Esoxbum
Active member
In over 20yrs of fly fishing, I’ve never caught a carp. Your’re off to a great start! I did catch my first walleye this year on a flyrod (fishing for trout😂)
How long were you into fly fishing until you started to really figure it out?
- Thread starter buymanfishheday
- Start date
caddisflyer
Well-known member
I have been officially flyfishing for about 50 years and definitely still figuring it out. Frequently get lectured by younger flyfisherman who talk to me as though I have zero experience and who have zero interest in anything I say.
My Mom bought me my first fly rod (Phillipson)when I was about 13. I was a self taught caster & fly tier. It took me a long time, probably six years, to finally put away the spinning rod & worms and dedicate myself to a lifelong love of flyfishing.
TimMurphy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2006
- Messages
- 4,449
Dear Board,
It took me about a half-dozen or so flailing casts with a Montgomery Wards fiberglass fly rod and Martin single action reel that my Uncle Andy gifted to me well over 50 years ago to find success. Bluegills make learning easy!
The trout end of the business took a little longer. I went to PSU in the late 1970's and early 1980's. I figured I might as well try to fly fish for trout, so I visited Flyfisher's Paradise when it was a small shop in front of the Lemont Post Office. I bought a proper 7 1/2-foot 5 weight rod and a fly-tying kit and figured I'd give it a go.
Steve Sywensky was kind enough to hand write and draw pictures on 3 x 5 index cards with instructions for a Muskrat Nymph, a Maribou Muddler, and a Leadwing Coachman. I wish I still could find those cards because they were life changers for me! That said, it took me until late October 1978 fishing a muddy Spring Creek at Fisherman's Paradise to finally hook and land a fly caught trout on one of my muskrat nymphs.
I still didn't have anything figured out, but with confidence comes persistence and I kept going for 4 years and by May of my senior year I was fishing dry flies I tied and catching fish after being coached and mentored by Steve and Dan. They kind of took me in, mostly because I was eager and energetic and only about 8 or 10 years younger than they were.
I then went 4 years without doing much fly fishing when I joined the USAF after college and was stationed in the Florida Panhandle. I stuck mostly to brackish and salt water with spinning and conventional gear but did occasionally throw flies to bass and panfish.
When I got back my younger brother Terry and I traveled all over the eastern half of PA flyfishing for anything that swam. We visited man fly shops, made friends with many shop owners, and got introduced to lots of highly skilled fly fishermen that made the rest of the journey so much easier.
There are still new things to learn and new places to try so I'll stay at it. 😉
Regards,
Tim Murphy 🙂
It took me about a half-dozen or so flailing casts with a Montgomery Wards fiberglass fly rod and Martin single action reel that my Uncle Andy gifted to me well over 50 years ago to find success. Bluegills make learning easy!
The trout end of the business took a little longer. I went to PSU in the late 1970's and early 1980's. I figured I might as well try to fly fish for trout, so I visited Flyfisher's Paradise when it was a small shop in front of the Lemont Post Office. I bought a proper 7 1/2-foot 5 weight rod and a fly-tying kit and figured I'd give it a go.
Steve Sywensky was kind enough to hand write and draw pictures on 3 x 5 index cards with instructions for a Muskrat Nymph, a Maribou Muddler, and a Leadwing Coachman. I wish I still could find those cards because they were life changers for me! That said, it took me until late October 1978 fishing a muddy Spring Creek at Fisherman's Paradise to finally hook and land a fly caught trout on one of my muskrat nymphs.
I still didn't have anything figured out, but with confidence comes persistence and I kept going for 4 years and by May of my senior year I was fishing dry flies I tied and catching fish after being coached and mentored by Steve and Dan. They kind of took me in, mostly because I was eager and energetic and only about 8 or 10 years younger than they were.
I then went 4 years without doing much fly fishing when I joined the USAF after college and was stationed in the Florida Panhandle. I stuck mostly to brackish and salt water with spinning and conventional gear but did occasionally throw flies to bass and panfish.
When I got back my younger brother Terry and I traveled all over the eastern half of PA flyfishing for anything that swam. We visited man fly shops, made friends with many shop owners, and got introduced to lots of highly skilled fly fishermen that made the rest of the journey so much easier.
There are still new things to learn and new places to try so I'll stay at it. 😉
Regards,
Tim Murphy 🙂
JK Reed
Member
I can say that it’s taken us now in our third year to some what feel comfortable fishing for trout on a dry fly. Natives in beautiful little mountain stream has always been my end goal since I envisioned fly fishing as it should be when I was a youngster. We’ve fished larger streams like LH down to the yough tailgaters with no luck. I guess being hunters it has always lured me to the small streams.
JK Reed
Member
JK Reed
Member
Backstrap grilled with garden zucchini and tatoes.
Cougarbaby
Well-known member
Everybody probably has a favorite way of flying fishing, and not many are experts in every way and technique,I have not caught a trout on a dry fly in 2 years I'd say,
Esoxbum
Active member
Hoping that’s because you’re choosing not to fish dries? If I was trying and didn’t catch one in that long I wouldn’t just quit, I’d break my rods over my knee and quit!
Esoxbum
Active member
some morels would have launched that meal into the stratosphere….looks great (I love meat)
Esoxbum
Active member
Is that fiesta ware🤔
Cougarbaby
Well-known member
Yea by choice, swinging small streamers is my go to anymore
StreamBottom
Active member
The minute I think I have it figured out, i get skunked, loose most of my flies in the trees (or ear) and fall in the river.
Trying to figure it out is the fun part, and I hope it never goes ends.
Trying to figure it out is the fun part, and I hope it never goes ends.
30+ years and still learning. If you think you know it all; you do not.
The learning curve certainly flattens out, not after a period of time, but rather the number of days on the water and learning from all your mistakes. It is a sharp uphill climb in the 1st few years, but the learning and adjusting never stops especially if you are really into the sport.
Once the challenge and learning seems to stop. I will probably give it up. It is what I enjoy most.
The learning curve certainly flattens out, not after a period of time, but rather the number of days on the water and learning from all your mistakes. It is a sharp uphill climb in the 1st few years, but the learning and adjusting never stops especially if you are really into the sport.
Once the challenge and learning seems to stop. I will probably give it up. It is what I enjoy most.
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JK Reed
Member
It is fiesta ware. The factory isn’t too far away from us.
Not to sound like a smart arse but I stopped learning about 25 years ago. I've caught thousands of larger trout with many over 22". Caught hundreds of steelhead. I've caught my share of Atlantic salmon in Quebec & made trips to the Bahamas for bonefish. I still enjoy dry fly to larger trout but my skill set isn't going to increase. At 83 I'm satisfied to still be able to row my Hyde.
I will let you know when I am 83 if I am at the same place as you. I guess I see the sport a bit differently than you. It seems you are focused on trout/salmon/steelhead and bonefish, but have you expanded to targeting musky, carp, tarpon, reds, snook, stripers? The list is endless if you expand your scope. I guess that is my point. Even with just trout, the list of different species and new places to explore is seemingly endless as well. I perceive any new water to me as a new learning experience and that list never ends either . . .
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