New to Fly

[Xca]

Hi there,

I have been following / reading the forum for over a year but decided to take next step and post a message!

I love fishing, and always fished when I could. I recently switched to fly fishing (last summer). It's been challenging, especially casting. I am still quite a beginner but I was able to catch some nice trouts on the fly and absolutely loved it !
When i was trying the fly, I was always with a dry. That was last summer till end of season.

I was out for the opener. Caught nothing I tried some San Juan worm and hare's ear (first time nymphing). Water was high and dirty.
Came back home and tried to read more about what flies to use. It seems I should have tried some dark large nymph?

I would appreciate some guidance on what to use when water is high and dirty. Also, any suggestions for when water get a bit clearer ?

Thank you

(sorry for my average english, french is my first language)
(if someone wants to teach me some basics on the fly, i can teach some basic in french !)

 

[[email protected]]

just keep changing colour and size until you find something that works, this morning size 10 olive hares ears were killing it for me, generally when the water is dirty, go bigger and brighter, when the water is gin clear go smaller and more natural colours, if you're finding the fly isn't getting down fast enough, try adding a very tiny split shot about 6-8" up the leader.

as for casting its just practice, start with a roll cast, and then move on to the standard fly cast, get used to feeling the rod bend and load with the line

 

[Xca]

Thanks for giving some advice

I will give it a try again this coming weekend. Seems like a lot of rain is coming !

In terms of split shot and strike indicator. I had a small split shot and my indicator would sink after a few meters drifting. Should I try different indicator or does it means I need to increase my depth?
Thanks

 

[[email protected]]

personally, i never use a strike indicator, i wait for my line to do something weird before i set the hook, weird being the line either stops dead, jumps, twitches, flies back up stream.

it seems you may have had too much weight for your indicator

 

[Xca]

I will try again this weekend Thanks for the tips

 

[Xca]

Hey there,

I got my first brookies on a nymph ! 9 of them

So i started of the day on a river. But couldn't catch anything. I did what you told me, switch flies and try.
But still nothing. I went for my spinning rod and try worms. Nothing.

Switched river for a creek. That creek is the one I usually go when i started fly fishing last summer. And I know there is some fish.

I got a small one in the first hole! Then I kept trying different flies just for the fun and see if some were working better.
Brown flies / with some white worked well. Black not at all

Tried also with indicator. But I can't seem to cast well with that thing on my line.
Same thing when I put some weights. I need to keep practicing!

But overall super happy Thank you FrequentFlyer

Now i need to rest, my arm and shoulder is killing me. My casting technique is poor...

 

[Christopheraaron]

When casting an indicator it is best to use a roll cast or belgian loop cast. It sounds like your problem with the indicator is most likely your line being pulled under, remember to constantly mend the line and keep any extra line off the water.

 

[hamiltonangler94]

Welcome!

 

[[email protected]]

grats man......and welcome to the addiction! glad you had some success

 

[Xca]

Thanks for welcomes

I had to go and watch on youtube what is a roll cast. I actually did practice this cast last year, but have not used it a lot yesterday. I will try it !
I try to mend, but it feels like my rod moves the line too much. I need to be smoother.

Also, yesterday when nymphing, I was on a 7ft6 and 4wt.
I also have a 9ft 5wt. But it seemed to much in weight for the short casts I had to do.

Should I be thinking getting another road? something like 9ft 3-4wt?

 

[Christopheraaron]

You should be able to nymph with that but if you decide to get into nymphing a 10' rod is really what you want.

 

[Xca]

Hey there!

I went yesterday for the full day. Didn't catch as much but caught bigger.

As I was heading back to car, I to a few more casts with my 7ft6 / 4wt.

And I got this baby

I couldnt get better pic. I was alone, small rod, tippet 5x and small net as you can see.
Took me forever to land it. Followed your safe instructions to handle fish. Kept in water and released it.

I am sooooooo happy ! That's a steelhead? He wasn't chrome color, but more like giant rainbow.

Thanks !

 

[Shmogley]

looks like a steelhead thats been in the river a while to me. nice catch bud!

what fly did it take?

 

[Jacklake]

Unless you want to catch steelhead and bass, your rods are fine. A 9ft 4wt would hardly feel different than the 5wt, and a 9ft 3wt would feel almost the same as your 7.5ft except obviously a bit longer. I suggest the next rod you get is a 9ft 7wt, but that can wait.
I think you should first learn to cast and mend better with the tools you have. Only then will you really know about rods and how they feel/work and be able to judge well when you get the next one. Cheers.

 

[Xca]

@ Shmogley: Caught this steel on a prince nymph
Like I said it was my first one, and i was so excited hehe

Thanks Jacklake for the tips. Casting is getting better. I practiced roll cast with indicator. Much easier than overhead cast. Still need to work on it. Especially the mending. That one is tricky for me hehe
Practicing will help!

 

[Christopheraaron]

When mending try this (just a heads up, don't do this with dries as it won't work) when you first make your roll cast immediately make a large upstream mend, this will move your indicator but as long as it doesn't move towards you too much it's fine. Now for the majority of your drift the line from that big mend will be fine and you can just make small mends throughout the cast and not move the indicator. Hopefully this makes sense.

 

[Jacklake]

Practicing will help!

Only if you practice the correct things!

If you have just started I think I can tell from here the improvements you need to make.

1. Keep a stiff wrist - casting is not throwing (CINT).
2. Keep your elbow near your side (not pinned to it, you can move it 3 or 4 inches fore and back) - casting is not throwing.
3. On your backcast stop your rod hand near your jaw/ear area where you can see the reel - this is probably higher than your current position.
4. On the forecast bring your rod hand in a straight line firmly to a postion level with your chest and stop instantaeously. There is no follow-through and no final oomph on the fishing cast. (CINT)
5. The line is the same distance behind you as in front of you. It takes exactly the same energy to propel it back as it does foreward, and it takes exactly the same amount of time for it to unroll behind as it does in front. Timing is everything.
6. Once the line is extended (still in the air) on the final cast, lower the tip of the rod at the same rate as the line is falling.

Keep a stiff wrist.

 

[Xca]

Absolutely! I didn't want to have too many bad habits, which are hard to change after.
I went with a guide for a full day. It was awesome. Didn't caught much but learned a lot. That was all i cared anyway.

Yesterday, when I went back on my own, i could feel that my technique was much better

Now, my goal is to catch a nice brown

Thanks

 

[Xca]

Today, went out on a different river. I didn't feel like driving 1 hour plus since i do this most week end for fishing.

I went to the upper credit. Tried nymphing various paterns. But got nothing. Just a small brown.
Tried some green wolly bugger and no luck.

After reading some more information, do you think that I should mix nymphing and dries ?

I havent tried any dries today.

Anyway had a great day outside, fully recharged for my week !

 

[Xca]

Yesterday was with Graham for a 101 class. That was very cool. Very usefull class to make sure I don't get too many bad habits.

Today, I was training my nymph fishing until I bumped into 2 OFF guys on the river !