The Art of Wandering

Taking up a new sport can seem like a daunting task: What’s the best rod for the money? Should I get a fast action, ultra-fast, or medium-fast rod? Which weight should I get? What’s the best reel for the rod? Which flies will work best? Check out any fly fishing forum and you’ll find a hundred different, rather heart-felt, responses to any gear related question. I could give you mine, but the answers would be what works for me. We fly fishermen are selfish artists. The joy of catching fish is so enlivening, we become assured of our own greatness, and feel the need to share every detail of our successes, leaving out the unpleasantries of our failures. We should always remember that a ten-year-old can catch fish with a spinning rod and a bobber. The joy of perfectly slinging a fly under a thick overhang, a tight loop, the whoosh of the line, the sunrise on the water, the whisper of the current, are all just as magical as the catch. The truth is, you won’t feel the magic, until you learn to use your tools well. And you can learn to use any tool well.

Here are 5 ideas to help you get started for less, and get you out on the water worry free.

1. Don’t buy a new rod. If you choose to ignore this bit of advice, buy last year’s model. Right now, there are about 10,000 fly rods for sale on Ebay, 1,100 of which, are used. I recently saw a Sage Bluegill Bass Rod for $250 that had hardly been fished. If you have your heart set on a Sage rod and you want to catch bass, why wouldn’t you jump on it? You’ve spent hours deciding on the kind of rod you want, to the detriment of your lawn care, so spend just as much time finding the best used stick you can. Every year wanna-be fly fishermen get tired of throwing their flies in the trees and look to unload a gently used rod on the cheap. Gear heads also upgrade all the time and sell off old rods. Be patient. Sooner or later, you’ll land the rod you want.

Late last summer I was toying with the idea of picking up a new 6wt. Since I am unabashedly a Scott Fly Rod die-hard, I thought the A3 might be a nice addition to the quiver. I don’t like parting with money, often to the chagrin of my wife, and since I see absolutely no reason to spend $800 on nearly anything, $325 didn’t seem that unreasonable. But I knew the A4 was coming out soon, so I waited. A month later, when the A4 hit the market, the price of the A3 was nearly cut in half. I picked up a new one for $180. That made me happy.

(By the way, any fly rod will catch bass. I’ve caught plenty on the A3 even though it’s not supposed to be fast enough, or strong enough. I guess the bass were not smart enough to realize that I had the wrong equipment.)

2. A reel is just a place to hold your line. I have about three reels for every rod I own. You know what? They all work just fine. My $15 Pflueger works just as well as my $100 Ross, although I use the Ross more because I have a hat to go with it. 75% of the time I don’t need the reel to do anything except hold line. The other times, if the fish runs enough to get the line off the reel, while I may like the sound and smoothness of one reel over the other, they both have drag and turn in a circular motion. You should worry more about the quality of your knots than your reel.

I have never bought a reel new. Nor have I ever bought a rusted, broken, dented, or poorly cared for reel. Find one that works, and go with it. If you stick with the sport, you’ll certainly upgrade.

3. Don’t buy all your flies from a fly shop. If I’m on vacation, I’ll buy a couple flies from the local fly-shop. I think this is more to remind me of the trip, than anything else. If I don’t lose them, that is. Otherwise, I buy flies on the internet. You can find the flies you need for your area and the fish you’ll be hunting at Ebay. Example: The average fly at a fly-shop is what, $3.50? I recently bought a box of 100 flies on Ebay for $15. Admittedly, I might only use 15 or 20 out of the hundred, but I got a cool used fly box too! I see no reason for the beginning fisherman to spend $40 on ten flies, and $30 on a new box, when most of those flies will likely end up snagged, or whipped off the tippet. There will be plenty of time when you’re better to spend unwisely.

4. Do you really need waders and boots? I’m going to assume here, that as a beginner, you won’t be fishing big, deep, fast water, nor in the cold. If I’m wrong, than good luck to you. Watch your step. The river can be a dangerous place. By all means, buy the best, safest waders and boots you can afford.

If I’m right, then you will start by fishing like I do most of the summer. I don’t use waders or boots. I put on hiking shorts and Teva sandals. I’m not bothered by the feel of water. Now, I live in Ohio, and the water doesn’t get that cold, so bare legs and sandals works just fine for me. I do own two different waders. One, a thicker neoprene for colder weather, the other thinner, for higher, faster water. But I don’t use them much. I’m not a huge fan of being in a current up to waist. I also never spent over $75 for either one. I use my Teva’s no matter the weather. I used to use old sneakers, but they started to really smell.

Buy waders and boots if you must, but if you’re in an area where the river won’t get too deep, and the water won’t get too cold, think seriously about ditching them.

5. Only buy the absolute essentials. This gets tricky. You absolutely need a rod, reel, line, tippet, and flies. You will, however, be bombarded with a gazillion other do-dads that are cool, but you don’t necessarily need. When you’re fishing, you often need to trim and cut your tippet. You could buy the best snips on the market, or you could use the nail clippers you already have. You could get a hook honing thing-a-mabob, but your new flies are already sharp. If they aren’t, use a nail file. You don’t really need a lanyard, or vest, or pack do you? Make a lanyard with rope laying around in the garage and tie on smaller bits of rope to hold your do-dads. Remind yourself of this, the fish won’t know how cool you look, or how many gadgets you carry. They will only be tricked by a well presented fly. There is no gadget for that.

I’ve walked on to the first tee of many a golf course in my wrinkled shorts, and scuffed shoes. I’ve seen men pull out their new $400 driver and hit a dribbler 30 yards. I’ve pulled out my ten-year-old driver, with a little dent on the top, and hit it down the middle.

The point is this: a good craftsman doesn’t blame his tools. It’s not the driver- it’s the swing. It’s not the rod- it’s the cast. Deep down, you also know you’re not going to be able to throw a line 100 feet right away. Work hard, learn right, and fail better. Enjoy the journey.