The Fool is Officially Converted!

[Spinning Fool]

Well, I asked as a joke but actually received my first fly-fishing outfit for Christmas!

It's a 3-weight and small reel from Cabela's. I got some WF line on there and have been goofing around in the backyard... let's see where this goes!

Anyway, I thought since all of NGTO has been so awesome helping me out over the year or so of my "uneducated spin fishing," we could start a good thread here:

What was the most valuable / genuinely applicable piece of advice you got as a beginner? This could be techniques, tricks, know-how, etc...?

Thanks! Look foward to learning from the best.

-Ken

[Banker In Space]

The most valuable info I received and could offer...Spend some $ and invest in some instruction. Hard habits are hard to break! Learn right, the first time. I also obtain an inexpensive line for use in the yard, etc. Hope this helps.

[BRAZ]

Get on the water as often as possible.

Think of what you want to do before you do it, then try to do it.

When frustrated, take a break, breathe deep , and start again.

No fly is too ugly.

BRAZ

[This message has been edited by BRAZ (edited 12-28-2002).]

[Jah Live!]

Commit your first few catches to memory. "How, where, why, what and when?" Remember these things after every catch and use them in the future.

Also, the fish are usually a LOT closer than you may think. No need to throw to your backing. 90% of the fish I catch are within 30 feet.

One more thing....learn to MEND!


Jah Live!

[Green Guy]

Get to the Shallow Water Fishing Expo and watch and listen to Lefty. The best thing I ever did.

[JerryC]

Watch your backcast. What your line does behind you is as important as what it does in front of you. Also it will keep you out of the trees well. Eventually you will get the feel and will not need to 'watch' your backcast.

[ICHTHUS]

It's not a spinning rod. The hardest thing for me to learn was not to try to get power by reaching way back and throwing way forward. Keep that stick high to begin with, between 1:30 and 10 o'clock. The power is in the timing and letting the equipment work the way it's designed too.
The advice to spend the money and take a formal lesson, for at least the basics, is advice I wish I had received and heeded. It would have saved a lot of hours of frustration.
Congrats on the new toy. Let us know how it goes.

Ich

[GUTHOOKED]

Given the type of water you usually fish, I would offer this. Look beyond standard casting techniques and do WHATEVER you must do to get your fly where you need it. A little creative casting can put alot of fish on the end of your line. Show me a new brookie stream sometime and I'll demonstrate a little. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/wink.gif

[fishnpreacher]

Invest in a good line for fishing and a cheaper line for practice, then get hooked up with some of these dudes from around here and go fishing. Watch and learn. Each person will have a distinct style. Develope yours, but make sure you have the fundamentals down right.
When practicing, one thing that helped me was to let my backcast fall to the ground, lay my rod down and check my line to see if it was straightening before I forward cast. I had a problem in overpowering, and the line showed recoil and my timing was off. The backcast tells as much as a forward cast.

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I can do all things through Christ <bill><

[soddy]

Guthooked...you talkin' about the "slingshot" trick? That's the only unorthodox method I'm familiar with. Be interested in knowing some others, though.

soddy

[lone_angler]

go fish for some panfish. they don't spook as easily on bad casts and will fight like mad on that 3wt. they take alot of the same flies and nymphs as trout, so it will help you build some confidence in some flies. good luck!

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fishing is not a matter of life or death.
...it's much more
than that!

[spinner]

Don't put that spinning rig in mothballs...

You WILL go back to it.....

Last year about this time...Had fenwick rig...Buddy sold it to me cheap....Was in the yard for hours with him trying to learn how to cast....

He kept telling me...

You have to walk before you can run....

AND don't expect to catch as big as trout...as you usually do on your spinning rig...WILL take a long time to do that.........

I gave him back his rig after the lesson in the yard...Thought...WHY do I want to go backwards?

THEN just couple months ago....I broke down and bought a fancy orvis far-fine 5 weight...a redington reel...scads of flies...

I thought.....I am ready....

My buddy from last year....pimped me and said....hope you saved your receipts....

Call me fickle....

Saturday...I got a complete REFUND for the whole rig!!!!!

With the refund.....

I bought some new Simms Gore Tex Breathable Waders and a Shimano Stella Spin Reel....

******************spinner********************

[GUTHOOKED]

Soddy - that would be one of the big ones. Also, dapping; feeding line from upstream; letting the current take your line downstream for the lowest possible "backcast"; dangling your fly from a twig to imitate ovipositing caddis (deadly on occasion); casting while lying down, whatever it takes. With a little imagination, you can hit all the spots that everyone else walks right by.

[skibum]

Hey Fool, dont worry, you can still use both like I do.. I'll still carry both out on the water with me..

[This message has been edited by skibum (edited 12-31-2002).]

[Spinning Fool]

Thanks y'all! I've done a good bit of reading and even though the on-the-water application of the stuff will obviously be an on-going thing, it all makes sense to me.

Really, despite the myriad of differences between spin/fly I think having fished trout waters for 2 years will help immensely. Line mending just sounds like logic to me - you have to make adjustments during retrieve because of various currents w/ spin as well. Getting the fly out there will be tough... and I've heard nymphing is key right now and keeping those down in the water may be tricky. And the thing that I am most worried about is making sure to instinctively have a finger on my line. As I practice, it's easy to forget that pinch - which is the only way to hook your fish!

Anyway, tomorrow and Friday I am heading up for my first fly trip! I plan to fish my old haunt Mtntown and then over to the Toot for car camping Thur. night and more fishing Fri. before heading out.

Any last-minute suggestions for patterns/techniques up that way would be awesome - I know it's tough fishing there this time of year!

-Ken

[Hooker]

Big mistake Ken!
You just reduced your catch by 90%.
Forget the flyrod, and go back to spinning.