Flyfishing help

I've always wanted to learn how to flyfish. This past summer my dad gave me his fly rod and reel (Echo 9' rod, and a G-Loomis Venture 5 reel).

What is the bible for flyfishing noobs. I want to fish this coming spring. Any help is great.

Thanks guys

 

if you have some cash layin around, take a few casting lessons. also, go to any free seminar you can find. go to a local fly shop and ask for some suggestions on books for your specific area. make friends with local fly shop, this shit gets expensive but is so much fun.

 

Yep, some casting lessons so you don't develop bad habits.

The Deschutes River awaits. Trout Creek or South Junction areas.
If you can hit the Salmonfly hatch in May/June you will never forget it.
There's caddis and mayfly as well.

The float from Warm Springs to Trout Creek is a good beginner's section if you want to navigate via raft ot driftboat.

 

Thanks for the advice. I live near one, Ill go talk to them tomorrow.

Awesome!!! How about Jordan Creek area?

 

Few things: Take your time! Don't get discouraged (some of the best fly fishers in the world, still may get stuck in a tree once in a while). Go slow, and pay attention (it's hard to develop correct techniques, and easy to develop bad ones).

 

learn how to cast first and learn the right way. Find a FFF certified casting instructor and take a half day lesson. you'll learn the right way and in the long run will make you a far better caster. I thought I knew what I was doing until I started casting with an instructor as he practiced for his 2-hander certification. PM if you want contact info. he's a phenominal caster and a well known PNW guide.

there used to be a web site, I dont know if it still exists called Sexy Loops. good illustrations on key principles. technical break downs if you will. learn it, apply it.

Jump on the local area forums. WashingtonFlyFishing.com is a great site and is the hub of information in the PNW.

form realistic expectations! Beginning flyfishers are NOT going to go out and bang 6 steelhead in a day. You wont be able to present the perfect cast to a big nose breaking the surface in a trout steam. Unrealistic expectations have broken many a fisherman. advanced casting will come later. Tight loops take some time and double-haul timing takes practice. both of which you'll understand the importance of as you build your skills.

DONT spend a ton of money on gear to get started. If you start with Sage and Winston you'll never understand why they are far superior to other graphite. get your ass kicked on a few big fish with a lower end drag system before throwing a Nautilus reel on and gaining that confidence of stopping a freight train mid-current.

Start paying attention to river flows (usgs gauges on your choice rivers). drive out and have a look what 4000 or 30,000 CFS does to your rivers. if you're trout bumming somewhere out of the PNW this is less important.

Geek out with some science! learn about salmon and steelhead strains, trout species, ecosystems, runs, timing, history, aquatic entomology. A black wooley bugger will catch just about every damn thing from a carp to the majestic steelhead. heavily over fished trout in popular montana rivers will take a swung fly while the purists cuss and tie knots all day. with flyfishing comes a responisbility to educate ones self on conservation and develope a sense of stewardship. Protect your resources!

learn how to tie 4 knots: a double surgeons, a nail, a blood knot, and a clinch knot. takes care of backing, butt section, leader taper, and a fly. regardless of fish size those knots work great.

Read The River Why by David James Duncan and the 4-book series Seasons of a Fisherman by Roderick Hague Brown.

Enjoy...

 

I was given a 9' Echo rod and a GLoomis Venture 5 reel.

How are those for a beginner?

 

I havent heard of echo but I do know GLoomis makes good stuff. the first rod I bought was a gloomis and i still use it to this day. We got it probably 8-10 years ago. great rod

 

This is all great advice. Especially the part about conservation and protecting your resources. Too many people take what we have for granted! Here in the southeast, corn chuckers litter the rivers with corn cans, mepps packages, beer bottles, and anything else they can discard while fishing. It makes me sad to see it, and i always try to bring an extra bag with me to clean up after them. Join TU (trout unlimited) and take an active role conservation, It will make your time on the river more enjoyable, once you see that YOU can help be part of the solution, NOT the problem.

 

What are you fishing for, OP?

 

Most likely gonna be steelhead

 

Your venture 5 is a 5wt reel meaning that your rod is a 5wt as well. In the NW, we generally use 7/8wt for winter and 6/7wt for summer runs - at least up here in WA. Not to say that you cannot land a steely with a 5wt, it's just gonna be a hell of a battle.

Steelhead fishing can also be very frustrating and taxing, especially if you're new to flyfishing. You don't want to get discouraged fishing in the middle of winter and decide to bag it before the good fishing starts in April/May! Not sure what the trout water is like down there at the moment but I would suggest trout fishing for a bit; get used to casting, wading, reading water/flows and get a feel for everything before you take on the fish of 1000 casts (steelhead).

Plus you're gonna need a new rod/reel/line/leaders/tippets/flies etc, etc if you truly want to get into steelhead fishing. Then you realize that 2-handers are more efficient and start dropping money into that, that's when it gets real expensive!!

Oh...and go Cougs!

 

Awesome advice. Thanks for that. I gotta learn to cast first. Then I can hope to catch something

 

You steelhead fisherman and ur crazy 2 handed rods

 

Nothing like wading in 35 degree water in the middle of a snow storm spey casting for a damn fish!!

 

I was gonna chime in here, since I've been fly fishing since I was 8, but these guys have pretty much covered it!

If you have a grassy area to practice, tie on some yarn instead of a fly and go at it.

Most of all, enjoy. It's a very calming and rewarding "sport".

 

Once you start fly fishing you will throw all that "other" crap away. lol There is nothing like it with standard fishing gear. Even the small ones give a good fight with a 3wt fly rod. I don't even use my baitcasters anymore. They just sit there lonely cause I always grab the fly rod.

 

It is very fun! I've fished since I was able to hold a rod and just recently picked up fly fishing. Go to youtube and watch some instructional videos or read some casting guides! If at all possible talk to an experienced fly fisherman, normally they will give you a pointer that will go a long way and most enjoy seeing someone new coming into the sport! The thing that improved my casting was to take my time, don't rush it! It needs to be slow and smooth, just left it flow through the air, you cannot force it.

 

The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide by Tom Rosenbauer is a good book if you have time on your hands to read it. There is nothing like practice or taking a few casting lessons. but reading the book will give you some thoughts to put into your head!

 

Definitely get a casting lesson. Reading books can be helpful but there is nothing like having someone there who knows what they're doing and can physically show you how to cast.