Fly Fishing - Beginner

[nedkelly]

Hi everyone,

Ive decided to eventually take up fly fishing, I've always dabbled with a bit of sea fishing.

My dad got me a good set up rod, reel, line, net & flies.

I am in Glasgow close to the OK hills so might be doing some practice up there and local fisheries.

I am looking for advice on some good books, forgive me if this gets asked repeatedly I did try searching, and also some good youtube videos/websites outlining the basics.

Ive just started a new job so pretty skint at the moment but hopefully once Ive got a better idea and more cash Ill try get some lessons in.

Thank you all for your advice :You_Rock_

 

[Stevie777]

My best guess would be to get out there and get casting. if you have some open space, ie back garden or whatever, somewhere you can get a back cast then practice without a fly. Place a plate say 10 yards from you and try and land the tip of the fly line on or near the plate. once you have got the hang of it move the plate further away, repeat and rinse.
it's all about timing and feeling the weight of the line as it moves back and forth.

if you fancy a day on my local river and you dont mind jumping on a bus from Glasgow to Wishaw..(maybe you have a car?) i can teach you some small river fishing on the fly ( a trick in itself).. I would say the Fly is more important than the cast on small streams as most of the time you will be just flicking a small line out into the runs.

all it will cost you is £5-£10 bus fair depending how many buses you need to catch from Glasgow to Wishaw where i would meet you..Season doesn't start till mid March. Brown trout...Grayling in the winter.

Anyway. You know where to find me.

 

[nedkelly]

stevie777 Thanks for the offer I might just take you up on it!

Im looking for an all round 'essential information' type manual covering the basics and from there I'm sure it'll take off.

 

[Trencakey]

Tie a small piece of wool to resemble a fly otherwise your line will 'whip crack' every time.This will also enable you to see the 'turn-over' of the fly line/leader and will help you present the fly properly.

 

[Stevie777]

Tie a small piece of wool to resemble a fly otherwise your line will 'whip crack' every time.This will also enable you to see the 'turn-over' of the fly line/leader and will help you present the fly properly.

Whip Crack is caused by bad casting technique, not whether you have a fly on or not. but i agree with you on the importance of turn over. as i said earlier, it's about the feel. you will feel the line turn over. Depends how much line you put out anyway or style of cast...

 

[Filterhoose]

I was taught that your arm should go through a 10 to 2 and your shoulder really shouldn't move.



Windy

 

[Adze]

There's an old fly fishing axiom which goes something along the lines of "You cast for show, but retrieve for fish." Study your quarry and the prey it feeds on as much or more than you study the mechanics and lore of the activity.

Two of the best bits of advice I was given - seldom heeded them to begin with mind, as you do - were:

Always fish the closest water first. Stamping up to the edge of river/lake/loch/lough or tarn and casting to the horizon is a great way to keep fish tantalizingly 'just out of casting range'

Spend your money on the fishing, not on the tackle - you'll enjoy yourself a lot more catching fish on home made or second hand gear than you will sat at home with a bunch of tackle made from spacerace materials because you've nothing left to go fishing with. There's plenty of time to become a 'tackle-tart'

 

[Robbi]

Whip Crack is caused by bad casting technique,.

nope.

if you cast the fly line on it's own, it will whip crack, and you'll shred the braided loop, all you need to do is just tie on 2 feet of leader and either a fly with the bend of the hook snipped off or as stated a small piece of wool.

 

[pentrekeeper]

Fly fishing is good fun as you are effectively hunting for fish, casting into likely places and drawing the line back, so you are active all the time.

My best tip I can give you, assuming we are talking about a single handed trout fly set up, would be to put the power into the back cast and aim it high and don't let the rod go past vertical, that way you will feel the line pull when it straightens out behind you, then push the whole rod slightly forward before giving the rod the forward flick.

How much line you have in the air may depend on the rod characteristics, whether its a through action or a tip action rod, a through action can handle more line in the air but is softer on the forward cast, you will have to shoot more line with a tip action rod.

What you are trying to achieve is for the cast line, the nylon piece, to be extended at the end of the forward cast so the fly settles on the water very gently.

Don't try to have more line in the air than the rod can comfortably handle, you can cast as far as you want by shooting line out on the forward cast.

Have fun.

 

[nic a char]

I'd say try your local library & dabble till you find what you're looking for - and if they still do magazines, try TROUT & SALMON, FLY FISHING & FLY-TYING.
Re casting a fly line - it's the same as forward-casting a weight (as in sea fishing) only the casting weight is spread out over the length of the fly line - which won't really bend the rod until you've got say 20 feet of line out - if your line is matched to your rod.
To fly-cast properly, and to avoid "snapping", you have to wait until the line has straightened out behind you on the back cast. To achieve this, STOP the rod in the back cast by the 12-o'clock position (rod roughly vertical) turn and watch your line unfold, THEN drive forward.
Also, practising on grass is of little use as the drag you normally get from the fishing water against the fly line is absent.

 

[Clouston98]

A great hobby is fly fishing, I absolutely love it! Casting lessons are a good idea, I went on a day course, was only £30 and the instructor has you getting it right every cast by the end of the day. Ive not picked up any bad casting habits either which you can do if your self taught. By no means essential but handy all the same.

A priest, forceps, snips and zinger, a vest, possibly waders amongst other bits of gear are very useful, many places won't allow you to fish at all without a priest- it's easy enought to make one too . Adze is right though, don't get caught up on the gear. I got my gear second hand from a friend of my dads, and I few bits I've boought myself. I got a lovely quailty rod and some of his own hand tied flies because he was kind enough to sell me them a lot cheaper because I was trying to start the hobby, all in great condition too. A saying that rings true with some tackle is that it's designed to catch fisherman

I personally like stocked lakes to start, its easy enough to get bites and its a good way to practice playing and netting a fish before you go more advanced and persue the wild brownies.

There's no feeling better than landing a fish, taking it home, filleting it and having it for tea- good luck!

 

[peaks]

This might be a good place to look for books............don't think you'll find anything by JR Hartley though

http://www.anglebooks.com/

This might help - http://www.anglebooks.com/let-s-start-fly-fishing-the-rules-of-the-game.html

Review of this book here http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/it-s-easy-once-you-know-the-rules-1.263706

 

[nic a char]

Actually, Robbi, whipcrack IS caused by bad technique = starting the forward cast before the fly line has straightened out on the back cast. You can prove this as casting without whiplash is perfectly possible whatever is at the end of the fly line - or indeed nothing.

 

[Robbi]

If that is true then why don't the worst casters you have ever seen shred lures by starting the forward cast too soon ?

 

[Stevie777]

Actually, Robbi, whipcrack IS caused by bad technique = starting the forward cast before the fly line has straightened out on the back cast. You can prove this as casting without whiplash is perfectly possible whatever is at the end of the fly line - or indeed nothing.

Thank you. I didn't want to start a Pissing match.

 

[Robbi]

No need for one of them matches on a family forum son.

 

[peaks]

Lets all get back on topic + focus on the original post ie ............... "I am looking for advice on some good books"

 

[santaman2000]

LOL. Very few things get as heated as a fishing (especially a fly fishing) discussion. Not even a political or religious one.

This discussion isn't there yet; hopefully it won't be.

A quick question: Is saltwater fly fishing popular there? If so, for what species?

 

[peaks]

Fascinating though it might be to explore "A quick question: Is saltwater fly fishing popular there? If so, for what species?" lets keep focussed eh?
We are all trying to help the OP here and answer the question they posed...........

 

[Stevie777]

LOL. Very few things get as heated as a fishing (especially a fly fishing) discussion. Not even a political or religious one.

This discussion isn't there yet; hopefully it won't be.

A quick question: Is saltwater fly fishing popular there? If so, for what species?

Good question, it's not something i have even thought about. I know a few places where you could probably fish for Mackerel and Pollock on the fly from the shore. maybe need to give it a try.
Fly fishing for Pike and Perch is pretty awesome. I caught a 30lb pike on the fly whilst fishing for rainbows. Made the Local Paper and everything...Where do you go after something like that. My biggest fish was a 18lb Salmon before that and i didn't think i could beat it, ever.