Need help on buying fly rod and reel for blue gills

[shotgun]

Need help on buying Fly Rod and Reel for Blue Gills

Hi ... I need to ask a fly fisherman a fly rod and reel question since I have not fly fished since the early 1970's for trout and summer steelhead and I am sure things have changed . I am a die hard bass fisherman now , but thought the blue gills on a fly rod would be great fun ....

I have a pond with big blue gills in it ... a lot of them will go in the 1 1/2 to 2 pound range .... I would like to fly fish for them ... and do not have any idea what type of fly rod ( would like dry ) and reel I should use ??? ...

I would like to get a rod and reel in the $175.00 to $200.00 range for both with line .... and used would be fine also .... can you tell me what length of rod and type of dry line I should look for ... probably doesn’t matter to much on what kind of reel ?? Pictures are blue gills in our pond ....

Thanks ... Doug Ramey
Silverton Ore ...

rameysrunts@speedpal.com

 

[brandon4455]

9 ft 4wt echo solo , or echo carbon,redington ct (classic trout) are god rods too. some cortland 333+ floating line and the reel isn't too important, it just holds the line. get a pflueger medalist or echo ion reel.. the rod has a lifetime warranty on it and they will replace it no questions asked, spydeyrch could answer any further questions about an echo solo, he owns one. for flies i use elk hair caddis and just strip them in, dry fly and subsurface. soft hackles and damsel nymphs work well too. bluegill will eat about any fly but some work better then others. i would use 3x tippet for them, ive had plenty snap me off on 5lb test before. Do you have bass in the pond as well? if there is you might want to scale up to a 5wt rod.. ive caught several bass while fly fishing for gills and when they get into weeds it isn't fun trying to get them out

 

[jamisonace]

Bluegills on a flyrod are a blast. They pound a light rod. I usually fish them with a 3wt. I fish for smallmouth bass on the S. Umpqua with flies too and I can't keep them off.

You'll have no problem getting set up in that price range, just keep it light and you are going to have a lot of fun. In the summer they'll be all over hoppers or you can drag a little beadhead hares ear or pheasant tail through the water and they'll hit that too.

Just make sure you get a decent rod and a quality line and you'll be happy.

 

[Spydeyrch]

Mornin' to ya.

I do have an Echo Solo 9' 5wt 4 piece rod. I use it primarily for trout. I have have done some bass fishing on it though, and that was a blast!!

As far as the blue gills go. I would say go with either a 4wt or if you are up to a really run time, a 3wt. I have a 7' 3wt 4 piece rod that I do small stream fishing on and it is a blast!!!

The only thing that I would be a little apprehensive about is if you have bass in the pond and you use a 3wt. It will be a little more difficult to bring them in quicker and easier.

Are you planning on using the rod just for blue gills? Or are you going to open up your fish options and go after bass and trout too? If you are, then I would recommend:

Rod: Echo Solo 9' 5wt 4 piece - $99 (comes with rod, rod sock, & rod tube)

Reel: Cheap reel. It is used to just primarily hold the line. I got an Okuma Sierra 5/6 (I can't remember all of the model name but that should be sufficient) from bi-mart for $35. It is durable, has a pretty decent drag system on it, and holds line for my fishing. What more could I need?

Line: Cortland 333+ 5W WFF - I got 98 yards of this for $40 from Sports Authority or Dicks Sporting Goods. It was either that or 57 yards of Scientific Anglers for $30. for $10 more, I almost doubled my fly line length. I know that I probably won't ever need that much, but I just like having that much. :lol:

Don't forget your leader and your tippet. I was using 5X tippet with a 5X leader when I was bass fishing and I got spanked a few times by the bass. If I had gone to a heavier tippet, I think I would have been ok. Just a thought.

Now comes the disclaimer.

I have only been fly fishing since April/May of this year. This is my first year. I started buying my gear Feb. of this year. So I am not very experienced when compared to others who have been doing it much longer than I have, but I am willing to share what I know and always welcome others who are more knowledgable than I am.

Hopefully that helps a little and gives you an idea of where to start.

You could always purchase a starter's kit from like redington or cortland, or something like that. But I personally like to buy parts and "build" it myself.

-Spydey

 

[shotgun]

Pond has in it ....

Pond has in it ....

Yes , the pond does have bass in it also ... up to 5 pounds ... the pond is a quarry made pond ... 18 acres and 50 feet deep at the deepest .... It started filling with water ( spring fed ) some where around 1996 ... so the fish are still growing ...

I want to target the big blue gills ... 1 to 2 pounds ... and they darn near fight as hard as the 2 to 3 pound bass ... which I am sure I will ocasionally catch also .....

Thanks for all the help so far ... if you have anything to add ... Please do ...

Doug Ramey

 

[brandon4455]

yeah, you don't want a 3 wt for fish that big. go 4-5 wt. for sure. 2-3x tippet would work fine. i hooked a big bass on my 4wt and it held up until the fish got off, so i think you will be fine. if you have heavier tippet you will be able to control the fish better