First casts with first rod

A

a23fish

Active member
Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
207
Today I got the opportunity to make my first fly fishing casts, with my first fly rod. I have a lot to learn, basically everything.

My wife bought me an Orvis Encounter combo setup as a Christmas present. I had been doing a bit of research for a friend of mine who hasn't fished in a while and said he was interested in fly fishing, so I cobbled together a list of 4 fly rod combos for beginners, based on extensive Internet research. Turns out, my wife thought I should have one too.

The rod is a 9' 5 wt, and came with the matched reel, backer line, 5 wt weight forward fly line, and 9' tapered 4x leader. After visiting my local Orvis dealer, I walked out with a very modest selection of nymphs, a couple Wooly Buggers, and a San Juan worm or two. I previously encountered a gentleman fishing a Tenkara style technique with his own tied nymphs at a local lake, and was intrigued by that, so that's how I started. With his tips and gentle suggestions, I in fact managed to get that little nymph thing out in the water, sometimes even where I intended it to go. I was using individual bubbles or clusters of foam from an inflow as my casting targets. I was happy if I got the fly within 1'-2' of my target.

I didn't catch any fish, but I was happy. My sole intent was to get the thing put together, begin making some short casts, and get some flies in the water. I was getting comfortable after about one hour of practice. Granted, I was basically casting a fixed length of line a short distance, but Hey, I was fly fishing. This is totally alien to me, since my only previous trout fishing experience has been with a spinning rod, and even that has been relatively limited. After 30 years or so of using spinning rods and baitcasters exclusively, mostly bass fishing, this fly rod thing is a challenge.

But, I'm looking forward to learning a new way of fishing. Without going off the deep end.

I'm sure I'll have more questions, and look forward to reading more on this forum.

 
Welcome aboard. We all took baby steps when we got started . Keep after it and casting will get to be a "natural" thing. GG
 
Welcome to PAFF! Great group of folks here on the forum with an amazing amount of flyfishing knowledge. Good luck as you unpack all of that and make it into what works the best for you. Have fun with it!
 
Good luck a23. Stick with it, you’ll figure it out. Loads of folks on this site who are more than willing to help.
If you need some nymphs, pm me and I’ll send some to you. I’m just an average tyer but the fish usually like them. (at least the dumb ones!)
 
Good Luck. You'll find it fun and challenging. I spent 40+ years using spinning tackle before I switched to fly fishing. To me accuracy is more important than distance. Most of the fish, I've caught have been between 10 and 40 feet from where I was standing. Accuracy will help if you're casting to a rising trout.
Keep in mind you can fly fish for bass, so don't throw 30 years of knowledge out the window.
You will step off the deep end. You'll find you need more fly rods and then you'll want to start tying your own flies and.... There are no twelve step programs out there to save you. Enjoy it.
 
You said your "local Orvis dealer" so I know you aren't from near me but I'd bet if you post your general area there are guys on here that would be happy to show you few things that will really speed up the learning curve.
 
Are you near Easton. There are some great spots I could mention that are especially good for learning. When I started My son turned me onto the Brian Flechsigs tutorials such as casting 101:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jcgehADUUo

I've enjoyed allot of his info. don't agree with some, but his tutorials put me far ahead of learning alone.
 
I recommend finding someone to show you the basics of casting. Maybe that will have to wait until after Covid is over.

I basically learned to cast on my own.

But a fool is his own teacher, or something like that.

It took me a few years to get even the basic hang of it.

When I was in college, a buddy who had never cast a fly rod asked me to show him the basics.

I thought of a way to break down the casting into simple steps, and we went out on a lawn. He learned how to cast in at least a basic way in about 2 hours.

Later we went to a nice trout streams. I showed him the basic nymph thing: Cast up and across, follow the drift with the rod tip, strike when you see something.

After about 5 minutes of instruction he said, OK I got it, and headed upstream.

After about another 5 minutes I heard him yelling and I ran out to see what was going on, and he had an unusually large trout for that stream.

He was probably somewhat of a "natural", but just a little bit of instruction can get you started on the basics of casting and fishing. And that can save you a lot of frustration.


 
Folks, thanks for your kind words & offers. That fly rod & reel are in the car. I figure the first time a fish hits that fly, you could sell tickets watching me try to hook it and land it. Whadaya mean I got to hold the line tight with my finger?
 
The combo rod/reel/line setups are the best way IMO for a beginner to enter this wonderful world of fly fishing . I started out with one. The reel is long gone but I still use the rod from time to time. It's 9' 6 weight. I will warn you though that this fly fishing thing may turn into an addiction! Have fun!
 
Welcome to the wonderful world of fly fishing!

Your local Orvis shop may have a free beginner casting clinic in the spring. They always did pre Covid.
 
Casting is extremely easy and, with a little practice, anyone can be a good enough caster to fly fish. I think the mistake most people make is that they are generally much to fast with their forward and backwards strokes. Take your time, slow it down, it is ALL ABOUT TIMING. I have taught multiple people to cast and I have never found anyone that couldn't do it.
 
JerryC is totally right, by the way. Fly fishing can easily overtake your life. It will fill your house with random dead animal skins, feathers, and furs. You'll have entire area/room setup to tying flies. You'll most likely not enjoy other types of angling as much as you used to (true for me, at least.) It can provide some of the best times of your life as well as some of the most frustrating. You'll have dynamite days and you'll have days where you get "skunked." But, with enough practice and patience, you'll get good. You'll get really good. You'll develop a love for each different setting and species being chased, from targeting bass or muskies or walleye or big rivers or lakes to casting elk hair caddis to brookies in remote forest setting on a trickle 3 feet across.
 
JerryC is totally right, by the way. Fly fishing can easily overtake your life. It will fill your house with random dead animal skins, feathers, and furs. You'll have entire area/room setup to tying flies. You'll most likely not enjoy other types of angling as much as you used to (true for me, at least.) It can provide some of the best times of your life as well as some of the most frustrating. You'll have dynamite days and you'll have days where you get "skunked." But, with enough practice and patience, you'll get good. You'll get really good. You'll develop a love for each different setting and species being chased, from targeting bass or muskies or walleye on big rivers or lakes to casting elk hair caddis to brookies in remote forest setting on a trickle 3 feet across.
 
jifigz wrote:
JerryC is totally right, by the way. Fly fishing can easily overtake your life. It will fill your house with random dead animal skins, feathers, and furs. You'll have entire area/room setup to tying flies. You'll most likely not enjoy other types of angling as much as you used to (true for me, at least.) It can provide some of the best times of your life as well as some of the most frustrating. You'll have dynamite days and you'll have days where you get "skunked." But, with enough practice and patience, you'll get good. You'll get really good. You'll develop a love for each different setting and species being chased, from targeting bass or muskies or walleye on big rivers or lakes to casting elk hair caddis to brookies in remote forest setting on a trickle 3 feet across.

^ Nicely said, Josh.

All true for all those of us that caught "the bug".....
 
I can see there is no lack of encouragement or enabling here. Thank you all. I can see this fly fishing pursuit is a wide ranging sport/hobby/passion/addiction. But I'm still not planning on tying my own flies. I'm probably not the first person to say that either.
 
a23fish wrote:
I can see there is no lack of encouragement or enabling here. Thank you all. I can see this fly fishing pursuit is a wide ranging sport/hobby/passion/addiction. But I'm still not planning on tying my own flies. I'm probably not the first person to say that either.

I know of only one fly fisher who doesn't tie his own flies. If you never start tying I think you'll miss out on one of the best aspects of fly-fishing and that is building/creating flies to situations or environments that you encounter. Plus, once you have materials built up, you can whip up what you need on demand. Unless you want to drop a lot of cash at once, building up materials is a slow process. I have flies that I've adapted or developed that I have a lot of faith in. I'll buy flies if I show up somewhere and it seems like I need something, but it is so hard to resist grabbing a fly that I tied each time I open my box. Either way, give it time and you'll probably start tying.

If you want to ease into it, I'd suggest just buying materials to tie one or two colors of wooly buggers. That will mean you need three basic materials and thread. Easy fly to tie and one that is effective everywhere and for anything..
 
Baron wrote:
Are you near Easton. There are some great spots I could mention that are especially good for learning. When I started My son turned me onto the Brian Flechsigs tutorials such as casting 101:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jcgehADUUo

I've enjoyed allot of his info. don't agree with some, but his tutorials put me far ahead of learning alone.

I also enjoy watching Brian. Also Peter at Orvis. Am also a beginning fly fisherman. When you say great spots, I assume you mean someplace like the Delaware River or Bushkill Creek? My biggest problem would be finding a spot to park. Well....I am a little weak yet from two brain operations and putting my back out again. Took 4 weeks before I could walk without pain. Slid backwards on my strength from having to spend the first 3 weeks mostly in bed. :-(

I haven't used my new rods yet. Have everything to get started with, but figured I would go for panfish rather than trout. However, there are a few creeks not too far away so I could be talked into trout fishing. :)

I try to run down to Easton 3 times a week to visit my wife. She is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's Disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. However, this week's visits have been canceled. I was told due to Covid19. :-(

On the plus side...I may get the fly stuff put together this week. Have plenty of honey-dos, but no honey to make me do.
 
Sorry to the new poster here that is now no at _guest. Problems with bots on the site required losing some new members. Whoever posted this please email and I will get you set back into the site dkile@paflyfish.com
 
I do not know what the others wrote, only because i remember my first cast over 50years ago. Little league, boy scouts, football, dad gets home at 3 and i am over him like **** on a shingle.

Throw ball, let me pitch, up and out for a pass, My father was my best friend, my fishing pal, my hunting buddy! You get it yet!

Dad, take me Crow Hunting, Dad, take me Woodchuck Hunting, Dad teach me Pitching, Dad will you catch, Dad, lets go Camping, Dad I want to be basketball player Dad, lets go to Canada and catch big Pike.


O K, did you get that. Being a DAD. Got trimmed on bad words, how about a littlte trim on good words. Love you Son, Daughter, how can i help. Let me explain, eat your vegataables, Can im help.
I may be tired but you will never know1

Yes, i was lucky! My fathergave all and then some more! then a little bit more than that

Wish he was still here! You know we take it for granted, we take it for luck, we take it for usual and then we miss it for ever

Never ever will my Pal be near, my friend, but i rejoice in memory and teachings, i willsee you again!

Maxima12
 
Back
Top