Thread: Fly fishing anyone?

Here in upstate New York.... We're still predicting Snow for next week!!

In the high 70's here in NC - going to the Smith River in Virginia this week - had some hendricksons coming off at a delayed harvest stream last week. Have never been to PA fishing - not into Tankara(yet) but fish mostly bamboo

Lakes are still frozen for salmon fishing...about 2 more weeks. And our trout ponds open up the 4th Saturday in April

Have been playing with Tenkara the past couple of years. Interesting diversion, I find. Not for everything, but fun. Currently targeting a bunch of different species, not just trout. Smallmouth are fun on it as well.

Hoping to get out soon - I was staying away from the opening day crowds.

Paul

Originally Posted by jleeg

The season is well under way here in central PA. We've seen stoneflies, blue wings, hendricksons and now the grannoms are starting.

April marks my 160th consecutive month catching trout on our wonderful and fabled streams, and man, am I tired of eating fish (joking....all released). If any of you distant members find your plans are taking you this way bring a rod and let me know.If in late July or August bring your heavier fly rod and we'll target smallmouth on the Susquehanna, right out my front door....sometimes closer.

Any of you using tenkara? I'm becoming a convert for small stream fishing.

Best, J

PS. This is the front yard 4 weeks ago

I am just starting to outfit for fly fishing this year.
I have a graphite, a fiberglass and a (to be reconditioned) bamboo rod.
I have picked up a couple dozen flies (mostly nymphs) so I'm hopeful to get my first rainbow or brown this spring.
Seems like there's a lot to learn
Mike

Originally Posted by Mcbladescar

I am just starting to outfit for fly fishing this year.
I have a graphite, a fiberglass and a (to be reconditioned) bamboo rod.
I have picked up a couple dozen flies (mostly nymphs) so I'm hopeful to get my first rainbow or brown this spring.
Seems like there's a lot to learn
Mike

Mike, whether you catch fish or not, have fun and enjoy and appreciate the experience. Yes, it is nice to catch a fish once in a while and that will help keep your wife from thinking you are doing something else besides fishing if you come home empty handed!

I started tieing flies one winter with a $10.00 "kit". Boy, did I make some ugly flies. I didn't even own a fly rod/reel. Well, toward spring, I was having a brew or two at the local with my Railroad co-workers and I was telling the sporting goods shop owner that I had been attempting to tie flies but I just couldn't afford one of those fancy fly-fishing outfits. He told me to come over to the store and he'd set me up with a $15 outfit that would suffice.

I actually ended up catching trout with my ugly flies!!!

Well, fast forward two years, and I still had and used the $15 outfit, but had a couple of hundred invested in fly tieing equipment and supplies. I is a great hobby and lends itself nicely to sharing with others.

Fast forward another two years and I did get a couple of Walton Powell rods at a great price from the shop in Chico, CA because they had phased them out in favor of the high-end graphites, etc. For reels I watched yard sales and junk stores and by knowing some decent to good Brand names, and what is needed in a fly reel, I came up with enough quality reels to have each weight and style of fly-line that I used on a separate reel.c

My advice to new fly fishermen is to keep your casts short and slowly, work on longer distances in very short increments. Ask for help from people more experienced than you, and, again enjoy every day,whether it's fishing, tieing flies, or just being alive, really alive!

Last piece of advice. My hooking and catch rate went up significantly when I did one very simple thing. I would spend some of my fishing time without fishing gear. I would put on a swim mask and snorkel and just watch the fish. I was especially interested in feeding behaviors at first, but then became fascinated with all aspects of fish in their natural habitat. I did this in tiny creeks and streams, rivers, Lakes and Bass ponds.

I tended to stick with "classic" fly patterns for Dry, Wet/Nymph, and Streamers. They work. And really, fish aren't too smart. They go off of instinct and reaction to stimuli. Plain and simple. I did start using those standard "classic wet flies and streamers for Bass tied on weedless hooks of my own design. I could put that fly right where I wanted it, even directly into lily pads and other pond weeds.

Enjoy the fly fishing experience and all that it encompasses.

Louis

Thanks Louis, I went fishing with a fantastic gentleman, 81 years old, who I watched only for an hour or so. He was a patient instructor and showed me several things to get me rolling. By the end of the fishing day, I had 5 nice brown trout to hand. i managed over the summer to catch a few smaller rainbows as the spring Steelhead run was over. I am anxiously awaiting the last Saturday in April to give those a go. I am pretty content just sitting alongside the creek with a cigar and a flask of Bourbon watching the water flow by and listening to the sounds, sucking up some sunlight and not hearing a phone ring. Catching the occasional fish and letting it go to hopefully come out and play again someday just makes it better the memories of which cast my occasional smile that nobody understands but me
Mike

Used to be a fanatic,Than as I got older I realized it is a young mans sport if you want to fish for the big guns.
Double hauling a lead core line waiding in fast moving river all day for steelhead is a lot of work

Originally Posted by Mastershake

So who out there fly fishes? I bass and bluegill fly fish and tye my own flies.
Where do you all fly fish? I fish in lakes and ponds in southern GA.

I try to fly fish for trout here in Tn. My only problem is I live in West Tn and the trout are in middle and east TN. I have fished some in the Caney Fork and caught mostly small rainbows but thinking of going to the White River over in Arkansas and try my luck there. I don't eat the fish just release them but they are fun to catch.

I just got back from Gatlinburg GSNP .... wow alot of fishy water there