Just started

[me]

I've just started Fly Fishing has anyone got any tips. cheers

[Jeff S]

Hi Nathan, I thought I would see if anyone would post before I did so I've been watching this thread. First, you aren't being very specific. You can catch almost anything by flyfishing. What are you fishing for? What size rod do you have? How do you plan to fish?

 

I've only just begun myself so I haven't much to offer. By asking specific questions you can get a better idea of how you want to present a fly and I find that on AN everyone has something to offer.

 

At the moment I'm using fairly small nymphs drifting them in the current. Bead heads and pheasant tails seem to work for me. I haven't tried an klinkenhammers yet but they are supposed to work really well. I use an intermediate flyline (weight forward) presented on a 9 foot tapered leader. Fish slow and near the bottom and you can't be far off. I'm fishing specifically for grayling. Prepare yourself. You don't get a fish every cast or every 20 for that matter. It is fun though. Read everything you can on what you want to fish for. Plenty of websites to choose from. I hope this helps.

 

Good luck

[me]

I never thought of that cheers!!!

By the way I have a shakespeare 10 ft rod and an Okuma Reel. The reel is a 380s fly reel. Which can hold 150 yds of 20 lb line (i think)....

[malevans]

Hi both,

well i taught my son and wife over the last two years so i know what starting off is like. Firstly i would agree that what flavour flying fishing you are planning to do is key. Firstly find somewhere you will catch, go with someone who knows how to catch there, and go with some one who knows how to cast well in terms of technique. You might benefit from professional instruction but that depends upon the individual.

 

Grayling are wonderful fish but i have not fished for them in the UK, only Germany. I use a weighted nymph, no 6 cortland fast sinker and extra super fast sinking leader. Which works great april early may, by end of may it is dry mosquito patterns that score best. Obvously two different types and weight of rod are needed for the two approaches. But also I recommend starting on rivers if you can rather than still waters. Thats how i taught my wife, if faced with an expanse of still water before her she would have given up.

 

Don't buy your gear until you have decided what flavour and where.

 

Good luck.

 

Cheers

 

Malcolm

[Ed Matysiak]

I stated fly fishing this spring and in the late summer i caught the biggest trout of the year at my local club (i was in the paper :cool: ). I found that having a big selection of flies helped. I started with a small box full now i have 4 fly boxes full!! (i find the Fox Box to be best) I also advise buying a fly making kit. I make my own flies now (i still can't do the complex patterns ) and found it a lot cheaper. Its also great fun to make your own patterns and test them out. I very fond of making 'disco' flies in mad bright colours.

[me]

Thanks! I all ready have a good 50-60 flies. That's quite handy.

[Pangolin]

Hi Nathan! It beats me why you should want to take up fly-fishing in January... but my advice is to take your rod and reel to a local football field, stand in the centre-circle, and practice casting towards either of the goals. It has the advantages that i) you won't snag anything, and ii)having cast, you can walk to your fly and see exactly where it landed. I reckon it's better to be free from the pressure of trying to catch fish, at first. My big breakthrough came when I was told to just hold the rod tip still, for a second, on the last backswing of the cast, before throwing the line forward to the intended target. It straightens the line out and allows you to aim it properly. When fly-casting at first, a straight line is a better achievement than a long cast. Try roll-casting too: it's great for fishing where there are a lot of bankside bushes. Each roll-cast you do can go further than the one before.

[malevans]

So how is it going ? Agree that technique more important than distance hence my approach with wife and kids. Pangolin is correct in that rod should be stopped at between 12:00 and 13:00 depending upon the wind. Its time for the forward cast when the back cast tugs on the rod tip, that happens when everything has straightened out. The other thing is keep that wrist locked. I must admit I went upstream nypmphing for the first ever time last year and it took me a while to get the speed correct for making the nymph move up through current slightly faster than current. Got a few nice river rainbows. Pic of one on gallery. I was using a 7.5ft #4 rod, river over grown, but may be an extra 6 inchs of rod would have made it easier to master. Things can be unexpected the wild brownes on the river I fish in the highlands only take the dry fly when it starts to produce drag. So try everything it suggests you should do in the books and if that does not work try everything the books say you should not do. Fish renown for not being widely read. lol

[Jeff S]

Personally it has been trial and error and I've heard that teaching yourself only leads to bad habits that you will have to fix later on. I couldn't wait to get out and try the rod. I was willing to take that risk. This weekend I am going to try a trout fishery with a guy that has quite a bit of experience. I'm hoping to pick up a few tips from him. The best advice that I have read was to start on rivers and not worry about distance casting. Thanks for that Mal.

 

Cheers

[me]

Thanks for all your tips. By the way i only started fly fishing because in the summer I went on a free Fly fishing trip. It was organised by the local council. When we got there they taught us how to cast and stuff then they let us fish all day!

 

[ 09. January 2004, 07:38 PM: Message edited by: Nathan ]