Calling all fly fishermen

[rascal_2005]

Hi guys

 

I have recently got into fly fishing. Up until now i have borrowed bits from peoplebut i have ordered my new rod and reel now.

But i have no clue about flies? So any help would be good?

Im going to be fishing for everything with it, from trout and pike through to mullet and bass. So if anyone has any tips on what to look out for, that would be great.

 

Thanks guys

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Get some buzzers and blobs!

[Penelope]

Also some pheasant tail, gold ribbed hares ear and damsel nymphs, both normal and bead headed, plus some daddy long legs dries (perfect time for these coming shortly).

[oscarsdad]

Black maribou tadpole lures, orange maribou tadpole lures...stockies love them.

Edited August 27, 2014 by oscarsdad

[Dunkield]

You need fly recommendations per species and water

Trout/still water won't be same as trout/river for instance

 

Either way you will get a 100 recommendations for flies and in reality you can catch with two or three

 

I must have 600 maybe 700 flies and I use about 5 for trout in still water and the same for grayling in rivers

[wymberley]

I'm still a bit of a novice, but one thing that I have learned is as these are not expensive, there's no need to buy cheap - should you do so, it usually means that you've bought a rubbish hook. For saltwater, uksaltwaterflies.com take some beating although it must be said that on occasion they do seem to suffer from a stock shortage.

[novice cushie shooter]

My killing fly is a goldhead flashback damsel in olive or black. Stillwater for trout in a slow retrieve or figure of 8. Will get pike on this too

[vole]

I favour parachute patterns if fishing dry for trout in still water or river . Not fussy about colour as much as sinking the leader properly .

[kent]

To big a brief without detail of were and on what sort of outfit. At the end of the day an outfit for hunting wild brownies and Grayling on tributaries is way different from a saltwater or Pike outfit.

 

To explain first decide on the fly size 18 dry fly 3# - 5# line tippet from 1.5 lb - 3 lb, You just cant put a 4/0 wet bunny bug and 12lb tippet with a wire bite tippet and 9# line on the same outfit. To do so is like going out on a goose flight with a .410 or out stalking highland reds with a rimfire

 

I can help you out with this but you do need to narrow things down some or you will end up with a pile of stuff that is not the slightest use to you.

 

Have you had casting lessons yet?

 

What outfit have you bought (line rating length etc) and were do you intend using it for starters?

Edited August 27, 2014 by kent

[ferretfan123]

Cats whisker. Don't leave home without one.

[kingo15]

Ive been a couple of times to pitsford, they have a small shop there where you have to book in as well. I just ask them whats working currently and use them. But I guess all places wont have a shop so just do a bit of forum searching I guess and there will normally be reviews on places telling you the same thing

[wymberley]

you will end up with a pile of stuff that is not the slightest use to you.

 

 

 

 

If he doesn't, he'll be the first angler of any discipline not to have done so!

[colin lad]

Or sign up to a fly fishing forum if it's something you are thinking of getting into,
you will get some decent advise off here but a fly fishing forum would add that bit more,
just my opinion as i use lots of different forums for different hobbies,
i wouldn't go on world sea fishing and ask them the best bullet and calibre for a red deer

Colin

Edited August 27, 2014 by colin lad

[cobber]

Doesn't matter how many you buy or what pattern. .. you never have the right one in your box. Black fritz is my stand by. Or a flash back olive damsel.

Doesn't matter how many you buy or what pattern. .. you never have the right one in your box. Black fritz is my stand by. Or a flash back olive damsel.

[Whitebridges]

The thing with fishing the fly is that it will carry you to some beautiful rivers, lochs, estuaries and beaches and not just in the British Isles.

A big step up in terms of enjoyment and satisfaction is tying your own flies.

[beany123]

Red body dragonfly "mint"

[Dunkield]

The thing with fishing the fly is that it will carry you to some beautiful rivers, lochs, estuaries and beaches and not just in the British Isles.

A big step up in terms of enjoyment and satisfaction is tying your own flies.

 

This

I will upload some pictures from fishing in Croatia in a couple of weeks.

In fact there are some in this very section on here

[daystate 177]

simples only fly needed is a flo blob rip it back and hold on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

but always best to try and match the hatch so to speak also speaking to others and asking helps, dont buy cheap your buy twice! enjoy the sport im out on the river next week weather permitting and cant wait feels like iv not fished much this year

[spinach]

I use black or brown ones for trout and black and silver for sewin.

Green and silver big stuff for bass.

The only tip I could give is learn to cast a couple of lessons will pay dividends especially for trout.

John.

[guss109]

 

Ive been a couple of times to pitsford, they have a small shop there where you have to book in as well. I just ask them whats working currently and use them.

 

That's the same as me and it's surprising how quickly you build up a collection

[pistolgrip]

General rule of thumb dark on bright days, bright on dark days for stillwater.

[birdsallpl]

Quite a lot of advise so far and almost every fly imaginable has been suggested. My advise is wherever you fish get to know the old guy in the battered hat and not wearing a smart fly fishing vest. Find out what he is using and use the same. Most of these types of old sports will probably actually give you a couple to try out, because you can bet your life he makes them himself and will enjoy seeing you catch with one of his patterns.

[kent]

Flies work in two ways with rainbows they mouth anything unusual they have not seen before to see if it might be food and all fish (even course fish) because it looks and bahave like their natural food. There is no super fly never will be The Alexandra was banned once over as was the bobby all too effective but the fish haven't changed and how many use the Alexandra now?

There is only one TYPE of fly one should always carry at least a few of on a still water trout fishery and its a black buzzer as few fisheries do not hold a stack of midges and it represents (in its buzzer form) the nymph form of the midge. No magic fly its just if the trout are pre-occupied on feeding on them you will seriously struggle that day if you don't have one.

If you catching on a lure then I bet I can catch as many or more on a range of lures from inside my box that have as yet no name, indeed If I slapped eight feet of line down hard on the water a good few times and then left anything brown and floaty on the end of my leader it will likely get hammered seconds from its final landing! Why? because the dim stockies think its feeding time (imative fishing at its funniest)

[Dunkield]

I know it is a cynical point of view, but I bet the old boys that birdsallpl mentioned fish away quite happily with half a dozen old fly patterns and catch more than their fair share of fish.

Contrast and compare the high tech gadget conscious fisherman who buy every 'must have' pattern to add to their bulging fly boxes looking enviously on as that old boy in the deerstalker hauls yet another one out

[Fatcatsplat]

Montanas are probably my biggest go to, but as said - Go to the water and ask - The bloke taking your money will always have a couple of spares floating around that he'll sell you