FF with little time?

[jlamb]

Hi all,

This is my first post although I have been visiting for almost a year now. I was hoping to get some insight with this post. I have become very frustrated with FF recently because of my lack of catching anything. I took lessons originally to get started off right and I feel that my technique isnt too terrible. I enjoy other outdoor activities- mtn/road biking, backpacking, yardwork. So, I dont spend all my free time ff. From your experiences in general, can someone progress in this sport without spending an awful amount of time on the water? I live in western pa and fish Neshannock and Slippery rock most frequently, dont get me wrong I enjoy being out on the stream, but it would be nice to catch some fish. If I just wanted to stand in the creek, I could leave the rod at home! It gets old not even getting a bite-- I have been tempted to sell my gear and just stick to my other hobbies. Is this terrible frustration something everyone goes through? If you cant spend x amount of hours on the stream, should you just go back to spin fishing?

 

[troutslammer]

you will progress just fine but the less you fish the longer it will take , i would suggest getting a 4x tapered leader 7-1/2 ft. and tieing on a olive green or brown wooly bugger and pinching a split shot (BB size) about 8-10 " above it and cast diagonal upstream and drift it and then strip it in at the end of the swing , u will catch trout. hang in there , alot to learn and so little time

 

[jayL]

Stick around this forum, and someone from your area of the state will offer to help.

Troutslammer gave some pretty good advice. That's a method that I often resort to when the confidence is shaken. You don't need a drag free drift to catch em on a woolybugger.

 

[littlelehigh]

jlamb

You are not alone!

I've only been ff and tying for a year and a half now and my success/failure rates change as much and as fast as the stream flows. It's awfully frustrating at times. I spent the better part of November through Feb. (fishing 2-3 times each week) getting skunked.


I think it's part of the learning curve and if my leader isn't to long I don't have enough weight on. Always something but figuring out what is the hard part.

My best suggestion to you is keep plugging away 90% of my problem has been I am a sally and don't like to lose flies. However, if your not down where the fish are and losing flies ya might as well stay home on the couch and eat cheetos.

Also don't be afraid to use those buggers and other streamers (clousers). As you said and I agree I love the outdoors but I fish to catch fish not stumble through a stream with a long stick. And I'm to the point I will use any fly necessary to achieve that goal.


Stick around this board and ask questions but also make a point to yourself to fish regularly say once a week for 2 hrs. Lastly don't worry if they wild or stockies at this point a fish is a fish. No matter how small.

I choose to learn one local section of stream very well and when I can only fish for a few hours I head there. You can still challenge yourself by using a different pattern or fly on the same holding areas of stream.
Just like life your only gonna get out of it what you put into it.

Most won't admit they suck like I just did but it's sure to help others learn and know they aren't alone in Suckville. Besides it can't get any worse only better. Right guys???

My goal down the road is to write a book chronologically taking the reader through my fly fishing life year by year with both the highlights and struggles.

 

[AKguy]

Keep at it. Everyone has been there. It makes me sad to hear you talk about quiting. Just keep with it

 

[PaulG]

jlamb

Whatever you do don't give up, you'll get there. it is frustrating when you never get any fish, but I'd bet you will soon.

I wished I lived in your area, I would gladly take you out and try to help you. Keep hanging around here, lots of good guys here, from your area. Im sure they'll give you a hand, once the season and the weather gets right!

Just keep trying, we all have gone through the same!

PaulG

 

[PennKev]

Do you have any experience fishing for trout on spinning tackle with bait or lures? How much experience do you have fishing? If you are completely new to fishing in streams, you may simply not be fishing were the fish are. In my experience it is common to see inexperienced anglers fishing over areas that other fisherman would not spend much, if any, time fishing.

If you are fishing the special regs area on Neshannock I am confident that you have been at least close to a good number of trout. However, the Slippery Rock FFO area is not that good IMO, but other parts of the stream can be pretty decent. Still, if you fish early in the season, there will be fish near any easy access on stocked streams.


Kev

 

[Squaretail]

Whatever you do, dont quit from not catching anything with the major hatches right around the corner. The trout are just getting started in alot of streams.
Welcome to the board.

 

[bikerfish]

jlamb, i fish those waters regularly, I would be happy to hook up with you and try to help you out. looks like it's going to be a great season, don't sell that stuff yet! feel free to send me a pm whenever your heading out.

 

[Fishidiot]

There's no reason why you can't continue to spin fish once you've taken up fly fishing (FFing). If you're limited for time and did well catching fish and enjoyed your time with the spin rod, by all means stick with it. You don't need to give up FFing and return to spin fishing. You can keep doing both. FFing does tend, under most conditions, to be a more difficult and challenging way to catch fish....But it shouldn't be considered more fun.
With that said, there's some good advice in previous posts and obviously some of our crew willing to help you out. If you can recall a specific time and place (or stream during a certain time of year) when you got skunked or frustrated, describe the event and inquire about it. This Beginner's Forum exists to provide a place for beginners to ask questions and answering them will usually be more effective if there's some specific info. You mention enjoying hiking, mountain biking etc. These are fun ways to go FFing (if you have a fly rod that packs in a short tube). If you don't catch any fish, at least you had fun with the other pursuits. Keep mixing fishing in with hiking and biking. Keep in mind, some folks (who tend to be Type A perfectionists) tend to measure their satisfaction in fishing through "keeping score" and how many fish they catch. That's okay but I'd counsel backing away from that frame of mind if you really want to enjoy FFing.
Finally, I'm assuming that due to your interest in hiking etc, that much of your FFing is in the summer and fall months. These are difficult times of year to catch trout. It's usually much easier in the March to June time frame. If you're fishing in the summer, try targeting sunfish in a local creek. They're a blast to catch and will improve your FFing confidence and technique.

 

[afishinado]

jlamb wrote:
Hi all,

This is my first post although I have been visiting for almost a year now. I was hoping to get some insight with this post. [color=CC0000]I have become very frustrated with FF recently because of my lack of catching anything.[/color] I took lessons originally to get started off right and I feel that my technique isnt too terrible. I enjoy other outdoor activities- mtn/road biking, backpacking, yardwork. So, I dont spend all my free time ff. From your experiences in general, can someone progress in this sport without spending an awful amount of time on the water?[color=FF0000] I live in western pa and fish Neshannock and Slippery rock most frequently, [/color]dont get me wrong I enjoy being out on the stream, but it would be nice to catch some fish. If I just wanted to stand in the creek, I could leave the rod at home! It gets old not even getting a bite-- I have been tempted to sell my gear and just stick to my other hobbies. Is this terrible frustration something everyone goes through? If you cant spend x amount of hours on the stream, should you just go back to spin fishing?

I believe the problem isn't with you, it's those dang fish! You are frustrated "recently" meaning winter and early spring fishing in stocked trout waters. This is your first full year (season) of trout fishing. Cold water periods are the toughest time to catch fish. Many of the successful reports you see on here through the winter were on spring/limestone streams not the stocked freestone streams you fish. Also, by now, the number of stocked trout left in the streams you fish is pretty low.

The weather is turning, the water is warming, the bugs are beginning to hatch, and the fish are being stocked. You haven't lost your touch......hang in there. Report in after the opener. Good luck.

 

[njk3395]

As afish said, trout right now can be really finnicky about their feeding.. Especially in stocked streams.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

Once you find a pattern or style that works for you, that will be your confidence maker. Trust me I went throught the same thing years ago when I started and would go back to the spinning rod.

I was throwing adam's flies and cahills over every inch of water and not catching much.

That was when I discovered the "Bead head hare's ear nymph" and small strike indicators. Just drift a hare's ear through a riffle and into a run and watch your indicator, the indicator makes it easy to spot a strike.

Like mentioned above, an olive wooleybugger is killer in early spring during slightly high off color water. They are best used in faster deeper runs. I like to cast them upstream and dead drift them part of the way through a run and then give a few twitches. At the end of the drift I let it hang in the current a little before casting it back upstream. I try to get the bugger to the deepest pockets I can find even if it means possibly snagging it. I will often get a hook up just at the end of the drift before I retrieve it or as I am retrieving it slowly.

In the spring I get away with 4x tippet, and I never use an indicator with a bugger because as long as you don't have extra line laying on the water you don't have to look for the strike. The trout will usually hook itself hitting a bugger in fast current.

 

[bam]

As mentioned before, you can't be scared to lose flies. Stick with size 14 and 16 hares ears and pheasant tails for now. If you're fishing a bugger, tie on a smaller soft hackle a foot or two behind it. If you're not fishing subsurface, start. Often times it's the only way you're going to catch fish this time of year. Don't be shy and take up the offers from one of the board members.... they'll get you rolling. Once you identify the fishing lies and can get a drag free drift, you'll catch fish.

 

[BelAirSteve]

As someone that is fairly new to FFing, I can only echo what most have said. Definitely fish with pheasant tails and hares ears...you will catch fish. My first trout on a fly was on an olive wooly bugger, so I can attest to the fact they they take fish too.

With regard to nymphing, as LL says, you have to get down to where the fish are. In general, if you don't hang up on something every few casts, you are not deep enough. You will develop the skills, trust me.

 

[JackM]

Fishidiot wrote:
There's no reason why you can't continue to spin fish once you've taken up fly fishing (FFing).... FFing ... shouldn't be considered more fun.

What?!

 

[flipnfly]

the best advice i can give is to keep at it i am currently trying to teach my brother how to do this and im even not that good at it i have been ff for 4 or 5 years now and i feel my tying skills surpass my fishing skills the advice i gave my brother is the same ill give to you wether its right or not fish your flies as you would bait take what you already know from other forms of fishing and try that it will take time but it works you may need more weight due to tapered lines another thing too i told my brother i dont know how right this is either try to keep your leader about 6 inches shorter than your rod it seems to work for him he often out fishes me he casts like crap sometimes even cracks his flies on the back cast and refuses to use a nymph so take it for what its worth im sure they will crucify me on dicrepencies abd i hope so so i can correct them myself

 

[JackM]

Nello, the spelling was fine, but maybe investigate the usefulness of the comma and period.

 

[afishinado]

Jack is right. Without changing a word here is your post with punctuation and paragraphs.

flipnfly (edited version):
The best advice i can give is to keep at it. I am currently trying to teach my brother how to do this, and I'm even not that good at it. I have been ff for 4 or 5 years now, and I feel my tying skills surpass my fishing skills. The advice I gave my brother is the same I'll give to you, whether its right or not, fish your flies as you would bait. Take what you already know from other forms of fishing and try that. It will take time, but it works. You may need more weight due to tapered lines.

Another thing too, I told my brother I don't know how right this is either, try to keep your leader about 6 inches shorter than your rod.

It seems to work for him. He often out-fishes me. He casts like crap, sometimes even cracks his flies on the back cast and refuses to use a nymph, so take it for what its worth.

I'm sure they will crucify me on dicrepencies abd i hope so, so I can correct them myself.

A few ...,,,makes all the difference.

 

[Acristickid]

jlamb- FF with little time.

Forgive me as I did'nt read the above posts but here are some suggestions to answer your question.

Take the few minutes available at home and practice. Heck practice rigging etc.. so you can save time on the stream.


Here is another- get to know your home waters. Obvouisly close means more time fishing but more time spent in just a couple places will allow you to "figure" it out as it were and you can take those breakthroughs with you on to the next stream. You should see faster results.

Fly fishing is something that takes time and practice. When success comes it will be rewarding! Good luck with your fly angling pursuit.