What You Always Wanted to Know About Fly Fishing, But Were Afraid to Ask - A Fly Fishing FAQ

I asked Robin if we could have a sticky topic to help educate folks on what fly fishing is and isn't. My thinking is that we're missing some folks who aren't posting their questions for whatever reason, so I wrote the piece below to give people interested in fly fishing a general idea about terms and equipment.

My suggestion is that we leave this topic open for a couple or three days in order for most of us to read it and offer some constructive criticism and then make those changes and lock it to keep it as clean and concise as possible. As one of the leading threadjackers on this board, I will be on my best behavior in this ONE thread and I ask the same of you.

Please let me know how you think this could be better.

TXRR



So you’ve seen A River Runs Through It or a fishing show on TV that showed an angler making long, graceful casts with a fly rod and become intrigued. The whippy rod draws a very visible line through beautiful loops in the air as someone straight out of an Orvis catalogue carefully stalks a trout in a crystal clear mountain stream.

Truthfully, there isn’t much of that kind of fishing to be found in Texas anywhere outside of a few select clear water rivers in the hill country. The ugly truth is that most of us who fly fish in Texas rarely target trout in our home waters. The information I’ll present here will still be applicable to trout fishing, but will be aimed mostly at helping to answer some of the most frequent questions we hear about our weird sport and the way we target the warm water species here in Texas.

I will not cover casting in any detail here because that is something better learned in person and I am the wrong person to try to teach it. A certified casting instructor is your best bet to learn to cast a fly rod correctly and with a minimal amount of time and frustration invested. There are also opportunities to learn to cast at places like Cabelas or Bass Pro as well as your local fly fishing club.

How much does it cost to fly fish?

To a lot of us with families and significant others who closely watch what we spend in our pursuit of outdoor enjoyment, the subject of cost can be the most important. Sure you’d like to try fly fishing, but if it’s going to cost a thousand dollars just to get your feet wet, you’ll probably stop reading right here. The truth of the matter is similar to most hunting or fishing exploits: the cost is variable. I think it is certainly reasonable to get started for under $100 and purchase good gear that will last and do the job. A rod and reel combo with flyline can be bought for $50-75 from most of the online tackle stores and the rest of the money can go towards flies, leaders, and tippet material. If you want higher end gear, it certainly exists, but not everyone can jump in the deep end of the pool, financially speaking, when they start. Basically the cost of two nice meals at a restaurant with your spouse/significant other will get you going.

How does fly fishing differ from “conventional” fishing?

Fly fishing and fishing with a baitcasting or spinning reel actually aren’t that different. With both methods we’re trying to fool a fish into thinking the artificial bait that we’ve presented to it is a real meal.

One big difference you’ll notice immediately is the difference in how these baits are constructed. Modern manufacturing techniques mean that conventional lures are constructed of space-age materials specifically developed to mimic the look and or feel of the real McCoy. The artificial baits made for fly fishing are predominantly hand made from fur, feathers, and hair. When most people hear the term fly as it relates to a lure used to catch a fish, they think of tiny bits of feather and fur tied on a hook to precisely mimic some sort of flying insect that will be presented on the surface of the water. Although that is often the case for anglers who use fly fishing methods to pursue trout, it isn’t always true for warm water fly fishermen (and women).

A “fly” can mimic anything that a conventional lure can. Sometimes the conventional lure will work better in a certain situation and sometimes the fly will. There is a dizzying array of artificials that are suitable for using with fly fishing gear that can be presented anywhere in the water column to fool the fish in a variety of ways.

The other very obvious difference is the way the lure is delivered to the fish. In both cases we will use weight to transfer energy from our bodies to the lure delivery system to achieve a cast and put the bait in a position to present it to a fish.

With a conventional rod, the weight of the lure is used to load the rod with energy, which is then directed and released by the angler. The angler pulls the rod behind the vertical, stops, and then accelerates the rod forward, releasing the lure at the right time. As the rod launches the lure through the air, the weight of the lure itself exerts a direct pulling force on the fishing line still wound around the spool of the reel. The lure flies through the air pulling the line along behind it and unspooling line off of the reel.

The actual physics of the cast are similar in fly fishing, but the way the force is built up and delivered are different that the conventional scenario detailed above. When we cast using a fly rod, we don’t cast the weight of the lure; instead we cast the weight of the line. Understanding this tenant of fly casting is terribly important to your success as a fly caster. Instead of the lure loading the rod with energy, we use the fly line itself. A fly angler will typically pull line off of the reel and allow it to fall at his or her feet. They will then arrange the line in front of them on the water in a straight line and make what is known as a backcast. The backcast is what loads the rod with the energy generated by the weight of the flyline as it flies through the air behind the angler. The fly caster will then accelerate the rod forward and stop its motion at a predetermined point. This stop is what forms that pretty loop in the line and the loop is what pulls the lure towards the target, along with the flyline that was piled at the angler’s feet.

The description given above makes fly casting seem difficult, but in reality it is just a different set of motions than you’re probably used to making. The toughest part of fly casting for those of us who grew up with conventional gear is remembering that you cannot muscle a fly rod into doing your bidding. Trying to force a fly cast will only end in disaster and that is one of the most intriguing parts of our sport: learning the finesse and skill required to make the cast. I have heard this learning curve compared to golf, but I’d rather not sully fly angling with such a seedy comparison.

You can spend some time on YouTube watching casting videos, but I will caution you that teaching yourself to fly cast using videos and books is a daunting task. I learned to fly cast that way and my recommendation to find a professional instructor is based on the huge amount of frustration I encountered along the way. I did teach myself to make a decent fly cast, but I also integrated several casting flaws into my muscle memory that will take a long time to fix. Attempting to learn to cast without instruction is probably the reason so many fly rods sit unused in garages and attics across the country.

One last area of comparison would be the way the lures are retrieved. Conventional anglers use the reel to wind the line back around the spool after every cast. Fly anglers tend to pull the line in by hand, commonly referred to as “stripping” in the line. If a fly angler reeled the line in after every cast, they would have to pull it back off of the reel to prepare for their next cast.

What gear do I need to get started?

The basic equipment used in fly fishing is as follows: a rod, a reel, backing, flyline, leader, tippet material, and flies.

Fly rods, fly lines, and fly reels are usually classified by a term called “weight”. Weight doesn’t refer to how much the rod weighs, but instead to how much the first 30 feet of fly line weighs. Remember how the weight of the fly line pulls the fly through the air to the target? Larger flies or heavier flies require heavier fly lines to cast them properly. The larger the weight, or “wt”, the heavier or more wind resistant fly a certain fly rod or fly line will cast. It is important to note that you can always cast lighter flies on a heaver rod/line combination. Usually the wt of the fly rod and that of the fly line are closely matched.

The differences in brands, materials, sizes, and lengths of fly rods are staggering and best left to another discussion. My recommendation for an all around rod for use in fishing for panfish and bass in Texas is a 5 weight. A 5wt rod is heavy enough to cast bigger flies and fight a good sized bass without having to worry about wearing them down too much, yet light enough to feel the fight a good sized bream will give you.

Fly reels are probably one of the least important components in a warm water fly angler’s gear system. Most of us who fly fish in Texas rarely use the reel for anything but holding line. The great majority of the fish you catch will never use the reel to land them. The exceptions to not needing an expensive reel are striped or hybrid bass and saltwater fishing. I like to rig my fly reels so that the handle is on the left side, which allows me to operate the rod with my “dominant” right hand and the reel with my “weak” left hand.

Backing is a smaller diameter braided line, usually made of Dacron, which allows us to fight a fish that might pull out more line than the 90-100 foot length of most fly lines. Without backing, a big fish could pull the line off of the reel down to the spool and then break itself off, causing you to lose the fish. Backing also increases the diameter of the axel the fly line itself is wrapped around, giving you a greater mechanical advantage when fighting a fish from the reel. This larger diameter also reduces the effect of fly line coiling up once it is stripped off of the reel which is caused by line memory. As stated in the reel description above, the use of backing to fight a fish is rare in warm water fishing, but not using backing could put you in a bad situation if you ever caught a large fish.

Fly lines can be even more confusing than fly rods. I recommend a weight forward floating (WFF) fly line that matches your rod’s wt rating. Weight forward refers to the fact that the majority of the mass of the first 30 feet of line is toward the tip of the line, resulting in a line that is easier to cast. There are many other types of lines for every application under the sun, but a WFF line will be the right choice for the great majority of warm water fly fishing.

A leader is the connection between the fly line and the tippet and is usually constructed of monofilament or fluorocarbon and varies in length between 5 to 9 feet. Most leaders are tapered to be large where they tie into the fly line and gradually become smaller in diameter on the tippet end to efficiently transfer the energy of the cast down their length to allow the fly to turn over and lay out straight in front of the fly line.

Tippet usually refers to the end of the leader that is tied to the fly. As you change flies or lose them, you cut the tippet section of the leader shorter and shorter. This changes the taper of the leader and it also changes the visibility of your connection to the fly. Once the leader is cut shorter than an angler may prefer, they will use tippet material to tie on the end of the leader and allow them to use it almost as efficiently as before. With all that being said there are a good number of warm water fly anglers who fish with standard monofilament fishing line as their leader and tippet. Using monofilament as a “level” leader doesn’t allow the most efficient transfer of energy to the fly during the presentation portion of the cast, but it is economical and pretty effective on bass and panfish.

Flies are what we use to fool fish into biting the hook so that we can feel that all important tug on the line. Dry flies are what most people think of when they hear the term fly fishing. Dries are fished on the surface of the water and most commonly imitate an insect landing on the water. Poppers constructed of wood, foam, or deerhair are also technically dry flies and are used to simulate a struggling baitfish or amphibian. Wet flies, or streamers as they’re often called, are fished under the surface of the water to mimic insects, invertebrates, and baitfish that a game fish would normally consume. Think of flies just like you would think of conventional lures. If the fish are feeding on top, a dry fly or a popper might be just the thing, however if they’re feeding below the surface, a streamer is probably a better bet.

Fly selection, like the rest of fly angling, can be as complex or as simple as you want to make it. A few good patterns to get you started would be: woolly buggers (with or with out bead heads) in olive, brown, and black; Clouser minnows in white and gray; and a few poppers in colors that mimic frogs and baitfish in the environment you’ll be fishing. I would suggest a range of sizes of these basic “flies” in the area of hook size 6-12 (smaller numbers mean larger hooks).

My last suggestion would be to try to buy your equipment in person which would allow you to rely on the expertise of the folks in the fly shop to help you with any difficult decisions with respect to gear selection. They can probably also make some good suggestions about what flies are currently working on what fish and some new water to try as well.

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations, you probably have the patience to learn to fly fish. I hope I’ve illustrated that it isn’t that difficult, expensive, or time consuming to learn. You probably won’t catch more fish with a fly rod than you did with conventional gear, but once the bug bites you, you’ll find it difficult to go back to being “normal”. Good luck and welcome to the fly fishing section of the Texas Fishing Forum. If you have any points you need to have clarified or other questions, feel free to post your question in the forum as a new topic and we will do our best to help you.

I have always had this question but I was afraid to ask. What weight rod is the best for bass?

Nice writeup!

Txredraider, great write up! Windknot, if you want to cast bigger bass bugs you will need an 8wt. For regular bass fishing a 6-8 weight depending on the type of flies you cast will be sufficient. If you want a good all around rod, and can only afford ONE ...a 5 or 6 weight rod is just fine. I used a 5wt most of the time, and it was a great rod. Some people prefer a 6wt for all around fishing. If you mostly fish for bass...or only bass...a 7-8 wt is what I would recommend. I get tired casting an 8wt too long, but I am a woman. That is one reason I prefer the 5wt...it does not bother me to cast it at all.

Thanks, Cole.

I'd also like some of our newer fly flingers / lurkers to critique a little as well. I'd be interested in hearing their perspective.

I got a PM earlier that it was a bit wordy. No need to PM your suggestions, I'm not that sensitive, but point well taken. What if I wrote a shorter executive summary type piece with the recommendations included and included the more detailed part for those that wanted to read it?

I didn't want it to be that long, but it's tough to condense the information that's important down into a couple of paragraphs.

I think you got it right that if they read all that, they are gonna be able to have the patience to learn fly fishing. It was a little wordy, but I enjoyed reading it.

this is probably gopnna be the greatest thread EVER - TxRed - did Long Haired Dave put you up to this ?

I suppose it's true that no good deed goes unpunished.

Steve, just remain calm and back slowly away from the keyboard with your hands in plain sight.

If Dave had put me up to this it would have been the "Choosing The Right Color Woolly Bugger" thread.

Kelly, thank you for your actual input.

Tx - how long did it take to write the above masterpiece? Very Impressive!!

To anyone reading and interested in getting into fly fishing, I would recommend checking with their local Bass Pro or Cabelas for free (yes free) casting instruction. Also most fly shops will offer lessons too.

Just remember, it's not as hard as it looks. You absolutely don't need to be a skilled caster to catch fish.

JR

This ought to cut new thread post in half. Good.

JRGOCARDS, it took a whole lot less time than my thesis, I can tell you that. I'll add something about the casting lessons, that's a good suggestion.

Horn_Identity,
Well, I don't want the new posters to not post, I was thinking more along the lines of giving them some information to help them with the lingo, hows, and whys of fly flinging. I really do think there are a lot of people who would like to learn more about fly fishing, but who don't want to post for whatever reason. We're still wide open for a Ford vs. Chevy or Sage vs. TFO thread.

Don't forget the trout vs. carp thread.

I agree--good start. Could be condensed but it's a pleasant enough read as it is.

I think some some rules of thumb about casting would be helpful. Definitely never hurts but I don't think it's completely necessary to get instruction. Folks are always asking those questions like "why does my cast slap the water?" and such. Knowing just some basic rules of the physics of a cast like "keep you rod in a straight line", "stop short at the end of the front and back cast" can get a beginner a very long way. I'm just talking about those things any instructor would tell you to be mindful of, and then some common problems and how to correct them.

Maybe there's already a place for this but you could also add some links for things like knots, entomology, line weight/hook size charts, etc.

Bass on the fly

Fly (ie;Lure) selection is the number one consideration in choosing a fly rod for bass in my opinion. I would recommend making your choice based upon the fly(s) you plan to use...for those familiar with conventional bass fishing you already know that there hardly any lures deemed too big for bass & its the same with a fly rod except that at a certain point the method & equipment limits you...I cast large flies in the 2/0 to 3/0 range quite successfully on a 9 weight rod over lined with 10 weight bass taper line & while you can go a it bigger thats about the top limit unless you have a bionic arm...on the other side I used a 5 weight the other day for bass & many people like the challenge of a smaller rod & smaller flies...I think it may come down to a personal decision and that is often developed over a period of time...the so called "standard" for bass is a 7 or 8 weight and either of these would work quite well for most situations and they can be uplined (ie using a size or two larger such as a 9 or 10 line on an 8 weight rod) to gain a bit of distance, cast into a heavy wind or use large lies (bass bugs)... I liken my fly rods to a bag of golf clubs, sometimes ya need to putt & sometimes you need a driver, no one rod will do it all, there is a compromise somewhere, but hopefully this thread along with further research online & most importantly in person at your local fly shop will get you off to a nice start.

Fly Selection for Bass
Poppers, poppers, poppers...this is the bread & butter of a successful bass fly fisherman, whether foam, deer hair, plastic doesnt matter but cast a popper to likely bass cover in shallow water, and commence to making it pop & sputter in a randam struggling manner, I often wonder "do they think its a bird, or a mouse, or a fish?", doesn't really matter though when they attack it for a meal, that startling split second of a bass explosion is what I love most about fishing, yea they put up a decent fight for a few seconds & often grow to nice size but even a small 1 lb'r can jumpstart yer heart if it catches you off guard....other bas offerings you may want to investigate are Dahlberg Divers (another type of topwater bug) various baitfish patterns & even some sinking bottom flies such as rabbit strip leeches an others (although in water more than 5 foot or so strike detection is pretty tough with a fly rod unless they are super aggressive)...

I asked Bass Bug to post that since he is our resident guru for big bass on the surface with poppers. I think anyone else that would like to contribute a post detailing some part of fly fishing in more detail would be welcome to do so.

Txredraider, just to be clear, I think you've done a very good thing. I've thought about a thread like this for a long time but I know I wouldn't have the patience that you have to write it. I'd simply tell someone to buy a book or something along that line. Well done my friend.

Now, what's the difference between a tippet and a regular mono and is there such a thing as a"Frog Hair" and where can I get a furled frog hair anyway?

No worries, Horn. I figured you were thinking along those kind of lines.

Must.....not....post....about.....threadjack.

I know this will come up sooner or later
What is a good multispecies fly?

I mostly catch anything on a woolly bugger and another one of my favorites I have not metioned yet, the deer hair breadfly

Pondbass, at JackMack's request, I added a section almost at the end suggesting buggers, clousers, and poppers as a good selection to start with for the beginner. I understand your positive attitude towards the bread fly, especially with that nice catfish you posted earlier, but I was trying to stick to flies that were easily found by those who didn't tie themselves. Thanks for reading all that and your input.

Kelly, I was joking, but I though it would be a good section for the newbies to the sport.

Oh okay...I thought it was clear...I didn't take it that you were joking...lol. I thought well maybe I could word it a little differently. :-)

Has any one ever wondered about roll casts, especially moving thru the roll cast into the back cast into the forward cast ?

That technique, wow, it is the cats pajamas of fly fishing.

A reason to exist.

It's why I am glad to be an American male.

TXRed,
Big Flies to you sir! Great start, keep it going. If'n ya want some left handed help on a subject, gimme a holler and I'll take a shot at it.
I'm still doing Fly Fishing 101 at Bass Pro Garland on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. with a tying demo at 4:00 p.m.
Ya'll are all very welcome to stop by and we'll put a name and face together.

fly,
do you ever fish bethany lakes and what do you use? also where is a good place to get fly tying materials?

marked, you might want to send Fly a private message and ask him that in case he doesn't check this tread. You could also post it as a new topic in the forum. Fly works at the Bass Pro on Ray Hubbard, so I'm sure he'd suggest there as a good place to get materials and he wouldn't be wrong either.

I agree that Bass Pro is a great place to find fly tying materials,
of course you may call me a teeny bit biased as I run the fly shop at bass pro in Pearland. LOL

The roll cast is a cast I learned in Arkansas...but it gave me shoulder pain. That was one that Jeff taught me. Now I mainly do a false cast, but need to learn other types.

TXRR, great write up. I am new to fly fishing and have yet to catch my first fish on my set up. Here is one thing I think might be nice to see if you put this thread or your first post as a sticky...

What do you do when you catch a fish.

This may seem simple but I was really confused until I watched a few videos on youtube. I have fished all my life and when I catch a fish I yank the rod tip up and crank on the handle as fast as I can. Even though I have a good idea of what to do from reading a little and watching youtube, I still have some blanks to fill in that may not get filled in until I get one on the line.

Example: If I catch a big enough one that I would like to use the reel to bring in, do I let him run until all my slack is out and then reel him in or do I hold the line and reel up my slack? Of course, this could just be preference.

Just a bit of my two cents from a newb's perspective.

Again, thanks for the write up.

The roll cast gave you shoulder pain? That shouldn't happen unless you have a very unusual shoulder injury! A proper roll cast is an extremely low-impact fly cast.

The next time we're in the same place, come talk to me.

If you can't visit Ken - visit Lefty...
Lefty Kreh's DVD "Lessons with Lefty"
Excelent roll cast instruction as well as a bunch of other good stuff ...

ok....I talked to LHD about it too and he showed me another way of doing it, I just never use that cast...that was a long time ago though...this is when I was just starting out with my casting...I do need to learn some new casts, false casting can be a pain if you do it all the time like I do

I like Lefty's lessons I saw on You Tube. I do need to do a bit more practice on some different type casts.

Confessions of a fisherman

I have had a fly pole in my bag of equipment since I was 9 years old using the 9' split bamboo rod inherited from and Uncle I never met.
You would think that after 54 years of fishing I might have learned something.
After reading up on the literature available on this site and a lot of the links, posing questions and getting answers I find that I know next to nothing.

If any of you have followed my posts you know that I am learning how to catch bream on Big Cyprus Bayou out of Jefferson. Blue gill and Red Breasts are numerous in this water and a ball to catch. I am still learning as I go along. I am also learning more about fishing from a boat in current, casting short distances at the base of trees, underneath overhanging vegetation, and into laydowns trying not to get hung up.
I have learned some things, but each one I learn points out to something else I need to learn.

Just like in golf I reached a certain level of ineptitude and finally realized I was not going to get any better. That is when golf started to be fun. I knew what I could do, was satisfied with it, and relaxed in that realization.

I expect learning more about fly fishing will follow the same pattern. I will fumble along learning by the trial and error method, getting frustrated to the point of wanting to quit and go back to a spinning reel and worms. Eventually I will reach a level of skill that is satisfying and rewarding to me and I will then have more fun.

That's all I got to say about that.

(for now at least)

TXRR stoped short of comparing the fly fishing learning curve to that of golfing. Made me wonder if that connection was why casts favor the righ of my aim.

Grandpa sometime I will head out that way and fish with you. Maybe I could give you some pointers. This weather stinks because it is raining it seems everyday. I am about to get cabin fever. I am not one of the more experienced fly folks here, but I probably know a little more than you. I would be glad to help ya out.

kd5gje, thanks for your kind words. I think you're right about what to do with your first fish with regard to the line and the reel. When we get this thing all cleaned up for publication, we'll just use your words.

Grashpr, I didn't compare fly flinging to g**f because this is a family site and I didn't want to use that sort of foul language.

TXRR, I understand. If my electric broom hadn't broke down a few months back, I'd be rolling on the floor.

I will add this. If you are new to fly fishing, start by targeting sunfish. It will let you grasp the mechanics of fly fishing with almost guaranteed success. You will learn from your mistakes and not get skunked in the process. And a #10 woolly bugger is your friend in Texas streams and creeks.

+2

los tres

That implies that more experience would lead one to STOP targeting sunfish. I'd hate to see that happen.

Oh no, don't do that (drop the sunfishes). One expands out into more and more angling areas while keeping all the good stuff!

Hawgs like this can be fun no matter where you are in your fly fishing journey. Pretty sure that was a #10 woolly bugger as suggested.

Green sunfish are mean no matter what their size and outward appearance.

To the OP Nice Thread

I recently moved to Central Texas after spending the last 30 years in Colorado, fishing for fun and a little guiding on the side.

Got tired of the cold and bought a bass boat a few years ago hence I wound up here, that and I got tendenitis in my elbows so bad looking at a fly rod makes them swell up.

Spent many a day in Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Alberta & BC. Fishing mostly trout, but my share of Steelhead, Salmon and Pike.

I would be happy to answer any questions, tell some of my old sweet spots, flies used, time of year and so on.

Just ask

Tight Lines

Im from Az I used to fly fish for trout and had a blast at it. I also targeted sunfish esp when the trout were not biting. I still am an amatuer by all means but now I live near college station and my mouth is watering at getting the chance to go after some bass with my fly rod. In my experience I have found that the easiest way to start is go to a shop ask their opinion they will tell you. In my case they handed me a 4ft rod tip with a 5-6ft piece of knitting thread to it and showed me how to "cast" it back and forth and I did it and popped it foward and backward and he said keep doing it til it doesn't make that pop noise any more. that was the most valuable lesson I learned about the finnese of fly casting, you cant force the line out. It is addicting and will keep you yearning for more. In my experience the sunfish actually honed my skills cause the bite is so soft you really have to pay attention. The biggest thing is dont get discouraged it will frustrate you beyond belief sometimes but is so rewarding. One of the best drills for casting is put a target in the grass about 15 to 20 yds away and tie a piece of that knitting yarn pref a bright color to simulate a fly and cast to that target over and over again til you can land that fly right on it every time. Then back up and repeat. Thats my tip for what its worth. Happy fishin

For Bass I used an 9 Ft 8Wt. Throwing Hula poppers with it was a blast. I use to fish with Shane Stallcup on occasion and he ties a craw pattern that bass really like.

Good summary. I wouldn't worry too much about length - getting the important information in it is of most importance.

I have a fellow backpacker that just got into fly fishing. Probably because of all the trout I caught in the Cascades a year ago. It took the longest time just to get the nomenclature down and it would have helped if I had your article to have pointed him to.

The cool thing is that we assembled his backing, line, etc. while on the trail in Yosemite this September. Before the trip was over, he caught his first trout on a dry fly! He's hooked for life.

Thanks for the compliments, I'm glad y'all found it useful.

Hey kelkay,

Thoseflies look like they would be killers with White Bass!!

If you would like to get rid of some, shoot me a PM.....

Somnipod, you might want to send Kelkay a private message so that you know she sees it.

1-18-10 seems you need to hold your flies up to the light and make sure you see hues of pink

Very helpful!

New guy here...to Texas and the forum. I really want to pick up a flyrod and start flyfishing. From the looks of things, I'll be fishing a lot more since it costs so much to hunt in Texas. I used to cast a little in the yard with my grandaddy's flyrod a long time ago. Would it be possible to have one rod to catch freshwater(bass/panfish) and reds/trout in the flats on the coast? I thought a 7-8wt might work, but have no clue. Never fished saltwater before, but looking to start this year(mainly just wade fishing). I'm in the BCS area(wife teaches at A&M), so is there anywhere in-particular you would suggest going to get set up?

quackadikt

You could do it but the lighter end, panfish and such, would be much less fun on the eight weight. A bit of a winch.

Now you could get by with two setups. But me, I have twenty thirty an undetermined number of fly rods so can count on leaving at home the one I ought to have brung.

But seriously, for about one hundred a piece you could have two pretty nice setups. If you were to eBay it you could come in quite a bit less than that.

10-roger. Maybe I'll get a 5wt setup to learn on the smaller fish first, and then get a 2nd one later on. Thanks

Interesting stuff here. I recently started fly fishing in Central TX rivers and creeks. I especially target the white bass during the spring spawn.

Roll Casts. with the narrow creeks and streams and over hanging trees located there, I had to learn (self taught) to roll cast. In the post of "how-to" I see a section suggesting casting instructions. Is there a website (besides you-tube) to demonstrate the proper technique/s to "roll cast"? Especially when the vegitation is heavy around the area being fished. I'm having some difficulty acheiving longer distances using the roll cast. I figure I must be doing something wrong.

I seem to catch alot of fish using my self taught roll casting method, but I find that at times I can really make a mess with my line. For the most part, my casting distance is sufficient. But there are times when more distance would help.

I'd appreciate any PM or suggestions.

I've got a question for you guys.

What do you do when you pack up you pole and store the reel? I haven't picked up a hard case yet, so I've been putting the reel back in the box just like when it left bps. It usually comes right out with no problems, but a few times I find myself spending five minutes picking the leader out of the reel. Today it got behind the spool and wrapped around the gears. Is there any easy trick to storing the reel with line on, or is this just part of it?

There are all kinds of little reel storage bags, containers etc. that can be found online. As for the leader thing, Google "flyreeldots" as one possible solution.

i have a question that i'll probably learn with time. but, it sounds like fly tying is a pretty big art. i'm wondering, is this because some catch better fish or is it because fish swallow them so easily? i know how easily fish swallow my hooks when i'm using bait on a bobber, i've never fly fished, but it would seem to me like fish would swallow flies a lot easier than worm hooks. am i wrong?

Interestingly, and I'm not sure why, but there seems to be less swallowing of flies than live bait. I suppose it's that one has to hit it early before they catch on and spit it out?

I have another question that doesn't appear to be answered in the write up (but hopefully with all of us noobs asking questions it can become better with time). It appears there are many pieces of line on the fly rod's line. From what I gathered, a backing, the line, a leader, and a tippet. It seems that the backing may not be a necessity and presumably doesn't come with the el cheapo kits you can buy. Wise investment when starting out or just something that would complicate the learning process? Also, how is it all tied together? You have 4 pieces of line that presumably could be changed out, so are they tied with special knots? And lastly, care of the fly line. With conventional rod/reel fishing, you reel the line in and let it sit in the reel till next time you cast, be it 5 seconds or 5 years. With the fly line being more important to the casting process, are there special ways to clean/dry the line to help it keep it's effectiveness or has line become modern enough that you can just reel it in and let it sit like a regular reel/rod? I could just see that being my biggest noob mistake, is I go fishing, just reel it in without doing anything special, and the next time I go fishing, I can't do it for the life of me, and give up thinking it was me that just couldn't hack it lol.

Backing is semi-optional, but it only adds a few dollars to your overall cost while giving you some insurance against bigger fish and making your reel more efficient.

As for the knots between the different line components of your fly fishing system take a look here.

Line care is fairly simple with modern fly lines. In freshwater you basically reel them in and, once they're dry, forget about them. Most, if not all, can be cleaned with warm soapy water and then conditioned with any number of commercially available products.

Oh wow, that's a lot of different knots. Good info!

Ok, I have another nooby question. Hopefully I can ask all of them so the next person who's never fished won't have any left to ask LOL. I was looking at the "completel" combo kits on ebay as well as at bass pro. I was noticing that none of the "complete" combo's mention having tippet line anywhere. It says "all you need to fish", but shouldn't that include tippet material? I've read on here that you can use monofiliment fishing line, but is it not a necessity? I would think you'd want something cheap/easy to replace instead of eating up all your leader line, but these kits seem to want you to think otherwise.

The knotless tapered leaders that most people use to fish with these days actually taper down to the "tippet" section. In other words, those leaders have an integral tippet. Now after a few fly changes, the tippet section of the leader gets cut back far enough that you're into a significantly heavier tippet than where you started. Some folks throw the leader away at that point and get a new one, others tie a new piece of tippet material onto the smaller end of the leader.

Did I say tippet enough times up there? Tippet.

Many people don't use a tapered leader, but instead use a single piece of mono with no taper at all. Others tie their own leaders using successively smaller diameters of fishing line as they go. There are lots of variations.

Ah, so you could tie the mono straight to the fly line and have a combo leader/tippet. Now I see why some say you need to have somebody teach you all this. And probably not just one person, but like, 15 lol.

I use a furled leader with a ring on it. I then tie tippet onto the furled leader. I usually use mono for a tippet. You can use regular mono, or you can buy mono in a tippet roll. (the roll is a whole lot more money though)

I have it too and love it

Toni Rudolf Vlaic

ok I'm confused.
Is this correct, attached to the reel:
backing---flyline---leader---tippet---fly

What purpose does leader serve?
Can you tie mono directly to the flyline?
If your riging up for bass, redfish or stripers can you use braid?
What is a furled leader and how does it work with a ring?
Anyone know of a website that illustrates all of this?

Brad, you've got the correct order listed there.

The leader's purpose is to transfer the energy of the cast from the flyline to the tippet and eventually the fly. Hopefully this energy transfer will result in a cast that lays your fly out in a straight line with a nice quiet presentation. Your mileage may vary, I know mine certainly does.

You can definitely tie mono directly to the flyline and a nail knot works best for that. To make life a little easier, I like to tie a pretty strong piece of mono onto the flyline with a nail knot and then tie a perfection loop onto the end of the mono so that a loop to loop connection can be used to secure the leader to the mono you nail knotted onto the fly line.

Scientific Anglers has a very nice website that illustrates the whole shebang. Click here.

You certainly can use braid, but if you're using single strand leaders, as opposed to furled leaders, then you'll probably be happier with mono or fluoro instead of braid.

A furled leader is made by twisting multiple strands of line (either mono, fluoro, braid, or even fly tying thread) so that it forms a tapered line. Some makers of furled leaders put a small metal ring on the end of the leader where you would tie on the tippet. I'm not a big fan of the ring, instead I prefer to use a perfection loop on the tippet and make a loop to loop connection between it and the furled leader.

Here is a nice video on how to tie the perfection loop.

Here is a good website on making the proper loop to loop connection.

Please keep in mind that all that nonsense above is just my opinion. Everyone has their own way of doing things that fits their particular fishing needs. You've just got to experiment a bit and find what fits yours. I think that's part of the fun of fly fishing.

I hope you find that helpful, Brad. Please post again if there is something that is unclear.

Might I only add that it can work out well to start with using the methods of convention and tradition but then, as one gains experience and knowledge, to begin to work out how it all applies to you and take it from there.

I would stay away from braid and all other standard spinning or casting lines when fly fishing. Those lines typically are not made to the quality tolerances for good leader and tippet material, especially in the smaller sizes.

For bass, stripers, and reds, I'd suggest an Orvis AR (abrasion resistant) leader or tippet. Flourocarbon also works well, in the heavier sizes.

ok i have not seen this ???? yet may be blind though lol.. love fly fishing!! started with a cheep 8'6" two piece 5-6 weight.. think i wont to stay with same weight and go to a 9'! im going to buy a TFO rod !! what is the good and bad between a 2 piece and 4 piece??? i like the size of a four piece.. but is it as strong? thanks for any info!!!!!

These days there is no reason, that I can think of, not to go with a four piece. They have been just as strong as far as I can tell.

Others will post their findings on this point.

Just as strong and they fit in the overhead bin of an airplane. A 4 piece IS my carry-on luggage when I fly. They travel well lashed on to a backpack also (usually rolled inside my sleeping matt).

From what I understand in years past there was a difference in feel and casting between a 2 piece and a 4 piece because of the connections between the pieces (the ferrules). With the advent of graphite rods and modern rod building techniques, those differences are supposed to be a thing of the past.

One thing I learned right here on the good ol' TFF is that if you've got a 4 piece and begin to yearn for the quick assembly of a 2 piece, just don't take the rod all the way apart. Viola: instant 2 piece. If you decide to go this route, be sure to use a bit of beeswax on the ferrules to prevent them from sticking when you do disassemble them.

ok have a dumb question here but how do you fish a wooly bugger, and a clouser?

i would think kind of like a roadrunner or grub or any other minnow lure type thing but when bringing in line you just pull it in with your line hand right? it feels like when im pulling it in i cant keep it moving at a consistent speed like i would with a reel so do i just twitch it in? what exactly do people who have some idea of what there doing do? haha. will it hurt anything if i use it like a conventional rod? the three things i can think of are 1. youll have to re-strip out your line every time 2. your drag has to be set high or you have to have cat-like reflexes to grab your line as soon as the fish strikes to set the hook 3. being able to detect subtle strikes.

man i hope that made sense to anybody else haha
any help is greatly appreciated!

Bob5600, it is called "stripping". After you make the cast, slip the line loosely under one your rod hand's fingers. Pull the line with your line hand holding the line BEHIND your rod hand. If a fish hits when your line hand is not holding the line, you can can tighten your grip with your rod hand to hold the line.

While it is difficult to maintain a steady retrieve rate, you can have long strips of the line or short strips, you can also have fast or slow strip rates. Experiment to determine what type of retrieve the fish want that day.

Have fun,
Rex

Also you can hold the rod under the arm and strip with both hands. Handy for a fast steady retrieve.

Beginner fly angler, I've been fishing top water flies almost exclusively, mainly because I can see the fly, and there is a visual cue when a fish strikes ... how do you know when a fish is striking on a sub surface fly? Do you feel it, or is the trick to strip as continuously as possible until you feel tension (hhoping to get lucky, in effect).

I'm shore fishing with a 7wt setup ... is a lighter weight rod more sensitive to smaller strikes (and hence easier to detect?)

J.

you ought to, but won't always, feel a bump or tap. Might just see the line go off in an "it ought not to be doing that manner".

Thanks for the advice ... Is it easier to detect the bump on a lighter rod than a heavier one?

Another question - is there any likelihood I am catching less fish by stubbornly sticking to poppers?

Last one: any instances where toppers are usually better than droppers? Or vice versa?

Many thanks,

Jose.

No, you'll almost always detect the strike by feel or observation of the line and not through the rod.



Yes, you are. Subsurface flies will usually out-fish surface flies, but topwater is a lot of fun to do.



Of course there are, but it is dependant on the location, time of day, and the mood of the fish that day.

Have fun,
Rex

Rex,

Good feedback, thanks for sharing. I will try subsurface flies next time. I guess I like watching the popper. I like catching fish more however...

J.

The way I remember what I "should" be using is to keep in mind that fish don't have eyelids. That triggers me to remember that the only way they can regulate the amount of light entering their eyes is to either change depth or seek cover that offers shade.

If it is cloudy, or you've found a tree hanging over the water that makes a good shady spot, then topwater flies may be the way to go. If it's bright and sunny, chances are you're going to have to go deeper to find the fish.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule. Two of my biggest fish on the fly rod were caught on a hopper and a popper in bright sunlight and no appreciable cover. Fish don't always read the rulebook.

Awesome feedback. I caught around 8 bream in about an hour and a half on a tiny popper last night - right around dusk, when the sun on the way down. Nice change after weeks of catching nothing at all. Now I know why - it was late in the day, sun was low and dropping.

Help me wrap my head around subsurface flies: A lot of the lakes and ponds I fish seem to have murky water ... I have a few subsurface flies- a lot of them look to be dark-colored ... can the fish see a olive drab fly in brown water? Should I be fishing "bright" flies in murky water? Or do fish detect subsurface flies by feel or sound as much as sight?

Thanks in advance. I swear I learn something priceless twice a week here.

J.

makes the previous struggle worthwhile does it not?!

They can see better than one might think.

McFly, lure color selection is almost the opposite of what you would think based on the way our eyes work. If it's dark out, or the water is dark or stained, go with darker, drab colors. Bright skies and clear water, go with bright flies. I'll leave explaining the why fors to someone smarter, I just know that's how it works.

Rrhyne56 - It -almost- started to feel easy for awhile, catching those bream ... but then again, I hear sunfish will strike just about anything!

Inept - dark water/dark flies. Clear Water/ bright flies. Got it. Thank you.

You should have some of each. If not call me.

Jerry,

I have a nice collection going now, 1/2 of which are the flies you shared with me - thanks again, I appreciate it!

J.

What is the recommended weight for specifically targeting Hybrids at LLELA? I was figuring about a 7#, how far off?

Thanks!
Dave

That would work. It would let you toss larger flies for sure.

Thanks! I was thinking that a 5# was a little light.

Dave

Great post. I agree with everything you said with one additional note. I am a firm believer in spending money on a good rod...and a better fly line. That pushes the cost a bit higher than you show above. But in the end you will have an easier time casting the flies. And at the end of the day your wrist might not be as tired. A good rod will cast a good fly line and make you look like a pro. A good rod will catch(set the hook) for you if held correctly. Finally the 'good rod' will allow you to see the bottom of a river or lake like a blind uses his cane...feel.

This is just my opinion. I have never spent over $400.00 for a complete setup to give some bearings to my statement.
I also tie my own flies because I feed the trees and bushes about every other cast there in Texas.

John

great write up...little less worried about my pending entry into the fly fishing world

I've noticed a few questions about detecting the bite as well as setting the hook. Remember, slack ain't yer buddy. Hold that rod tip down close to the water. If you have too much slack, Mohammed Ali Ali and Joe Frazier could re-fight the "Thrilla from Manilla" on your fly and you wouldn't know it.
Most fly lines these days have a braided dacron core. Braided dacron does not stretch. Keep your rod tip down and pointed toward your fly when possible. You should feel the bite then give your line a brisk tug for hard gummed critters like bass as you raise your rod tip... Fly rods are not designed to set the hook like a bass rod. We get a large part of our hook set from the no-stretch dacron in our fly line...fish on!

Ok. I just read all 4 pages of this post. I have been wanting to try out fly fishing for 2 years now but haven't gathered the courage to start from scratch. My family and I just got PCSed to Germany a couple of months ago, so my first question is: Should I get a fly rod/reel setup here since what I'm mainly interested in fly fishing for to begin with is to catch my beloved panfish in my beloved Hill Country? Also: What is the best weight rod to catch bream with the rouge 3lb bass taking my offering too? Also: Will fly tackle extend my cast reach? For comparison I use a 6' one piece graphite L and a 7'6" two piece graphite UL almost split down the middle. I also use a 7'6" two piece fiberglass UL for my mini topwaters, crankcaits and the like. And, to go along with that question: Does the lenght of the rod affect the lenght of the cast like conventional tackle? ie, longer rod; longer casts. Thank you for all the feedback in advance.

I'd guess that tackle that works well for trout ought to also do well for bream and bass. A five or six weight would be nice start. Mainly from learning point of view. As you get better you can go to even lighter tackle for even more sport.

Nope. More like bowhunting vs. gun hunting; two very similar but very different activities.

Rod length; don't put a lot of attention on that until you get some experience casting and have a baseline to work from. There can be differences but at the start it is not a big deal IMO.

Adding to what Robin had to say, if you're used to UL fishing, a 3 wt would be good for perch back home and those funny browns in the streams over there, would probably be more in kind to your UL fishing, and a shorter 3 wt would also be good for smaller streams.

What weight fly rod is best? This is relevant or just a mater of opinion but the biggest Bass caught on the lightest rod offers the best Sport. A five pound Bass on a one weight rod with a fine tippet is great sport IF you can pull it off. However in the Texas summer heat it is best for the fish (if you intend to release it) to use at least a 5 weight ( or up) with a proper tippet and not play the fish too long. Not all fish released live.... something to keep in mind.

I never knew there's such thing as Fly fishing. Quite interesting though. Gotta to try that someday.

Its really un-ethical for an attorney to advertise, much less SPAM a fishing forum.Dirtball.

He or she will be very gone very soon.

If I was a little long on a cast and ended up breaking 4-5 feet off the end of a WF Floating line should that be a problem? I could literally see it hang in the tree. Was able to wade pretty close to it, but not close enough to untangle it.

It's now a modified WFF line. The only question remaining, what exactly it's been modified to?

I sound smart aleck but it's a fact. Glue the face shut, tag on a braided mono loop and it ought to be OK. Although perhaps a slightly different weight line.

Thanks, already installed the loop, guess the only thing left to do is fish it and see what it does.

I'd be interested in hearing how it turns out.

mbarker, if that's one of those store-bought braided loops, you might want to get Robin to build you a double catch loop instead. I tried the store bought variety and was sorely disappointed in their durability.

Nope, not store bought. Basically stripprd the coating off Used some red fly tying thread and a needle. Created my own loop ,strike indicator, and coated the thread with head cement. probably not the best way to do it, but it has worked for me in the past.

I'll be casting it on my 5wt BVK. If it dosn't work out, guess I could use it on my 4WT custom that I just built. Still need to get a reel and line for it. LOL

It sounds like you're in good shape then.

I've seen few guys catching bunch of White bass using fly fishing.So I ran off and bought a fly fishing combo. Spent 2 hour practice on casting but man it is so dawn hard to cast...
I need to learn how quick ...

The best and most frustration-free way to learn to fly cast quickly is to find a local Certified Casting Instructor and learn from a pro. I'm really kicking myself for not doing that sooner. It's so completely different from "conventional" casting that it's incredibly frustrating to try to learn it on your own. I really feel bad for those folks that taught themselves in the pre-YouTube days.

Salt water, or any sunny fishing, protection from the sun

New Question from a new user but not a new fly fisher...

I've been fly fishing on and off for 8 or 9 years, and I've probably caught hundreds of fish on fly rods...mostly trout (I used to live in upstate NY and later WA where I fly fished a lot) and also some bass and sunfish. All of the fish I've caught have been under 2 lbs or so...up to 15 or 16" trout and maybe up to 2 lb bass. Enough to put a bend in a 4 or 6 weight rod but not really a 'fight.' All of 'em have been easy to 'strip' in. I've never used the 'drag' on my reels nor have I ever had a fish pull off line into the backing.

Question: for those of you who have caught big fish on a fly rod. How do you fight them? Let's say you're fishing a streamer and you've stripped in about a third of the line when a 5 or 6 lb bass hits it. Then what? Can you strip in a 5 lb bass? Do you let the fish take the line out and then reel it all back in? I've caught nice bass in the 5 lb range on a bait casting reel and on a spinning reel...usually you just horse them in...especially with 20 lb test. I've never really caught a big fish on a fly rod. Same question goes for anyone who has caught a big salmon, steelhead, or trout for that matter. If I ever tied in to a big 20-40 lb fish I'd have no idea what to do.

Welcome to our little pocket of weirdness on the internet, beat army.

I think the biggest determining factor would be how strong your tippet and leader are. If I'm gunning for largemouth with my big rod, I'm probably using at least 12lb mono for my tippet. The largemouth down here tend to play out relatively quickly, especially during the summer when our lake water temperatures can easily get into the 90s. In that specific scenario, the fish probably doesn't need to be on the reel, but you could try it for practice. Just remember that most bass want to get back to protective cover when hooked, so they're going to take you back into the brush if you give them the chance. I do think we give bass too much credit for "trying to break us off" in heavy cover. That fish has no idea that wrapping your line around that jagged old stump will cause it to fray and break, she just wants to get back to her dark hole where she hopes whatever grabbed her can't reach her.

If however, you hang a hybrid striper while flinging a 3wt for bream with 4lb test line, onto the reel you must go (or so I hear). The gentleman in this article was fishing for striper on the Guadalupe River with his 8wt when he hooked a 36.65 lb striper on 14lb test tippet.

Fly fishing writers are fond of talking about the "scream of the drag", but the sunfish family generally don't give us that opportunity. Stripers, their half siblings, cousins, and the carp are probably the only fish in our great state that would cause a fly flinger to actually need their drag.

Personally, I have come to really enjoy getting to feel a good fish fight by stripping them in. One of these days I'd love to get a good fly line burn and hook a good (non-carp ) fish that I NEED the drag to land.

I've been fly fishing for about a year (warm water exclusively so far)and the biggest bass I've landed on my 6wt was about 4lbs. I was using 3x tippet and a #6 wooly bugger on a pond that didn't have a lot of cover, so I let him get on the reel. It probably took me 5 minutes to get him in. I like to get any bass over about 2lbs. on the reel because I use small to medium size flies.

Panic.

Great question.



Maybe he takes some line while you're reeling like mad to take up the slack on the reel end, ideally, while maintaining some tension on the line at both ends. (It's been done by using an index finger to press the forward line against the rod while running the slack/reel-in portion of the line through the third and fourth and fingers. Yeah, and it might be about as graceful as a 300 lb. ballerina.)

"Big fish" is relative to the tackle, to which TXRR alludes. I've never hooked a 40 pounder on fly gear, but I've been pretty much owned by single digit red drum and channel catfish while I was using moderate-action five weights.

My arbitrary preference is to try and get every fish reasonably possible "on the reel"—although that may be kind of a misnomer since it's still more about the angler and the rod. Getting the line stowed (on the reel) seems sensible, and fighting that way just seems, to me, more satisfying.


Probably—especially on gear and tippets heavy enough to cast wet mop heads—but, do you want to?

Here's hoping we can all get into fish—jack crevalle , bonefish, mackerel, crazy carp—that will make whether to take up the slack a moot question.

go hook up with one, you'll figure it out

I'm still pretty new to flyfishing and I have a question about rod action. Are certain action rods better for certain situations (i.e. wind, playing large fish w/ light tippets, etc...)? What action rod do you prefer and why?

There are books written on this topic. But it's a lot of personal preference when it comes to selecting a rod.

I think you learn more and it is easier to understand how different action rods actually cast, by going out and comparing different rods for yourself. Then pick what you personally like.

Looks like we live in the same place, so, we could easily meet in a park and you can try casting several different rods sometime if you want to.

Rex

And when we go fishing I'll bring lots of different types of rods for us to play with.

I have a moderate-fast action 6wt, but I'd like to try some other actions. I want to get a lighters set up particularly for sunfish.

The past is good and the tip of hireing a pro mto tesch youis well worth the time you save by understanding what it take to cast and not get tired after a couple of hours. I recomend you look for a Certified Casting instructor on the Federation of Fly fishers web site. Or contact the Mertoplesflyfisher.com

This website has information about uocpmming Clinics.

It is not necessary to get instructions but if you get tired after 3-4 hours and you cant cast all day I sugest you have someone who is an instructor help you. You can get enough instruction at the fly shops and Bass Pro or Cabela's to fish but will you get enought to help you cast 90' if you need to. I do recomend that you contact the FFF for a certified Instructor if you are wanting to fish for all types of fish in fresh or salt water. Green Horne.

Your Post about learning from a CCI is some of the best information you can give the group. Green Horn

This is a good explanation of Fly Fishing I am a CCI and have a website if you are intrested Jin Bass

To get the fish on your reel you can use your line hand to move the line to the fingers of your rod hand. Clanp the line to the cork and use your line hand to reel the slack in.
Jim Bass

If your roll cast is painful you might like the Belgoncast when you use hesvy flys or a brace and N indicator. I am in the metroplex and have a site called metroplexflyfisher.com you might find some help from there Best Jim

Total novice here. I was just wondering if the reel wt. rating had to match the rods wt. rating. Like say I have a St.Croix 5/6 rod...can my reel be a 9/10 large arbor with lighter 5/6 line? What i'm wanting to do is use the same reel with both a salt water & trout rod. I'd hate to go out and spend a bunch of money on another smaller lighter reel just to catch some stream trout. Is this a feasible option?

It's more a matter of balance. And the fact that you still need 2 lines for those 2 rods. The heavier reel on the smaller rod will make it butt heavy. It can get tiring over a whole day of fishing. If you can live with it, go for it.
You can switch out the lines on the reel, it's just a pain. Unless you might be catching really large trout, any $25 reel will work for the 5/6. The saltwater reel is the one you need to spend more for. A good drag is a must there.

Kirk

Thanks for the help Kirk, I have a pretty good idea how to get the show on the road now.

ok so, barbed hooks or barbless? ive been fishing the local ponds and rivers, and cant decide.

If you ever hook yourself, barbless is less painful to remove...

well, i kinda have first hand experience on that one. Hooked my self through the center of the nose with a spinner bait when i was 10. OW.

Thanks TXRR and all the other for your 2¢

I is a great read, I started reading it on my cell phone and didn’t stop till i have read it all.

Guess the reason I am loosing my fly’s is I am doing it more like a bull whip

time for practice, practice and more practice

I have been doing quite a bit of practicing myself, and I can effectively cast 50+ feet with fair accuracy. I still can't quite get the spey casting right yet, but I'll get there.

If I wanted to spend some cash to get a solid set of flies for Texas creeks and rivers (North and Central Texas). What would be some MUST-HAVES?

I'll fish for whatever bites.

Cat's Whiskers, Clousers, Briminators, Pete's Gurgle Pops, SHWAPFs.

...of course there will be other flies listed here as well I hope. But those are a few that have worked well for me.

Wooly Bugger and Sneaky Pete

What are you doing wrong if you are hearing a pop while casting?
In your opinion what is the best way to attach leader to fly line? Direct or a loop?

Not being there it's impossible to be 100%. But it sounds like you are not waiting long enough for the line to roll out behind you. Getting a little supersonic bullwhip action. Wait just a tick or a tock longer before starting forward cast. See if that makes a diff.

Thanks. This is a great thread.

It will amaze you how slowing down not just your timing, but your casting stroke can allow you to cast just as far, if not farther, with less effort. It's counter-intuitive, but it works.

Just to confirm, the pop is at the end of your line, not in your rod? A pop or click in the rod could be a ferrule either loose or cracked. Always make sure your rod pieces are firmly seated together.

Kirk

Yes the pop is at the end of my line.
Any advise on loop vs. No loop on attaching line to leader.

There are a lot of options for a flyline to leader connection. I used to take a piece of heavy mono (30 lb or so), nail knot it to the fly line and then tie a perfection loop to attach the leader to. Lately, I've really liked using the braided mono loop that slips over the flyline like a finger trap. I think Robin could set you up with one of those if you were inclined to try that.

I like the perfection loop on the flyline end of my leader as well. It's pretty rare that I have a failure with that knot at any point in the system.


I wish all the fly line manufacturers would go with the welded loop, but that's just my preference.

I use a combination of both, some lines have loops and some have nail knots. If I have a loop on the flyline, I like to use a loop to loop connection because it is quick and simple to change leaders. But those "tie-fast" style nail knot tools are easy to use and are a great way to tie a nail knot.

I really can't tell any significant difference in the casting performance of the two methods. I have however, had the single catch braid style loop connector (the type that slips on the end of a fly line) fail on me - I've had the loops come undone and had the whole thing slip off the line. If you want to use the braid style method, it is easy to make your own using a double catch that is much stronger.

I always whip a loop in the end of my flyline and loop to loop in a furled leader. Seal the end of the flyline with superglue to keep it from weeping up water.

Kirk

Very awesome write up. I will be re-reading it!

Hey guys. I am very new to fly fishing. I have been catching bass and bluegill in ponds with a popper, but that's all the experience I have.

I finally decided to get a sub (I'm a special ed teacher)and take a long weekend trip. I am headed to lower mountain fork Nov. 2-4 and was hoping you guys could give me a few very basic rigs, techniques, strategies, and/or spots to try. My budget for tackle is only $30 or so.

Any help would be immensely appreciated!

As a begginner I was finding it to be a little bit more of a challenge to cast my 6wt with the wind blowing like it is. I will say that I found it to be easier to front cast in to the wind than to back cast in to the wind. With a 15 to 20 mph wind would you suggest an 8wt or will a 6wt be sufficient with a bit more practice? I have only been practicing for about three weeks for about 15 minutes a day with apiece of yarn tied to the end. Oh and very good info in the write up

A 20 mph wind is no fun with any fly rod, but a heaver line is easier to cast in the wind than a lighter line.

If there is a significant difference in how the wind affects your backcast than your forward cast, spend practice time focused on improving your backcast loops.

I find that casting with the wind I don't let the rod load all the way on the back cast. With the wind already pushing the line forward. I have found that a short back cast I can still shoot line going forward. I also have spare spools for going into heavy wind some think going a wt. heavier helps but I like to go down a wt. for heavy wind. So if you have an 8 wt. get 7 wt. line for a spare spool the heavier rod will be able to power the lighter line into the wind hope this helps.

Check out the articles on this site on fly fishing for salmon, steelhead and brown trout that run out of lake ontario. Some good Pics as well. I just joined a new fly fishing group there at www.newsmicks.com

Eric

Can freshwater gear be used in Saltwater also? I'm guessing a 6wt would work fine. Do you have to change line each visit?

In saltwater, the quality of the reel drag becomes more important. You can use the same equipment, but landing may take longer or be more iffy (more chance of losing fish).
Cleaning up after a day in the salt is also paramount. Leave salt on aluminum, and it will eat through it in fairly short order.

Kirk

I have a Redington crosswater 5 wt. and im looking for something a little smaller. Like a decent but not high dollar 3 wt.
Something I can use for trout, sunnies and small river bass.
TFO is a very common rod, just wondering what y'all experiences have been with this company.
Suggests appreciated.

Blake

Ozark I have a an 8wt tfo mangrove and it's a sweet rod. Haven't tried any of their smaller offerings but I hear the finesse is a nice rod. When I bought my 4wt I couldn't find a tfo with the action I wanted at the time and ended up getting an echo carbon. Nice rod and comes with lifetime warranty(same as tfo) and a rod tube(unlike tfo) for 169 before tax. Both companies offer nice affordable rods with unconditional warranties. Don't think you can go wrong with either.

Blake, obiviously, I'm biased, but I think you'll find that TFO's dedication to customer service is top notch. I've been fishing a 3 wt TFO Finesse for several years and I love it. It has become my primary general purpose rod and I use it for everything from trout to bass.

If you can make to Athens for Fly Fish Texas on March 8. TFO will be there with their demo rods and you would be able to cast every 3 wt rod that they make and decide for yourself which one you like best.

Good luck with the rod search!

I might be able to make it up that way. Sure would be cool to check out the state fishery and look at some cool fly gear!
Thank you Rex and everyone who replied. Gonna look into a TFO

IMO You will not find any more bang for your buck anywhere than tfo Texas-based flyfishing company and life time no-fault warranty can't beat it. I had my four wt into two pieces one night leaned up against the wall caught the leader in the rolling brush of my vacuum broke three pieces off the tip about an inch long before I could stop it. Took it back up there and they were like man I've never heard that one before and laughed gave me a brand-new Rod. I have a 7'6" 3wt,8'6"4wt, and a 9' 8wt. And I don't think ill ever look to going higher end than that I feel they are at the ceiling of performance for the way I fish. This being said I don't think you can go wrong with any rod tfo puts out.

Any help knowing about the rod would be great all I know is it's a split Bambo rod the case says the same the eyes are brass the Handel is solid

Another pic of the rod

The "X" factor - how do you match up the leader X size with your fly line, tippet, and flies? I think I've really been short changing myself on this one and using much lighter tippet than necessary.

Personally, I default to 10 lb. mono for tippet. Keeping some 4 or 5 lb. in the kit just in case the need arises. If it's quite weedy or bigger fish like striper, 20 lb.

Okay, here's what I want to know. How do readers of the Fly Fishing forums feel about shameless self promotion? I find it difficult to do, but at some point ... Also, what is the best way to shamelessly self promote on a thread? I ask because it looks as if I need to try it (or some would say try harder!). Feel free to move this somewhere, or I will repost a new thread if needed.

I think that if it is worth the reader's while, then there is no problem. Self-promotion, IMO, is only "bad" if it does not have any value to the reader. Actually, delivering value to the reader is possibly the very best self-promotion of all. Again, just tossing in my opinion.

Okay, thanks for the insight Robin.

hey guys, first time posting in this section I am getting into fly fishing and had a couple of questions.

I am going to a clinic at bass pro tomorrow and grabbing some gear afterwards. I have a very nice friend who gave me his old Browning gold medallion rod that 8'6" and is 6-7 weight. will this be good enough or should I go after the tfo 4 piece 6w rod they have for 159.00

Here are the other questions I have:

1. What I was wondering is, if I plan on using this in the creeks lakes for whites/ bass/ trout/, what do i need to get later down the road for striper topwater or even coast fishing for reds, and eventually small tarpon (8w or 10w?)

2. can i use something like Power Pro braid 30# for backing? is this a good idea?

3. leaders, what type of leader can i use for the creeks and how long does it need to be? this is primarily for learning fly fishing while catching whites during the creel spawn.

any info will be greatly appreciated.
thx in advance!

Ben P

Hey Benp, i've fished with you a couple years back with lee and them. Doesn't look like anyones answered your post so i'll give you my take. For the sandbass run a 5 wt or 4 wt is perfect. I would pick a 5 wt. 9 ft.

Your 6-7 wt is perfect for stripers, I would just use normal dacron braid backing, nothing here freshwater will take you to your backing. So just regular Cheap 20 lbs 100 yards will do.

Leaders I use vanish flourocarbon in 4 at the start of the season, and than switch to 10 when the hybrids come in. Just 6 ft of it tied from fly line to the fly. thats all you need.


(Caught over a 200 sandbass while you were on that boat in the creek last sunday!)

Thx for the info Dipson. Good seeing you at Rowlette as well. The first season with the fly rod was fun for sure. learned a lot, caught some fish, good first run. Can not wait till topwater this summer and maybe broken bow later in the year as well.

duz nebody know if there is a "fly" or floating bait that looks like floating fish food...my nabor has a fish feeder and when it goes off, perch/catfish/carp r everywhere...figerd i mite catch 1 if i had a "fly" that looked like the fish food...little help wood b prish8d

Yes:

https://catalog.theflyshop.com/product_i...i0id08flngkqlbp

The question of self promotion triggered some research I did on www accepted practices by the founder's'. Verbatim 'posts should be enlightening,informative or entertaning. Refrain from posting uninformed opinions'. If not the correct venue...

Thanks give a long and good post

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Best Fillet Knife with Reviews

I'm making two trips to CO this summer, and have been debating purchasing a fly rod/reel. I've stashed away a few hundred bucks, and by the time the trip rolls around I could potentially add more, so I kind of know my budget, and buying a nice used setup is where I'm leaning. Another thing I'm wondering about because I see them in every picture where someone has caught a trout, is a net. Is that a must have or a dead giveaway that you don't know what you're doing if you don't have one? I know about the whole keeping your hands wet while handling them and best I can tell a net just helps with all that.

I've fly fished in New Mexico, and Colorado several times back when I was in high school, but that's been over 10 years, so I have somewhat of a understanding of it. It's just been awhile.

With a semi-new & a new kiddo, I don't get to do a whole lot of fishing as it is so I don't want to go too crazy on getting setup with everything on something I might only do 2 or 3 times a year tops, it'll end up being something that sits in the garage with all my other fishing stuff, but I don't want to go on the "cheap" and it break on the first time out. I read through most of this thread, but are there any good tips/advice someone can throw my way, going off my situation?

NoconaBrian, I read you post and thought I would jump in. I think everyone who is trying to get a good rod on a budget owes it to themselves to look into the Echo Base series. Look up George Anderson's Five weight shoot out. The Echo Base scores well considering the price of all of the others in the competition. They review 5 and 8 wts and both compete with high price rods. I own the 6 and the 8 and am very impressed. They are very castable in all ranges. I would get an Okuma Sierra 5\6 reel ($30) and bass pro or cabalas brand cold water trout line for about $45, and a 5 wt echo base for $89.99. Then learn to cast and never read about rods again and you want know that you don't have the "best." I hope this helps.

Newby here. New rod and reel from Cabela's. So what knot do I tie so I don't waste line, holds good etc...? Thanks!

Welcome Bill. Nice to see you on here.

If you are referring to the knot used to tie the fly to the leader, then the Improved Clinch is probably the most commonly used knot.

Here are some ways to attach your leader to the fly line and a note on tippet rings.... Link.

Thanks Rex and fshng84! I can't wait to try it out!

Thanks Rex, never knew y'all were here. Just found it the other day.

David J I have tied the improved clinch not my whole life. It is a great knot. I also use the duncan loop. Not so much as a loop not all though that is a useful in many cases, but I can tie it in the dark if I can just get the line through the eye of the hook. With the improved clinch there are three times you need to be able to see. If you will practice the duncan you can learn to conserve line.

Thanks Bill, I'll take a look at those!

thanks Bill!

To Txredraider:
Thanks for you sharing.sir

Txredraider, I think you've done a very good thing.Thanks for you sharing.

Any idea what I am doing wrong. I manage to get the leader tied up in knots.

So, I've always wandered, do knots matter? I have been fly fishing close to a year now and I still can't tie a nail knot. I use the loop-to-loop knot to attach leader to fly line and improved clinch knot for hook to leader. I don't use tippet.

I couldnt figure out the nail knot with a nail, so I used the following video and a piece of hobby grade aluminum tube to tie my leader to my fly line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlvIbFhuYcY

The double surgeon's knot is super easy. I'd recommend using tippet and this knot to improve the life of your leader.

(I change my fly 3-4 times at a minimum, so I would end up chewing through a lot of leader if I didnt use tippet)

this is exactly what i was looking for!!

My first post from a brand-new member:

I live on the Brazos River north of Granbury and after our recent rains the water bears a close resemblance to chocolate milk. Is there any point in even bothering when the water is this murky or are there certain flies that might help the fish find them?

Thanks in advance!

HD

This may have been mentioned somewhere in this 13-page long thread but I highly recommend the fly fishing books authored by Terry and Roxanne Wilson, in particular if you want or like to target warm water species.. Incredibly informative and educational for the newby to the experienced. So far I’ve read their Bluegill Diaries, their book on crappies and I’m currently in the middle of their largemouth bass book. I believe they also have a smallmouth book that I plan to pickup next.

Yes, they do. I have them all and agree that they are great!

This Thread is really informative, I am new to fly fishing, usually prefer kayak fishing but this is something I'm exploring, that really comes hand thanks for sharing the beautiful info

My grandad taught me when I was 12 yrs old and only get to fly fish ever so often. Great info to refresh my memory. Thank you.

i am a terrible online shopper but have not seen any decent fly equipment in Bass Pro Garland. I heard cabelas in Allen might but last time there I could not find a single person that knew anything. I bought a crystal river rod, reel , line , leader and a few flies for $24.95. I thought it was good enough til I tried a friends set up. No I want a little better combo. Echo, Shakespaere sigma?. TFO , and store around i can hold a combo ?? Looking to drop $100 plus or minus. Any help appreciated if you pm me or text/call me at 972 740 1243. Meaning to hit the Tyler fly club but when I remember it just passed date.

Just my IMO... but it might hard to get a decent "combo" for less around $100. Good fly lines alone can be found for $50 give or take, but that's the least expensive part of the equation. TFO may have a rod for less than $100. You can probably use your reel you currently have, since it's more of a line holder for 5 wts or smaller, unless your are targeting carp..

thx BoPro wound up ordering a Sougayilang Polish ? ) fly combo. They charged tax which i was surprised . Not ordering online if i dont have to. The rod, reel, backing, wff line, leader weird piece to attach something a box of flies and a hard case was $94 . I had to flip the reel as I am a lefty but with you tube it was easy ( even for me ). Hope to get it functional tonight and hit some gills tomorrw ( tail end of full moon phase. ) .will report the good, bad and ugly

Sorry to come in late; hope you got started ok. There a number of great starter sets already put together with quality, name brand products. Echo, Orvis, Reddington, and TFO are great starter sets. The bass fly rod specialty website for go-to stuff is Bass on the Fly; this question comes up all the time. The fly line can make all the difference; agree with BoPro that a good line under $40 is very rare; many are $80-$100. The line really needs to be a weight forward line or it won't turn over the large flies you need. Get some casting lessons off the web and practice on grass before going to the water; I da*n near quit at first because I tangled so much in nearby vegetation.

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