I want to start fly fishing.

[bushwacker]

I have decided to give fly fishing a go, can any one point me in the right direction please. Basic tackle to get me started, etc. I don't want to spend much money at this stage just in case I decide that I don't like it or don't take to it.

I am told I have a few places to go to but not a great deal, they are all day ticket, and after the bag limit is caught you have to either pay for another day ticket to carry on or pack up and go home, no catch and release.

I will be teaching my-self aswell so any good books that I can read to give me inspiration would also be of help.

I live in Leicestershire if you can advise me of any beginers waters that would also of great help.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Colin Brett]

Where do you live?

 

Colin

[bushwacker]

I live in Leicestershire Colin, close to the South Derbyshire border.

[Jeff S]

I received most of my kit here . It arrived in a decent amount of time as well.

 

It can get frustrating when you first start. See if you can take a course or two. I started last month, without taking a class, and only now am I getting distance and accuracy. Now if only the wind would die down. I'd be out there now

 

[ 22. February 2004, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Jeff S ]

[bushwacker]

Thanks for that Jeff. I've had aquick look and it looks like the sort of thing that I'm after.

[Colin Brett]

I reckon you should book a lesson at Rutland water with one of the tutors there, Look here for details. The bonus is you get to try the tackle before you buy. There is an excellent tackle shop onsite as well.

 

Colin

[bushwacker]

Thanks for that Colin. I will give that some very serious thought.

[malevans]

Not sure what you want to pay or where you will fish. I would start with a Diawa Wiskerfly or Greys GRX (both in 60 quid range)and a Rimfly (20 quid) cartridge reel. You do not need a large arbour reel for normal trout fishing (in fact you could get away with no reel and a crab line winder if you really needed to !). Rod for a river go #5/6 and 8.5ft. For stillwater go 9ft 6 and #6/7.

Avoid large venues because it is soul destroying for the new angler faced with a large expanse of water and the temptation to go for distance too early is a real danger. Get a relatively light set up, because weight causes fatigue and fatigue screws your timing and the result is bad habits and lots of knots in your leader. Hence my recommendation on rods above. Forget waist coats for now...just get a bag, try army surplus, should get one for three quid. Thats how I started, with the exception that a bought a cheap shakespeare rod for 25 quid and it weighed a ton, hence I started my son and daughter on Wiskerflys, having learnt my lesson. Fly line start with cortland 333 WF of the right # no.(30 quid but worth every penny) Trouble with kits is that you gets lots of stuff you don't really need and not enough investment in the bits that matter like rod and fly line.

 

Cheers and happy hunting.

 

 

Oh yes and start off with floating lines not sunk ones.

[malevans]

I need to correct my earlier posting as it appears inflation has caught me out. Whilst I would still recommend the two rods mentioned they are in the 70 to 80 quid bracket. The best way is to look for end of line sales. Good rods do not become bad rods overnight. So for example when the new wisker fly range was launched I purchased my son a Wisker fly 99 9ft #6/7 model for 49 quid from John Norris. Also Shimano fly rods are very good and are usually offered at very good discounts by most mail order companies.

 

If you fancy spending a bit more then the Hardy Vicount rods are going at half price as they have gone end of line. My wife learnt to fish with one of these which we got her a couple of years back, beautiful and easy rod to cast. Better still it will still be a pleasure in 30 years time.