flyguy83245

Okay, you got some good advice, but we need to expand on it. For the bass you probably want at least a 6-weight, and buy a good one. Not necessarily the most expensive, but definitely not the cheapest stick you can find. Better equals more performance and you'll need it. As far as the lines go, the answer you received was a little confusing. WF = weight forward, while DT = double-taper. Two different kinds of line tapers with two different pluses and minuses. The WF will cast further, handle wind and bigger bugs. The DT will work better close-in and has the economy factor o being able to be reversed when it wears out to effectively double the life of the line. All things being equal, I'd recommend the WF as you're a beginner, you'll be casting larger, wind-resistant bugs, and more. As far as needing four lines, maybe your mentors were meaning some sinking (S) or sinking-tip (F/S) lines. The lines do just that. Sinking lines designated the the trailing "S" in WF6S Type III, sink at different rates according the the type number in the designation (Type III), which basically tells you that it sinks at about 3 inches per second. Sink-tip fly lines are a marriage of floating and sinking lines where only the tip is designed to sink. The line code would be WF6F/S Type III, or something similar. Again, the Type # indicates how fast and how deep the tip will sink. Don't get blown away by all the technical jargon. Put your money into the rod and the line as they are the two primary tools necessary to get the fly in front of the fish. If we can't do that, the reel and the technical stuff don't matter too much. We all have more reel than we need. Most of the time it's a line storage unit, but when you need it, you want an effective tool. Get one with a reasonable drag, that's fairly lightweight, and has interchangeable spools. And, one last thing, try your best to buy American. We all need jobs and income so we can play (fish) and support our families. Sorry for TMI (too much info), but I own and run a fly shop in Idaho. It's my daily job, but my passion on the days off. And "no" I don't get to fish all the time, I just talk about it a lot! Best fishes, Roger