Interested in Fly fishing

Dialer

Senior Member
After a few practice casts, I started practicing in the creek at the motorcycle resort. 3rd cast landed a nice bream! What a BLAST!
 

Nicodemus

The Recluse
Staff member
Fly fishing is like turkey hunting. It`s a disease that is incurable. A chance for a big redbelly on a 3wt will cause you to miss work.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
Picked up an outfit for $59 at Dicks in Gainesville. 9' rod, 5/6 reel. Whatever that means!

5/6 means that it takes a 5 or 6 weight line.
 

Water Swat

Senior Member
Fly fishing is like turkey hunting. It`s a disease that is incurable. A chance for a big redbelly on a 3wt will cause you to miss work.

ill have to send you a picture of the 3 weight a client built for me this past winter. It is a thing of beauty and has slap wore out the bream in the last few weeks.
 

Dialer

Senior Member
Finally got a chance to hit the pond yesterday, wasn't good at all. My line seemed to shoot too high and gathering up in just a pile a short distance from the bank. The flys won't float, but sink when I did get a fair cast. Lost 2 flies on the power lines above and behind me. Guess I'm gonna need an instructor. Anyone in mind?
 

centerpin fan

Senior Member
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centerpin fan

Senior Member
Finally got a chance to hit the pond yesterday, wasn't good at all.

If it's any consolation, all beginners are terrible casters. (Many people who have been casting for years are terrible). At least you're willing to get some instruction.
 

Georgia Hard Hunter

Senior Member
you are headed in the right direction, getting instruction now as apposed to self teaching will save you from picking up bad habits that are much harder to fix later
 

centerpin fan

Senior Member
you are headed in the right direction, getting instruction now as apposed to self teaching will save you from picking up bad habits that are much harder to fix later

Agreed.

I've never been able to understand why so many people struggle on their own rather than getting lessons. Fly casting is not intuitive.

Granted, I live in Atlanta and have access to great instruction and well-stocked fly shops. Not everyone is that fortunate, however. Still, many people won't even watch a video.

I was poking around on YouTube recently and watched a couple of videos by "newbie" fly fisherman. Both were very poor casters (even by beginners' standards), didn't know how to retrieve line, etc. You'd think that somebody who'd go to the trouble of making a fly fishing video would have watched some videos beforehand. :huh:

I just hate to see new guys struggle.
 

Coenen

Senior Member
Fly casting is not intuitive.
Truer words we n'er spoken. Not only is it NOT intuitive, relative to spin fishing, most of it is counter-intuitive!

Watch some videos for sure. I'll see if I can dig up the ones I watched to get me going, when I'm not at work. Practice, off the water. Use your yard if you have sufficient space, or find an open field to use. Set up some basic targets, and practice. Start relatively close, and just focus on making good casts. You'll get some funny looks from passers-by, but good off the water practice sessions will have a huge effect on the quality of your on the water experience.

I'm still admittedly a novice, but the biggest things I have issues with are:
  • The notion that distance matters. Long or short, a good cast is a good cast, and a bad cast is a bad cast. Good casts are better.
  • Getting beyond the notion that more muscle will equal greater line speed. A good cast won't feel anything but good, if you feel like you're really trying to muscle it, things are most likely going wrong.
  • Aborting bad casts. You know when the wheels are coming off. One more false cast isn't going to fix it. Trying to go Superhero on that last forward cast isn't going to fix it. Just let it drop and go again. Good Cast > Bad Cast.
  • Keeping my motion on an even plane.
  • Timing. Timing, timing, timing. This one is probably the easiest to fix. You don't have to be cool; steal a glance at that back cast before you make your forward stroke.

There are plenty of guys here who've probably forgotten more than I know, so PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong.

Good luck!:cool:
 

centerpin fan

Senior Member
Not only is it NOT intuitive, relative to spin fishing, most of it is counter-intuitive!

I don't think most people realize this, so I just want to reiterate. That short, snappy, "wristy" cast we all learn with spinning/casting gear will mess you up when you start fly casting.


Watch some videos for sure.

I think I've posted this before, but here it is again. I think personal instruction is better than watching a video, but videos are very useful. Here's Joan Wulff, one of the best casters ever:

https://winstonrods.com/videos/instructional-videos/
 

fishndoc

Senior Member
I'm gonna disagree somewhat on the idea that fly casting is not intuitive. Once you accept the fact that you are not slinging a weighted lure as in spin casting, but instead you are casting the weighted line, it does become more natural and intuitive.

I do agree that less muscle equals a better cast. When I'm flubbing my casts, or teaching a beginner, I recommend trying to cast the line with the least effort and arm motion you can. Less effort and less muscle and better timing equals a tighter loop and longer cast.

Also, the casting trainers with a short graphite "rod" and yarn for line can really help a beginner get the feel for casting the line instead of a lure. They weren't around when I started, but I did get one for my wife when she took up FF, and it really seemed to help her.
 

Dialer

Senior Member
Got to the Hooch in Helen fairly early Sunday morning. Wind was a steady breeze at my back, and Man! I had a BLAST! I was casting like a pro with a lot of on-lookers. It's VERY easy standing in the middle of the river with no trees and the wind helping....The fly I was using was very cheap and worn out, and refused to float, but I just kept casting for the practice, but never caught anything. I tried 2 "heavily stocked" streams including the Hooch, using power bait, worms, and crickets on my 202, and nothing. The fish simply were not there, ANYWHERE! (Unicoi, Helen, and Hiawassee). Very frustrating!
 
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