A Note From The Owner
When contemplating the purchase of a new fly rod and reel outfit, it’s important to consider the relationship between the 3 components. Aesthetics are important – it must look cool! Function is more important. If we are shopping for a 9’ 5wt or 6wt that we plan for use on some of the larger western rivers, we may want to pair that rod with a reel that has a smooth and formidable drag instead of a lightweight spring and pawl style. Although the fly reel doesn’t play a part in presenting the fly or mending the fly line, if our fly reel suffers a serious breakdown, we will not be able to fish. Consequently, durability is an important consideration when choosing a fly reel.
Aside from aesthetics, function, and durability, there is the financial consideration. After surveying our inventory of fly rods, fly reels and lines, you may decide how much you want to spend. But how do we know what percentage to put toward each of the components? We can assist. In our model, fly reels will typically have a retail price that falls anywhere from 40% to 70% of the fly rod. Does this mean that your Galvan Torque 4 fly reel that is in your closet would be inappropriate to combine with the Echo Boost 490-4 fly rod that your Aunt Harriet gave you for your birthday because the reel to rod ratio is 163%? No!!! They will be great together. These ratios are recommendations when purchasing a new outfit.
Lastly, let’s talk fly lines. Today’s fly lines are unreal! I think back to 1999 (when we opened Dry Creek) and you had to choose between a weight forward fly line or a double taper fly line. There were no fly lines offered that excelled at turning over indicator rigs and big streamers or fly lines specifically designed for small streams. The single common link with every outfit we offer is the fly line – every line is a premium quality fly line. That means they are priced somewhere between $79.95 and $129.95. Although today’s $79.95 fly lines (Rio Gold and Grand, S.A. Mastery Trout and GPX among others) don’t match the performance of the Scientific Angler’s Amplitude fly line ($129.95 retail), they are still a compliment to any fly rod – provided we choose the taper that best suits your application. I would like you to think of the fly line to fly rod relationship like water to a plant. Choosing a premium quality fly line has the same effect as adding Miracle Grow to the water. You’ll never know the full potential of your fly rod until you feed it a premium quality fly line! Premium fly lines enable your fly rod to make you a better fly caster. You are now more accurate and you have the ability to cast farther. Premium fly lines are more buoyant, making you more effective at mending fly line. This results in your flies looking more life-like and you are now catching more fish.
We have adjusted the prices of all our outfits to reflect our appreciation of your business.
There are many websites that you can access and place your order without speaking with anybody. We hope that you would prefer the opportunity to speak with a live human being. I welcome any questions you might have. If it’s after hours, leave me a brief email message describing what you are interested in and I’ll call you in the morning before I open the shop. For those of you who do your shopping in the evening, after dinner, I’ll be in the shop every Thursday night until 9PM, fielding your calls and maybe, filling some orders. You will be able to reach me at 520-326-7847 and I will do my best to answer any question you may have. If you see an outfit that looks appealing but you’d prefer a different reel or a different fly line, let me know and we can put a new outfit together.
As you will see when you check out our fly rod outfits, in addition to an outfit price that is substantially less than the sum of its parts, we will include free shipping, a stylish ball cap, a nylon tapered leader and the critically important spool of fluorocarbon tippet material. We here at Dry Creek Outfitters are very proud to be Tucson’s fly shop and we are sincerely grateful for your support.