I got my first fly rod and I have no idea what I'm doing.

**wicked_sick** · 07-09-2014, 02:37 AM

I'm a longtime lake troller and spincaster. I putt along in my boat and drink beer, just like grandpa did. Sometimes I even catch fish. Time for something new.

I just bought a fly rod, some line and a couple reels and I'm not sure where to begin. I'd love to hear any tips, suggestions, or advice that anyone has for a complete jong wannabe flyfisher. How did you guys learn?

**ak_powder_monkey** · 07-09-2014, 04:03 AM

Bluegill!!!!!!!!

**criscam** · 07-09-2014, 09:28 AM

salt water fisher my whole life till I moved out west. my boss was a flyfisher and I pretty much just learned from him. main advice I can give is look behind you before casting.

**dfinn** · 07-09-2014, 09:58 AM

youtube. i also learned a lot from a couple of classes I took at a local shop, worth looking into.

**GiBo** · 07-09-2014, 11:08 AM

I fiddledicked around for a few years on my own. Then started fishing with a friend who is really good and I learned more in a couple of trips than I did in all that fiddledicking time. Find someone to who knows what they're doing to fish with. More fun than fishing/drinking alone anyway. I hired a guide on one trip and that was super helpful as well.

And to counter criscam, learn to roll cast. Where I mostly fish, there ain't no room for a back cast.

**snapt** · 07-09-2014, 12:59 PM

Buy a copy of the Curtis Creek Manifesto.

**Ignatius** · 07-09-2014, 01:08 PM

Practice casting in a field or someplace with nothing around you, with no fly on the line (maybe a strike indicator or something you can see).

Practice fishing in tiny creeks where you don't really need to cast for real any way -- just flicking the fly into the next pool -- to learn about presentation and to catch some easy fish and enjoy the new sport.

**::: :::** · 07-09-2014, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by snapt

Buy a copy of the Curtis Creek Manifesto.

seconded

**McCorduroy** · 07-09-2014, 02:11 PM

I've been learning to fly fish for a little over a year. A lot of this has been mentioned, but I thought I'd share my perspective. Best thing you can do is fish with good/experienced fishermen who will talk to you about what to do. These can be friends or you can pay a guide. 2nd thing to do is read a lot. Curtis Creek Manifesto looks good. I also like The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing. I read a lot of blogs like Midcurrent, Hatchmag, Gink & Gasoline, and Orvis. Practice casting in a field a lot. Learn to roll cast.

**Underoos** · 07-09-2014, 02:36 PM

Get yourself a leader straightener. Better yet, get two. You'll wear the first one out pretty quick.

**dfinn** · 07-09-2014, 02:50 PM

^ I rarely need that with 15lb maxima.

**wicked_sick** · 07-09-2014, 07:51 PM

Thanks for the ideas. I'll get that manifesto for sure.

**Meadow Skipper** · 07-09-2014, 08:14 PM

When I first looked into this thread I thought about mentioning the CCM, but it's a bit dated in some ways and doesn't have a lot of info on casting, which I think is the hardest part to learn. It's an excellent resource for things like fish stalking and the overall lifestyle and attitude though and belongs in every fly-fishers library.

Fortunately there are a number of good casting and knot-tying instructional videos on YouTube, and your local fly shop should be able to help with flies and locations...unless they're pissy, but the chances of that aren't any worse than at the local bike shop.

Hugh Conway · 07-09-2014, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper

and your local fly shop should be able to help with flies and locations...unless they're pissy, but the chances of that aren't any worse than at the local bike shop.

so you've got an 80-90% chance of attitude, bad advice, and someone trying to pawn off the expensive shit they couldn't sell on you? There's a ton of information out there, tons of opinions, philosophies, reams of bullshit.

a rod, reel, some leaders, some tippet, a hemostat, nippers, floatant, some weight. Some flies - small selection of dries (a range of sizes), nymphs (range of patterns), some generic streamers. Online in bulk will save you money, if you are new to casting you'll likely lose a bunch. Go fishing - the where you are will influence the how you fish. If you fish small wooded streams for brook trout you might never do anything but rollcast with dries.

**brice618** · 07-09-2014, 09:07 PM

You get exponentially better with the more Simms gear you own.

**Underoos** · 07-09-2014, 09:24 PM

^ FKNA right! This guy gets it, clearly.

Seriously, leader straighteners. I carry several every day.

**skifishbum** · 07-10-2014, 06:32 AM

wanna catch a bunch o fish
learn to nymph
want others to think your'e a decent stick or take pleasure from doing it right
master line control
J Wulfs fly casting techniques book helped me

**dfinn** · 07-10-2014, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by skifishbum

wanna catch a bunch o fish
learn to nymph

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m0QbVTWhtw

**snapt** · 07-10-2014, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by dfinn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m0QbVTWhtw

Beat me to it.

**teleee** · 07-10-2014, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by snapt

Beat me to it.

Best video of all time! Everyone who I fish with knows how much I despise starting at that stupid bobber!

**plugboots** · 07-11-2014, 10:14 AM

Last week, I was fishing the Beaverhead below the dam. Driving in, I could see about 15? boats on the water. Whatever. Anyway, I walk downstream, cut into the river, and there are 3 boats below me and about 4 above, but only a few guys wading within sight, so I figure this is alright. PMDs are just starting, and only a couple fish rising in a hard to reach back eddy across the river below the line up of boats, so I let them eat.

Fish start to rise regularly, boats pass, I've got maybe 10 fish rising in a circle around me within easy casting distance. Nobody is not using a thingamabobber. Nobody.

I get 3 or so, and a late boat goes past, and the guy says: "You fishing a dry fly?" I nod. He says (like a Texan): "Woooooo, nice!!!!" He was serious, btw.

WTF?

Hugh Conway · 07-11-2014, 10:37 AM

bobbers and the wooly bugger hatch. and "industry standard' overpriced bullshit from simms, sage and whorvis. It's what you have to do to be a real flyfisherman. and watch tons of shitty youtube crap. If you are cool and complain one of the cool bro's here will toss free shit your way, maybe, because that's what makes this board awesome.

**eagleskier** · 07-15-2014, 02:40 PM

In addition to some of the other advice, here are a couple of points:
1) find out where the smaller/dumber fish hangout. The big boys are big for a reason. You may already know where these locations are, but if not your local Fish & Game guys can give you some good pointers. (like where they have the recently planted a fresh batch of hatchery fish).
2) Try to find areas that don't have a lot of brush and trees, and it is easier to fish slower water than it is to fish faster water when you are getting started, (this may even be fishing some of the same lakes that you have been trolling

).

**plugboots** · 07-15-2014, 04:49 PM

OK, for the OP, I practiced a shit ton in my back yard, but I was 8. Now I take beginners to a couple small mountain streams near me. It's more like climbing than fishing, but you still can't have drag or you get rejected. There's usually only one fish in each pool, so you keep climbing. From this morning:

Of course, (prolly not to you but), Cutties are easy