Want to start Fly Fishing. Advice?

Love to bass fish. Figured i'd like trout fishing as well. Never really tried it.

Dont have a fly rod or any fly stuff. And i think Fly fishing would be better than a small open face rod and reel (which I already have).

I have no idea what to use, where to start, or what to buy.

Any advice for a beginner?

And for the meantime, i think im gonna try to catch some trout with my small openface reel.

Any tips on what to use with this type of setup? Size line? Size hook? Bait?

Thanks

 

Find a local class. That's what I will be doing and fortunately there is a place here that has a free 2 hr beginner class here

 

like he said find a local class or fly fishing organization that gives classes. There's one around here that does clinics every few months on things like intro to fly fishing, intro to fly tying, fly casting, etc. I'd pick up a couple of books on it too. "The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide" is a pretty good one. You can pick up a beginner rod/reel combo for around $100 or so. Fly fishing equipment gets expensive fast, but you can still do good with a cheap combo. I've been fishing with a cheap combo for over 10 years, but I mainly fish for bass and bream which takes a lot less finesse than trout.

 

i dont know anything about fly fishing but you can catch a lot of trout with a small open face rod for pretty cheap if you already have the rod/ reel. i would use a light rod with 4lb line. i prefer vanish line but you can use whatever. if you want to fish stock trout then i would use powerbait. my favorite is original and rainbow, but also use white on days when they have been fished heavily because not many people use that. for wild trout any grub or nightcrawler will work. if you are using nightcrawlers cut them in half, or even thirds if it is big. to cast for trout, there are a few strategies that work for different areas
if you are in a quick moving wide stream you have to "pick pockets" basically find a pocket of water in the stream where a rock slows the water down and the fish will hide underneath there. basically they want to not to have to swim to hard so look for the slowest water. if it is a smaller stream, throw it in a little upstream of where you think they are and let it float down to them. i would but a single split shot on the line b size.
if you are in a lake, but on bait of choice and add a bobber about 2 feet above the bait with a small split shot 6-8inches above and just throw it in and wait a few minutes. if they dont hit, move a little then throw in again.

just like bass fishing, the best way to learn it is just to get out there and do it. look at other people and figure out what they are doing and don't be afraid to ask. most people will give you a tip or two without any hassle

the one thing i will say though is stock trout fishers are ass holes sometimes and will come stand right next to you if you are catching fish so just get used to that.

 

I had a roomate in college that would fly fish on the weekends and in the early morning before class. He was mysterious about his hobby but he said you can always tell the people that learned how to fly fish on TV because they just whip the bait around constantly.

So don't do that.

Other than that, everything I know about fly fishing I learned on TV!

 

I usually use ultralight gear for trout, but when the hatch is on there is nothin more fun than catching them on a flyrod. Like others have said, check with your local tackle shops for a free class, most have them this time of year. I find that I usually catch brookies in the pools and pockets and the rainbows out in the current. Good luck and have fun.

 

Oh, and don't forget, catchin bass on a flyrod is a blast, they make poppers just for flyrods.

 

Wow, didnt expect so may answers so fast. Thanks guys. I saw a cheap fly setup at Dicks the other day for like 50$. I might pick that up and see what happens. In the meantime, think im gonna try it with my little ultralight.

 

Hey guys, I'm a well seasoned fly fisher from the mountains of Idaho and Montana.

The best thing to do is have a friend or guide get you on the river and give you a personal lesson.

Buy a nice beginners combo (rod, real and line). I like a 9ft, 5 weight rod. Match that with a 5 weight, weight forward, tapered, floating fly line. This fly line will help you cast easier. Behind the fly line should be some backing that is attached to the reel.

One of the biggest issues with beginners is not being able to cast the fly out far enough...the line just piles up at your feet. To avoid this, try to learn the roll cast first, it will avoid having to back cast. Once you start the classic fly casting motion..make sure you PAUSE on both the back cast and the forward cast to allow the fly, and line to unroll...keep the line taut.

you might first try a stream that doesn't have a lot of bushes/trees on the bank to avoid snagging them while you cast.

If you are fishing dry flies, cast upstream, allow the fly to float on the water without dragging. Strip in the excess line as the fly floats toward you.

Well that's all for now, but there is much more to learn.

Let me know if you have any specific questions

 

that's some good info Griz, I'd like to add something an oldtimer taught me when he saw me thrashing the water one time. On the back cast watch the line come tight behind you and use a flyswatter motion on the forward cast, hard to explain but think of swatting a fly with your pole. You can practice casting in your yard with no fly on, simply casting to a target on the grass. We don't get much of a mayfly hatch up here, mainly we use bead headed caddisfly sinkers that don't need an expert presentation. Ya, lol on the responses, fisherman love to talk about fishin.

 

I tried to get into it. Paid $700 for the rod and and fly reel. I used it maybe 5 times and I hate it

 

Not sure where you live or where your willing to travel to, but there is a catch and release area along the Elk River in Randolf County that would be really good for starting out. Its wide but not too deep and has many fish in it. I believe they also have guides that will take you out and help teach you if you want it.