Rate your skill level
- Thread starter Acristickid
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FarmerDave
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- Dec 13, 2006
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Jay, just for the record, I think you are a [size=xx-small]t[/size]wiener, too.
mystillwater
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- Oct 27, 2009
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i'm a beginner. i just picked up the sport this summer. i've loved every minute of it. i've got two good friends that i fish with and they've taught me a bit. i've read everything i can get my hands on and fish whenever work and daylight permit.
i've got many passions and i've learned how to learn. if that makes any sense. every passion has it's language and it's essential point to learn. they all have their wild goose chases... the things people waste 90% their time trying to learn that makes 10% of a dent. it's all about working on the high percentage issues. right now i'm spending my time on basic presentations. as little wading as possible. shorter casts. i'm not catching much bu i'm learning every time on the water.
with all of that said, i don't really look at fly-fishing as something to master... that's not why i got into it. it reminds me of playing music... you can never master it or learn all there is to know... but you can become proficient enough to adapt to most circumstances and have fun. that's what i'm aspiring to.
i don't see myself tying flies anytime soon but i'm learning about insects and fish behavior.
i've got many passions and i've learned how to learn. if that makes any sense. every passion has it's language and it's essential point to learn. they all have their wild goose chases... the things people waste 90% their time trying to learn that makes 10% of a dent. it's all about working on the high percentage issues. right now i'm spending my time on basic presentations. as little wading as possible. shorter casts. i'm not catching much bu i'm learning every time on the water.
with all of that said, i don't really look at fly-fishing as something to master... that's not why i got into it. it reminds me of playing music... you can never master it or learn all there is to know... but you can become proficient enough to adapt to most circumstances and have fun. that's what i'm aspiring to.
i don't see myself tying flies anytime soon but i'm learning about insects and fish behavior.
sundrunk
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- Oct 26, 2006
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- 969
Tying was an unobtainable dream in the begining of my FF journey. The mere notion of tying flys, that actually caught fish, seemed so far away in the future...
Glad I started tying early. Tying adds that whole other dimension to FF..A visit to the vise is the next best thing to a visit to the stream,IMO..
Glad I started tying early. Tying adds that whole other dimension to FF..A visit to the vise is the next best thing to a visit to the stream,IMO..
Squaretail
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- Dec 29, 2006
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- 1,862
I noticed Matt Boyer didnt participate. I only fished with him once but he had the calm yet aggressive drive, and he had 40 ft of line out in 20 ft of space a couple times. Impressed me.
He also proved something to me that day that I had pretty much thought was a myth.
He also proved something to me that day that I had pretty much thought was a myth.
Acristickid
Well-known member
David- yea jorneyman haha.
I would vote you most modest on this site.
I would vote you most modest on this site.
FarmerDave
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Thank you!
Oh wait, never mind.;-)
PaulG
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I never had the pleasure of fishing with FD. I do remember Jeff F fishing with him, way back. If I remember the story they camped out on Penns for a couple of days. Do remember Jeff telling me he was a fine fisherman.
PaulG
Ps, Jeff F, was one of the best nymph fisherman I ever watch!
Pad, maybe he wouldn't need to have done all the whistling, after he caught all those fish.
PaulG
FarmerDave
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That was a fun trip.
But if he told you that, he was being way too nice. Jeff's wife caught more than me. Then again, she may have caught more than Jeff. I had my wife along too, and my wife isn't much into fishing. She just walked along and enjoyed to scenery. However, my wife wasn't keeping up with Jeff and Shelby's pace, and I stayed near her. So consequently I didn't spend much time fishing with Jeff and Shelby. Otherwise he might not have been so generous.
In the brief time i was fishing near jeff, I was schooled. Was casting to rising trout in one spot for several minutes with no "takes." I felt some of my casts were perfect, but all I succeded in doing was not putting down those fish. I called jeff over and told him to give it a try and first or second cast he caught one. I've tied more than a few wool caddis after that.
I was used to brook trout in mountain freestones. Penns was humbling. Elk creek was even more humbling.
I also was new to nymph fishing, and Jeff was a master at that. He was very helpful, but I still used to tease him about it being chuck and duck, not fly fishing.
I'd put Jeff in the category of expert too, even though his dog (CB) ate my stew.🙂
Great dog, and we left it out for him on purpose.
P.S. I'd probably include Shelby in that list, too. the lady could fish.
FarmerDave
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I'm self taught as a kid, but later a good friend helped me with getting started in tying and the finer points of setup and such. I now fairly consistantly catch more than him.;-)
tztrout
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- Feb 18, 2009
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- 292
I have to say advanced journeyman simply because I have been at it for such a long time. Started tying over 30 years ago-when I was in jr high-have taught 3 or 4 others to tie. I have fished many locations around the country, and have caught many species( some odd balls!) on the fly. I gave up my spinning rod many years ago and haven't looked back.
flybop
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- Jan 23, 2007
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- 530
I can really remember those days when I was a beginner but if I have advanced since then I could not even come close to knowing when it happened. However, there was that time on Penns when everything just came together and my life long love affair with that stream began.
These days so much of my personal time of the water is spent throwing streamers on sink tips and nymphing that it always takes me a while to get my dry fly mo jo going. Now that winter is here I can focus on some midge fishing and get my casting arm to remember how do handle long fine leaders and tiny dries again.
These days so much of my personal time of the water is spent throwing streamers on sink tips and nymphing that it always takes me a while to get my dry fly mo jo going. Now that winter is here I can focus on some midge fishing and get my casting arm to remember how do handle long fine leaders and tiny dries again.
YorkFlyGuy
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- Jan 3, 2008
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If anything, I would say I have left the novice stage recently. On many days I feel like I relapse though. I just do not get enough time on the water (a sentiment of most of the people on this site). I ranked myself as approaching journeyman since I have felt more confident and see a definite progression from first starting out. How long will it take to achieve journeman selfrecognition? Much longer than I can hope, that I am sure of.
