WildandClear

i like different color zebra midges and tiny lightening bugs.

Very cool rod. I'm diggin the blue wraps.

The Chernobyl Ant is a good one to start with.

I love love bluegills, crappie, and bass, but by far my favorite is pike. I've never lived anywhere with many smallies but I would sure love to go after them.

You're lucky man I would love a spey or switch rod. A switch will probably be my next rod, but I'm not sure when that will come around. I'm definitely not going to go custom but I would definitely like to build my own rod. If not I think I'd try the Redington Dually.

Hard to believe right? But yes, I have bought almost all of that. That wal mart fly rod was a gift because it was so cheap. My first "real" rod I got after painting an entire barn and picking who knows how many rocks out of a hay field. After that I've tried to get the best rods I can for the money. As for the Alaska trip, my dad wanted to go salmon fishing and he wanted to take me with. Oh dang I hope that doesn't make me look spoiled rotten. I've had a job or done ranch work every year since middle school, so I've had the money for it. I'm not trying to sound like a smart ass but I don't see why it is unbelievable. Not "unbelievable" ... but your first line is right ... "Hard to believe ..." I teach at the vocational level, and I get so few young people with a good work ethic. Glad to hear you have that. I wasn't trying to be a doubter, but experience has jaded me a bit. It's excellent to know there are still hard working kids in this country. My hat's off to you. Yeah I understand. I am rather disappointed in my generation sometimes. I really hate being lumped in with them.

Hard to believe right? But yes, I have bought almost all of that. That wal mart fly rod was a gift because it was so cheap. My first "real" rod I got after painting an entire barn and picking who knows how many rocks out of a hay field. After that I've tried to get the best rods I can for the money. As for the Alaska trip, my dad wanted to go salmon fishing and he wanted to take me with. Oh dang I hope that doesn't make me look spoiled rotten. I've had a job or done ranch work every year since middle school, so I've had the money for it. I'm not trying to sound like a smart ass but I don't see why it is unbelievable.

I'm a senior in high school and I have been fly fishing since I was eleven. No one else in my family fly fished (seems like everyone only spin fishes in northern Minnesota) and had to start out cheap. My first rod: a good ole 6 wt wal-mart special. This rod was heavy has hell and didn't have much for action, but I learned how to throw tight loops right away. I absolutely slayed bluegills, crappies, and bass on it. Boy did I upgrade when I found some cheap Royal Wulff line at a tackle store. Then I moved to Montana when I was twelve I managed to get a 4 wt redington crosswater set up for $99. Damn did I feel like a pro. I learned how to go after trout on this rod and I caught tons. I remember one of the first real hatches I encountered was a caddis hatch on a small spring creek near my house. I was able to lay that elk hair caddis down where I wanted to every time with perfect presentation and caught 10+ fish that day. Did I need some ultra fine presentation ghost line? No. Would it have been nice? Hell yes. Fast forward to 2012, I go to Alaska for rainbows and sockeyes. I only had a 5 wt redington red fly 2 for dollies and small trout. I needed something bigger so what do I do? I go to sportsmen's warehouse, find an 8 wt crosswater outfit, and head out to the Kenai. I limited out on big sockeyes every day for 4 days and the rod did great. The crosswater reel was slightly underpowered so I spent the 60 bucks on an okuma SLV because the guy at the fly shop recommended it. That did the trick. Hell I almost landed a king that was still in the river. If I had an 9 wt I would have gotten him. I've acquired a few more rods and reels but I've never spent for than $250 on a set up. I for one will likely never spend more than $300 on a rod, and no more than $200 on a reel. Fly tying materials? I'm a hunter so I'd rather harvest my own. Fly fishing is my obsession and I love gear, but I'd rather save the money for fishing in awesome destinations. Bottom line is, you don't need to spend much to fly fish.