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canoe fishing gear

Any fly fishers here. what type of gear do you carry on your trips. Do you fish drys or wets. what length of rod do you carry?

My favorite general purpose outfit is a 9ft, 6wt Sage rod and a wide arbor Ross reel. I have a 8.5ft 5wt Sage and standard arbor Ross reel.

I tried a 4wt outfit awhile, but didn't stick with it.

I'm not picky, I fish wet and dry, work streamers, popped bugs. My favorite fishing are the big cutthroat and brown rivers in and around Yellowstone park in both WY and MT. A tight second is drift boat fishing and tail waters.

I did live in WI for 4 years and enjoyed flyfishing for smallmouth bass and northerns and did some trout fishing. I didn't have a drift boat there but my family trippster Wenonah Spirit II worked just fine. I also flyfished on the BWCA trips we took when we lived out there.
 
I fly fish from my canoe too. In fact, I almost always have 2 rods with me - a 7/8 - 9' fly rod and a 7' light spinning rod with 6lb line on it. I like to drop anchor in a good spot and fish a while. I rigged up an anchor trolley that works very well.

For canoe trips I tend to pack light as far as tackle goes. A single fly case with a dozen or so flies, a small case with a dozen or so assorted lures, weights, and bobbers, a net, a bonker, and a filleting knife. It all fits into a water resistant haversack - except the net and rods of course.

For line management on the fly rod I too just pile it up on the water next to the canoe. Occasionally I'll get it hung up on a toe or something, but it's not that big a deal. I usually cast from a seated position.
 
At this point my only fly rod is an LL Bean 7 weight matched rod/reel that I picked up last year as a birthday present for myself. I use it for bass, pickerel, panfish, etc. and really enjoy using it. I did get the four piece rod so it can break down easily enough to fit into a carry case that I attach to the side of my pack for portages. That being said, if the portage is relatively short I will Velcro the rod to the canoe thwarts and carry it like that. While I'm not great with this set-up, I do enjoy using it. Lots of fun and works for me.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper
 
Those pack rods sure are handy saves a lot of broken tips and colorful language. If your not into hi-tech you might look into an old trailmaster rod made by wright mcgill, they came with an aluminum case . They are ofen on ebay or at flea markets for prices that don't equal a small mortgage. Fiberglass but there are many that like the soft action (more forgiving than graphite) and the fish will never know. Plus a nice old school look !
 
I would second the TFO fly rods as being very good for the cost. Last year I bought two fiberglass rods from Cabela's, both were 4 weights, one was a one piece Prime and the other was a three piece CGR. I got mine on sale, they really worked well and put the joy back in fishing for small Arctic Grayling and Brook Trout. I also caught some pretty nice Northern Pike that the rods handled very nicely, I was very impressed with how tough they are. They are fairly inexpensive and are not your grandpa's fiberglass!!
For anyone wanting to learn fly casting I would steer you to Mel Krieger, his DVD's are really good, kinda like having your very own wonderful grandpa teaching you. I know that he helped in fixing some of my casting errors.
.......BB
 
Robbin, if you are interested in learning about fly fishing, especially out of a canoe let me know. I live in Granby, owned Quiet Sports, a fly fishing shop in Collinsville on the Farmington river for many years. I have a place in the Adks and fish the back country ponds there quite a bit, though out of a wood strip boat , not the beautiful 15' WC you use, like to find one like that my self.
I usually have a 5 wt rigged up with a floating line and a 6 or 7 wt with a fast sink line, that covers most situations.

Fly fishing can be a relatively simple affair or you can make it as complicated as you want it to be.. But, as long as you have a smile on your face your doing it right.

John M.
 
Thanks, I think fly rod fishing for pan fish is out of my price range. I have no interest in trout fishing other than using little spinners with my spinning rod and reel on the rare occasion, and the way I snap rod tips around canoes, I never buy real good stuff anymore.
I appreciate the offer CY, I know of the shop you used to own and had been in there a few times.
 
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