newbie to fly fishing

[PC Dreams]

I've been fishing for years but just starting to learn fly fishing. Have a question.

after I cast do I let the fly "float" on the water or is my main goal "striking" the water with the fly?

This may sound like a dumb question but After thinking about it I'm wondering. Flies normally don't stay in one place.

[ezlehappy]

I hope I'm saying this right for you to understand. Once you cast on a river you let the fly touch down on the water, not smack it, but land smoothly on the surface. then you let the fly(I'm assuming a dry fly) float downstream in a natural fashion. You help it to float on the water in a natural fashion through manipulating the line by either mending the line or holding the line up off the water so the current doesn't grab your line.

Watch some fly fishing videos. Fishing with Cortland Confidence is a good one. Also your local library should have a large selection of videos too.

[PC Dreams]

much apperciated :)

[steeliesonafly]

You will have to clarify which type of fishing you are doing. If you are dry fly fishing? ezlehappy is right, you just want it to drift to the water and you will need a drag free drift on this as well as the nymphing. But also remember that you will have to see some top water action going on to want to try the dry flies. Then you need to match the hatch that you see going on at that time! Now if you are nymphing, you don't need to get it to settle that softly, but you still want a drag free drift. But streamer fishing is another story. You can do several methods here! up and across, or slightly down stream. Sometimes slapping the water does the trick, but you want the streamer to go across and down on a swing. You will also want some weight on, or use some sinking type line to get you down. This simplifies things a bit, but just get with us on one of our outings and you will get a lot better understanding of what to do! Great bunch here.....

[PC Dreams]

not really sure. I'm just getting started. I usually fish in rivers and the ocasional lake. most of the rivers here are slow moving. I have a few flies(came with the combo I got) but Im not sure what they are. I'm guessing these are top water flies and not divers. thats about as much as I currently know :)

sorry I can't be more specific at this time

[PC Dreams]

mholtum hehe I mean fshfanatic. I'm enjoying the site so far. Thanks for hooking me up with the link. :)

[MOKE]

What pace rocks. This place has been slow as...What are you a geriatric or something?

PC Dreams....Welcome to hell, here is your fly rod. welcome to the world of non stop learning, totally new knots, fish with entomology degrees, wind knots, blown back casts, quick free ear piercings on windy days.

Also the greatest way to catch fish known. Its great! And hopelessly addicting, it sort of sneaks up and gets you!

Watch out for Fshfanatic, and dont believe a word I say! :-)

OUT...MOKE

[ezlehappy]

pc dreams.

Describe the flies in your set. perhaps we can figure out what they are. Include things like the color of the fly, the length of the tail(if any) in relation to the fly. include the size in inches (approximately), and any other characteristics you feel will help.


By the way, where are you from in UT?

Also, the best advice I could give you to becoming a good flyfisherman quickly is to ask lots of questions and talk to as many people (face to face in most circumstances) as possible, then practice a lot.

[flyty]

Hi,

Some more tips: when you are dry fly fishing(=casting an artificial fly that floats on the surface), you are trying to present the fly to a fish in such a way that the fish is fooled into trying to eat it. So, you have to get the fish's attention with your fly. The way you do that is by having your fly float into the fish's "feeding lane". If fish are rising(=surfacing and leaving a telltale ring in the water like a small stone hitting the surface), they will stay in the same spot and periodically break the surface, unless something spooks them--like you. So, once you know where the fish is holding(=where he is eating), you need to cast your dry fly a few feet up current from the fish without spooking it, which means you need to land your dry fly very delicately on the water just like a natural insect lands, and then let it drift into the fish's feeding lane which normally is not that wide. Fish are very particular, so if the leader connected to your fly line pulls on the fly, the fish will see the drag(=a miniature wake) the fly creates on the surface, and will realize your fly isn't real. Casting your fly to the right spot is half the battle, then you have to keep the current from pulling on your line which will in turn pull on the fly and create drag.

The safest way to learn to cast is on a grass field with a piece of yarn tied to your leader which is then tied to the end of your fly line. Once you get proficient at casting with the yarn, then you can safely put a dry fly with a hook on your leader, and try casting in a river, where you will have to learn to deal with the current.

Good luck!

[PC Dreams]

Describe the flies in your set

ok here goes

1:) bright neon green pipe cleaner like, bushy darker green tail and neck about 1-1 1/2" in lenth

2:) black with red tail,black bushy stuff around neck, large wings 1" in lenth

3:)gray body with horsehair color ring around neck and tail 1-1 1/2" in length

4:)black body with red stripe mid way of body, white wings, redhead with horsehair bushy around neck, bushy black tail
1-1 1/2" length

5:) solid black body with white bushy around the head and horsehair bushy around tail area(no tail here just a rear)
1" in length

[ezlehappy]

The first one sounds like a leech patern. They are fished underwater in a river or lake by casting (if you're in a river cast straight across the water, let the fly sink slightly, then give the line quick 4-6'' twitches(commonly called stripping) about every other second, until it gets directly downstream from you, then strip the line in til it gets back to you, repeat once or twice more, then move your position down stream a couple steps, repeat the process. This is called the streamer method).

If you're in a lake, it's best to be in a float tube. Cast the leech out as far as you possibly can. For lakes it's best to have a sinking line (either Type II, or Intermediate, some even recommend higher types like IV or V) (ask your local fly-fishing shop for more info). Count for 15 seconds, strip your line in, (if you feel a jerk on the line set your hook(I hope you know what that means). If no success, repeat but wait 20 seconds, repeat this method with counts up to 30 seconds. If no luck, change locations, start all over.

The rest of the flies I can't figure out. I'd probably go back to the place you bought the flies and ask, what the names of them are. then go to the library and checkout about ever fly fishing book and video you can get your hands on.

[shazerblaze]

5 sounds like a renegade (pretty much). 4 sounds like a royal coachman. 3 sounds like an adams. 2, I don't know and I agree with ezle. They all sound pretty large, larger than I would normally fish. The renegade is an attractor pattern, fished dry or wet. The adams is a fantastic all around dry fly, fished on top. The coachman is also an attractor, similarly fished to the renegade. That's just a little help. Enjoy the site and welcome.

[PC Dreams]

I can scan these guys in if anyone is interested but I'm not sure If I can post them here or not

[ezlehappy]

i'd be interested in seeing pictures, wmlinton@hotmail.com

[Fred]

Well...if you ask me...I think you're starting off on the wrong foot.

Ask an experienced fisherman, the oldest one you can find (like Ouzel for instance, lol) and then ask him how many flies he has. The answer; a gazillion: More artifical flies in his boxes than natural flies that exist on the planet earth. That's not important.

The question is: where you going fishing? When?

After you know that, it's much easier. Find a report, call a fly shop, ask Ouzel. Then, worry about fly selection. Don't put the cart before the horse, my friend.

[PC Dreams]

hey fshfanatic :) you thinking what I'm thinking? I think I know where I could post the pic <bfg> dslr :)

[Jason]

PC, if you're fairly new to this whole fly fishing thing I would suggest you get to a local fly shop, ask them for the right flies to use on a particular water you want to fish, then get out there and do it. You can only learn so much from talking to people and asking tons of questions. It's all a matter of doing it and learning from you mistakes, and of course your successes. When I first started fishing rivers and streams, particularly the Provo River, I didn't catch one fish until my fourth day on the river. I finally asked a guy what he was catching fish with and he told me a scud. I was like 'what the h*ll is a scud?'. Anyway, I went to a fly shop and finally got the right flies and began catching a few fish and started to figure it out. It's a tough sport to learn, but it gets easier as you go along. Here's what I think you should do. Get out and fish a little and then come back and have some more specific questions to ask the guys/gals on the board. Then you'll be able to ask the right questions for specific problems or questions you might have. Also, try and get out with someone on the river and get a few pointers. If you've got friends who fly fish, go out with them. Second, go to a local fly shop and rent a couple videos on fly fishing for beginners. You'll be able to see how it's done and it may answer some of your basic questions. The bottom line is, the more you get out and fish, the more you'll get the hang of things like where the fish are, what flies to use in certain situations, what techniques you will need to use, and of course, what flies work best. If you're into stillwater fly fishing, you should come up to our Mantua Fishing Day this Saturday. If you've got a float tube and a type II or intermediate sinking line, you should come up. I'm sure we'll be able to give you a few pointers.

Also, it also sounds like you don't have the right flies to use this time of year. Get to a fly shop and they'll hook you up. Western Rivers in Salt Lake is good shop and they'll be able to help you out. If you've got any questions send me an email and I'll see if I can help you out. FISH ON!

[PC Dreams]

here you go guys :)



now for my little secret. I don't live in Utah or even close :) I'm from Misery, oops I mean Missouri. :O



well crude I'll have to think of something else. I keep forgetting not everyone has access to that forum. :O

[Jason]

That links not working for me.

[flyty]

Doesn't learning to cast squeak in there ahead of fly selection?

[PC Dreams]

thanks to fshfanatic the flies have been identified

here goes

Fly1 = Woolly Bugger
Fly2 = Black Gnat
fly3 = Royal Coachman
fly4 = Renegade
fly5 = Adams


much apperciation to all those who have responded. My casting is coming along well and Im ready to get on the water. I will return with more questions I am sure but for now I want to get out there and give it a go. :)

[flyty]

In the book "Flyfisher's Guide to Utah", the author picks the Renegade as the best fly out of his top 15.

"The Renegade matches nothing in nature but consistently takes fish subsurface and on top."

Another one of his top fifteen is the Adams:

"The mother of all mayfly attractors. Effective for caddis and small stoneflies. General attractor and good searching fly."

The Wooly Bugger also made his top fifteen:

"Great subsurface fly that can imitate minnows, sculpins, leeches, and crayfish. The action imparted by the Bugger is almost irresistable to fish of all species."

You can give us a report on how well they work in Missouri. Good luck on the water!

[Jason]

Flyty is right, don't forget your casting. Duh, should have included that one. Casting is another one of those 'you gotta get out there and practice ' things. Like I mentioned earlier, rent a couple fly fishing videos that talk about casting. They'll be able to show you what to do and what not to do in order to get your fly where you need it to be. Then get out and practice on your lawn or at a park, or better yet do it on the river. Good luck.