fly fishing help

[the_outlaw]

Im new to fly fishing dont have any of the equipment for it yet. im
just wondering the learning curve that fly fishing has. I went fishing
with someone i work with and he fly fished. i was wondering if i would
be able to learn how to fly fish on my own or would it be a good idea
to get someone to show me the basics and what not?? im just trying to
find out all the information about fly fishing i can. all the help,
hints and advice you can give me will be alot of help. Thanks


Outlaw

[Wannabe Redneck]

it is best to learn from some that knows how to fly fish already but you will pick up thier bad habits. But is not hard to learn and you could learn on your but having someone teach you would be better

[Matt / PA]

Outlaw,
Riding someone elses coattails for a while is a good way to pick up the basics for a certain area pretty quickly........if you want to get truly good at it, it just takes time and commitment. When i went thru my " learning curve" phase I basically abandoned all other means of fishing and stuck to the long rod. I ate, slept and dreamt about catching fish on a fly........I tied my own flies, read anything I could get my hands on, and what I think is most important: I fished ALONE.
No pressure to catch fish........only to learn. I fished every chance I could and learned from every new trip.
If you are already a decent fisherman with regular gear , fishing for the same species, believe it or not flyfishing is not THAT much different. Its still fishing.

Now you are throwing the line instead of the weight of a " lure" but a fish doesn' t change its eating habits because you have a flyrod in your hands now.

If you' re serious then bite the bullet (there' s no other way) and get yourself a decent outfit appropriate for the species you intend.........and my personal recommendation? Start FLYTYING as soon as you feel the flyfishing bug bite you. Flytying is one of those areas that allows you complete freedom of patterns, and a real feeling of satisfaction when you take fish on something you made. Its kind of expensive to start, but when you aquire most of the materials and tools you' ll need it starts paying itself off pretty darn quicly. At $2.00 on up for most flies it gets pretty expensive as conditions change and new and different flies are needed.........plus you are gonna lose a BUNCH.

Get an outfit, get a book, and learn how to cast...........if you can' t get the fly there in the first place with regularity you' ll either become frustrated.........or it will light a fire as something to be mastered. Casting isn' t everything, and most " fishable" casts aren' t long ones but presentation is a BIG part of flyfishing, and many times its more important than pattern.

Ok I' m getting long winded.........if you have any specifics feel free to ask. I have 22yrs of flyfishing and almost 10 guiding under my belt so I' ll be happy to help if I can.

Oh yeah.........that little guy at the bottom of my post? That' s a good start for what your casting loops and rod position should look like.

[Pat_Ely]

Matt Isn' t that little guy at the bottom a Cowboy???/

[mauser06]

matt helped me alot.....i still have alot of the posts printed out.....and when i get serious again like every year i will be back for more.....i never got into it for trout..this year was the only year i tried seriously....cash could always be used elsewhere instead of a pretty expensive sport i dont know how to do yet..i have tying materials and tools too.....i love fly fishing and tying...i got to get new materials to tie though because i bought all the wrong stuff for waht a i want when i started...probally this winter i will get back into it...i will be driving in sept and as soon as i can i will be hitting the fly fishing only streams! dad doesnt fly fish.....i got into all this myself....theres alot to learn but its one of the funnest ways to fish in my opinion....and catching a fish on a fly you tied has the greatest feeling....and i only caught bluegills and bass that eat anything on my flys.....i cant wait....good luck....id also agree to get with a friend if you can....there so much you can do wrong and never know...its alot better to have the ropes shown to you first.......good luck

[JoshKeller]

I' m 19 years old..been flyfishing since I was around 10. I pretty much taught myself to cast, use the equipment, tie my own leaders and flies. Also, dont overlok the warm water species for flyfishing.. bass, sunfish, crappies, etc all take flies, and are generally less selective than trout. I' ve found that generally, most of my fish have been caught with under 30 feet cast...It offeres better line control, and in my opinion, a better presentation of the fly. Generally, my first pattern to try is a Gold Ribbed Hairs Ear, fished on the bottom with either a small yarn indicator, or just using the end of the line as an indicator. If you have any questions about flyfishing, feel free to ask them here or email me.

[the_outlaw]

Thanks everyone for all the help!!! i will probably get with my friend who fly fishes and ask him if he can help me out with the basics at least!! Matt / PA thanks for the great info on the subject, lots of help!!! sounds like i found a new hobby for the next couple years....lol..!! Thanks again y' all!!!

outlaw

[sunset]

Matt,
I am just starting to learn how to fly fish. What kind of clothing equipment do you suggest?
Thanks,
Patti .............. sunset...

[Matt / PA]

Patti,
What are you fishing for, what time of year, and where?

[sunset]

Matt,
I am fly fishing in a farm pond, and a nearby river, spring, and summer, maybe early fall, ohio.
In the pond are blue gill and small mouth bass. Not sure about the river.
Also, if I do catch anything out of the river, how will I know it is safe to eat?
There is industry up river.
And, I like the little cowboy at the bottom of the message, lol
Thanks for your help,
Patti....... sunset