recommended gear for Durango area?

My father is retiring soon and moving from Houston to Durango. He
doesn't fish right now but has expressed an interest in taking some
lessons up there after the move.

As a retirement gift, our family is considering getting him a custom
built fly rod. Unfortunately, we know very little about the area and the
tackle requirements.

What sort of specs should I have in mind for a good quality beginner's
rod for that area?

Thanks,

Mark

Mark E. Wallace wrote:
My father is retiring soon and moving from Houston to Durango. He
doesn't fish right now ...

Forget the fly rod, the last thing we need is another old
clueless geezer on our trout streams.

Golf clubs, that's the ticket. Get your Dad a set of Ping
irons and top them off with some Callaway metal woods.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Ken Fortenberry wrote:

Golf clubs, that's the ticket. Get your Dad a set of Ping
irons and top them off with some Callaway metal woods.


Oh, he'll probably be doing that too. Someone else is gonna have to pay
for those though.

Mark

On Mon, 06 Dec 2004 02:43:58 GMT, "Mark E. Wallace"
wrote:

My father is retiring soon and moving from Houston to Durango. He
doesn't fish right now but has expressed an interest in taking some
lessons up there after the move.

As a retirement gift, our family is considering getting him a custom
built fly rod. Unfortunately, we know very little about the area and the
tackle requirements.

What sort of specs should I have in mind for a good quality beginner's
rod for that area?

9 foot 5 weight 4pc Winston Boron-2x ought to work nicely...

/daytripper (Pricey, sure, but *nothing* is too good for Dad ;-)

daytripper wrote:

9 foot 5 weight 4pc Winston Boron-2x ought to work nicely...

/daytripper (Pricey, sure, but *nothing* is too good for Dad ;-)

;-) Indeed.

I get the wink. Is 9' 5wt the right general ballpark though?

Thanks again,

Mark

Mark E. Wallace wrote in message
...
daytripper wrote:

9 foot 5 weight 4pc Winston Boron-2x ought to work nicely...

/daytripper (Pricey, sure, but *nothing* is too good for Dad ;-)

I get the wink. Is 9' 5wt the right general ballpark though?

Yep. A 4-piece 9' 5wt is your best bet for an all-round Western trout
rod. (Though I'd opt for a Sage SLT rather than the Winston).

JR

On Mon, 06 Dec 2004 02:43:58 GMT, "Mark E. Wallace"
wrote:

My father is retiring soon and moving from Houston to Durango. He
doesn't fish right now but has expressed an interest in taking some
lessons up there after the move.

As a retirement gift, our family is considering getting him a custom
built fly rod. Unfortunately, we know very little about the area and the
tackle requirements.

What sort of specs should I have in mind for a good quality beginner's
rod for that area?

Thanks,

Mark

Let him take the lessons first. He might not like it, or he might really take a
shine to it, and in either case, there's a pretty good chance that whatever
y'all pick out, while special as a gift, won't be the rod he would have picked
for himself. If you really want to get him a FFing-related gift, get him some
_serious_ lessons with a shorenuf real instructor. If you feel a rod is a must,
too, might I suggest y'all get him something like a Temple Fork in 4 or 5 wt.
Just a decent rod, well under $200USD, with a great warranty to boot. That way,
no huge outlay for what might not be his thing.

HTH,
R

wrote:

Let him take the lessons first.

That's the plan, actually.

He might not like it, or he might really take a
shine to it, and in either case, there's a pretty good chance that whatever
y'all pick out, while special as a gift, won't be the rod he would have picked
for himself.

Yeah, I know. I may try to find a way to hook him up with an instructor
in Durango and then stay in contact with that instructor to see if he
gets much of a sense for what sort of action worked best for my Dad.

If you really want to get him a FFing-related gift, get him some
_serious_ lessons with a shorenuf real instructor.

That's another very good option. The custom rod option just has a little
more "glamour" to it. Besides, my father is the type to make sure he
gets hooked up with no less than a shorenuf real instructor. He does his
homework as far as that sort of thing goes.

If you feel a rod is a must,
too, might I suggest y'all get him something like a Temple Fork in 4 or 5 wt.
Just a decent rod, well under $200USD, with a great warranty to boot.

Will keep that in mind. It will end up being a tough decision to go with
just the lessons or just the rod, but we probably won't go for both.
Have heard lots of good things about the TFO rods, though.

Mark

"Mark E. Wallace"

Yeah, I know. I may try to find a way to hook him up with an instructor in
Durango

I'd recommend Mark Engler @

http://www.duranglers.com

Or Jerry Freeman @

http://www.sanjuantrout.com

Anyone at either place would probably be great - those are just two guys
that I know are excellent. Anasazi Anglers is in Durango although they
guide a bunch on the San Juan.

bruce h

bruiser wrote:
"Mark E. Wallace"

Yeah, I know. I may try to find a way to hook him up with an instructor in
Durango


I'd recommend Mark Engler @

http://www.duranglers.com

Actually already had Duranglers in mind, courtesy of a tip elsewhere.
Didn't have a name until now, so thanks for that! My dad was actually in
there last time that he visited Durango, so I'll probably start there.

Or Jerry Freeman @

http://www.sanjuantrout.com

And I'll make sure to keep them in mind.

Thanks again!

Mark