Simon C

Any advise for a rookie? A friend if mine who I've been coaching at archery has offered to take me fly fishing for the day. I've had lessons in fly casting when I was a kid as I used to go coarse fishing every week, but grew out of it.

I've lived in my flat for 3 years and only today found out I live within 6 miles of 2 fisheries!

Oddly, I can tie a serviceable fly, but never used 1 Tying them was of more interest than actually using them. Now, it seems a fun way of feeding the freezer as tickets aren't expensive.

ellsibub

good luck with that 1 mate, im the kind of guy who would fish with a stick of dynamite, all that wrist flicking and no guarantee of a reward(sounds like summit my missus would say ohh errr). best of luck

Simon C

You joke, I know a Marine that did that, well not dynamite, but C4! The troop weren't popular as it was a trout fishery!

The Dogs B******s

This bloke knows a thing or two.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/__fly+f...=228459_228459

Simon C

Hahaha!!!!

Jon H

Keep your wrist straight and try and minimize the number of casts. An old friend taught me by tying the end of the rod to my fore arm using the rod bag - this means you have to keep your wrist locked to the rod. Once you've mastered it, it'll be second nature! I find it easier to cast a heavy weight line such as a weight forward 8 but you do lose some finesse.

Jon

zip106

Trout's your man.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Splosh!

Butty

iTrader: (2)

If its on a reservoir then move on to boat fishing as soon a you've mastered the basics - its another set of skills to learn and IMO is more rewarding.
Fly fishing with light tackle for coarse fish can also be fun if there's a river nearby. Even if there aren't any trout in it, honing skills on the likes of chub is great fun before moving on to rivers with game in.

Simon C

The 2 near me are man made lakes, so it's pure shore casting. No boats involved, good job too as I only like boats with v12 in (v large cruisers).

Trout, any advice you fare to share with a rookie?

Leslie

I have fly fished for a good few years and did a lot of competition boat fishing as well.

It is really very satisfying to catch on your own flies especially your own design. You will get quite a charge out of that.

I am sure you have been told all the tips about casting, it will all be good advice and just takes a bit of work at it initially. The back cast is the important bit keeping the rod vertical at the end for a good forward cast anyway. Try not to let the rod lean backwards anyway. The more practiced you become, that less effort you will require.

Good luck anyway-hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I have over the years. I tend to stick to sea trout fishing now in our local river but still enjoy a day on one of the rainbow fisheries or chasing the brown trout occasionally.

Les

IWatkins

Loads of online tutorial videos for free.

If you get the chance, practise casting on a flat open field or tarmac but without a fly tied on. You'll get the hang of it quickly.

Also, if you are going to casting without much room also look at Spey casting.

Cheers

Ian

Leslie

Looks like he has forgotten his thread.

Les

Coffin Dodger

Tried it a few time and it's not easy! As above go over you local park for a practice on the field, just cast the line without a fly attached.

Bubble float with a worm attached is much easier

M444GY

iTrader: (72)

i find it terribly hard to fly fish , aeroplanes are much easier

legb4rsk

Mr Wong,he fly fish.He fly rice.He fly chip.
Velly,velly good!
Why you no rissen,cookie boy!

skoobidude

What is fly fishing anyway?

vindaloo

Model aircraft in my youth, flirted with learning to fly for a while but no, I've never thought to fly a fish.

Leslie

Its an acquired skill.

You need a very small hook but the bait is readily available, if not pleasant to handle!

Les

Simon C

Well, I've bought the gear and my rod license, and have made arrangements to go next weekend weather permitting Just waiting for it to all turn up and then I can get tying some flies.

Quite looking forward to it Haven't been fishing in years, and the thought of a quiet day on a quiet lake, is really appealing at the moment.

Also had official confirmation that I've just paid of my student loans

Leslie

This is the time of year to be "Buzzer" fishing. Your friend should explain that to you. The fish are chasing the larvae wiggling about in the water and they will take a static buzzer fly fished almost static below the surface. A buzzer looks similar to the mosquito larvae that you see in water butts.

My team once beat the England International Fly Fishing team by fishing with buzzers on Rutland water.

Enjoy

Les

Simon C

Recce'd 2 of the fisheries this morning, mmmmm

The most local is boat only, I don't "do" boats that don't have engines!! So will have to see what the instructors going to say. However is a nice secluded lake with good wildlife abundant and plenty of fish jumping.

2nd is a bit grim as a lake, every open, next to no tree cover and a list of restrictions because it is coarse and trout. How may trout anglers carry unhooking mats!? Upside is no boats involved. Again plenty of wildlife to act as a distraction, ducks with ducklings looking like ikkle humbugs, geese with chicks and Grebes in residence.

Downside of number 2 is its opened up to the bivi/boilie brigade during April - Oct so today was case of dodge the rods and bivis.

Leslie

I have one of those clip on electric motors powered by a car battery. Not very fast but quiet so that you can creep up on the fish with no effort involved.

Les

Simon C

Are they still about! I saw them come onto the scene when I was coarse fishing 20 odd years ago, errrrr now I feel old! That's getting into kit I really need to stay away from, this flat is quickly filling up!!!

Found another fishery a bit further away too, separate trout and coarse lakes and a stretch of chalk steam Catch limits are 2 fish lower than the ones round me though for the same price. No biggy though, that still fits in with me eating trout once a week over a month.

David Lock

I remember being in the same situation as you years ago. As it happened we had a canal not far from our back door - as you do - and I practiced casting a dry fly on the canal, not expecting a salmon or trout! But a decent size Perch took the fly so that was a bit of fun!! dl

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Some fish caught fly-fishing...

Simon C

Heres the results of today!!! Talk about beginners luck!! First 1 taken 1/2 hour after setting up, both fell to flies tied by myself.

Leslie

Well done Simon,I bet you enjoyed catching those-they have a bit more fight than you might expect before you have caught one.

A friend and I had a day on Kennick reservoir on Thursday. It was a hard day because it was bright sun and that puts them down as a rule. We each managed to catch 3 fish-all about 2.5 lbs each. Mainly on dry flies or bouyant black buzzers which lie about an inch below the surface and fished static. The fish would come up if there was a ripple on the surface and the sun went behind a cloud.

Very satisfying to catch them on your self tied flies too.

Les

Simon C

It was very satisfying to catch on my own flies I will admit. I'm already panning my next trip in a couple of weeks. Going to be busy tying in the evenings.

I did omit that I upstaged my mentor! I caught these 2 before he'd even had a bite, and we were fishing adjacent swims!

Leslie

Its always the same when an experienced angler takes a learner fishing. The learner always does better-don't ask me to explain it though!

Les