I tested the Orvis Encounter 8’6” Fly Rod Outfit. It turned out to be an excellent product for a beginner like me. As my skills improved, I did not outpace this outfit.
Orvis Encounter products are ideal for the beginner fly fisherman at affordable prices. Encounter Outfits come with fly line, backing and leaders already attached, ready to fish.
Orvis of Manchester, Vermont has been in business since 1856, making it the longest operating mail order company and the world’s authority on fly fishing. Every expert who I spoke with about starting fly fishing told me the same thing: “Even Orvis’ least expensive products are better than premium products of other brands.”
Why fly fishing?
Not only can fly fishing be enjoyed almost anywhere in the country, it can often even be enjoyed in many backyards. What’s more, studies have been done that demonstrate the use of fly fishing for recovery from traumatic experiences and its use for stress inoculation. For the law enforcement officer or service member, fly fishing enables the mental clock to reset and gives the fisherman a safe and stable retreat from critical incident stress.
Fly fishing does not incur extraordinary costs for its enjoyment. It combines other stress-reducing, low-cost activities like camping and hiking. Finally, it’s a way to hone your primitive survival skills.
Getting started
When my Encounter Outfit arrived, everything I knew about fly fishing came from reading books and watching videos. I am fortunate to have fly fishing friends who share the same interest in martial arts. I was told to look at certain features in fly fishing equipment, including a reel with an external drag and a 5 weight system, which is the most versatile for fishing in my area.
My friends tried a few casts with my Encounter Outfit and commented that 20 years from now, it will still be my “go to” fishing equipment. I found out later that the mid flex of the rod was forgiving enough for me to command the accuracy on the river I needed.
My first lesson in fishing was on the edge of my friend’s pool. I learned how to do a simple roll cast, landing my practice fly near a target. My friend talked me through it, and I spent the next couple of weeks owning my skills.
I recommend talking to local fishermen. I was fortunate enough to have friends that fly fish, but local shops are always helpful. I wisely purchased The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Fishing by Tom Rosenbauer. This is an inexpensive primer that will answer a lot of the basic questions about the sport. I refined my knowledge by having my friends show me the stuff I was reading and learning about.
In full disclosure, you will need a few flies and a few other very inexpensive terminal tackle materials like tippet (thin monofilament line). I also invested in a pair of waders.
Landing the first fish
After a couple of weeks practicing in my back yard, my friend and I went fishing. I figured we would be heading to a mountain stream, hours away. Instead, we went to a river in a nearby town in the foothills.
It was mid afternoon. We waded across the river after setting up our rods. It was finally time to put to action all that I had practiced.
We fished for a couple of hours until the sun got low in the sky. I had been using a nymph until I noticed a few “boils” in the water. I could see fish feeding near the surface. The birds began skimming the water. I listened to the beating of wings and the soft noises of rocks and current. A couple of caddis flies were flying around me. I had just tied on a dry fly that looked exactly like them.
I was “false casting” over the water when I saw another feeding fish. I delicately set my fly over the ripples.
A short time later, I was landing that fish.
