[simonc]

Hi all,

I'm abit of a newbie to fly fishing, i have been afew times but don't have my own gear. I'm not going to buy it all in one hit, but buy it bit by bit. Can any one give me a list of what is really needed. I know you need the follow rod, reel/spool, net. But come abit stuck when it comes to what line, backing, leaders etc...

I have a not too bad budget (as buying over time) but don't want to go to expensive. I having been looking through a tightlines booklet and some website to get an idea online. I live in mintlaw, so i will be using local fisheries to start off with, if thats any help.

Here's an idea of what i've looked at so far,

Reel - greys grxi 7/8
Rod - Airflo Delta Classic 9'6" or Greys grxi 9'6"

Are these any good?

Any comments will be very appriciated

Simon

[Ben Dixon]

Hi Simon,

for your intended purpose I would go for a 9ft6" #6 rod and buy the best you can afford just now, preferably a  three or four piece so it can be concealed in a car & stored easily.  A 6wt line can carry most flies you will want to throw at trout and is not too heavy for fishing small stuff on light leaders and a 6wt rod will give you a bit of fun when playing fish, I would steer away from ultra fast / stiff 7 & 8wt rods, of the two rods you have suggested I would go for the Greys.  When buying a reel think about how many lines you will need, if you think you will be using a vast array of lines then make sure you buy a reel for which spools are cheap.  I would go for a machined aluminium reel, these are stronger and less susceptible to cracking / bending if dropped.  As for lines and backing, get a line from Mike and get any old 20lb dacron backing, avoid the orange stuff as some brands will stain your flyline.

Cheers

Ben