The Fly Fishing thread

“lol Nigal

maybe I should stick to backpacking, this is way too complicated”

“I just bought a used fly tying outfit on ebay, and my 10 year old daughter and I are getting excited about tying flies. I got a video at the library, and we are going to learn a few simple patterns. It looks like a good winter activity. She is very craft oriented, so she might like it for the craft of it.”

“I she gets good she might be able to sell them to fly shops too. Just a thought. Mostly, I hope you guys I have fun.

My short list of flies that work everywhere - pheasant tails, x-caddis, and comparaduns in various colors. All relatively easy to tie too.”

“LadyHiker, the Grande Ronde is in beatiful country, but whats wrong with the North Umpqua? Good fishing and a whole lot closer. Also there are several good hikes in this area.”

“Old Timer... I love the North Umpqua.. It's a beautiful river. I was raised in the Myrtle Creek area (a loooong time ago.. :-) I do come over that direction for hiking at times. I climbed Thielson last year (and of course... hit the hot springs on the way home..). But.. the Umpqua intimidates me as far as fly fishing. Looks like there is a ton of fly fisherman there and I'm such a beginner... Are you from the Roseburg area? Where do you fish? Where are your favorite hikes.. Tell me more.... I'm hoping to get up to the Rogue river around Agness to do some fly fishing for 1/2 pounders this weekend.”

“What's a loooong time? I just moved from Myrtle Creek after living there 27 years. I now live in Sutherlin by Ford?s old log pond, gateway to the coast.[Reedsport]
I spent one summer working on PP&L?s generators at Tokatee, stayed at Dry Creek.
Every night I fished my way back to my trailer, loved it.
I have hiked quite a bit in the Umpqua River system, but never tire of it.
Good luck on your Agness trip and stay out of the poison oak”

“My 10 y.o. daughter has been bugging me for days to actually tie a fly, so last night she tied her first fly. (I haven't tied any yet). If nothing else, she can lose her own flies instead of losing mine.

Her fly was very ugly, but wouldn't it be great if she caught a fish with it?”

“Absolutely. I know catching fish on my own flies is still a kick.”

“What's ugly, Bob? Usually what a fly looks like matters more to us than to the fish.

The important thing is she tied it, and will fish with it. And, if she catches something, who wonderful for her.

BTW, for kids (indeed, for most begginers) the wooly worm and its varients are the best starting point. They're easy to tie, and very effective.

To tie them you only need some chenille, a hackle feather, and some red wool. Tie the thread at the head position, and lay down a thread base tothe bend. Tie in a short piece of wool as a tail. Tie in a piece of chennile and the hackle feather by the tip. Advance the thread to the head position.

Wind the chennile to the head and tie off. Then spiril the hackle feather (it's called palmering) forward, and tie off. Whip finish or tie a couple of half hitches.

That's the entire fly.”

“I started by tying wooly worms, too. That was the basic process for just about everything; you just advance from there. It helps to have a box of store-bought flies to check along the way. It seems to work better than matching the diagrams in the book. I tied some really ugly horsehair nymphs (looked like mutant bugs) early on, that worked great.”

“San Juan worms have to be the easiest (and they are darn effective!)”

“Problem with San Juan worms is that they look so unsophisticated that kids and newbies don't feel as if they've actually tied anything.

A lot of emergers are the same: really effective, simple to tie, but they don't leave you with that sense of accomplish important to beginners.

Simple is a very sophisticated concept, not easy for some people to grasp.”

“We checked a Poul Joergenson video, and the video demonstates his "favorite" flies. The first two were nymphs, then an Adams, then a Parachute something or other, and thats all I've seen. We are still working on whip finishing and hackles. After that, those fish better watch out!”

“There doesn't seem to be a learning curve on whip finishing. It's something that you can't do, and can't do, and suddenly you are doing it, and wondering how come you couldn't do it in the past. Stick to it, it will fall in place.

For hackles, you might want to try this trick: Strip the barbs off one side of the hackle. With a bare quill you'll be better able to see what you're doing. Once you have it down, you'll be able to wrap them regularly with no problems.

A bigger problem for beginners is sizing the hackle. Almost everyone uses hackle that is too wide for the hook involved. And they use far too much of it. On drys, all you need is 1 1/2 to two full wraps on most patterns.”

“I remember the biggest mistake I made when I began was using too much material whatever it was. I also agree that it is good to have store or professionally tied fly to use as a pattern when starting out.”

“Old Timer - I moved from Myrtle Creek in the late 60's when I was in grade school... I asked my dad about fly fishing on the Umpqua. He said that he was fishing by Dry Creek and the only time he had a steelhead on a fly rod, the rod fell apart and the family dog Butchie jumped on the reel and line! Isn't the Umpqua where Zane Grey fished?

Questions for all you "online" fishermen/women... Where do you buy your gear, supplies, etc online? I don't have any fly shops here, so it's like backpacking gear.. either drive for 2 hours or buy online.. (Old Timer.. Do Roseburg or Sutherlin have any fly shops?)”

“I still don't understand why people would fish for flies... I just put out a strip of paper when I want to catch them.”

“LH, I don't buy FF gear online because I've got several shops close by. I've bought more stuff at Kiene's than anywhere else because they've been around longer, but I like the people at American also. Both have Sage SPs on sale and they are great rods you'd be proud to own for life. Even on sale they are not cheap. Cheaper rods can be had at Cabela's. They typically won't have the same prestige as a Sage type rod but are very functional. Thier warranties aren't quite as good either, but still OK. Links to all three are below. For steelies on the Umpqua you may want to look at the 8 wt, although you might be able to do with a 6 and have a better mountain trout rod. I'd be glad to help, just let me know.


http://www.kiene.com/menupage.html

http://www.americanfly.com/

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/home/home.jhtml”

“Ooops Nigal beat me to it. Hats off to ya Nige!”

“LH- Yes, the North Umpqua was one of Zane Greys favorite spots.
My area has several shops that carry limited fly fishing equipment, depends on what you're looking for.
Myself, I'm a do it your selfer. Fly tying material from where ever I find it. Used to be Herters, but now Cabelas. Rod building materials from Cabelas or better, Angelers' Workshop in WA.
Angelers' Workshop

A very good shop is Blue Heron
Fly Shop at Ideleyld Park on the River.[Accually located by Rock Creek] Open Mon. thru Sat. 9-5 and Sun. 10-3. [Experienced people to talk to.]
I hope my link works.”

“Darn!! Oh well try this;
http://www.distantwaters.com
Back to the drawing board.”

“OT - Thanks for the Distant Waters site. I see they are located in Woodland Washington right off I-5. I'll be heading up that direction in a couple of weeks. I'll make time to stop for sure! Do you fish the Umpqua from Reedsport to Sutherlin? I always go 38 when I'm heading north. Looks like quite a fishing area around Drain?

Rockbuck - Thanks for the sites. I've bookmarked them. By, the way... Where is the American River? Also, I found another site that looks pretty cool too.. www.flyfishamerica.com
This one has some great articles. It has several articles from a lady I met on a plane last year, Carolyn Shelton. I offered to take her hiking to some falls in my area. I parked the truck by this little stream and when I finished putting my pack on and walked around the truck, she had disappeared!! I called her name (I only knew her first name.. no last name.. no next of kin.. etc. LOL) and no answer. Geeze.. Just great.. How do I explain about losing a person I don't know??? Finally, I found her in the stream checking out what the fish were eating... periwinkles, may flies, etc.. etc.. That was my first fly fishing lesson.. How to read the river!! (And also how to get last names, addresses, next of kin, etc..)

Colonial Miss - You really know your fly tying.. Are you a guide? Where do you fish?”

“shoot. now I know how LyndyS feels”

“No, not a guide, Lady Hiker. Just an avid flyfisher.

I've flyfished from the Florida Keys to New Brunswick, and westward to the Rocky Mountains; for trout & salmon, salt water fish, and warm water species.”

“Here's another site that has allot of info and a variety of good BBs.

http://www.flyshop.com/

It's good you have a shop close by, they can become a great resource and friends.

The American is down in CA. It's basically in my backyard and right now people from far and wide are descending on it for the salmon run. Makes it kind of difficult for me and the dogs to find some space for them to run and for me to wet a line for the steelies that slip in with the salmon. I guess I could have it worse though.

Reading a river is probably more important than anything else! You could start a thread on "your FF personality" - do you wait to tie your boot laces before you run to the water? Do you trip and fall allot because you're too focused on flying insects than where you're going, etc. *G*”

“Reading your idea about "Your FF Personality", I was thinking that I'm such a beginner, I wouldn't have anything to add to that... However... yesterday when riding my bike along the Coquille river, I'm noticing that there are a LOT of grasshoppers (hopping and squished!) on the road, along with those fuzzy caterpillars... I find myself in the wrong lane!! Lucky for me, there was not much traffic!! Guess beginners can be obsessed too??”

“Absolutely, but then you didn't actually catch one to take home and preserve in vial for a tying pattern. Naw, you haven't gone off the deepend...yet.”

“I just went through this thread and found lots of good info. Wanted to revive it, since I'm in the same boat Wanderer was in when he started this thread. If anyone has anything they'd like to add for someone who is interested in getting started in fly fishing, I'd welcome the comments.

Thanks!”

“Damn feather flippers.
:D”

“Huh?”

“Feather flippers wouldn't be much good to the fish would it?”

“I would suggest you start with a 6 weight rod.”

“i like to fly fish, though i suck at it. i want to start packing my rod for wilderness trips. don't let your line drag! richb is very knowledgeable about fly fishing.”

“I've been thinking about giving this a try too, just a little intimidated by it - it sorta seems like a religion to those that are proficient at it.”

“Yes, I've come to think of richb as a total fly-fishing ninja.”

“Artex, I meant to post this before, but couldn't remember which rod I got...
I think it's this one - 8'6" 4pc 5wt.

I plan to pack it on trips as well. I did last September, but I want one of those "reel on" carriers, cause I had to put the darn thing together about 10 times, then take it apart. I realized why some were walking through the woods with theirs all together, though I'd worry about my rod that way.

Roam, I'd wanted to fly fish for a long time. I wasn't willing to pay to learn, and had a bunch of people willing to teach me for free. But I waited until someone offered who I felt comfortable with, and it was great fun!
I need to practice though, I could be doing that on these cold days.

My goal for next year is to at least hook a fish, even if I can't reel it in - it's frustrating, yet fun and addicting!”

“flyfishing sort or ruins you to all other forms

I used to get up at dawn and use a 6 wt rod for spanish mackerel off the Alabama coast in waist high water

After an hour or so, my brother would bring the boat around and load me and the fish up and I cut bait while he took us out about 5 miles for Amberjack and Snapper using the cut mackerel for bait.

I like catching the damn mackerel more than the game fish.

Of course, going to an 8 or 9 wt for Red Fish in the flats at Alabama Bar (mouth of Mobile Bay) will get your blood going too.”

“I bet it does chili.

Here we fish for mackerel using a mackerel jig on a salt water spin rod, and yard up 3-4 fish at a time. fun!”

“Tip- when carrying an assembled flyrod through woods etc carry it backwards ,reel end first. Its less likely to get broken this way.

I usually carry a Shakspeare(sp?) micro spin ,spinning reel in my pack along with my flyrod/reel it weighs 6.5 ozs and holds up to 6lb test. when flycasting becomes hard from lack of room or whatever I just put the spin reel on my flyrod.”

“The most problem I have had with a flyrod in back country (in the eastern US) is finding enough room to cast.

Usually, I am limited to a barrel cast with a tight loop.”

“Chili -one thing that helps when casting in a tight spot ,like low hanging trees etc is to choke up on the rod like you would a baseball bat. Instead of holding by the handle slide your hand up about a foot or so ,which basically shortens the rod .It aint the prettiest way to cast but it does work.”

“nice streamweaver, I will try that.”

“64 days until trout season!

I’ve never fly fished before (would like to learn someday). My pack rod is a 4.5’ Shakespeare ultalite rod with a ‘70’s vintage Zebco Omega real (almost all metal parts). I probably have about a dozen other rods, but this one gets the most use. The short length and closed face on the real seem to work the best for myself, because most of the areas I frequent are overgrown with brush. Sorry this isn’t fly fishing related. I just felt like sharing.”

“Trout season is all year here!!! Opening day is just a tradion,for people who like crowds of people standing elbow to elbow ! I never fish on opening day!!LOL
I flyfish,spinfish,surfcast,bayrods,cane poles you name it,why limit yourself I always say.”

“really...most any kinda fishing is good. Where are you located streamweaver?

smelting on the river”

“Twigeater, I be in Baltimore county in Central MD. And you? Nice pics!! Ive never caught smelt but I have friends from michigan that were telling me about Smelt dipping back in the 70s (they have prolly outlawed it by now) scooping up loads of smelt during the run with small nets. Too much ice on the river to fish right now ,thick enuff to keep you from casting but to thin to stand on!!But in a few weeks it should break up enough to drift a woolybugger or nymph or worm etc etc underneath the ice.”

“There's some catch and release streams open year round a few miles from me, but they are almost iced over now from the extreme cold. I use a small Orvis 2 wt. One ounce fly rod, 6.5 feet long for small streams. It can cast pretty good around tight brush and is accurate enough to put a small dry fly in a shot glass if you are a good fly caster.”

“Trout season is open all year round here, too. Some sections of rivers are closed in the spring due to spawning, but still open all year round.

Bait and jigging for smelt???

WTF?

Back in MN, we used big dip nets and large garbage pails (i.e. 55 gal ones).

When they start running down the streams towards Lake Superior, you just dip the net in and drag it down stream and cath the little buggers from behind!!!

Loads of fun, and all night long!!!”

“We dip for smelts here as well.

We have open water season and ice fishing season - in between the two you can't fish.”

“and during ice fishing season you can only fish certain brooks, streams and rivers.
I don't know how it is where you guys are, but for any type of fishing, the first thing to do is look up the body of water you plan on fishing - see if there are any special rules, or if general rules apply.

I'm in Maine streamweaver.

PS - those pics are on the Kennebec River”