Salmon caught on Temple Fork 8 weight rod, Ross Reel, Maxima and Riverside Spawn Fly
Sage Rods
I have a 6 weight rod passed down from my wife’s Grandfather. I broke the tip in a cabin door, called Sage to explain and they fixed it - free of charge. I love companies that stand so strong behind their products!
If you are new to fly-fishing, it pays to talk to a good guide or fly shop to help find something that will suite you best. The action has quite a bit
to do with your
casting ability,
and will save
you some
frustrations when
you match with
the right rod.
Sage Reel
Temple Fork Rods
I bought Sage’s low end reel 1600 Series. It has the same lifetime warranty as their higher priced reels. Sure, the other reels felt a little better at the store, but I figured I’d forget that as soon as I was in the river. I was right.
Price is about $100
I needed a good steelhead/salmon set up and looked all over for the right mix at the right price.
I bought a Temple Fork 8 weight rod, same great lifetime warranty, but not nearly the cost of other brands.
Ross CLA 5 Reel
This is my favorite reel of any kind that I’ve ever fished with. The Ross Reel has a lifetime warranty, and helped bring in some very large fish! Super fast getting the line on the reel with an awesome drag. If you lose a fish you can’t blame it on the reel.
Maxima Line
Whether spin fishing or as a leader on my fly lines, I always use Maxima line. Some say there’s better line out there, but I’ve fished alongside some of the best equipped fishermen and spooky fish tolerated my Maxima line over what most others had on. And for the really finicky large fish, I switch down to 8 pound test. It’s surprisingly strong enough to pull in the mighty King Salmon from a stump infested river.
Gamasuki Hoods and Glo Yarn
Explorer Polarized Glasses
Gamasuki Hooks and Glo Yarn - save yourself a bundle of money and tie your own egg pattern flies on the river. They work just as well, plus I think these hooks are the best around. I consistently hook more fish with them and can easily change colors without tying a new hook.
Polarized glasses are a must when trout fishing. My main pair (bought at Gander Mountain) is called Explorer. They seem to work better than most. I can’t tell you how many times people have walked by me saying there aren’t any fish in the river and keep right on walking, past the school of steelhead I’m fishing.
Wiley X Polarized Glasses
I bought Wiley X model Jake because of their safety glass ability. The good news is their polarization is as good as Explorer’s. They first built these glasses for the military to deflect shrapnel, and will certainly hold up against that errant fly on the end of the line.
Arctic Creel
You’ll find a cheaper knock off called the Polar Creel, but it won’t last nearly as long. This made in Colorado gem is my favorite carry while river fishing. They are originally made to hold trout, but I haven’t put a fish in one in years. Rather, it carries my gear. I have been using the same one for a couple of decades, and prefer it over a fly fishing vest.
Here’s a link to a site that sells them new. But they are so durable, I wouldn’t be concerned about buying a used one either.
