How Hard is Fly Fishing?
 

Ok I can catch Trout with bait and UL Spinning with Spinners.

I have never learned Fly Fishing but several on the river do.I'm thinking if we get into our New Business it would be at my advantage to learn Fly Fishing so I know what I'm talking about when someone comes in wanting to know.

How hard is it to learn?

big rockpile

Not hard to learn but may take a lifetime to learn everything there is to know about it. I used to flyfish for trout when I lived out west in Colorado and I have also used the fly rod for bluegills and sunnies here in Ohio. You can take it as casually or seriously as you wish.

I don't find it hard at all. The main thing for me was learning to cast without hitting the ground(ruined many a flies till I got it right). After I learned that it was great. Feeling a strike fly fishing is different and reeling it in is more fun than using a casting rod.

I use to fly fish for bluegills when they were bedding.Theres no more exciting way to catch them.Using floating line and learn to roll it on the water to place the bait right where the fish are.
I know absolutely nothing about fishing for trout.Probably a completely different technique and surroundings altogether.

The only way to learn is practice. Have an experienced fly fisher give you a quick lesson, then go find a quiet spot on the river to practice. Don't worry about catching anything at first. Just work on your casting. I take a four day trip to northern NH once a year, we fly fish for three days, I spend the first two days regaining my cast then catch a few trout on the third day.
You can practice your cast in the yard by tying a small piece of a bright colored yarn on the end of the fly line.
I would also recommend keeping a spare reel in your vest. There is nothing worse then spending an hour out in the river untying a wind knot. Save that for around the campfire after a day of fishing.

The hard part is baiting those tiny hooks, but flies will go after almost any bait. Setting the tiny hook is another issue altogether...

Not hard at all.
String out a little line, sling the pole back and forth a few times, then spend a while getting the line and fly out of the trees.
Didn't catch many fish though.

Not hard at all once you have the casting technique. Most times when you see the constant motion is people trying to place the bait in calm water. On the river, cast up stream of the fish and let the bait go to the fish, much easier. I don't cast any more than with a conventional reel. I find fly fishing for bluegill even more calming on my pond than other methods. If you tie your own flies it is so rewarding to catch a fish, no matter the size....James

Certain learning curve on what style of flyfishing (nymph , dry vs wet flies , etc ) . style that are popular are french nymphing , high stick and spey casting (two hand ) . Rods are starting to specialize in what style of fishing you plan to do . The size of stream , creeks and rivers matter on length and weight ( 5wt , 9' 5" ) matter . Don't go hog wild on $ on rod and reels at first . Plenty of american made rods and reels out their . Get to know when may flies , etc are plentiful during what part of the season. This changes according to what part of the country you are in .

carefull with the whip LOL and if you hear a crack like a whip you may as well stop and tie another fly on

I made the biggest catch of my life with a flyrod

A Shetland Pony walked up behind me without me knowing it, and I hooked him in the nose on a backcast.

Reeling him in was easy, but it took 6 people to get the hook out

It was catch and release

Fly fishing is impossible to learn. Those who do it have made some sort of pack with an power beyond our world. Fly rods are great for duct taping an ultra light fishing reel to and killing everything that swims with really tiny jigs.

Its not as difficult to learn to cast as it is in learning the different hatch cycles for your area. Your going to want to know that info if someone is wanting it for fly recommendations. If your going into a bait shop business you should be able to tie the patterns you sell so you know what materials to recommend. Also carry flies for other species as well. I primarily fly fish for warm water species, mainly gills but also smallies and large mouths. I do tie a lot of ant patterns that work on both gills and trout. If you want product info and vendors I could let you know the ones I use. You can also check flytyingforum.com for mire info on fly tying than you could imagine exists(I am not affiliated just a member like here). If you need a tier for some patterns I do tie and sell flies occasionally as well.

My three year old loves using daddy's "bugs" so I usually tie on a small jig with a bobber attached about eight to ten inches back. Its always fun to watch a three year old pull in a bucket of gills smiling the whole time.

About the only thing my fly rod with the duct taped reel has not caught is a sturgeon. It nails trout, bass and panfish like no tomarrow. Walleye, Northerns, carp and even channel cats have fallen to it. It's loaded with 4lb. test and I use a 1/32 oz. jig. One of these days I'll put the fly reel back on it and figure it out.

Trout be about the same in our area,where most lay its pretty tight.Plus if your in the Park too many people to get crazy :duel:



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...es_0023_Lg.jpg

big rockpile

Biggest thing with fly fishing it to get the rod reel and line weight to match. Kind of a royal pain to try to get a 9 weight rod to cast a 6 weight line or the oppsite.

You can pratiac in your yard if you have as little as 25 feet of clear space. Use a tiny bit ofbird feather instead of a tied fly to pratiac. try not to whip the feather to pieces.

:D Al

Well got the Basics.Went to Fly Shop today found out few things and they put Backing and Fly Line on my Reel,fixed me up with Flies that should work on the River :thumb:

big rockpile

Good luck Rock. What weight rod are you using? Are you fishing a floating line or sink tip? Weight forward or double taper? Are you planning on fishing dries, nymphs and streamers? And what kind of fish are you targeting?
I've fly fished all over this country, guided for it in AK and WY and have taught dozens of people the basics. It's not that difficult to get started but there are things that will take lots of practice to get right, like mending your line- throwing a curve into it so you're not drifting your line over a fish before the fly goes over him, roll casting, steeple casting, etc.
I'll be happy to help you in any way I can, if I can. lol.

If the fly looks buggy, you can catch fish on it. In fact, you don't really know how to tie flies. If you use some fur, yarn and feather pieces and a hook, you can make flies. All you need is a hot glue gun. Strips from shiny mylar potato chip bags work well for wrapping body material. Put a drop of hot glue at the hook bend. Attach your material to the hot drop, wrap all your body materials forward to the eye, attach a wing of feather or hair, put another small hot drop to hold all that together and form the head. Paint that like the head of a bug. (shiney black is good)

You don't need to pay 6, 7, or 8 dollars for a fly. make your own for pennies. If it looks like a bug and twitches like a bug on the water .... fish will eat it.

Ohio Rusty ><>

I've heard said of fly fishing that it takes 10 minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.

You're right tinknal. You can hot glue stuff together like rusty or heck why not just fish with corn? I've seen some big browns refuse a fly because it's a half size off and the drift is isn't right but rusty probably knows more about it than me. Just because you've caught a fish doesn't make you a fisherman, let alone a flyfisherman.

Ok I got 9' 5w,Floating WF Line,using Nymphs and Streamers.Got 7.5 Leader figured it would be easier to work with.

Figure make trip to the river,get away from people and figure it out down there.

big rockpile

Sounds like you're on the right track. If you have any problems sing out and I'll try to help if I can.