Starting fly fishing help please

[chrissh]

Sorry for all the questions

I want to start fly fishing on ponds for trout 2lbs up. And the river Derwent for trout & grayling i wont be casting further than 30 feet.

What do I need to set myself up?

Rod length and weight

Reel size

Floating line, sinking line or both (I have seen reels that have two spools)

What do I need in a selection of fly’s and hook size

Casting lessons

Any recommendation or help on a rod and reel and flys

Thanks you

 

[Neil Maidment]

Potentially two different outfits but I suggest you go for one to start with which should cover both situations.

I would go for a #5wt/#6wt (or a #6wt/#7wt) 8ft/9ft rod matched to a mid range reel. A full Weight Forward floating line will suffice, you can easily fish at a good depth by selecting a weighted fly/nymph on a good length leader. Nominally, to balance with the rod, I would go for a #6wt or #7wt line depending on the rating of your chosen rod.

If the reel has spare spools/cartridges you can always add a sink tip, fast or slow sinker and/or intermediate line(s) to your armoury.

Mail order flies are a good way to start to build your selections. You should be able to find "sets" to suit lake, pond, river, dry or wet for a reasonable outlay.

As for casting, it's good to get a few lessons and then practice, practice and practice.

 

[stillwater blue]

I would certainly agree on the casting lessons, look for a GAIA or AAPGAI fly casting instructor local to yourself. Casting lessons aren't particularly expensive and are the best investment you can make in fly fishing as a beginner. Have a chat with the instructor regarding rods and flies, I would expect he'll fish the local ponds and rivers so will be well placed to advise.

For fly lines look at Barrio fly lines as they're excellent value for money. Oh, you need a Roman Moser braided loop too. Personally I'd go with a standard weight forward line for a lake, which would be perfectly suitable for a river but I prefer his small stream lines for river fishing. I would stick with a floating line to start with as they're easier to cast, if you need a little more depth then a poly-leader can help.

IMO reels are massively over engineered for fly fishing, they're mostly expensive line holders, for freshwater fishing a drag simply isn't necessary so just buy whatever reel takes your fancy that's in budget. Reels come in line sizes so just buy the correct reel size for the rod, some people believe that reel weight is important to balance the rod but personally I prefer the lightest reel possible.

You could go for a 9ft 5wt rod, it's a comprise as it's a hint heavy for the river and perhaps a hint light for lakes but it'll work just fine, my first rod was a 5wt. If you can afford two rods then I'd look for a 8'6" 3 or 4wt for river work and something like a 9'6" 6wt for lake stuff. Fast actioned rods require good timing, a good casting stroke and they're also difficult to feel load for beginners too so look for a medium fast actioned rod.

Is hard to advise on flies without knowing the river you're fishing but for me the following are indispensable and probably catch close on 90% of all my fly caught fish.

Tan Klinkhamer # 14,16 - be careful they need to be on the right hook and the right hook is large for the size,
Grey duster or better still the dirty duster #16,18,
CDC & Elk hair caddis #12,14,16
Greenwell's glory #14,16
F-fly #14,16,18,
IOBO #14,16,18,
Tungsten bead headed gold ripped hares ear - 16,18
Tungsten bead headed pheasant tailed nymph - 16,18
Tungsten bead headed red tag - 14, 16, 18

 

[bullet]

Excellent advice above, and you don't need to spend a fortune these days to get a good set up.
From what you have said, I'd agree with stillwater and say a 9ft 5#.
I hardly ever fish stillwaters, but if you need a few flies for the river, drop me a pm and I'll happily tie a few up for you and post them.

 

[Clodhopper]

I would strongly recommend an investment in a copy of Matching the Hatch, by Pat O'Reilly.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Matching-Hatch-Stillwater-River-Stream/dp/1853108227

 

[chrissh]

I have phoned the Orvis shop in Bakewell and they recommended, Encounter 6-Weight 9’ Fly Rod Outfit rod and reel line is £169

I am going to their shop on Tuesday for a learn fly to fishing basics one hour lesson and hopefully buy a rod and reel.

I can also book casting lesson at £35 an hour is that a good price to pay

Thank s for your help

 

[Another Dave]

Try a size 50 hook baited with a bit of dog dirt.

 

[stillwater blue]

A six weight is well suited to stillwaters and fishing streamers, if allowed, in rivers. It'll be a hint heavy for dry fly work and nymphing on rivers. Can't say I know the rod but orvis generally make good stuff.

My casting lessons where slightly cheaper but trust me it'll be the best £35 you'll spent in fly fishing!

 

[stillwater blue]

Try a size 50 hook baited with a bit of dog dirt.

I have a boxer dog but wonder it the dirt is suitable?

 

[peytr]

A point to consider:

I'd say, try not to compromise (river vs reservoir) but choose one of the two to start with and I'd go for river. Learn casting, matching the hatch and fishing using one rod. I'd go for the lighter AFTMA, but this is just the way I did it (more than forty yrs ago now).

It is not about cost but about care. You don't need expensive tackle but you do need to invest time in perfecting, balancing and using your system.

 

[David Gane]

If you're anything like me you will be frustrated that, although an experienced coarse angler, casting a fly well doesn't come anywhere near as easily as you thought it would. After three or four years of very mediocre success I ended up going back to a pro for another lesson. He pointed me in the right direction and although I didn't improve overnight I now knew what I was doing wrong and was able to work on technique to a point where I'm at least no longer ashamed to be watched! One tip he gave me that I have repeated before in the forum was to get someone else to film you casting on your phone. When you watch the recording back you will be able to see quite easily for yourself where you need to change/develop/improve your technique. It's something that would help most of us, I think.

 

[Keith M]

I bought myself a fly rod and fly reel after watching John Wilson catching Carp on his fly rod several years ago; which looked like great fun; but I’ve yet to try it; and my fly rod and reel has sat on the wall in my fishing den ever since.

Every season I promise myself to give it a go.

One of my clubs has a fly fishing section and I can get instruction on casting from guys in the section; so I might get my fly rod and reel off of the wall in early spring and give it a go; both for the trout on a fly, and later in the season after Carp on mixers.

Keith

 

[@Clive]

I realise that this is an old thread resurrected. But don't forget that you can have good sport catching chub,dace, roach, perch and even larger predators like zander and pike using fly tackle. In estuaries you can add bass, mullet and flounder to that list.

Chub can be taken on dry flies like the elk hair caddis. Smaller versions take dace and roach.

But it is great fun to stalk them using wet flies and fry imitations. Epoxy minnows, woolly bu99ers and clousers work well as do caddis and mayfly grub imitations. The woolly bu99ger also takes estuary fish if fished deep and slow.

 

[John Aston]

So true - to date I've had brown, rainbow , brook and seatrout, salmon , grayling, chub , roach , bleak, dace , carp , bream , pike, perch, tench and rudd on fly . And a barbel fairly (!) hooked in the pectoral .

Strangers to the method often sneer at it as just a means by which to make fishing harder . In fact , as devotees already know , it can be devastatingly effective and on some smaller rivers is my no1 method for chub , dace trout and grayling . As I've mentioned before, I';ve only had one 100lb plus bag of chub - and that was in a couple of hours on dry fly .

 

[markcw]

Lymm AC used to have a few intimate pools with a stream running alongside them ,in woodland.
I had lived near them for many years and didn't know they were there .
I found out I knew the person who leased the to Lymm, A guy called Jimmy Waltham, had wrote a couple of books on fly fishing , was a good artist and rod builder, He had a tackle shop in Warrington and I was sponsored by him anyway one of these pools was mixed , had trout and coarse fish in it .
A guy was fly fishing , he ended up catching a 15lb carp off the top , he had to borrow a decent landing net to land it .

 

[kingf000]

After your lessons, my advice is to practice, practice, practice. I'm lucky enough to have a long garden so just provide amusement for my neighbours but if that isn't available, find a local park and just tie on a bit of wool to the end of your tippet. Ignore those that take the pi55 and cherish those who show an interest and just want to watch the beauty of casting a fly line.

 

[nottskev]

I use the park next door when I'm putting line on centrepins. Put reel on butt section, tie line to drum, put rod down, pace out the line required, put spool down, walk back, pick up rod and walk towards spool, reeling in. Last time, it was working fine until the little dog ran off with the spool.

 

[Radbuza]

Try a size 50 hook baited with a bit of dog dirt.

Well done for helping a fellow angler! Remind me to ignore you when I have a question...