New to Flyfishing

Hello I want to try fly fishing for Trout and Grayling etc later this year has anyone got any good tips on kit, any good web sites for Info on fly fishing and also any good sites for fly tying, patterns, step by step guides etc.

I fully understand where you are coming from JB

I would strongly recommend that you contact a qualified instructor in your area and go and have some casting lessons. If the instructor is any good he will advise you on the correct tackle to use for the type of fly fishing you want to do.

Make no mistake, the biggest hurdle any potential fly fisher has to overcome is learning to cast. Think of it this way, it's no good owning a car unless you have learned to drive and to cast well takes far more skill than driving a motorcar.

But go for it. The first time you hook that fish on a fly, especially if it's a fly you have tied yourself, you will be hooked for life.

Agree with Ron. Get some lessons.

With regards kit check out The Greys GRX kits ideal for starters. You will find loads offering them in the Fly fishing mags. With regards to which rod as Ron says a good instructor will be able to advise you depending on the type of water you will be fishing.

For patterns check out Flyfishing and Flytying mag.

Harris Angling are offering the GRX rods at half price, if that's what you decide on.

In the meantime, learn as much as you can and don't be afraid to ask questions, more often than not it's the only way you'll understand something.

Why not come along to the Fish In to be held in May? Very good introduction to the sport, speaking from experience.

Sportfish are also offering loads of rods and reels at half price or less at the moment through their website www.sportfish.co.uk . They're good rods too.

As for fly tying kit, I started with a veniards complete set for about ?45. I'm still using most of the stuff in it now. Thats a great way to start. Peter Gathercole's book on fly tying is quite good.

also for a few basic flies to start you off a selection from www.sportflies.co.uk should sort you out. The company produce very good quality flies at reasonable prices and delivery is quick and reliable. They also always throw in a few freebies with every order too. Nice touch.

Best of luck.

Rich

Cheers Lads Thanks for all the info I want to try fishing a small trout pool at a place called shattersford Lakes in the midlands I would also like to try a few small trout streams. I bought a fly tying book today "Fly Tying For Bigginers by Peter Gathercole" I'm reading it tonight it really good and shows you how to make 50 different flys and explains all the basic techniques for tying them.

You probably won't need 50 different flies.
As you gain experience you'll find there will be certain flies that you will use more than others depending on the fishing you are doing.

Adrian, The GRX is being replaced by GRXI rods, so you can now pick up some bargains. I had a 9ft6 GRX as a great backup rod and found it a little soft and forgiving.

Ged has some good advice,I caught 118 fish on only 12 different patterns last year.

JB, visit the fishery often even before you fish their. They will be able to advise on techniques and flies and also talk to some locals & regulars - not everyone will agree but at least you'll have some sort of advice.

Casting as Ron says is the most frustrating thing for beginners. Keep at it and ask for some instruction. Cast around your swim (called fan casting) as sometimes trout are very close in.

Fisheries, flies and conditions vary so much a website may not be able to help. Even seasoned anglers ask where the fish are being caught and what on and what depth.

Thanks lads I know somone who fishes where I want to and knows the water well hopfully he is going to give me a few lessons 2 cant wait to try it.

JB,

You will not find a better book on fly tying for beginners than the one by Gathercole. He is one of the finest fly dressers in the country.

If you do want to learn to cast without instruction, here is a tip that has worked with some people.

Get about 50 feet of rope. The soft stuff preferably.

Then go into a field and lay out the rope on the grass.

No - don't start laughing.

Take hold of the rope in your best hand and flick it backwards so that it's now laying behind you in the opposite direction. The flick the rope forwards so that it's laying out straight again. Keep doing this until you can flick out the rope backwards and forwards easily.

Even kids can do this. It really is that easy.

Now you are going to do something even easier. Assemble your fly rod and line, making sure the line and rod are matched and lay out about 12 yards of line in front of you. Tie a knotless tapered leader to the end of your line and at the end of your leader tie a bit of wool.

Pick up the rod and hold it in a comfortable grip, not unlike the grip on a tennis racket but with your thumb on top. Oh and by the way if the cork handle has a plastic coating on it, cut it off.

Stand looking down at the line and point your rod along and down the length of the line. Hold the length of line leaving the reel and entering the butt ring line in your left hand AND KEEP IT DOWN BY YOUR SIDE.

Lift the rod, slowly at first, just as you did with the rope to get the line moving.

Then accelerate the rod into a back flick.

The line will go out into the air behind you.

When it is nearly all out behind you in the air. Flick the line forward and the line will shoot forward nice and straight. Remember the rope. Don't try to power the line forward, just flick it like you would try to flick paint off a paint brush. Allow the line to alight on the grass. Now you can start again

After a bit of practice. You should be getting the line to land gently straight out, onto the grass in front of you.

If you get the hang of this you are 90% there.

The whole idea of the rope is to get your mind off trying to cast the fly. It's actually impossible to cast a fly, it's too light. What you are actually doing is casting the line. The fly goes along for the ride.

When you can do this, go along to a professional instructor and he will iron out the rest.

Right, let's now see if I can describe the execution of the single and double haul in a few paragraphs.

By now you will be able to aerialise and keep in the air the basic 10 yards of line to make the rod work. It might help to mark the end of the belly on the forward taper line with a marking pen.

Allow about two yards of the running line out beyond the rod tip. Pull about 10 yards of the shooting line off the reel and coil it carefully at your feet.

As you false cast the front of the line make sure you keep everything in plane, no twisting of the wrist which will send all sorts of waves into the line, messing up the cast entirely

Now feel with you left hand as you false cast. On the forward and back flick you will feel the line pulling hard against your left hand for a fraction of a second. Concentrate on the forward cast at this stage.

When you feel that line load up and pull it's hardest in your left hand, pull back at that line. Not voilently but a a steady controlled little pull.

What that pull will do is impart a greater bend into the rod and put more potention energy into the line.

When it does that, there will come a time in that forward flick when you let go of the line, much like letting go of a bow string at archery. The line will shoot forward at considerable speed and all that shooting line coiled at your feet will get pulled out over the water.

Easy isn't it?

That's the single haul. Get that right and we can progress to the double haul.

The double haul is simply including a haul on your back cast to put extra potential energy into the line to make it ready for the haul on the forward cast.

In no time at all you will be able to cast 30 yards with only 2 or 3 false casts.

Cheers Ron I'll give it a try mate.