old f--ts with flyrods

[lowaccord66]

We went looking for wild browns yesterday morning in a state park close to home.  Imagine my surprise when she asked to go back out in the afternoon.  She said Dad you catch em Ill let them go.  Good enough for me!

[62 & Done]

Not to worry Trapp I know as well as anyone how stuff happens.  Lots of "stuff" out there to happen when it's least expected  We'll get there

  It's gonna happen in the next day or two RG--  promise

[rgfixit]

We went looking for wild browns yesterday morning in a state park close to home.  Imagine my surprise when she asked to go back out in the afternoon.  She said Dad you catch em Ill let them go.  Good enough for me!

Doesn’t get much better than that.

[Bartman44]

Nice shot, get those kids exploring the great outdoors, love it.

[lowaccord66]

Thanks guys.  She is a great fishing partner!  Asked about kids waders...need to make that happen.

[rgfixit]

Absolutely!

Took the young man at work a fly fishing care package yesterday. Backing for his reel, a fly line I had in excess, furled leader, some leader material and a bunch of flies. He’s a kind of  an “I’ll figure it out myself “ sort of person. Which he did….I think. Anyway he’s going fly fishing.

[62 & Done]

Yahoooo!  I did it and had an absolute blast. I have to give thanks to several on here for their words of encouragement, advise, and generosity. I started out this morning gazing into an assortment of beautiful hand tied jems that recently came to me. Being totally new to fly fishing, I feared I would lose half of my new flies. So I opted to go to an old dusty container from yesteryear and start with whatever was in there. After tying on a crusty old muddler minnow, I made a few awful looking casts until finally that fly landed about 25' away from the boat. A slurp and a splash and a swing and a miss

   Wow did that just happen?

 Sure enough with a couple more casts it happened again,  Huh  Maybe I won't be so quick next time to set the hook.  Yup it worked first fish on a fly I can't believe it. That fly caught a half dozen fish over the next little while until a 12" pickerel came to the party and then no fly.
Back into the dusty little box I go. there were 2 shiny bright green nymph's with nothing more than a whisper of a black tail & black head. ( I don't know many fly names).
I tied one on and that fly Brought bites on every other cast. I missed most but hey we're learning. A few good gills went into the box and then my poorly tied knot gave way and somewhere there's a gill with some new lip jewelry. I fished the remainder of the day with the 2nd green nymph and it now looks it.

I learned a lot today. More from the mistakes I made than actually catching the ones that I did. Next time I'll go int my new arsenal and try some floaters as that seems really cool when they boil on the surface. I'm going to have to produce some prettier casts as it wastes a lot of fishing time when you have to untangle a mess. It's also difficult to fish in the wind and standing on your line really kills any chance of a good cast.

I'll keep after it and who knows maybe they'll ask me to join the old farts club. The fly fishing  one.

         Thankyou to all who have helped.  I'm hooked

[rgfixit]

Awesome! You’re in!

Get that rod out in the yard. Tie in a piece of yarn or something without a hook and practice. It’s all muscle memory and feel.
Casting from a boat can be a challenge. Line gets tangled up around anything it can find. Keep the rod up and take your time. Most of my crappy casts come when I get too quick.

I was struggling with my 2 wt yesterday. Wind was in my face and it just didn’t have enough oomph to get any distance. Had a few rod tangles as the wind whipped the line on the fore cast. I have a 3 wt with a 4 wt line for those occasions but didn’t have time to go back home and get it.

It was mid day and the gills weren’t active anyway.

And yes, give them a second or two when they slurp the fly off the surface then just lift the rod or you’ll most likely pull he fly away from them.

Glad you’re having fun.

The young man I helped at work is having a lot of fun. He’s hooked for life.

Try that yellow and black fly with the white rubber legs.


We’ll get you into tying next.

[trapper2000]

62 you are now one of us .....i suggest a second job to pay for your new addiction .......  i love the sound of a blue gill slurping a fly in the morning!!!!  it sounds like......victory

[62 & Done]

I did have fun ... Glad I got into this.  Now, what to do with all these other rods......

[trapper2000]

 

[oatkasut]

Glad you got the itch! When I am using a fly that produces and I don't want to lose it, I retie it to the tippet after I catch a ten or so  trout.That assumes your tie can withstand 10 or so hits/catches without falling apart! Sometimes it takes only one!

[62 & Done]

sound advise      even those little fish have choppers that will gradually chew a line apart      I've lost some good ice fishing jigs when the bite was just too good to stop long enough to retie a knot

[rgfixit]

Ahhhh, ride till it bucks you. There’s always more flies in the arsenal. At least I’m never short.

[62 & Done]

speaking of Flies;  This is for everyone who fishes, ties, collects, or thinks about it. I happened to stumble upon a shop in Gloversville (Fulton County) today that blew me away!  The Fly Shack at 28 E. Fulton St. in G'ville was mind blowing for this fisherman. REALLY  A store which has more than I knew existed, and 3 full floors above for online sales. And Yes I bought some things. Fly line is half of what I just spent at bass pro. Any one travelling thru there would enjoy the stop. call ahead (1 800 801 2318) as they have odd hrs.
  The shop keeper told me that they do have a selection of ice stuff that they put out later