Advice Please!

Advice needed gentlemen!

Basicly I would like to take up Fly Fishing, But I don't have a glue about how to get started!

The water which I would like to start at would be Pitsford Reservoir, but I dont know what sort kit I will need to tackle such a water!

I have been adviced by dad that I will need a 10ft 8 weight rod for my Bank fishing! Does this seem ok to you lot?

Many Thanks

Adam,

That might be what the regulars fish with at Pitsford, but I wouldn't recommend it to start learning with.

It might be worth your while going to the lodge and asking questions there as they may do casting lessons, or know a qualified instructor who could help. Either way, casting lessons are the way to go for a first timer.

Failing that, your nearest shop would probably be Lyttles of Dunchurch who should be able to help you get kitted out completely, casting and all.

try and get hold of a video/dvd,when i started i went on a water no hook on thow,keep trying,or find a field somewhere out of the way,you will get funny looks,it looks harder than it is honest,best of luck,

Yorkshire Game Angling do a good introductory fly fishing video- "Trout Fly Casting" at ?16.99. I've got it and a more advanced video,"Better TRout Fly Casting", both are good for beginners.
The web site is :

www.yga.yorks.com

A 10.5 ft reservoir rod sounds a bit of a beast for a beginner. From YGA, I'd buy a complete kit such as the Viper 2005 Trout Fishing Outfit for ?95 which includes a 9.5ft rod rated for 6/7 lines - this should be OK for smaller stillwaters. I think you can change the rod offered in the package if you ask the shop for advice.

If you want to make up your own kit, I can recommend a 9.5 ft Shakespeare Royalty rod rated for lines from 7 to 9. It only cost me ?30 and it casts well with a size 8 weight forward Greys fly line (about ?27).

If you've got any money left I would suggest you pay for a couple of hours of professional casting lessons.

The lads at AW reservoirs are really good anglers and seriously helpful. Book on to a day course - it's a few quid really well spent.

The tackle shop at Pitsford will sort you out some good gear. Rutland and Grafham's tackle shops are superb.

After learning the basics, decamp to a small, well-stocked (and probably quite expensive) stillwater and catch one or two to get the feel of hooking one. Those big midlands ressies are really hard waters to fish - cracking places when you get to know them.

The big UK ressies are my first love Mark when it comes to fly fishing. Such a challenge.

However I hate to go there alone. And from where I live, the prospect of driving 80 miles to say Rutland and then 80 miles back, for one day's fishing, is not on.

I wish these big Midlands ressies had a decent campsite where you could sleep for a couple or three nights.

I don't mind paying for reasonable accomodation, but driving on some the worst traffic systems in the world, puts the kybosh on it.

Where's your sense of adventure Ron? Get in the car park with a bag of fish n' chips and a bottle of the black stuff, get that lot down your neck and then fold the seats down...you'll sleep like the proverbal baby, mate.

And wake early...

I have practiced on fields and I have had strange looks and commentsbut itdoes help a lot but the best advice I can give is go to where you wish to fish and there will be fly anglers there thatshould give you adviceand help with your casting.I went to Chirk fly fishery and there were fellow anglerswho showed me some tips where I was going wrong with my cast,although I am still not experienced those tips helped a lot.

I have just bought the Polemaster Fluoro Carbon 4lb Hooklength Adrian,I wish to use it for fly fishing at Llyn Brenig as I thought it wouldbe ideal for dry fly or would yousay I'vemade a bad choice as it's generally used for coarse fishing.I also bought the WorcestershireX2(6lb) & X3(5lb) knotless tapered leaders for nymphes etc.