New to Fly Fishing

[RocketRob16]

How far south? I am in the Ozarks and it has been way too cold for the whites up here. It is going to be single digits and below zero next week.

I have caught a bunch of those on the fly. As the run progresses, depending on where you are fishing, walleye, hybrids, and stripers can come up river as the run progresses. Fun.

Southern tip of the Ouachitas. Definitely earlier than normal, even for us. There was a wave of whites that precluded the walleye. Not normal to my knowledge.

And yes, these spawning runs are a ton of fun. I never see anybody fly fishing for them in my area. They are very popular to chase though.

 

[SnapT]

The New Flyfisher youtube channel is pretty good . They are hooked up with Orvis so there is some crossover with some Orvis guys .
If you can find a book about your area that should help a fair bit .
Spend time on the water and spend time casting .
Always wear your sunglasses . Always .

have fun

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Don’t buy anything from orvis.

 

[dtrkyman]

Fly guys tend to over complicate things from what I have seen. Find fish, figure out what they are eating and catch em!

Of course that is overly simple but man do guys get into the weeds with fly fishing.

Practicing on known hot spots like you did with the white bass will go a long way.

 

[ianpadron]

Fish a lot!

My Dad had me throwing laser loops and reading water at 5 years old and it has been like riding a bike ever since.

Fly fishing has been a huge part of my life the past 10 years or so after not doing it much in my teens and early twenties, and there is nothing that beats time on the water.

I'll also add that guys who do a lot of creekin' can catch fish anywhere once they realize big water is just a bunch of small water side by side.

All you need is a couple go-to dry and wet flies, maybe some nypmhs if you're a heathen, and you will catch fish anywhere.

Oh...and learn how to mend, aerial and on the water! Lost art and more important than casting in terms of catching fish imho

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Fish a lot!

My Dad had me throwing laser loops and reading water at 5 years old and it has been like riding a bike ever since.

Fly fishing has been a huge part of my life the past 10 years or so after not doing it much in my teens and early twenties, and there is nothing that beats time on the water.

I'll also add that guys who do a lot of creekin' can catch fish anywhere once they realize big water is just a bunch of small water side by side.

All you need is a couple go-to dry and wet flies, maybe some nypmhs if you're a heathen, and you will catch fish anywhere.

Oh...and learn how to mend, aerial and on the water! Lost art and more important than casting in terms of catching fish imho

It certainly can get overly complicated. I grew up just using dry flies, 4wt rods, sneaking around on tiny creeks. When I moved up to AK I was out on a trip with some co workers, I was sort of cocky about fly fishing. I was handed a 10ft 7wt rod with a giant fly and we were in waist to chest deep freezing moving water. It was completely different than what I’d done before. I ended up getting like 4 26”+ rainbows that day.

Now I just chuck big streamers with sinking lines and 7-8weight rods for big fish, far less finesse and far less false casting. It’s not a delicate game like I grew up doing.

 

[ianpadron]

It certainly can get overly complicated. I grew up just using dry flies, 4wt rods, sneaking around on tiny creeks. When I moved up to AK I was out on a trip with some co workers, I was sort of cocky about fly fishing. I was handed a 10ft 7wt rod with a giant fly and we were in waist to chest deep freezing moving water. It was completely different than what I’d done before. I ended up getting like 4 26”+ rainbows that day.

Now I just chuck big streamers with sinking lines and 7-8weight rods for big fish, far less finesse and far less false casting. It’s not a delicate game like I grew up doing.

It's funny how we all go through stages of preferences.

I like throwing dries, long bombs/swinging with my spey rods, and hucking meat with a 7 weight.

No other approach currently appeals to me, certainly no form of nymphing haha

 

[Ferrulewax]

It's funny how we all go through stages of preferences.

I like throwing dries, long bombs/swinging with my spey rods, and hucking meat with a 7 weight.

No other approach currently appeals to me, certainly no form of nymphing haha

I pretty much don’t nymph anymore. It’s either wild trout on dries and streamers, musky, bass, or saltwater for me.

 

[Dos XX]

Southern tip of the Ouachitas. Definitely earlier than normal, even for us. There was a wave of whites that precluded the walleye. Not normal to my knowledge.

And yes, these spawning runs are a ton of fun. I never see anybody fly fishing for them in my area. They are very popular to chase though.

Nice area. I am hoping to fish some of the southern Arkansas refuges this year from a kayak for bass and hopefully large bream, more east of you.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

It's funny how we all go through stages of preferences.

I like throwing dries, long bombs/swinging with my spey rods, and hucking meat with a 7 weight.

No other approach currently appeals to me, certainly no form of nymphing haha

Absolutely. I actually got a Spey rod setup but I havnt used it yet since its winter. I’m hoping to catch a king salmon with it this summer. I’m really itching to launch some streamers right now.

I’ve never really gotten into nymphing either, I sure do love casting poppers for pike on top water though.

 

[RocketRob16]

Nice area. I am hoping to fish some of the southern Arkansas refuges this year from a kayak for bass and hopefully large bream, more east of you.

Oh yeah, that should be a good time. A friend of mine has a spare kayak that he’s going to loan out to me to try. Plan on hitting the rivers mostly but may do some stillwater fishing too.

 

[bracer40]

Since you asked about books, this one was recommended to me nearly 45 years ago by the owner of the fly shop I first frequented when I began fly fishing. https://www.amazon.com/Curtis-Creek...ocphy=9033176&hvtargid=pla-523036813090&psc=1
I’ve read many books on the topic since, and nothing came close to the Curtis Creek Manifesto in its simplicity, well rounded and complete coverage of the basics of fly fishing.
Become a regular customer at a local shop. You can learn loads there. Also, consider joining a local club where you can meet with other like minded individuals.
Enjoy! It can be an all consuming process!

 

[Ferrulewax]

Since you asked about books, this one was recommended to me nearly 45 years ago by the owner of the fly shop I first frequented when I began fly fishing. https://www.amazon.com/Curtis-Creek...ocphy=9033176&hvtargid=pla-523036813090&psc=1
I’ve read many books on the topic since, and nothing came close to the Curtis Creek Manifesto in its simplicity, well rounded and complete coverage of the basics of fly fishing.
Become a regular customer at a local shop. You can learn loads there. Also, consider joining a local club where you can meet with other like minded individuals.
Enjoy! It can be an all consuming process!

I Second this!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

It's funny how we all go through stages of preferences.

I like throwing dries, long bombs/swinging with my spey rods, and hucking meat with a 7 weight.

No other approach currently appeals to me, certainly no form of nymphing haha

What is your 7wt streamer setup?

 

[BowBaboon]

Don’t buy anything from orvis.

I'm curious where your disdain for Orvis originated?

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I'm curious where your disdain for Orvis originated?

Over the years orvis has just gone from boutique fly fishing gear to a one stop shop for dog beds, bubble packed fly rod setups and wannabe filson clothing.

Some of their rods are ok but when you get into those price ranges there is better stuff out there. They just seem sort of generic these days, strange to think you could get on the phone and end up with rod, reel, line, leader, flies, waders etc etc all with the orvis stamp on it.

The Helios rods are ok but when you are spending that much, you could get an Asquith, centric, or any other top quality rod from a better company.

But heck, if you want to dress up like Indiana jones and pretended to be a fly fishing snob, orvis is the spot.

 

[RocketRob16]

Since you asked about books, this one was recommended to me nearly 45 years ago by the owner of the fly shop I first frequented when I began fly fishing. https://www.amazon.com/Curtis-Creek...ocphy=9033176&hvtargid=pla-523036813090&psc=1
I’ve read many books on the topic since, and nothing came close to the Curtis Creek Manifesto in its simplicity, well rounded and complete coverage of the basics of fly fishing.
Become a regular customer at a local shop. You can learn loads there. Also, consider joining a local club where you can meet with other like minded individuals.
Enjoy! It can be an all consuming process!

Thanks for the recommendation! I’m trying to tap in where I can. I don’t think there’s a fly shop within 2-3 hours of me. I’m getting involved in The Mayfly Project as a way to give back and get plugged in.

 

[BowBaboon]

Over the years orvis has just gone from boutique fly fishing gear to a one stop shop for dog beds, bubble packed fly rod setups and wannabe filson clothing.

Some of their rods are ok but when you get into those price ranges there is better stuff out there. They just seem sort of generic these days, strange to think you could get on the phone and end up with rod, reel, line, leader, flies, waders etc etc all with the orvis stamp on it.

The Helios rods are ok but when you are spending that much, you could get an Asquith, centric, or any other top quality rod from a better company.

But heck, if you want to dress up like Indiana jones and pretended to be a fly fishing snob, orvis is the spot.

I'll admit, I had some of those same feelings towards Orvis before using their gear. To be completely transparent, I wasn't paying for much of it, and what I was paying for I wasn't paying retail. I am also no longer involved with any of their programs.

I think a lot of that image came from the 90s and 00s. I remember disliking Orvis because it seemed like the only people that used their gear were doctors, lawyers, and the Wall Street type. But, I think they've done a great job of opening the sport up to different audiences. They're also on the forefront of spreading educational resources for anglers these days; their YouTube page is a phenomenal resource for anglers.

I will agree that I don't care for their Helios series either. I bought an H3F for my wife and I can't stand to cast that thing. But, their entry level rods are awesome for the price. $250 gets you a solid warranty and a rod that isn't so heavy the swing weight bogs you down, but has enough flex to feel the rod load.

I'm not familiar with their Indiana Jones Cosplay section, but their fishing clothing line is definitely on the better end of that market. Heck, I even like their waders more than Simms these days.

Anyways, this is a long-winded way of saying I think they've changed their focus to be more inclusive and expand the sport.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Over the years orvis has just gone from boutique fly fishing gear to a one stop shop for dog beds, bubble packed fly rod setups and wannabe filson clothing.

Some of their rods are ok but when you get into those price ranges there is better stuff out there. They just seem sort of generic these days, strange to think you could get on the phone and end up with rod, reel, line, leader, flies, waders etc etc all with the orvis stamp on it.

The Helios rods are ok but when you are spending that much, you could get an Asquith, centric, or any other top quality rod from a better company.

But heck, if you want to dress up like Indiana jones and pretended to be a fly fishing snob, orvis is the spot.

I used to not be a huge orvis fan, and I still wish I wasn’t a big orvis fan, but dang they make it hard not to buy their rods.

Helios are just as good as an NRX or asquith, and you can get a new Rod section ASAP without sending in the broken rod. I will admit orvis’s new design language is not my preference. I have had great experiences with gloomis rods( IMX pro-1, NRX pro1, IMX pro-M) and love my Scott Radian, but orvis customer service and warranty on their newest generation of rods is tough to beat.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I'll admit, I had some of those same feelings towards Orvis before using their gear. To be completely transparent, I wasn't paying for much of it, and what I was paying for I wasn't paying retail. I am also no longer involved with any of their programs.

I think a lot of that image came from the 90s and 00s. I remember disliking Orvis because it seemed like the only people that used their gear were doctors, lawyers, and the Wall Street type. But, I think they've done a great job of opening the sport up to different audiences. They're also on the forefront of spreading educational resources for anglers these days; their YouTube page is a phenomenal resource for anglers.

I will agree that I don't care for their Helios series either. I bought an H3F for my wife and I can't stand to cast that thing. But, their entry level rods are awesome for the price. $250 gets you a solid warranty and a rod that isn't so heavy the swing weight bogs you down, but has enough flex to feel the rod load.

I'm not familiar with their Indiana Jones Cosplay section, but their fishing clothing line is definitely on the better end of that market. Heck, I even like their waders more than Simms these days.

Anyways, this is a long-winded way of saying I think they've changed their focus to be more inclusive and expand the sport.

I believe their waders are just rebranded aquaz with a jacked up price tag. At least they definetly were a few years ago. Any waders orvis had could be bought straight from aquaz for cheaper. I don’t know if aquaz it still around though.