Beginner Fly Fishing

[rudisillnolan]

I picked up an "early" Christmas present at the Cabela's store in Greenville over the weekend, I got one of the Cabelas Prestige Fly Rod/Reel Sets it is an 8'6" 5wt 4pc rod. It comes with rod/reel/backing/leaders, a few tools, rod case, and a fly assortment. It was regularly 229 and i got it for 129. I am super excited to get into fly fishing, since this is a Christmas present I have began practicing with one of my dads fly rods in the yard, he bought one years ago but never really got into it and I am also using the Orvis Online Fly Fishing Instructional Videos, etc. What advice, suggestions, or anything would anyone have to offer to a beginner fly fisherman.

 

[wademaster]

Get with someone who knows what they're doing and spend as much time as possible on the water with them. Even if you have to pay for a couple on the water classes it's worth it, big time. This will lessen your learning curve by a mile. Not sure where yore located but check with Richard at Carolina Mountain Sports in Statesville. Excellent guys who will help you immensely.


Sent from my kayak...

 

[alt1001]

Aint nothin' to it but to do it. You won't learn anything unless you get on the water, no matter how much you feel like you are studying.

I can promise you that there is going to be trial and error. I can promise you that there will be times when you'll cuss everything under the sun. I can promise you that you'll want to give it up. (Those mostly come after you've just lost a fly rig to a tree limb, that took you 20 minutes to tie on back at the truck)....... However, do not give up! Catching your first fish on a fly rod is like killing your first deer. You'll never forget it and trust me, you'll be hooked more than that fish is.

I have seen many of folks try to get into the sport, and spend the very early stages watching videos, reading a million articles, practicing in the yard, etc, only to feel like a failure when they get to the stream and get skunked after they spent so much time, effort and money into gearing up to learn the sport. A lot of those folks have never picked up a fly rod again. You can watch all the videos you want, but those fish will humble you in a second. My advice for a beginner, link up with someone who knows what they're doing. Choose simple flies at first. Use a strike indicator. Always challenge yourself once you feel you are starting to get the hang of it...... and most importantly, learn about the fish and their habitat. I notice a lot of folks who will spend time trying to learn about casting and such, but can't tell you which Mayfiles are which, or anything about matching the hatch, where the fish are in the current, etc. It doesn't matter how well you can cast, if you can't mimic what their eating and put it where their sitting.

Again, it's going to be a process. If you want to come out with me, I fish all over, just send me a PM. The Davidson and Mills River's are probably 2 of, if not the best trout waters in WNC and both are my home waters. It's a great place to learn and I am usually out there in the winter on the weekends after hunting season.

Also, the Orvis videos are good but some can be very cumbersome to a beginner. One online learning tool that I have found to be very good for beginners, is the Cabela's Fly Fishing University course. It is a step by step tutorial of all aspects fly fishing and very easy to follow. I'll link it here. All you have to do is start at the top and work your way down to the entomology by clicking 'Start Training' on each module:

http://www.cabelas.com/category/Fly-Fishing-University/112554180.uts

Again, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me. Good Luck.

 

[Quackman]

Where are you located?? If you are close to Charlotte shoot me a PM.

 

[hunthard2]

Not saying anything against any of the other guys on here because they all do really well with it but alt1001 has helped me immensely. He's never neglected to answer a PM even when I'm sure my questions were self explanatory. But as a fairly new beginner myself, don't give up. Ill go buy a couple flies at a time, since I can't tie my own yet, and lose those same flies to a tree or a rock within my first 15 casts. It gets beyond irritating sometimes but when you catch a trout it makes it so worthwhile.

 

[oldest school]

I picked up an "early" Christmas present at the Cabela's store in Greenville over the weekend, I got one of the Cabelas Prestige Fly Rod/Reel Sets it is an 8'6" 5wt 4pc rod. It comes with rod/reel/backing/leaders, a few tools, rod case, and a fly assortment. It was regularly 229 and i got it for 129. I am super excited to get into fly fishing, since this is a Christmas present I have began practicing with one of my dads fly rods in the yard, he bought one years ago but never really got into it and I am also using the Orvis Online Fly Fishing Instructional Videos, etc. What advice, suggestions, or anything would anyone have to offer to a beginner fly fisherman.

I could use a fly rod before i was in the third grade. Nothing to it.
Just practice with the line, learn to throw the line. it is really easy, i could show you in thirty minutes.
It's a stroke move that is easy to repeat.

Now maneuvering in tiny streams and such is tricky but the basics are not. The skill in fly fishing is presenting to where the fish lie and the correct fly for the situation.


the neatest trick i have saw is a very short practice rod with yarn used as a line that lets you practice the correct stroke indoors anywhere. Orvis used to market these.

Good Luck it's fun.

I guess my advice (which is what you asked) is to not be intimidated or overwhelmed. The casting itself is not hard and all fish are relatively very stupid.

And take anyone that offers like ALt up on their offer.

 

[alt1001]

While I agree that False Casting can be learned in 30 minutes, it is not very useful on streams in Western North Carolina. They are too tight, not like they are out West. There are other casts that are much more useful around here, but much harder to master...... and I do agree with OS, that the hardest part is mastering the presentation. If your line or leader gets caught up in a side current while your aiming for a seam, it will drag that fly fast, through slow water and trout know that isn't natural. Mastering the presentation, aim, mending of the line, etc, will be your biggest challenge, not necessarily casting.

 

[oldest school]

While I agree that False Casting can be learned in 30 minutes, it is not very useful on streams in Western North Carolina. They are too tight, not like they are out West. There are other casts that are much more useful around here, but much harder to master...... and I do agree with OS, that the hardest part is mastering the presentation. If your line or leader gets caught up in a side current while your aiming for a seam, it will drag that fly fast, through slow water and trout know that isn't natural. Mastering the presentation, aim, mending of the line, etc, will be your biggest challenge, not necessarily casting.

agree.

In fact i would suggest a beginner fish flat water first before even attempting a stream. Ponds or lakes will provide more action as well from bass and bluegill.
Then you can step up to the big leagues.

as inspiration rudisillnolun- pick up a copy of the DRAKE magazine. Best outdoor mag in the world and 1000% fly fishing. It makes me want to throw my other stuff away.

 

[nchunter2]

I live in Newton and have a decent pond in my neighborhood for learning. Feel free to contact me and I'd be glad to show you a few things. I've been fly fishing since I was in 15...picked up a friend's dad's rod at a party and played around with it on a pond. Caught a 2-3 pound largemouth and a few bluegill and have been "hooked" ever since. I've fly fished in New Zealand and the Bahamas, but nothing beats catching an 8" native brook trout in the high country on a stream you could hop across! For trout, Wilson Creek is a great spot to learn on since it's pretty open. You could then graduate to Wilson's feeder streams like North Harper, Lost Cove and Gragg Prong in the same drainage.

Don't get caught up in the all "stuff" that makes fly fishing kinda overwhelming for the beginner. Focus on the basics of casting, but pay good attention to the short casting stuff like slingshot casts and dapling. Here in NC on the small streams you're basically cane pole fishing in many ways. Like was mentioned earlier, if your fly line is dragging through the current you're not going to catch anything....if the drift is clean than you'll catch something! The trout here live there lives hungry in these oftentimes sterile streams, so matching the hatch is not as critical as in other areas. Just throw a nice visible topwater fly to get the hang of what happens to it on the water and you'll catch some fish. Then using the same line mending techniques throw some "underwater" stuff like a small wooly bugger or hare's ear nymph and catch a lot more!

 

[alt1001]

I live in Newton and have a decent pond in my neighborhood for learning. Feel free to contact me and I'd be glad to show you a few things. I've been fly fishing since I was in 15...picked up a friend's dad's rod at a party and played around with it on a pond. Caught a 2-3 pound largemouth and a few bluegill and have been "hooked" ever since. I've fly fished in New Zealand and the Bahamas, but nothing beats catching an 8" native brook trout in the high country on a stream you could hop across! For trout, Wilson Creek is a great spot to learn on since it's pretty open. You could then graduate to Wilson's feeder streams like North Harper, Lost Cove and Gragg Prong in the same drainage.

Don't get caught up in the all "stuff" that makes fly fishing kinda overwhelming for the beginner. Focus on the basics of casting, but pay good attention to the short casting stuff like slingshot casts and dapling. Here in NC on the small streams you're basically cane pole fishing in many ways. Like was mentioned earlier, if your fly line is dragging through the current you're not going to catch anything....if the drift is clean than you'll catch something! The trout here live there lives hungry in these oftentimes sterile streams, so matching the hatch is not as critical as in other areas. Just throw a nice visible topwater fly to get the hang of what happens to it on the water and you'll catch some fish. Then using the same line mending techniques throw some "underwater" stuff like a small wooly bugger or hare's ear nymph and catch a lot more!

Very Sound advice. I would take this man up on his offer.

Some of the most fun you'll ever have, is sending a Woolly Bugger through a deep riffle and then stripping back on the swing around. That and fishing 3, size 24 Midges in a dropper pattern which is my favorite technique...... but you are quite a bit away from that.

Take this guy up on his offer.

 

[haywoodhunter]

I'll echo what others have said about casting. I'd say 75% of my casting is either roll casting or bow and arrow casting. And for fly selection, you don't necessarily have to be a master entomologist, above all PAY ATTENTION to the stream. Watch the bugs you see flying around/landing on the water and match these as close as possible. Turn over rocks on the edges of the stream and look at the nymphs you see on the bottom and match a nymph pattern to that. The best fly fishermen I know will all tell you, fly selection is less important than presentation. If your fly looks natural and the fish is hungry it will get eaten.

Putting time in on the water will be the most valuable thing. You will learn more through a few trips worth of experience than you will learn through studying, this is not to say that studying is not worth doing though.

 

[rudisillnolan]

Thanks everyone for all the responses, I appreciate all the offers. I live in Maiden, so nchunter2 that would be great to do one day, maybe when I am home from school here soon or whenever. I have a pond myself but its infested, for lack of a better word, with cows. Pretty much turned into a muddy mess but still holds quite a few fish. I'll shoot you a PM nchunter2 sometime when I am home and we can go from there. I'll be sure to keep everyone in mind as I get into fly fishing. Thanks again y'all.

 

[slayer'0'fowl]

All my fishing now a days is devoted to fly fishing, and I was a bass pro fly fishing associate until I had to quit to go back to school. As far as form for casting and learning the different casts like roll casts, double haul etc. by far the the best place is youtube. I recommend lefty kreh and some of the orvis ones, but lefty definitely know's his stuff. Get out in the yard and practice throwing to a hula hoop, you'll pick up quick and having a target really helps. Since your in Raleigh, stop by bass pro or orvis and they'll let you cast and give you tips that are very helpful. My boss in the fly fishing department at bass pro, Dan, has been all over the world and knows more than most and is great guy to talk to. Theres also a map in there that people have marked spots, and there are some KILLER spots. If you ever start tying like I did around 15, youtube's another great place to learn and makes becoming a great tyer a very attainable goal, you'll learn quick that theres a million ways to put on material on a hook and infinite number of ways to tweak a pattern. I go to school in Wilmington (because red fish have captured my soul lol), but raleigh will always be home. PM me and i'll give you some of my spots, and maybe once I get back to raleigh we can go sometime.

 

[alt1001]

I would also recommend Mel Krieger for videos on casting. Although he had passed, he was one of the best teachers ever, in the sport. One of the greats, no doubt.

I'm sure you can find him on YouTube.

 

[wademaster]

Without a doubt the videos and books and input from folks are helpful. However, if you just will spend some time with a knowledgeable fly guy on some water you'll bypass a lot of initial questions quickly.