Well I couldn't have been more wrong. I was down south recently and watched a couple guys fly fishing the flats. It was amazing to watch. The precision of the casts, the bend of the rod and the thrilling look of the casters when they hooked a fish. I had to try it.
When I got home I started researching fly rods and reels. To say I was overwhelmed would be like saying Niagara Falls is a quaint little trickle. There was so much information and it was so different than what I was used to. Gone were the Medium, Heavy or Ultra-light powers replaced with 5 weight or 8 weight. Weight what? It certainly took some time to get used to the jargon.
The entire world of fly fishing was new to me and I felt like a kid going to school for the first time. It was so different. During my research I did end up finding some very good advise. It didn't come from the internet though, I found it on TV while flipping through the channels. I had been watching WFN for a while but had never really stopped on any of the fly fishing shows. This time the Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing was on. I think it was the first episode and some time during the show the host Tom Rosenbauer said something along the lines of a good 8 weight rod and reel would serve best as a starter. So now I had a starting point, back to the research.
After much aimless searching or websites I turned to some excellent forums that I frequent. The majority pointed me towards the Temple Fork Outfitters BVK 9' 8 weight. While fairly expensive for a "starter" rod most impressions were that for the money there was nothing better and it would easily carry into any serious fly fishing habit. So a shopping I go.
Now time to find a reel. Things were not so clear here.
