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Some notes on fly fishing At its most basic fly fishing is about imitating aquatic insects to fool fish, as opposed to using lures/bait. However, modern fly fishing has evolved to cover many more scenarios. Much of the information below is specific to trout fishing as I don't know much about saltwater or warm water species. How is fly fishing different from other types of fishing? In traditional lure/bait fishing, a weighted lure does the work of the cast. In contrast, because flies are (effectively) unweighted, fly fishing uses a heavier line to send them to their target. Fly anglers will generally feed 10' to 20' of line out of the rod tip, and then use various casts to direct the fly line out into the water, which delivers the fly. What type of equipment do I need? To get started you'll need the following: * A fly rod * A fly reel * fly fishing line, leader, and tippet * flies of some sort * Waders and wading boots (optional) Fly rod The type of fly rod you’ll want depends on the type of fish you want to catch. The two things you'll need to consider are rod length and weight. A shorter rod will be more useful in tight spaces like creeks, where brush and trees give you limited casting space. A longer rod will be useful on larger rivers in saltwater where you need more reach, or need to cast more line. The "weight" of a rod describes the line it's designed to cast. Smaller weights (2-3) are used for smaller fish and more delicate presentations. Average line weights (4-6) are useful for variety of situations and fish. Heavier line weights (6+) are usually used for bigger fish (e.g. carp) or saltwater applications (tarpon, bonefish, etc). For trout fishing, a 9' 5-weight rod is a solid "all around" option. You can get a solid beginner outfit — rod, reel, and line — for around $200. A decent stand-alone rod will run you around $300-$500, and higher-end rods will start at $800 and go up from there. There are dozens of manufacturers, and new entrants every day, however some "blue chip" brands are Orvis, Sage, Redington, Scott, and G-Loomis. When buying a rod, take a note of the warranty. Most mid-level and higher rods come with a 25-year warranty that covers some or all of the cost of repair. This is useful because you will eventually break a rod tip. Lastly, there are two primary types of fly rod material: graphite, and fiberglass. 90% of modern rods are graphite, which is known for having faster "action" (loads and unloads faster). Fiberglass rods are known for having a slower action, and therefore a slower casting stroke. This usually comes down to personal preference. If you can, cast a rod before you decide to buy it. Reel Used for line storage and fighting fish. There are two primary types of drag system: disc, and "click and pawl". When casting, the tension on the reel prevents excess line from unrolling. When fighting a fish, the reel will help tire the fish by providing resistance, while still allowing the fish to run. Generally speaking, the "weight" of your reel, rod, and line should all be the same. Well-known brands include Orvis, Ross, Abel, Sage, and Nautilus. When you get your reel — and before the shop loads up the line — be sure to setup the reel for the correct retrieve. If you use right left hand to cast, you'll want to have a left-handed retrieve, and vice versa. There's nothing worse than realizing your reel is setup for the wrong side after leaving the shop. Line, leader, and tippet * Fly line: The two primary types of fly line are floating and sinking. For most applications, a floating "weight forward" line allows for ease of casting and keeps the line on the water where you generally want it. Sinking line (or sink tip) is useful for streamer fishing. As above, the weight of the line should match the weight of the rod/reel. * Leader: Fly line is a relatively heavy, PVC-coated monstrosity that will scare just about any fish that come within a few feet of it. To solve this problem, you'll attach a thin, tapered leader to the end of the line that connects the flies to the line. The longer the leader, the more subtle the presentation, but at the cost of control/connection to the fly. Dry fly leaders will typically be between 9' and 12'. Nymphing and streamer leaders will typically run in the 7.5' to 9' range. Leaders are typically constructed from fluorocarbon or monofilament. Monofilament floats better, and is cheaper. Fluorocarbon has a better sink rate (for nymph fishing) and is less visible in the water. It's also more expensive, but is rapidly becoming the "go to" option for most applications. Leader and tippet sizes are enumerated in "X", with larger numbers indicating thinner/more breakable materials. * Tippet: Tippet is used for extra stealth, and to prevent the angler from constantly removing portions of their leader as they swap out flies throughout the day. Generally speaking the tippet should use the "3x" rule to match a fly. Divide the size of the fly by 3 and use a matching size tippet. For example, if you're fishing a size 16 fly, you should use 5x tippet. While you don't have to, you should probably buy and use tippet rings to attach your leader to your tippet. Tie a ring to your leader with a clinch knot. Then tie about 18-24" of tippet to the ring with another clinch knot: ==== fly line ======> ——————— leader ————————o—————tippet————fly Once you get down to about 12" of tippet, cut it off and replace with a new section. Pick up about three or four sizes of tippet that match the size of flies you intend to fish. Here in Colorado, I carry a spool each of 3x, 4x, 5x, and 6x. Other stuff A few items you’ll want to have on you: * Hemostats: for de-barbing hooks, and removing hooks from fish. Unless you intend to eat your catch, **DE-BARB YOUR HOOKS**. * Nippers: for trimming your knots and clipping tippet off the spool. You can spend as much or as little as you want here. * Gel floatant: For keeping your dry flies buoyant. * Dry shake: For making your dry flies buoyant after they've become water-logged. * An indicator. This is not a bobber. Do not call it a bobber. Why would you call it that? No you're being defensive! * Weight (for nymphing; optional): To get your nymphs down. Lead split shot is traditional. If, like me, you'd prefer not to use lead, you can also opt for JP's Tungsten Mud (video). If you're using one, you can mold it around your tippet ring. * A net: If you're not backcountry fishing, use a net. Get one with a rubber basket and is appropriately sized for the fish you want to catch. What is the difference between a fishing rod and a fishing pole? About $400 Wading * Waders: In colder water, you might opt for waders. In the summer these are almost completely optional, as most anglers opt to "wet wade" in shorts. Look for a pair that fits well. And whether you are in two inches or four feet of water always wear a wading belt. * Wading boots: River beds are often treacherous places, with rocks the size of bowling balls that are just as slick. Wading boots provide added support and traction. They usually have either a felt sole, or a rubber sole. The choice of sole is usually dictated by the location you fish. Check with your local fly shop. They can be paired with waders in cooler temperatures, or used with shorts in the summer. If the places you fish don't have a sketchy bottom — such as a lake or a mellow river — you can skip wading boots altogether and opt for sandals, crocs, or wade barefoot. Knots Anglers seems to love knots. Realistically you only need to know a few. * Clinch knot, for attaching flies to tippet. And here's a shortcut. * Surgeon's Knot, for attaching leader to tippet, or connecting tippet to tippet. * Blood knot, for attaching leader to fly line, and also leader to tippet. * Non-slip loop knot, for attaching streamers (and some nymphs) to tippet. Good for imparting action to your flies. Rigging: How you rig your setup will depend on what flies you're using. Here are some common rigs.: TODO: links * Dry Fly * Dry-dropper * Nymph with indicator * Streamer How do I cast/What casts do I need to know? Fundamentally, fly casting is about loading the rod, which then sends the line where you want it to go. Rather than write a treatise on it, I recommend you watch Pete Kutzer on the Orvis Youtube channel to understand the mechanics. A roll cast (youtube) will be the second most important cast to learn, and is invaluable in places where you can't backcast. If you can, practice on a lawn, or local body of water. Flies Fooling fish involves (generally) one of the following types of flies. Dry flies imitate adult insects and sit on top of the water. This is also considered the "purest" form of fly fishing. Nymphs imitate immature insects in their various forms, and ride somewhere within the water column. The primary food source for fish is underwater, so nymphing is usually much more productive than dry fly fishing. Lastly, streamers imitate smaller swimming prey and are used to entice larger fish to an opportunistic snack. Which flies should I get? This is heavily dependent on where and what you're fishing for. Even for the same species, you'll use different flies (and sizes) in different parts of the world. Your best option is to hit up your local fly shop and let them know what you're looking to catch. Buy a half-dozen or so of each fly. Eventually you'll discover confidence patterns that you frequently use. That said, here are a few "go to" fly patterns that seem to work well: Trout: * Dry Flies: Parachute Adams, Elk Hair caddis, Chubby Chernobyl, Stimulator, Royal Wulff, Griffiths' Gnat * Nymphs: Gold ribbed hare's ear, pheasant tail, brassie, zebra midge, RS2, barr emerger, juju baetis, jujube midge * Streamers: Wooly bugger. * Others: San Juan worm If I had just one fly for the rest of my life, it would be a Parachute Adams. Carp: TBD Bass: TBD Saltwater: TBD Streamer Fishing TBD Contact techniques (Euro) In the last few decades, European-style "contact" nymphing has become all the rage. These techniques generally use longer rods, longer leader, and heavier flies. Rather than casting line out and letting the nymphs dead drift below an indicator or fly, the angler keeps a straight line between their flies drifting on the bottom and their rod. This allows them to feel a strike before they see it. Saltwater Someone should write this, or else start me up a Patreon so I can go to Belize Tenkara TBD Other Resources - The fly tying and tacklecraft thread. - The Orvis YouTube channel: A great resource for casting, reading water, and rigging. - Trout Rigs & Methods (book): Does what it says on the tin. - Nymph Masters (book): one of the best books on modern nymphing out there. Covers many techniques. Can you share your secret fly fishing location? Sure. Don’t tell anyone else, but the Blue river at Silverthorne waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Jul 18, 2020 |
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Jul 18, 2020 18:42
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Did a bit of an effort-post above on fly fishing but there are still lots of holes. Please send corrections/additions my way.
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Jul 18, 2020 21:22
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DeesGrandpa posted:I like fly fishing even if I suck at it. Nothing better than getting into a river with ice still on it up to your waist (w waders of course). That said, with a few exceptions it's usually been a bit snobby in situations when I interact with other fly fishermen. I think this is three things: the people who grew up with it being annoyed at newbies high-holing them or otherwise being clueless on the river; a lot of folks who took it up in the past decade exemplifying the phrase, “there’s no zealot like a convert”; and some of whatever it is that also exists in the MTB community — this awkward, alpha “let’s go be nature af!” vibe. I’ve been trying to put my finger on the last one for a while now. That said. Things that I will yell at people for, or at least not be friendly: - High-holing me. - Crowding me. “Crowding” is dependent on whether you’re talking about Deckers or the secret place I know about that hasn’t been blown up yet I don’t have a secret place  - Jumping in on water across from me - Being a guide and running your boat through water I’m fishing - Being a tuber and running your tube through water I’m fishing Things that are cool and good: - Asking “what’s working?” or “what are you fishing?” - Responding with, “Idunno. One of these little green things” when I ask what you’re fishing. - Asking me about some of the spots around where we are standing. - Just generally being friendly on the water. I’ve rigged up I don’t know how many people’s rods. It’s great to watch them absolutely floored when you give them a few flies. I absolutely love hooking people up, especially if I’ve tied it. This reminds me, I need to get out and do some fishing.
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Jul 30, 2020 03:08
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Y’all are missing out on a perfectly good trolling joke.
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Aug 3, 2020 02:54
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Thinking about picking up a dedicated meat hucking rod. Mostly to be used here in CO for streamer fishing, and the occasional garbage trout. In a perfect world I would also be able to take this to the salt flats once my fellow Americans get their collective poo poo together. Thoughts on a 9’ 7wt? Is this asking too much of a single rig? I’m thinking about a Sage Pulse since I like my 7.5’ 3-wt for creeking, though it’s the ugliest shade of green. waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Aug 5, 2020 |
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Aug 5, 2020 00:34
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Thinking about heading down to a lake close to my house to Are there water temperature considerations for bass and other lake species? Trout are incredibly fragile at temps over 67° — so I’m just curious if there’s a temperature over which I’d want to stay off the water. Bonus points for fly recommendations. I haven’t caught a fish that wasn’t a trout in over 30 years.
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Aug 6, 2020 19:28
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Well that was a frustrating trip. I’m going to have to learn how to rig the toy rod my son has. He’s a little young to learn how to fly fish, but old enough that he should be able to pick up more traditional methods. He has one of those Disney branded rods that has a Anyway, we spent about 30 minutes not catching fish and then he got bored. Bright side, it was 30 minutes outside fishing with my kid.
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Aug 7, 2020 02:15
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Went up to Texas Plates Creek to fish for cutthroat. If you’re in CO, you owe it to yourself to get up to a high country lake. The colors on the fish are incredible right now. edit: Terrestrials and small Adams seemed to do the best, though the fish went all Inspector Clouseau this morning and wouldn’t take anything. I could see them grabbing extremely tiny emergers off the surface, but I didn’t have anything smaller than a #20 in my box. Such is life. Also, I’m not gonna lie. It’s me. I’m the douchebag fly fisher that likes to crush fish in front of dilettantes*. If the bite is off, I’m throwing 50’ A-River-Runs-Through-It double hauls into the middle of nowhere just because it looks cool. (Yes I know my loops are open; shut up) Also I learned the other day that a Hippie Stomper is basically a foam humpy and I laughed really hard because there really are only three unique flies total *I will always help people out, tell them what’s working, what’s not, etc. Though in this time of covid I’m less eager to actually give people flies because I’m absolutely not coming within 15 feet of someone. waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 01:19 on Aug 11, 2020 |
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Aug 11, 2020 01:03
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:What's a good budget all arounder 5 wt fly line? I probably fish more streamers and nymphs than dry, but poppers and hoppers too. RIO Gold is probably the most popular but isn’t very budget friendly. Looking around, Orvis Clearwater looks like a pretty solid option if you’re looking to save some ducats.
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Aug 13, 2020 21:25
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das_bill posted:This, for your first casts just rip out like twenty feet of line and then hold the line in your non rod hand. with each swing let a little more line out. by the time you are ready to let it land you want probably at least 6-10 feet of loose line and then you basically just let that go with last swing. Having the extra line at the end is key for the "shooting" feeling and making sure the line doesn't start to snap back and get all meandering river looking. If you have enough left to shoot then it will end up landing fully outstretched, which lets you feel a strike and get the fly as far away from big scary neon fish spooker line as possible. If they’re just learning to cast, I’d be careful shooting line except maybe to get it out the rod tip at first. It may encourage overpowering the forward stroke, and they may not learn the *pause* at 2 o’clock before the lay down. Just get 20’ out the rod tip and practice getting the leader to turn over and present the fly well. A solid short game will catch an awful lot of fish. Some key things to learn as a beginner are: - Don’t rush your cast (watch your back cast and wait for the line to straighten before you begin the forward stroke). - Don’t overpower the forward stroke. If you’ve only got 15’-20’ of line out the rod tip, there’s no need to send it like you’re trying to catch fish in the next county. A common saying is “start slow; finish fast.” - Remember the *pause* at about 2 o’clock on the forward stroke. Let the line straighten, then lay it down. Think: back > pause > forward > pause > lay down. Pete Kutzer on the Orvis YouTube channel has a bunch of great videos, too. Also, Gooch181 posted:Also, learn the roll cast. Love the roll cast. 
waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Aug 19, 2020 |
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Aug 19, 2020 23:45
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King of Bees posted:I don't know if orvis still does it, but their lifetime warranty used to be phenomenal. I iced up a tip once without noticing and it went flying. They replaced the whole rod no questions asked. I also sent in my grandfather's (now mine) battenkill and they replaced the handle and wraps plus tracked its lineage down to the month/year/maker for the price of shipping. I was stunned. New rods get a 25 year warranty with a $60 service charge for any repair. I believe this is pretty much standard these days. NB: Some fly shops will cover the first repair charge if you buy from them.
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Aug 20, 2020 14:25
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Show your friends the goods. That’s why they’re your friends. But… Yooper posted:The way I see it, there's less fishing pressure than ever This has not been my experience.
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Aug 22, 2020 21:55
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The park’s got some monsters in it. Beautiful fish. Well done.
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Sep 3, 2020 15:24
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Decided to take a little fishing trip today. Headed up to Summit County to fish the Blue, then up to the Colorado through Granby, and back to Denver. Only caught one fish all day (12” rainbow), almost landed another, and had a few refusals on a hippie stomper and a purple chubby chernobyl. For whatever reason I just can’t figure out freestones. The difference in structure makes it much more difficult to spot fish, and it feels like you constantly have to change your rigging — one spot will call for a hopper-dropper, then 30’ later you’re in a run that requires going deeper than Ed Harris in The Abyss. Are you deep enough? Are you using the right pattern? Who knows!  In contrast, most tailwaters (I’m looking at you, Deckers) are fairly straightforward from a water-reading standpoint. Sure, the fish are spooky as hell, but it’s easy to tell where they are and at least get a fly to them. Oh, and everything is on fire. waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 03:56 on Sep 8, 2020 |
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Sep 8, 2020 03:46
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Yeah. In retrospect, I think having uncertainty about what was going on at the bottom should have pushed me to contact techniques. Throwing on a couple of weighted nymphs and “feeling” the bottom probably would have got me more fish. I was being lazy and really didn’t want to remove the hopper, and I think that handicapped me. Related, here’s an awesome rigging tip from Red’s that I’m eager to try. https://youtu.be/933lCDQ4K0Q
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Sep 11, 2020 01:04
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highme posted:Any of you fly fishing folks use a sling pack? My vest could use replacement and I don’t like having too much poo poo on my chest. Yeah, I have the Patagonia Atom Sling which I like quite a bit. The workbench on the front is pretty great when you slide the thing around, and is helpful with rigging, adjusting weight, etc. I would take a long look at fishpond if I were buying new, though. NB: I wouldn't keep too much crap in it though. You start to notice the weight pretty quickly. I basically just keep four fly boxes, tackle, and some necessities in it. Plus some water and a jacket if I'm straying far from my vehicle. Fishing report: Literally every single person in Colorado except for Dees (maybe; btw that brookie is gorgeous.) was floating the Colorado. Hooked a half a dozen or so on a #18 rainbow warrior trailed off a terrestrial while wading. Lost a couple; landed most. Good times. I should take more pictures of fish. Oh, and most importantly: <clapping hands>don't. pee. in. the. river.</clapping hands waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Sep 21, 2020 |
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Sep 21, 2020 01:43
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DeesGrandpa posted:That's kinda my problem with fly fishing here, I dig it but loving everyone is doing it. Every now and then I can find some peaceful empty spot but most of the time I wind up in the river with tons of other fly people and it's just a mess. Yeah, I’ve been spending a lot of time on Google Maps lately. I think you also have to be willing to explore when you’re out fishing. “What’s down this county road?” or “What’s next to this empty pull-out?” will find you a lot of spots with less traffic than the prominently displayed “PARK HERE TO FISH” signs. Also backcountry lakes are wonderful for dry fly fishing.
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Sep 21, 2020 02:12
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Planet X posted:That's awesome, and some huge smallmouth. You've got some amazing fishing up there, and some monster muskie and pike. Is this mostly going to be a trout rig? If so, how big are the fish you’re expecting to catch, on average? And would you rather do nymphing, throw streamers, or delicately land dries from 70’ away?
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Sep 24, 2020 15:29
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Someone on my local social media just announced that trout season wraps up at the end of October. I am…not going to correct them.
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Sep 24, 2020 19:46
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Dik Hz posted:Also, I wouldn't nymph on a 3-weight. You need an indicator and some lead to get down, be it in a split-shot or a leaded nymph. That can be a pain to cast with ultralights, imho. If you do want to do ultralight nymphing, look into Tenkara fishing. NB: A 10’ or 11’ euro 3wt isn’t the same as a “normal” 3wt. They’re just easier to load.
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Sep 24, 2020 21:59
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gamera009 posted:So I started making videos of me fishing in incredibly boring ways: You should name your channel “Huge Tenkara Fisher.” In all seriousness, good stuff. Fall fish are so beautiful. Also, I’ve been thinking about picking up a GoPro for backcountry excursions, so I appreciate the test video.
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Oct 20, 2020 16:09
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I played hooky and hit the South Platte today. It was freezing, but extremely windy and very little moisture (side note: Grand Lake suffered severe damage from the Troublesome Creek fire and they’re currently evacuating Estes Park. I’m also worried about Rocky Mountain National Park. It has fires on two sides. Please send positive vibes to the Front Range. We desperately need moisture.) I got on the river around 9:30 and decided to try my newly acquired New Zealand indicator kit. It’s a bit fiddly relative to The first spot, just after I said aloud, “I don’t think there are any fish in this run.”  A #22 green top secret midge did the trick.  another one. Spot two. Same midge.   Hand for scale. New Zealand Wool. Good stuff.
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Oct 22, 2020 23:41
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Elmnt80 posted:The fish must be fully removed from the water and over the gunnels of the boat/onto the bank for full fish catching points. Anything else is only worth partial points. Heh. I fooled a good sized rainbow yesterday while wading. Then it came off as I was fighting it. The two guys on the float trip passing by said it still counted because I hooked a fish in front of a boat  e: deleting grumpy rant part. waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 21:00 on May 15, 2021 |
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May 15, 2021 20:43
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I’d take a long look at the Sage Pulse or Foundation depending on your budget. If you don’t already own a 9’ 5wt, that’s definitely a solid choice.
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May 23, 2021 00:26
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Browsing YouTube fishing videos and I have to ask: what is twitching jig and why are people yelling at some of these guys from the opposite bank? is it snagging? it’s snagging isn’t it.
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Jul 23, 2021 04:10
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As a random data point — albeit almost exclusively for trout — my order of importance for gear quality would be: - rod - line - leader/tippet - reel - flies
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Aug 16, 2021 20:17
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Dik Hz posted:flies - match the hatch. I'm all for keeping fly shops in business. Hell, I just shelled out a silly amount of money on a recent Charlie Craven terrestrial pattern for a recent trip to see how well it works*. But, with the notable exception of actually matching a hatch in progress on selective trout, fly selection is one of the more overrated components of fly fishing success. As a guide/tyer once told me, "A trout will eat a cigarette butt on a hook if you drift it right." *It did catch me a personal best brook trout. Would a Chubby Chernobyl have made a difference?
waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Aug 16, 2021 |
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Aug 16, 2021 22:31
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Look, I think we can all agree that whatever equipment you currently own, what’s really preventing you from putting more fish in the net is just one more piece of gear. And it’s important to your long term happiness and angling success that you buy that thing. Because you’re worth it.
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Aug 16, 2021 22:42
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Sat down to catch up on some Tom Rosenbauer goodness and the situational irony of this segment was not lost on me. (Skip to 15:28) https://youtu.be/ccuEqIGioM0 Focus on your approach, cast and drift. Don’t stress not knowing a PMD from a BWO. waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Aug 18, 2021 |
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Aug 18, 2021 03:06
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Dik Hz posted:Do it!  Plus you may have trout water closer than you think!
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Aug 18, 2021 16:43
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I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out from buying a 10’ 3wt.
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Aug 20, 2021 02:56
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Planet X posted:You nymphin or just slayin breeyums? Nymphing. I frequently fish pocket water and am partial to the idea of being able to control drift/depth better, as well as not having a ton of terminal tackle on the line; indicators, split shot, etc.
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Aug 20, 2021 15:51
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Sickening posted:My man richard gene the fishing machine shows you how simple it can be. Sorry for being that guy, but please don’t ever keep a trout out of the water for this long. For trout, you can either unhook them while they’re still in the water, or net them in the water and then take ‘em out for a quick five-second grip-and-grin. (Dunno if the original was in jest, but…yeah) waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Aug 22, 2021 |
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Aug 22, 2021 15:58
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Crab Dad posted:Wait what that’s so backwards. So you are limited to barbed hooks only? I think this was a typo based on the C&R comment. Some water is single barbless hook only, and some of the rivers here in CO are also artificial flies and lures only; no bait. If you have barbed hooks and want to C&R, you can just pinch the barbs down with pliers. waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 17:12 on Aug 23, 2021 |
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Aug 23, 2021 17:09
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Get the Orvis. It’s one of the best rods at that price point and you could fish it for the rest of your life without ever having to worry that your equipment is holding you back. If you really get into the sport and develop an acquisition disorder (a common problem), you can turn it into your backpacking/beater rod. Orvis is also just a solid company in general.
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Jan 3, 2022 00:23
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I’ve never fished a six piece. But I can’t help but feel like you’d be giving up some touch with that many pieces. The only real use case I could see is backpacking, but I carry a four piece Orvis Recon into the backcountry just fine. Four piece is a pretty standard configuration and I’d recommend it if you’re just starting out.
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Jan 3, 2022 00:39
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Dik Hz posted:Dude has never cast a fly rod and y’all are already pushing a second reel and line on him. Smdh Let’s keep in mind OP also has to budget for a metronome and creel.
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Jan 3, 2022 17:59
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BTW random pro tip since knots were mentioned. You should get some paracord, or some mono, and practice the following knots: - clinch knot (not improved). This will be your go-to for attaching most flies to tippet or mono to a tippet ring. If you’re in a hurry, you can use hemostats to tie the knot very quickly. But you should know how to tie it by hand as well. With practice you can be very quick and produce very little waste. - surgeon’s knot. For leader to tippet. - non-skip loop knot. For streamers and anything you want to give motion to. It’s basically a clinch knot tie against an overhand knot in the tippet, rather than directly onto the fly. Other knots that are useful to know but not mission critical for when you’re out on the water: - blood knot. A cleaner/stronger knot for mono-to-mono than a surgeon’s. I use this almost exclusively for repairing leaders or attaching euro leader to euro line. - nail knot. For line to leader when not using loop-to-loop (but you should use loop-to-loop). Use a nail-knot tool. I almost never have to tie this knot. I just occasionally grab some mono/line/paracord and practice these. It’s also a decent way to kill time when camping.
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Jan 10, 2022 20:37
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LeeMajors posted:Uhhh fly fishing is pretty hard. I’ve been practicing and while I’m getting some ok casts and a couple bites, I oddly had my leader twist itself into a gnarly rear end knot and I think I’m going to have to cut and add tippet. Fly too heavy for the weight maybe? It was a tiny little popper on 4x leader. Usually a bird’s nest is a result of not keeping tension in the line; often that means you’re starting your forward cast too soon. Check out the oval cast for bigger flies or situations where you need to chuck a lot of weight (for example a traditional nymphing rig).
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Mar 20, 2022 15:13
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 16:06 |
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Most people end their roll casts with their rod tip too low. Think about sending the line straight out from where you'd end a normal cast before the lay down (i.e. 2 o'clock or whatever), not down into the river. Invaluable cast for lakes where you want to get a dry out 40' but have no room for a back cast. This is my favorite roll casting video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRaCV5c63mY Also, if you want to feel like a total bad-rear end, use the snake roll cast. It's incredibly handy for places where a traditional lob cast doesn't work — for example if you're trying to get the line farther out but can't wade because currents. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igHaSrXrw3c Or switch to euro 
waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Mar 28, 2022 |
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Mar 28, 2022 02:01
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