Hi r/flyfishing
Lifetime saltwater angler here on the Gulf Coast. I recently mentioned to my 80 YO godfather (and beloved fishing partner whom has also saltwater fished his whole life all around the gulf) that I was starting to gain an interest in learning how to fly fish. Ive been on the water my whole life, bottom fishing for snapper and grouper, sightfishing tripletail and cobia, in the marsh stalking redfish, trout and flounder on conventional and spin tackle but have never picked up a fly rod in my life.
Anyways. He surprised me and gifted me with this older rod and reel of his this afternoon to learn on and figure out if this was more than a passing interest in the romance of fly fishing.
What exactly have I got here?
I would like to get this cleaned up and start learning.
Posted by RealZq8
2 Comments
You’ve got an Orvis 10 weight rod that’s 9 ft long. It’s a good rod but not a beginners rod. Based on the species you mention, I’d pick up a decent 6 weight rod and reel to start learning how to cast. That’s your main task in learning about fly fishing- how to cast a fly line.
Fairly high end outfit from the 80s. The DXR reels can slow anything down. It’s a 10wt which is big redfish, big snook, smaller tarpon, big jacks kind of power. Today’s rods are significantly lighter and more responsive, especially in higher weights. 8/9wt is generally more
common for all around salt but this rig will get you started right.