What tackle do you use?

[Richard Drayson]

I'm interested in what tackle you use for your fly fishing. I'll start the ball rolling with my very modest selection...

Rod Flextec XRD44 9ft #7/8

Reel Shimano Biocraft XT Large Arbor 7/8 plus spare spool.

Plus a Snowbee prestige floating line and a Polyfuse XT 40+ slow sinker.

I started off in the 70s with a Hardy Fibalite #6 and Mitchell 710 automatic reel

 

[Shrek]

Small Stillwaters:

Sage Z-Axis 9ft #6

Generic #5/6 reel

Snowbee Prestige #6 ivory floater with various Airflo Poly Leaders

Large Reservoirs:

Sage XP 9ft 7" #7

Grey G-Lite reel

Snowbee Prestige #7 Ivory Floater with various Airflo Poly Leaders

 

[GrahamM]

Mainly a Sage Z-Axis 9' 6", Danielsson 5/6 reel, Snowbee XS WF floating line.

I've got a Sage 10ft #8 but rarely use it these days as the Z-Axis so good to use and covers most of the fly fishing I do.

 

[Shrek]

Graham,

If you ever go boat fishing on a large reservoir, you'll find the longer rod invaluable.

Faling that, if you don't use it anymore I might take it off your hands for a few quid..........!!

 

[Morespiders]

Sage and Onion 6wt.

Leeda Rimfly

Old 6wt line from Uncle Dave

4 Brownish fly's in various sizes, would have had 20 but lent them to various people and never got them back.

Pair of leaking waders(water always goes over the top. Small 6ft spinning rod for worm if it gets hard.

Clothing

Grey Pacamac, and a wooly jumper, some socks

 

[Wobbly Face (As Per Ed)]

Big reservoir fishing: Snowbee XS Pro 9.6 #7 with Greys G-Tec 9.6 #7 travel rod (6 peice) as backup. Have 2 Shimano Bicraft XTS 7/8 reels with spare spool (total 4 spools in all) Lines are all #7 in floating, intermediate, medium sink Di 4 and fast sink Di 7 all weight forward. Mix of Snowbee Prestige andGreys Platinum.

For meduim still water I have a Greys G-Tec 9ft #6 with two Lamson Konic 2 reels with spare spools (4 spools in total) Have #6 weight forward lines,floating: Rio Gold, intermediate, medium sink Di3, Fast sink Di 6 mix of Snowbee and Greys.

For smaller still waters I have a Greys G-Tec 9ft #5 with Hardy Demon 3000 reel with a total of 3 spools. Lines arte #5 weight forwards, floating, intermediate and a medium sink Di 4-5. Mix of Snowbee and Greys lines.

For river fishing, Greys Steamflex 9 ft #5 and a Greys Streamflex 8ft #4. Both with Greys Streamlite reels. lines are Greys, Cortland 444 and Aitflow. Have 4 spool between the two reels, only one spool has a #4 line all others are #5. Lines are double tapered apart from a sinking line and a midgetip in #5.

For brook or small steam fishing I have a Hardy Delux 7ft #3/4 with a Hardy Featherlite reel with Hardy #4 double tapered line. ( will be replaced with a #3 double tapered line this year which I already have to put on).

As yet unused for Chez style river fishing Flextec XRD66 10ft #5/6 with Airflo Balance reel with 3 spools. Lines arte all #5/6 in floating, nymph/midge tip and medium sink. Cortland 444 and Rio.

far too much as some could easily double up. Couple with Chest waders by Scierra, thigh waders inneoprene by Shimano, waistcoat, full length coat and wading jacket all Greys GRXi.

Have Ron Thompson reel that came with Flextec rod which has two spools, #6 weight forward line Flextec floating and #6 weight forward meduim sink Aerflo.

 

[Colin North, the one and only]

I have various rods, used for different purposes, but most of the time, I use a 10ft Loomis that I bought from a guy in Ireland, who won it in a local trout fishing competition. He is a big man, who picks up my 15HP with one hand and when he pulls a boat up out of the water, it takes at least two people to re-launch it. To him, the Loomis was like a matchstick, and he couldn't get on with it. It is the only "expensive" fly rod I own, but of course I paid only a fraction of the RRP when I bought it off him.

All my other fly rods, with one exception, have no brand name, but they range from a 7ft6inch Brook rod, right up to a 15ft rod I had specially made for dapping, which I used to do on Loch Maree, but I have also done in Ireland on different Loughs.

I do have a couple of old Hardy reels, but most of the time I use one of the composite large arbour variety with various lines, mostly made by Cortland.

I have a 10ft 4 weight rod designed and manufactured by a good friend of mine, specifically for fishing upstream wet fly on some of the North Country rivers. My mate Joe Tingle has the same rod, and he has hooked and landed a couple of Salmon on his, when fishing the Teviot water.

 

[S-Kippy]

Big water : Greys Platinum X 10 ft 7weight : Reel : Biocraft LA 7/8

Med water : Hardy Gem 9-6 for a 7 : Same reel

For when I'm being cute : Greys Streamflex 10 ft 5 weight: Trion reel

River : Streamflex 9 ft 4 weight : Hardy Golden Prince

Sea Trout : Hardy Gem 10 ft 8 weight/Sharpes Gordon 10ft 6" 7 weight

Scierra XDA 7/9 reels though I've just got a G-Tec.

I rarely do sinking lines so nearly all lines are Snowbee XP floaters but I do have a couple of Aircel bog standard AFTM 8 floaters for sea trout .

The Hardy rod thing is not me showing off.I've found that the slower actioned Hardy's suit me better than say a Sage and every one I picked up cheap [ish] after they'd been discontinued or got as a present.The Streamflex is a delightful rod and I often use it when I really shouldn't.The Scierra reels are heavy but really solidly built with a fantastic drag.They balance the longer/heavier rods very well.

I've more than a few others too but those are the front line set ups.

If I could keep just two then it would be the 9-6 Hardy Gem and the 10 ft Streamflex with a Biocraft reel on both & borrow a rod for sea trouting.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Grey's GTXi 5/6# rod and reel for small lakes

Hardy Marquis #6 rod and reels for other stillwaters

Just bought a 9' Sage 7# for larger waters and Sea Trout

Normark Gold Medallion 3/4# and Grey's Stream Lite reels for brook trout

Hardy Sirrus #4 and another Grey's Stream Lite reel for the Hampshire Avon

Various (too many) lines to list, but including; Greys platinum, Snowbee XS, and Hardy.

 

[Richard Drayson]

Crikey guys...Sage, Greys, Hardy, Loomis, Danielsson etc. A cracking selection of tackle I have to say.

Perhaps one day we could have a trout fish-in (south/midlands)and try each others gear out?

I'd love to try a Sage rod /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Greys Missionary 9'3'' 6/7wt Greys GRXi reel

GreysPlatinum XD10 foot 7wt GTX reel

Wickhams Precision8'6'' 3/4wt Shimano Ultegra Fly 34

Lines Snowbee XS and Aircell DT and WetcellI and II for the greys reels.

Not sure whats on the Shimano.

Normally just use the Missionary and the Wickhams.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

90% of my fly fishing is done wading on large reservoirs. My 9' 7/8# (I think) Hardy's Angel rod and Greys GRXi reel cover all my needs.

 

[Colin North, the one and only]

"Greys Missionary 9'3''

Does one hold the rod in a particular "position"?

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Which ever position she wants colin

 

[Neil Maidment]

Just got back into Fly Fishing after a quarter of a century! Just the one set-up (currently!):

Guideline LPXe 9ft #6 4pce

Orvis Battenkill III LA

Loop Opti Stillwater WF6F

Chopped worm & caster.... oops, I mean various flys (collection growing daily!)

Been out on the last four weekends, good fun! Found out that Kryston Incognito Fluoro works for trout as well!

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[Bryan Baron 2]

Its amazing how much gear crosses the boundries.

Not sure on the chopped worm and caster though Neil.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

"Its amazing how much gear crosses the boundries."

Very true Bryan; boots, waders, waterproofs, a lot of lines and accessories as well.

 

[Wobbly Face (As Per Ed)]

Methods also cross the boundaries.

ledger fishing, pop up bollie= wet line,boobie.

Float fishing = sight bob, bung etc which goes under when fish takes nymphs.

 

[Neil Maidment]

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

Methods also cross the boundaries.

ledger fishing, pop up bollie= wet line,boobie.

Float fishing = sight bob, bung etc which goes under when fish takes nymphs.</blockquote>


(As I said above, I'm a returning fly fisher)

I've seen these flourescent sight bobs in use and thought - "Waggler Fishing!". But today I had several rainbows barely tweak the fly line - slightly straightening out the line - and managed to hit a couple. Chatted to and watched a local who "could fish a bit" and saw a big difference in his hit rate. He was using a little sight bob and with good concentration was very successful. Maybe it was the fact his buzzer/nymph was suspendedmore directly from the sight bobwhereasthe last several feet of my fly line was below the surface - who knows? Food for thought!

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[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

During my 55 years of fly fishing I have used everything from split cane Hardys CC de France and Gold Medal to Sage XP stuff.

The rod I use most of all today is a Greys Platinum XD 10 foot 7 weight teamed with a Snowbee XS reel and a Michael Evans floating line.

But I also own rods by Sage, Harrison, Cortland and Redington, plus a couple made for me by Steve Parton on Harrison blanks.

As regards value for money combined with quality, I would say that the Greys G-Tec range is without peer at the moment.