I keep my fly box populated with proven flies. For example, when targeting striped bass I cast Lefty Deceivers, Clouser Minnows, Half-and-Halfs, and sand eel patterns.
Casting a fly via fly rod is not magic; it’s a skill. And like any other skill, it can be learned and mastered. A great learning resource is the Lefty Kreh on Fly Casting DVD.
When targeting large predatory fish in shallow and calm water under the blanket of darkened, a fly rod is a great tool of choice because you can place a tasty fly in the strike zone without spooking the fish. Add a fly rod to your arsenal! 😉
