Fly rod practice

[FishyFolk]

I've had a fly fishing rod sitting in the shed for 10 years. It has come on a few fishing trips, but I never caught anything. And fishing without catching is sort of...well I'lls say it: BOOOOOORIIIIIING!!!!!!! :p:rolleyes:

Well, my teqnique probably leaves much to be desired. But yesterday my old fishing buddy visited. He is planning on completely converting to fly fishing gear this season, and want's me to com along on that adventure. I tried arguing that with all the bushcraft gear I have invested in, taking up fly fishing was a no go. Besides I only have that cheap ABU rod that has been sitting in the shed since time began.

Well he demanded to take a look at it and try it outside, so we did. And he meant that it's actually an excellent rod. And the local tackle shop is giving free fly fishing classes each spring at nearby lake. So I guess I was out of excuses. :p

So today I've been out in the garden practicing my casting, while the wife is thinking about calling the men with stretch jackets to come and get me. I am curently "ting tong bah bah boh boh mak mak!" in her eyes...thats Thai for: completeley crazy insane!

But she could not hide a smirk when I came back inside when she asked me if I caught anything...:cool:

I guess I have to take uåp fishing again then. It's been dormant for a year. I used to go several times a week. Mostly trout and arctic charr in the lakes using UL spiner rods, or beach casting with my surf casting and salmon rods + going out in my little SIB in the summer.

And now it looks like fly season can't come fast enough. Only problem....it's still 3 months until the ice clears off the lakes. :rolleyes:

Butr I could go beach casting. The cod is in :-)

[bopdude]

Stick at it, to me there is no better feeling than catching fish on the fly, I think it's because you 'feel' the fish better when your playing it on the line as opposed to reeling it in. Hope you get there, practice makes perfect, what is your downfall, what line are you using ?

[FishyFolk]

Stick at it, to me there is no better feeling than catching fish on the fly, I think it's because you 'feel' the fish better when your playing it on the line as opposed to reeling it in. Hope you get there, practice makes perfect, what is your downfall, what line are you using ?

I have absolutely no idea. I think its a floating line of some kind. The rod is a 5/6 rod one handed thing I got at the Supermarkets sports section years ago by ABU. And the line was already spooled on it. I have used it so little that the original leader is still on it, so that will have to be changed :-)

I have much prefered UL rods. Mine is a Shimano beastmaster UL165 capable of casting lures from 1-7 grams. I normally use 3 gram vibrax spinners on it for the trout. Very exiting to get something on such light gear, and with 0,10mm braid line you feel it instantly trough the rod at the smallest bite. The feeling for the fish is probably much the same as with fly fishing, and with short casting lenths the hunting feeling is also the same.

Anyway, I'll get some practice in and to that casting course that the tackle shop is offering for free. And found some vids on YT to get me started as well.

[CanadianMike]

I started trying fly fishing a year or two ago, always been fascinated by the sheer elegance of it, and the physics behind it, I'm not very good with it either, but I do try when I have the space to do so. I did catch a smallmouth bass once with it, scared the poop out of me when it hit the fly, first I wasnt' expecting it, second, I had a pile of line floating by my feet and had no idea what to do next to set the hook and deal with line management in my panic, but I figured it out well enough to land the fighter. Just avoid the fly behind the ear thing, and you'll be ok. Practice is good, I need to do more, but is an enjoyable way to fish, even without catching anything. Is better than 'casting practice' with a normal spinning/baitcasting rod and reel set up.

[OakAshandThorn]

To me, fly fishing is an art ;). It doesn't matter to me if I don't catch anything - the scenery, the joy of flapping the line through the air in constant rhythm, and the feeling of oneness with my surroundings more than make up for it. :)
My set up is a 7.5 ft 3 weight Redington paired to a large arbor reel. Works beautifully around here, where a larger rod is too cumbersome to wield around the low branches of Black Birch and American Beech by the water's edge. Anything I catch I will release, especially because nearly every body of water in Connecticut is contaminated with mercury and-or PCBs.
Rune, a 5/6 weight is an excellent all-around small game fly rod ;). What is the length of the rod and it's 'action' (slow, medium, medium-fast, fast), if you don't mind me asking? :)

[FishyFolk]

To me, fly fishing is an art ;). It doesn't matter to me if I don't catch anything - the scenery, the joy of flapping the line through the air in constant rhythm, and the feeling of oneness with my surroundings more than make up for it. :)
My set up is a 7.5 ft 3 weight Redington paired to a large arbor reel. Works beautifully around here, where a larger rod is too cumbersome to wield around the low branches of Black Birch and American Beech by the water's edge. Anything I catch I will release, especially because nearly every body of water in Connecticut is contaminated with mercury and-or PCBs.
Rune, a 5/6 weight is an excellent all-around small game fly rod ;). What is the length of the rod and it's 'action' (slow, medium, medium-fast, fast), if you don't mind me asking? :)

As the paperwork that came wit it is loooong gone and I have never been interested in fly fishing...I do not have a clue. But I'll break out the rod and see if something is stamped on it.

[FishyFolk]

The rod says:

ABU Garcia Diplomat DF 90-5/6-2 1101803 9' Fly AFTMA #5/6 100% Graphite

And the reel: Abu Garcia Diplomat

That is all I know about it. I know the backing floats because I've seen it float, lol

And the leader is some kind of tapered monofilament. And I've just ordered a new one (a John Quigley 7' foot furled leader) along with some Thames Mucilin Red Can Fly Fishing Line and Fly Floatant Paste Dressing as thats what John Quigley recomended...

My ignorance on fly fishing is legion. And I normaly eat what I fish. The only times I release fish is if I have taken more than I can eat already, or it's undersized as per regulations...

However I got my first fishing rod at age 5, and never let go of them. My UL rod has been with me all over the world. I have fished the Nile with it in Khartoum, The Mekong river and some of it's tributaries (we have a house by the Mae Nam Mun river in Thailand.

In the last few years I've concentrated on shore fishing with heaby surf rods. The goal being to take hallibut from the shore. I've yet to catch them, but a mate takes them regularily here. So one day!

[FishyFolk]

Just learned how to tie a leader on to the fly line...wooohoo!

Okay...I've allready spent money. 3 months before I can fish this. It's sucking me in...

[butchthedog]

Oh!!! Rune you've got the bug mate, ching ching I can hear the till ringing. I'll have this fly and that nymph and that trout bag,,,,,,,, happy hunting when the time comes mate.

[FishyFolk]

Oh!!! Rune you've got the bug mate, ching ching I can hear the till ringing. I'll have this fly and that nymph and that trout bag,,,,,,,, happy hunting when the time comes mate.


Luckilly the only things that set fly fishing apart from UL spinner rod fishing for trout is the rod and reel. I also have all the flies, as I also fish a lot with bomber floats and fly using salmon rods. Thats something we love to do up here as it gives you a length on your casting.

And having been fishing since age 5, I got all the gear. What I may fall for is new and shiney rods and reels...and then the real danger is that as I learn I may want to upfgrade those things....

Well well...

I got into bushcraft to escape all the kit hysteria of sports fishing....lol.... little did I know. So now I may as well combine the two.

[butchthedog]

Never heard of bomber float's, How would you use them and what are they. I do some fly fishing here on a river, not very good at it though "catch more bushes than fish" and I can get some pretty good wind knots in the leader. One of my biggest problems is in choosing a correct fly. Black and Brown coloured flys seem the best choice.

[jus_young]

Fly fishing looks like too much work. I used to spend many, many hours either on the pier, on a beach, boat or lake fishing and hate to think how much money I spent on gear. But then again I am probably only doing the same now with my camping stuff eh!

Abu stuff is top notch. I had various multiplier reals of theirs and several Shimano rods... I miss it now but wheres the time for everything?

[bopdude]

Which river /s do you fish butchthedog, I'm Co. Durham / Cleveland can never remember if it ever stopped lol

[FishyFolk]

Never heard of bomber float's, How would you use them and what are they. I do some fly fishing here on a river, not very good at it though "catch more bushes than fish" and I can get some pretty good wind knots in the leader. One of my biggest problems is in choosing a correct fly. Black and Brown coloured flys seem the best choice.

Here is one rig for sea trout fishing. But I fish in lakes mostly so I use normal dry flies.

7722




I typically use a 50 gram one with a salmon rod that can take 20-60 gram lure weights. I use a 6 foot leader frpom the float to the fly. The fly is a normal dry fly. When you cast you stop itjust before the float hits water, that will present the fly quite nicely.

[nat110732]

Hi

have a read of any of the john gierach books about fly fishing.. they are mainly anecdotal but amazing storytelling and im sure they could fan even the tiniest of embers..

cheers

nat

[nat110732]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Taxes-Leaky-Waders-Gierach/dp/184119476X/ref=sr_1_24?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365537234&sr=1-24&keywords=john+gierach

This should wet anyones appetite..its mainly a selection of essays from earlier books, magazine articles and such..cannot recommend his books enough, even to the non-fishermen

[FishyFolk]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Taxes-Leaky-Waders-Gierach/dp/184119476X/ref=sr_1_24?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365537234&sr=1-24&keywords=john+gierach

This should wet anyones appetite..its mainly a selection of essays from earlier books, magazine articles and such..cannot recommend his books enough, even to the non-fishermen

Books like those have a tendency to bore me witless.

If I ever pick up a book on fly fishing, it will tell me how to do it, not what the author feels when he is out fishing. Thats for me to experience myself, without any ideas of how I should feel
about it planted into my head.

And these days there is you tube. What someone has not put out there of know-how, ain't worth knowing. Watch - practice - know. Thats how I learn.

[nat110732]

...just trying to help!! you stick to you tube then pal if you are bored by someone waxing lyrical..if you want a 'chess manual on fly fishing' i'm sure theres plenty out there ..

[butchthedog]

Which river /s do you fish butchthedog, I'm Co. Durham / Cleveland can never remember if it ever stopped lol

River WEAR at CROXDALE

[butchthedog]

Here is one rig for sea trout fishing. But I fish in lakes mostly so I use normal dry flies.

7722




I typically use a 50 gram one with a salmon rod that can take 20-60 gram lure weights. I use a 6 foot leader frpom the float to the fly. The fly is a normal dry fly. When you cast you stop itjust before the float hits water, that will present the fly quite nicely.

Good explanation, never done that before, I'm thinking maybe some experimenting on the cards. I'll let you know what happens Rune.

[OakAshandThorn]

It seems as if your rod is best suited for open lakes, though you may find it hard to cast in wind because of the rod's length. Sounds like a brilliant set up :).

[FishyFolk]

It seems as if your rod is best suited for open lakes, though you may find it hard to cast in wind because of the rod's length. Sounds like a brilliant set up :).

In windy conditions I'll just break out my salmon rod and bomb floats :-)

[OakAshandThorn]

In windy conditions I'll just break out my salmon rod and bomb floats :-)
Cheater :evilgrin:. Heheheheheheheheeeee :D.