Curious

C
crazyhorse613
Ive never fly fished before but it looks like fun and have been interested in trying it. Does anyone have any recomendations on tackle or any tips for a beginner?
 
F
fishtales
Eventually it will be time to decide between using a sinking or flaoting line. I think I started with a yellow sinking line. Anyways when lining your real for the first time be carefeull about getting tangles. It can turn into to birds nest tangle pretty quick.

Fly Tying Made Easy for Beginers by Randal Kaufmann is a good info if fly tying is an option.
 
Last edited:
R
redhawk50
I would say go to a clinic and get some knowledge there. The Orvis store in Bridgeport has some free clinics starting in May. I think Royal Treatment is West Linn has something going on today or coming soon. So look around for those and then go from there. Sometimes it is nice to get introduced straight from a person who does it for a living so you don't have any of the issues that could frustrate you into quitting. I kind of think of it like golf. You can get really good information from people but it is really nice to start out with the correct base before you explore on your own. Where you buy after that depends on your budget and thoughts on going local or the big brands. To each their own on that. Good luck! It is a lot of fun and very addicting.
 
L
Lamzy
The place to start would e to go River City Fly Shop.
11429 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Beaverton
And talk to Don
I am just starting as a Fly Fisher my self so anything I could tell you may not be to accurate.
In my opinion the art of casting takes a lit of pratice, but well worth the effort.
I might have a rod and reel to lend you if you really want to give it a try.
 
GungasUncle
GungasUncle
I'm writing a series of articles for beginner fly fisherman - find them OFF All Tutorials Section - you can also click on the link in my signature and read the same thing on my blog.

And Lamzy's suggestion is spot on, go to River City and chat up Don, he will set you right and not fleece you of your life savings. Or, if income is a concern - Fisherman's Marine, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Bi Mart have some good budget gear. I just bought an Eagle Claw fiberglass 7' fly rod from Dicks (I've got a fiberglass fetish, and it's hard to find glass rods anymore) that is just a little gem to cast. It fishes and casts way above it's paygrade! $24.99 at Dicks for the rod - you'll need to pick up a reel and line seperately. You can also look at the Okuma, Diawa, and Berkley rods, or Dick's "Field & Stream" branded rods - they're all $60 or less for the rod.

If cash isn't that big of a concern, I'd look at a starter outfit in the $100-150 dollar range, you'll get a bit better rod, reel, and line that way. Both Cortland and Scientific Anglers have ready to fish combos for this price range - SA has even gone so far to make a line up of them, they've got a Trout Combo and a Bass combo, and I think they've got one for salmon/steelhead too, but I'm not 100% on that. You'll generally get a 2-4 piece graphite rod, a decent reel, and a decent line in those combos. Both SA and Cortland have DVD's they come with for beginners also - which is nice.

Depending on your work schedule - I'd be happy to meet up with you some time and let you try casting my trout rods - I see you're in Beaverton, which is close by for me. I've got Wednesday's and Thursday's off - kind of booked up for the next two weeks on my off-days, but I would be happy to hook up with you after that.
 
M
Markcanby
Send me a PM we could hook up sometime I have many rods you could try an maybe even talk me out of one.
 
C
crazyhorse613
Thank you all fo the info and ill def check out river city fly shop. I've looked at dicks and online at bass pro shop and cabelas and i dont understand why fly fishing is more expensive to start than basic fishing. Im thinking of just getting a cheap started kit and giving it a try, and GungasUncle, I may take you up on ur offer here in a couple weeks. Ill keep looking and hit up the fly shop a little more before i do anything.
 
GungasUncle
GungasUncle
Fly fishing doesn't have to be a lot more expensive, really. That Eagle Claw glass rod for $24.99 is comparable in price to the cheaper spin rods out there, you can get something like a Shakespeare click pawl single action reel for $15, and 3M/Scientific Anglers makes a short fly line that Bi Mart sells for about $20. You'll need some dacron backing, but you can get the big spool of the 20lb dacron, that will fill MANY fly reels, or do double duty for sturgeon fishing - for about $7. That's about a $67 investment, which, while it's not a $19.99 el-cheapo Shakespeare special, is very reasonable. Part of the cost is the air that fly fishing is somehow superior - it's also a bit of a niche (a BIG niche, but still) type of fishing, compared to lure or bait fishing, and thus the lower demand for fly gear = higher costs. But you can get good fly gear inexpensively, if you don't HAVE to have big high dollar names on your rods. Sage and G.Loomis rods are great - but they're not needed to catch a fish. Kind of like the salmon/steelhead guys that get a hard on for Lamiglass and Loomis rods - you don't NEED such a rod to drift corkies and yarn, or eggs - even though some guys will swear you do. Fly fishing, like any other type of fishing, can be done as cheaply or expensively as you want.

I check the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores every time I go int there (probably once a week or so) because occasionally you'll find a real gem mixed in with the junk. There's also craigslist, forums like this one, and eBay. Cabela's Bargain Cave occasionally has some nifty fly gear in it too.

You really can get started in fly fishing for under a hundred bucks. Spend $70 on that Eagle Claw, or similarly priced outfit, buy a couple knotless tapered leaders (about $3-5 each), couple spools of Maxima leader material (again - about $3 a pop) and spend the rest on flies from someplace like StreamFlies.Com (fifty cents a fly, free shipping) and you'll be all set to get on the water and get some fish. You need not have exact anatomical matches for insects - you can get by with 3 fly patterns if you really, really want to pare down. Something like the Adams dry fly, in sizes 10, 12, and 14, then a Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear nymph, sizes 8, 10, and 12, and the ever neato Woolly Bugger (black or olive) in sizes 6, 8, 10 and you're set. If you don't care about dry fly fishing - you could nix the Adams, even ditch the Hare's Ear, and just buy a bunch of Woolly Buggers and get everything from trout and panfish to large and smallmouth bass, or salmon and steelhead.

One thing that helps, fly or gear fishing, is some waders - but they're not necessary. You don't need a vest either - a small fly box, forceps, nail clippers, and two spools of leader/tippet material will fit in a cargo pants pocket. The forceps can clamp onto your collar, and the nail clippers can be put on one of the little zipper retractable pins (about $3).

Like I said - you can spend as little money as you can get away with, or spend boat loads, you can go light, or carry every piece of tackle known to man. You'll catch fish either way. The biggest learning curve in fly fishing, is learning the basic casting strokes, but that just takes a little time.
 
C
crazyhorse613
GungasUncle said:
The biggest learning curve in fly fishing, is learning the basic casting strokes, but that just takes a little time.

Ya thats the one thing everyone keeps telling me is getting the cast down. Im not even sure what the point of the back and forth casting is but then again ive stuck with just a standard rod and real all my life so the standard cast and real makes perfect sense to me.
 
GungasUncle
GungasUncle
the largest fundamental difference in fly fishing vs gear - you are casting the line, not the lure. You can't cast 40 feet of flyline without the back cast, or wtihout it being laid out ahead of you if roll casting, unlike being able to fire off a 1/16th oz lure 40 feet with just a snap of the wrist. That is why you've got the whip like back & fort casting - it allows you to get that line out there and present that weightless or light weight fly like you're supposed to.
 
G
GDBrown
Learn without buying!

Learn without buying!

There is also a full day clinic being put on by ODFW at camp Sherman on the Metolios that includes fly tying and casting instructions at one of the hatchery ponds. $50 for the day and they provide everything including Lunch. Here is a link to the ODFW web site about the class. Troutdude put this up earlier today.

Outdoor Skills and Education: Adult Fly Fishing Class
 
F
flytrekker1007
One piece of advise I can give you is don't buy cheap stuff because you will use it for a season and then you will want something better. I'm not saying buy the most expensive stuff either. I started out with a St. Croix triumph which was $70 and I got a reel from Allen and co. for $100. This season I upgraded because I got better. I bought a Lamson Guru reel and a TFO Finesse rod. Just get something you really want first, that way you don't have to buy it twice, and it will last you a long time.
 
V
Van
Take a lesson from a certified instructor. It doesn't have to be a long lesson. Learning the right way to cast from the start will save you a lot of aggravation down the road.
 
brandon4455
brandon4455
Van said:
Take a lesson from a certified instructor. It doesn't have to be a long lesson. Learning the right way to cast from the start will save you a lot of aggravation down the road.

instructors are a waste of money i think. i just tagged along with bigsteel and asked a lot of questions and i picked up on it pretty fast.
 
C
crazyhorse613
Ive been watching a lot of videos online and i know a guy who said he will give me a setup in exchange for some yard work done, so ill see how that goes. Weather its good stuff or not i dunno but i still will give it a try. no money lost and if i like it i can eventually buy better stuff.
 
F
flytrekker1007
Gungasuncle. I noticed you said the wolly bugger was one of the three flies to have in your case. But you also threw in the other two that are really a completely different fly. wolly buggers are good for lake fishing, but in my opinion they would be the last fly I would want to have in my box. A prince nymph would be a good addition to those other two flies.
 
C
crazyhorse613
So i stopped by river city fly shop to take a look around but unfortunately they were closed, but i did get a little kick out of the fact instead of saying closed the sign said gone fishin lol. Anyway anyone have any recomendations on tying different fly nots?
 
F
flytrekker1007
what type of knots are you looking for? attaching the fly to the leader of leader to tippet?ect
 
C
crazyhorse613
all of the above really, I know nothing about fly fishing. I didn't realize there was tying different lines together and such and tippets
 
F
flytrekker1007
so what i do is a nail knot to tie my leader to the line. then my leader to tippet is a blood knot, and then you use an improved clinch knot to tie the fly on. You can youtube these knots and there are a bunch of other knots you can use as well. Congrats on becoming new to fly fishing, you will have a great time. It's the only way to fish! Do you have a rod and reel? If not whats your budget?
 

Similar threads

FairweatherFisher
Replies
17
Views
2K
mattsavage
M
O
Replies
10
Views
1K
OregonApe
O
C
Replies
4
Views
1K
Bank10
Bank10
plumbertom
Replies
6
Views
704
troutdude
troutdude
bmjpnw
Replies
5
Views
573
bmjpnw
bmjpnw
Top Bottom