Flyfishing tyro

[JohnF]

So as not to appear to be hijacking FishinNAutograph's G2G thread I figgered I'd better start a new one, but it's along the same lines.

 

I just got back into creek fishing after a 50 year hiatus. I was lucky enough to have the benefit of an old friend's experience. He's great at it and it's all about the fish. He has absolutely no interest in fancy expensive gear. His fave reels are two matched Shakespeare ultralite combos picked up at a Florida Walmart for $14.95 or something like that. I've tried them and they feel like crap to me but beauty's in the eye (or fingers) of the beholder I suppose. He's been seriously coveting a twisty flexy no name rod I scored out of a sale bin at Gander Mountain last year for 6 bux. His wading kit includes old running shoes with the toes cut out for drainage, a cheesy vinyl shoulder bag for his three Rapala original lures, his filet knife, the hemostats I gave him (from which he promptly ground the locking tab) and his broken reading glasses for tying knots. His one front tooth has a very slight groove worn from biting off line. If it swims it has potential as food to him. He's taught me a lot about fishing for Smallmouths.

 

But I really got back into fishing because of flyfishing. Maybe I watched A River Runs Through It too many times, but I think my interest predates that movie by quite a few years. I put together a cheap setup years ago and did a lot of reading but discovered that what sounds so smooth and logical in the books doesn't necessarily translate well to the river. I tried it exactly once and am now some sort of authority on windknots, but know little else about flyfishing.

 

What I really need is a mentor like my old friend the Bass Wader to introduce me to the joys of flyfishing. I understand that it takes a special kind of person(ality) to endure the frustration of imparting esoteric skills to a tyro but for some there's reward in seeing actual results, not to mention the lure of a bottle of Oban or somesuch at the end of basic training.

 

Unlike my old friend BassWader I'm a gearpig, delighting in excuses to open the wallet for new toys, so gear is not an issue. I've got three large (and full) tackle boxes along with about a dozen assorted spinning rigs to prove it. My wife cringes every time I take on some new venture, business or pleasure, because it invariably leads to more junk in my basement toyroom. Fortunately I just cleaned out a bunch of cold water dive gear so have lotsa room again.

 

If there's a kindred and kindly spirit out there who has the patience to take a newby flyfisher under their wing for a short time I'd be an avid and enthusiastic student. I'm situated in Stratford so London or KW are the obvious training areas. The Grand sounds particularly appealing for flyfishing. I'm kinda semi-retired so week days off are no problem.

 

Any takers? I'm pretty sure my old friend Bass Wader would also be into the experience but I may have to show him that it actually works first. He is able to change, very slowly and very gradually. It took me a few evenings on the Thames to convince him that there just might be merit in plastic for Bass (he got skunked with his Raps). He's also been covertly eyeing up my latest rod/reel (worth about as much as his car, not that his car's worth much more than $200) whenever he comes down to my toyroom. I let him toss a few lures with it one evening on the river and next thing I knew he'd quietly slunk away to a quiet spot to be alone with my spanking new setup. So he's able to learn still.

 

In the absence of, or in addition to, personal mentoring I'd be happy to join a flyfishing club in the area if anyone has any recommendations. However I do it I'm serious about getting started at this, but I don't want to just go out and make windknots, drown feathers and wound fish with fuzzy little hooks. I'd like to do it right.

 

Any advice, or better yet, any volunteers?

 

JF

[danbo]

Brother If ya weren't so far away I'd have you casting in no time!

Get the video from LeBaron's store or maybe your local flyshop;

Advanced Fly Casting by Doug Swisher put out by Scientific Anglers..Mastery Series.

 

Most flyrods load up with 30' of line or less out of the tip. It's pure physics.

You basically should hold the rod pointing at a 45 degree angle to the water .

Hold the rod about half an arms length in front of you & rapidly pull it back & throw the line behind you. You sort of flick the rod back to 45 degrees again & stop it hard.

Then just before the line fully straightens out, you do the opposite & punch it forward with a snap to the 45 degree mark again with another hard stop.

You must hold the flyline in your hand roughly by your beltline.

When you move the rod back & forth you must trace an imaginary straight line in the air with your rod tip. As if you were tracing a telephone line between 2 poles.

Where you start & stop your casts is important.

The poles would be closer together for short cast..much wider apart for long casts.

As you get the hang of it..you then learn to finesse the cast using less muscle power.. It's the greatest hobby!

Edited March 23, 2008 by danbo

[danbo]

http://www.sexyloops.com/contentspage.shtml

 

 

 

 

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_U...VDs_Videos/DVD/

Edited March 23, 2008 by danbo

[JohnF]

http://www.sexyloops.com/contentspage.shtml

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_U...VDs_Videos/DVD/

 

Thanks. I'll start reading.

 

Assuming that most, or all, of my buying decisions to date have been lousy (with respect to flyfishing at least) what do you recommend as a nice entry level setup for small bass & trout (hopefully) in the streams and rivers of southwestern Ontario. I've been trying to make sense of the combination of rod weight and length confused with the variety of lines and leaders/tippets etc. Is floating line the way to go to start? Should I be using weight forward? Are prelooped leaders a good way to go? Where do I start with patterns? Do I actually have to get out there and strain the local waters to see what kind of food critters show up or are there some reasonably safe flies I can go to right off to get my feet wet, so to speak? Etc.

 

JF

[danbo]

5wt is enough. I like Fenwick HMX flyrod but a Daiwa Heartland will do.

Fenwick Cartridge Series flyreel is a bargain that balances well.

Double Taper is for roll casting & soft landings.

Weight forward taper is best for streamers or poppers.

I prefer Ultra3 or 4 flyline fromScientific Anglers.

Get a floating line to learn with. Sinking lines are used for lake fishing deep streamers.

[danbo]

http://www.fishontario.com/flyfishing/index.jsp

[MJL]

Some things that helped me speed up the learning curve when I took up fly fishing were:

 

1. Get a good instructor: Watching videos and reading books or mags are great but you'll often unknowingly pick up bad habits and you'll subsequently have to unlearn them before progressing onto other casting skills. Most lessons are about $80/hr. A good instructor should have you false casting within an hour with good loops. Well worth the $. I lucked out my first trip with a fly rod when I met 2 casting instructors/guides and got lessons for free. They had me casting within 30min to about 40ft with decent loops.

 

2. Also get advice from a tackle shop known for their expertise in fly fishing so they can help you match lines to rods and reels. Sometimes they give lessons for free. My first combo was an 8wt Sage LE matched with Scientific Anglers Headstart line - IMO a perfect combo for the beginner who can spare a few $...There are of course cheaper alternatives.

 

3. Practice at the park or on grass. When you're at the river, there are far too many distractions along with trees, shrubs and people.

 

4. Wear some form of protective eye-wear. Anyone who fishes should.

 

I love fly casting. It's relaxing and fun. I still practice a lot on my front lawn any chance I get.

[huntervasili]

PM SENT