Who's Getting Hooked Here? A Review of My Current Fly Fishing Expenditures
Recently I blogged about the fly fishing class I'm taking through Bozeman Adult Ed. I've been through two classes now, and I'm still an enthusiastic student. In fact, I've started 'investing' the cash it takes to get going with this hobby. The tally so far:
That's it so far, although I guess I've also dropped a few bucks to pick up a handful of flys and nymphs. Now I just need to get out on the river - something that will hopefully happen next weekend.
This is gonna be cool...
- Rod and reel - I'm good here, as I have an 8.5' rod from Cabela's that I bought about seven years ago (it's cheap, but it will do the job for a beginner). The rod has seen precious little use - I bought it right before a trip to Alaska, thinking I needed to take a rod with me like every other guy who heads to the great white north. In fact, we went deep-sea fishing - twice - and I think I wet the fly line once for 15 minutes (with no success). Of course I had no idea what I was doing, so that's to be expected. I used the rod again late this summer in Montana's Beartooth mountains (Companion Lake) and caught a couple of small Rainbows; that was enough to remind me of the fun I had fishing during my childhood and suggest how cool it might be if I actually had a clue. Hence, the fly fishing class.
- Waders - Were this August instead of October, I'd probably skip the waders for now and just learn by wet wading. But with winter fast approaching, I'm not overly thrilled at the thought of standing in water that's getting colder by the day. So yesterday, my wife and I (notice how I wisely invited the decision maker along) had lunch together and then slipped over to the big 3 day sale at the Greater Yellowstone Flyfishers shop in Four Corners. There, I picked up a set of Cloudveil 8x chest waders for an obscenely low price that I hesitate to mention. Let's just say I picked up a top-of-the-line set of waders at a price I should have paid for a good starter pair.
- Wading boots - Waders are no good without wading boots. So after I got the great deal on the Cloudveils, I had to pick up a pair of boots. For that, I trekked over to Bob Ward's in Bozeman where I got a pair of William Joseph W20 wading boots for $60 - again, a great deal (retail is $98). I keep reminding my wife that it's not what you spend - it's what you save!
- Bear mace - If you're going to spend time outdoors in Montana, you have to be bear-aware. Part of that awareness is carrying bear mace. It's basically strong pepper spray that will - hopefully - deter a bear in full charge if you manage to spray her in the face before she takes you down. Of course, the fact that the spray reaches only 30 feet means you've got to display some pretty big cajones to stand your ground until the bear is in range. Perhaps it's fortunate that a griz in full charge can cover that distance in just over a second - you won't have much time to worry about it! The stuff's not foolproof, but it's sure better than nothing. I paid $35 for a can at Sierra Trading Post.
