I have been doing some research into fly fishing. I am hoping to try it for the first time this coming spring.
While searching the web for some advice on a beginning fly-fishing set-up for a green horn like me, I found a community of individuals who were more than willing to share some advice with me. Today in particular, I will be sharing a response to my questions by Lee, from flyfishmagazine.com.
Please visit his great site when you can!
My questions were:
- How do you determine what type of fly to use when fly fishing a body of water?
- How does one start to to learn to tie their own flies?
Here is Lee’s response:
Don’t let fly fishing worry you. It won’t take you long to get the skills down but it can take a life time to master them.
You have managed to ask a couple of those questions that can take a lifetime to answer but here goes:
The best way I know to find out what kind of flies to use in a new area is to look at what is going on around you in the water and on the banks. Turn rocks over and look at the bugs underneath. Try to match the size and color of the bugs with the fly you use. You are trying to “match the hatch” and give the fish something they want to eat. If you see hoppers jumping in summer then you might fish the undercut banks near the fields with a hopper pattern or if you see fish sipping bugs just under the surface you might need to fish an emerger that mimics these by floating just under the surface. Then again you can drag a big streamer that imitates a minnow through the water and you will probably get some strikes too. Just watching what is going on around you and choosing a fly that looks close will get you a long way to catching fish on the fly. Remember most of a fishes diet is eaten under the water not on top of it. So wet flies often do better than dry flies. Of course nothing beats a dry fly strike for excitement. Personally I think that the way you present a fly is almost more important than what fly you use. Making sure your presentation is natural (your bug looks like something floating at the same speed as the current without dragging) and making sure you get it in front of the fish (in the strike zone) will get more strikes than an exact fly match will.
Learning to tie your own flies will help you match the hatch. You learn a lot about bugs and such by tying imitations of them for yourself. I would suggest that you purchase a good quality fly tying kit with a decent vise (one from Umpqua or Orvis or the like) as a starting point then sign up for a class at your local fly shop. You can read about the techniques in books but the best sort of teaching comes from seeing it done in person and then trying it for yourself.
I don’t think my answers can really do your questions justice so I would also suggest that you find a local fly fishing club and get involved. Pick one with a good group of guys who aren’t too pretentious. I have learned much more from my fellow club members than I ever could have any other way.
Give it a try. I was a bait fisherman most of my life but ever since I caught my first fish on the fly I have not wanted to fish any other way.
To Contact Lee, vist flyfishmagazine.com.
If you have any more suggestions or comments about fly fishing, please visit our forum and leave your thoughts there.
Hunt Proud. Fish Hard!
-Bill
Muskoka Outdoors
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[...] When I look out my window and see 5ft snow banks, I am doubtful about an early spring. Since my cup is half-full, I am goint to get excited about spring anyway! In a previous post, I discussed that this will be the spring I learn to fly fish. I will be purchasing some basic equipment and looking for some advice from our web visitors. There will be journal entries of my ’struggle’ and tips from other anglers and blogs. Here is the first of those tips that I will be attempting to practice. It comes from the blog: Fish with Bish in Zealand The article begins: [...]