Never fly fished, looking for suggestions

[Bearski]

Good evening,

First off I'm not going to lie, I've been lurking around since the spring and I have to say that its probably the most civil and well spoken fishing websites out there.

Anyways, at this point I'm only a casual spin fishermen, and an inexperienced one for what its worth. I'd like to get into fly fishing, or at the very least like to give it a shot.

So I do have a few questions. Any input would help

1.) I kind have come up with an unproven theory that fly fishing opens up more opportunities in more smaller waters. Do you find that to be the case?

2.) For my first fly fishing trip, I'd like to try a guide/lesson somewhere out in the south central part of the state. Nothing fancy, but just a few hours on the basics and maybe running into a few fish. I saw at least a few of them listed on the site, but if anyone has a recommendation, I'd appreciate.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[boychick]

A guide is a good way to get started. The crash course will shorten the learning curve.

 

[BrookieChaser]

I've taught four people to fly fish this year. Every one of them caught fish on their first time out casting a fly rod on the stream. I have to say, I'm proud of that statistic.

Your idea of getting a guide sounds like a good idea to me. A guide that is a casting instructor would be a big help to someone just starting out. It would eliminate bad habits before they start.

I'd recommend these guys. http://www.covetedwaters.net/

 

[BrookieChaser]

I missed your first question. I would say fly fishing opens up smaller waters. I know it opens up smaller fish. The smaller fish on a fly rod is still a treat.

I don't believe it specifically allows you to fish smaller waters, but when you fly fish you begin to see and appreciate the biotic community and its inner workings. This appreciation draws you to small streams, well that's how its worked for me.

 

[Fishwagen]

I was in your shoes in June of this year...then I asked for a fly rod for Father's Day and the rest is history. I would highly recommend hiring a guide/instructor to get started. It was recommended to me when I do and of course I didn't take the advise. Wish I had, my learning curve would have been much smoother and faster. Trust me...it's money well spent.

I recently went out with Mike Heck...he is a guide in the Chambersburg area. Great guy very knowledgeable and I learned a lot. Look him up and give him a call.

In terms of "opening up" smaller waters...I think the answer is a little bigger than that. Once you get into fly fishing, you will find a new appreciation for fishing! I used to be that typical fisherman...put on some bait and chuck in it. Now I find myself learning what the fish do, what the streams are made up of so I can tailor my approach and I think most important, I enjoy my time on the water much more. Even when I get skunked...and we all do, it's frustrating but it makes me think about whAt I need to do as opposed to just being pissed.

Classic example...was out w Mike and I caught my first Brookie. This little guy couldn't have been more than 6" and a not even a half pound...most beautiful fish I ever saw. This coupled with the fact I targeted the spot I caught him in in terms of approach fly selection and presentation....made all the effort very rewarding.

Hope that helps and welcome to the sport. Trust me, you won't ever regret it.

 

[dryflyguy]

Bearski -

Regarding your first question - I'm not really sure what you mean by fly fishing opening up a lot more opportunities on small streams.
I think that fly fishing on small streams is tougher than using spinning gear - especially the ones that are really choked with trees and brush.
And it can get pretty frustrating - lots of time spent retrieving flies from branches. However, it is much more fun IMO - especially catching fish on dries. And well worth the challenge

When I start somebody new into the sport though, I always take them to larger, more open water. Much easier on them when they have lots of room to cast.

Welcome to the sport and good luck!

 

[Bearski]

Thanks for all the input, gentlemen.

I've fished smaller waters, includuing native trout waters with spin equipment, but I guess I was speaking more towards shallower waters. My inexperience may be talking here, but I don't really understand how people fish places like Oil Creek or Laurel Hill or other similar spots with spin equipment. It just seems out of place. I could just be totally uneducated though.

 

[jeremymcon]

I've thought before that fly fishing allowed me to fish smaller streams better than spinning gear did. Of course, I never really mastered spin fishing - I did at casually, and then really started getting into fishing after getting a fly rod. I remember being really frustrated when I was fishing spinning gear, and a fish would rise near the bank in a shallowish pool. First of all, he's taking bugs on the surface, so my spinner seems a little silly. Plus it would be hard to cast a spinner close to the bank and not spook the fish.

I think a guide sounds like a smart idea if you have the money. I could've learned a lot faster if I had done that. Thus forum is a really great resource too! Lots of knowledgeable folks who are often willing to help you out. Also lots of great tips/advice in old threads if you browse through them.

I just bought a rod from a guy in this forum who has a guide service called undercurrent outfitters. I believe they guide on Spring creek, probably penns, and some of the other streams in central pa. Seemed like a nice guy, and the rod he sold me was in nice shape. Not sure if this is the area you're looking for, though.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

I'm thinking that It would be a real nice gesture if someone from this forum could reach out to this gent and provide some training in this art. I live in Philly, so that puts me out of driving range I believe.

 

[shortrod2]

PennypackFlyer wrote:
I'm thinking that It would be a real nice gesture if someone from this forum could reach out to this gent and provide some training in this art.

Bearski, you have a PM.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Shortrod, good on you!

If I was closer to Bearski's location I would have offered to help him get started in this art (to quote Pennypack).

 

[PennypackFlyer]

THANK YOU ShortRod2.. U the Flyer!

 

[Bearski]

I figured I should update everyone since I asked for some input. I ended up going out on the Yellow Breeches with a guide and enjoyed learning the basics of casting and the differences between the various flies.

The concepts seemed like a lot of fun but also a lot of work. I'm not sure if I have the time or desire to learn all the details of fly fishing. It might just be a first impression, but it seems a lot more confusing than spin fishing.

I do not trout fish very often, and I don't know if I will continue to fly fish in the future, but I'm definitely glad I gave it a shot.

 

[lv2nymph]

Before you give up on it just make sure you take it in small bites. Don't feel like you need to learn everything about it at once, things will come as you go along. There are plenty of flies that will take trout all year long that you can just go out and fish and enjoy yourself. Yes there is quite a bit to get to know, just take it slow....

 

[krayfish]

Bearski,

Don't become overwhelmed. It's easy in this sport especially when people toss around terms that don't make sense to a newbie. The truth is that you can take a rod, 3-4 patterns and catch a bunch of fish.

Don't give up so quickly. You can't play golf the first time and break par! I've been doing this for over 30 years and learn something new almost every time out.

Get out there and put your time in on the river. Soon, things that you've read start to make sense. You'll see hatches, spinnerfalls, fish chasing minnows or fighting for the best feeding spot. It's an experience with nature and it's not all about fish numbers. Get out there and enjoy it.

 

[Bearski]

I don't want to sound like I'm ripping on fly fishing, but as a first impression it seems like a lot of the aspects were kind of tedious in a sense.

It seems liked the leader was tedious, tying the fly onto the line is tougher, and the learning curve is steep in terms of casting accuracy, precision, and so forth.

The thing is, I like the idea of fly fishing. Like i said earlier, i think it can open up more places to fish.

I think the golf analogy is probably a good one, and I do like to golf. But like golf its can be a large financial commitment, and so I'm hesitant to go further.

 

[afishinado]

krayfish wrote:
...It's an experience with nature and it's not all about fish numbers. Get out there and enjoy it.

 

[krayfish]

Bear,
Do t make it harder than it really is. I started a 11 & 13 year old fly fishing last year. They catch plenty of fish and ha e no idea what they are doing. They might call and ask what fly might work best and away they go. Always call uncle Andy when they come back with a bunch of fish stories. You've got a bunch of guys in your area that are willing to get ya started.

 

[shortrod2]

Bearski wrote:
It seems liked the leader was tedious, tying the fly onto the line is tougher, and the learning curve is steep in terms of casting accuracy, precision, and so forth.

The thing is, I like the idea of fly fishing. Like i said earlier, i think it can open up more places to fish.

I think the golf analogy is probably a good one, and I do like to golf. But like golf its can be a large financial commitment, and so I'm hesitant to go further.

I am sure the leader concept is new, and yes it something that can be tedious, but you only need to go there if you want to.

The only places fly fishing will open up are fly fishing only projects, which are very few. There are guys with the skill to fish circles around most fly anglers using spin gear, but they are very few.

Fly fishing does not require a large financial commitment. If you go with me it will cost nothing but time.

 

[pcray1231]

I kind have come up with an unproven theory that fly fishing opens up more opportunities in more smaller waters. Do you find that to be the case?

Depends on how you look at this. Fly fishing is more difficult than spin fishing, including on small streams. That said, I personally think the ceiling is higher, although there are some very good spinner fishermen who would disagree with me. But for me, I can say I fished small streams for many years with spinning gear, as did the rest of my family. With fly gear, I now outfish my old self as well as the spinners still in my family.

I think a large part of it is being able to fish MORE of the small stream. With spinning gear, you tend to jump around to the deep holes and fish ONLY those. You have to have some weight to cast. And if you fish shallow riffles, which in a small stream are really shallow, you either gotta get too close or your gonna be hung up on the bottom in no time. With fly gear, you can fish that water, from a distance, by floating a dry fly over it.

Anyway, I'd say for small streams, fly gear absolutely has a steeper learning curve. Whether, once perfected, it's a superior method can be debated. Depends on the stream. Less effective in the big deep pools. More effective in the little nooks and crannies in between. Definitely more fun!

For #2, it's a good idea but I don't have much input. All I can say is that aside from that trip, fish as much as possible, and find some FF vets and go with them as often as possible. Fishing with experienced people shortens the learning curve considerably. Don't get discouraged, cause there's gonna be a few bumps along the way. And if you want to remain committed to FF, remain committed. There will be a time when you struggle to catch fish with the fly rod, and you'll know dang well that you could catch them with spinning gear. In the long run, you're better off resisting the urge to pull out the spinning rod, and learning how to do it with the fly rod.