Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Fishing Forum :: Thinking about learning fly fishing...
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BnD |
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bobbernumber3 |
nooneuno: "I stopped by the Woodbury cabelas yesterday and spent some time chatting with Norm, he is the fly fishing guru out there, we talked rod lengths and weights, line weights, and flies. He showed me proper casting techniques and I practiced some casts right down the aisle. I live fairly close to a class 2 trout stream that is also a class 2 musky water by the Wi DNR so I pulled the plug and left with my first fly rod, I’ll be sure to have a knife handy in case I have to cut myself free." Good Luck on the start of your Great New Hobby! |
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fishnfreak |
Equipment, I would have two rigs starting out. an 8 foot, 4 weight rod for SE MN, NE IA and SW WI. and I would have a 9 foot 7 weight rod for smallies, steelhead and such. When you first start master this first, the roll cast! mastering this will save you a lot of flies and frustration. also, keep your fly box simple at first, wolly's, caddis, Olives, assortment of nymphs, copper johns, pheasant tail, prince nymphs, zebra midge, a few poppers for the bass and blue gills. and maybe some hoppers for late summer. Too many folks spend alot up front before they begin to have fun with it. Keep it simple at first, spend more money on gas, beer and samiches. Learn to present the fly and for the most part just spend alot of time on the water. the creek or river and the trout will teach you the rest, along with youtube |
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jsCrawdad |
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Abbey |
Great Waters Casting takes some practice, but it’s rewarding. If you’ve caught trout in SE MN dunking worms, then you should try fly fishing. Doesn’t need to be complicated. Starting with a Tenkara rod on those small streams would be easy and get some casting motion. I’m not that good at fly casting either, but every fish on a fly is way more fun. |
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lindylair |
Fly fishing rig |
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lindylair |
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Abbey |
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Podunk |
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lindylair |
Next step is to look into a class or some sort of instruction. If things go well I would then purchase what i need for equipment and plan some trips to practice my new hobby. Mocha, I get what you are saying about the pleasure of the motion of casting and watching the fly drift downstream and obviously in so doing it usually means you are in a pretty nice natural setting. It's fun to just be there doing what you are doing. Although for me, catching a few fish on occasion would be part of the goal as well. Bobber, i got a chuckle over your comment about fly fishermen helping to maintain a healthy fish population. I hope in my case I can buck the odds:) |
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fishnfreak |
bobbernumber3: "I learned to fly fish as a kid... standing at the end of a dock. I think a beginner would find this easier than standing knee deep in the water. Being above the water is more forgiving." I would agree. Golf course ponds are great for the same reasons. Typically elevated land above the pond and the grass is mowed all the way to the water. |
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WHendrix |
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clrdoguy68 |
I would highly recommend taking a lesson or attending some sort of workshop. Or find someone that does it already and go with them a few times. I would advise against buying any rod that you haven't handled at least a little. My experience is the beginner rods are usually complete "noodles" and can be difficult to caste. I've introduced a few folks to the sport and I think they do much better with a faster (stiffer) rod. Go to a store where they have a selection of rods and handle several. A 9 foot 5 or 6 wt rod is probably a good place to start. Consider the streams you want to fish. Some water can be very difficult to fly fish (steep banks, stream side vegetation, not wade-able, etc). Bottom line, if you don't have room for a back caste of some sort, it can make fly fishing difficult. In some cases, all you can do is make short roll casts and maybe do some high line nymphing (which can still be fun). I recommend learning a little about aquatic insects. If you can find a resource that focuses on the specific areas you plan on fishing that would be great. The patterns you use will really depend on the where you are fishing. This is where local fly shops can help. For me, fly fishing is great when it all comes together but can be very frustrating when one or more of the water, weather, fish or bugs aren't cooperating. I just don't bother with it anymore unless conditions are promising. But of course, a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work....... |
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lindylair |
Let us know how it goes. |
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PowerLizard |
lindylair: "Thanks all, love to hear more thoughts. I have done some looking online and found some ready to fish outfits that seem pretty complete to get started. Is something like this worth considering or should I keep looking? Most value priced starter packages like the one you posted have really cheap fly line. If you buy a starter package and get frustrated with it, try replacing the fly line first. A 5 weight 9’ fly rod is considered a good all around fly rod. A 4 weight or lower rated rod will be much more difficult to learn with. |
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Johnh |
Canoe fish quetico |
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Cretbo |
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Driftless |
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JATFOMike |
Good Luck! Mike |
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jsCrawdad |
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scotttimm |
Search for Trout unlimited chapter here: Find TU Chapter |
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nooneuno |
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nooneuno |
lindylair: "Good for you!!! You beat me to it. Well here it is first impressions: If your picturing Brad Pitt in a "River Runs Through It" sadly you will be disappointed, Now if your minds eye you're seeing a nice bonfire, a couple beers, and a good cigar you've got the backdrop pretty well. As for the fishing, have you ever seen a hunting dog laugh? neither had I before today but honestly he had a look on his face that said, I seriously let this clown follow me around all day with a loaded 12 gauge, what was I thinking..... My back cast seems to be much better than my forward, would it be awkward if I cast with my back towards the river? In all seriousness it is not as tough as it looks and there is something remarkable about being able to have 25' of line out and being able to draw it back and re-position it to another spot on the river without touching the reel. I know that I am losing most of the lines energy going from backward to forward but if you have to work at improving something in your life I can see working on this with a newfound zeal. |
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flytyer |
https://www.orvis.com/how-do-i-choose-my-first-fly-rod If you have a fly shop closer to you, go there. They will give you great help and may even let you try different rods to see what you like best. |
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fishnfreak |
nooneuno: "I have always been somewhat in awe of the successful fly caster, to watch it is almost akin to watching a ballerina or figure skater, at the same time I picture myself standing on the shore my ankles tied together, and three wraps around my neck, slowly choking the life out of me with a fly deeply embedded in the back of my skull. A man's got to know his limitations and to the best of my knowledge zebco does not make a fly reel......" That's funny!!! It's actually quite easy to do. Now mending line and such....that's a whole other story. Casting in itself is pretty easy to learn though. |
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oth |
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FishermanTed |
I own an Orvis endorsed fly-fishing lodge just north of you guys. We have lots of spin guys of course but more and more fly fishermen and I see and hear this question ALL the time. People are leery of the unknown. Human nature really. And we all want to cast like Brad Pitt. But you know what? Brad Pitt had a casting double in that movie. The guys throwing those flies were experts. I have fished with many experts and few people look like than when casting a fly. So know this going in, you don't need to be perfect to have a blast. Fly-fishing I have found is the pinnacle of fishing. Now before you dismiss me as some snob know this. I have been fishing my whole life and just started getting serious about fly fishing maybe 10 years ago. I LOVE to walleye fish. But when I pick up a fly rod something magical happens. The casting itself is ethereal. When you feel the sweet spot of the line going to and fro it can be mezmerizing. There is an old adage for fishermen. When you start to fish its how many fish did you catch. That evolves into how big a fish did you catch. And finally HOW did you catch your fish. Fly-fishing falls into the last and final category. It is an art. And you quickly learn that in and of itself it is a blast. The fish become secondary. You also learn so much more about the waters you fish. Reading hatches, forecasting bug 'events' for lack of a better word. You understand so much more about the environment that you are participating in. More in-tune if you will. Fly fishing is not hard. Its about grace and dexterity and feel. In fact most of the best fishermen in the world are actually women. You don't have to be a jock, or be strong or tall. Its about becoming one with your rod and line as you execute your casts. My advice to you. Go to any Orvis store. They have FREE learn to fly fish classes. Put a rod in your hand and once you experience that perfect cast you will be sold. Everything else you can worry about later. -FT |
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lindylair |
Going to hook up with one of those Orvis classes. Looking forward to it...thanks to all of you for your great comments and suggestions. |
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bobbernumber3 |
I think you can spend a lot of $ on gear... kinda like golfers. It can be an interesting hobby and there are a lot of details to learn about. For me, I like catching fish with live bait and spinners and spending less time putzing with all the gear. So I am an advocate for fly-fishermen. They help maintain a health fish population for the most part. |
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lindylair |
First step for me seems like it would be to take a class(local Orvis or similar) and see if i think I can get the hang of it. I assume that equipment is supplied for those classes or is that not the case? Then I would need to get the equipment. I had somewhat high hopes that the starter rod/reel/kits I found on Amazon would be ok to begin with but honestly that is because I don't know anything about the line, tippet, etc. and the knots that need to be tied to get ready for the water. Those outfits come ready to fish. But I don't want to do something I will regret shortly after getting involved in the sport either. I assume rigging your rod/reel is not all that difficult with a little coaching and my concern is probably silly. I can see myself spending more time fishing the streams and rivers in SE MN as there are many, dabbling in it on some of the northern MN rivers as well and maybe taking advantage of some of the very good trout opportunities near the twin cities, especially the Kinnikinnic which is close and seems to be a great opportunity. A couple years ago I did a backpack trip into Crosby Manitou State Park and stayed at a great site right along the river. We explored it thoroughly and I remember looking at spots and thinking that would be a great spot to throw out a line. I want to be read for that next time. Funny, as a kid one of my buddies got me into fly tying. I am talking 12-14 years old but we did a lot of it. Probably tied a hundred flies despite the fact that we had no idea what we were doing. I know I have caught panfish on a few of those flies years ago, even without a fly rod. Seems like a good potential hobby for those soon to come retirement years...with a little help on the old eyesight thing. If anyone has some specific recommendations on a rod/reel setup that doesn't break the bank i am all ears. And any thoughts on my concerns about tying the various pieces of the line together and the knots involved to allay my fears, i would appreciate it. Thanks again for the great info, I am getting excited about the possibilities... |
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bobbernumber3 |
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Mocha |
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nooneuno |
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bobbernumber3 |
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Moonman |
Hope this helps, Moonman. |
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lindylair |
If so, what equipment is the most important, what is essential? I am nearing retirement and will have time on my hands in the coming years, seems like this might be a hobby that could payoff both up north, SE MN and here around the Twin Cities. I know it also has other advantages besides traditional trout fishing, anyone have any examples of that? What do I need to know about this and what is the bet way to learn? Thanks |
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johndku |
I haven't tried throwing a fly rod off of a canoe yet, don't think my ability level is up to that. I have fly fished the BWCA from shore, and my thoughts in a nutshell are, if you can find a good place with enough room to fish from shore, it's fun and worth taking the extra equipment. The only problem is a lot of campsites don't have enough open are at water's edge to be able to throw a fly rod, so for me it's kind of a toss-up on whether or not to take a fly rod or not. |
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flytyer |
5001 Excelsior Boulevard Saint Louis Park, MN 55416 612-293-1369 Free learn to fly fish classes. Generally held on Saturday mornings. Call the store to find the dates and times. |