Saltwater Freshwater Fly fishing

[Old Smoothound]

Originally Posted by Pross

Bought my new fly rod and reel for saltwater fly fishing. 9'6" 7-8 wt rod, 7-8 weight large arbor reel, 8 wt wf floating line and some clousers (very similar to your fly # 2). I have tried to get going a couple of times but had probelms with the line coming off the reel so never really got a chance to fish. Is there anywhere reasonably close to the Bristol or Newport areas where I can fly fish for bass or pollack? I was told to just let the fly drift, is this best or is it better to draw the fly back in? Could bring my fly rod on 2 October, may get a mackerel on it if nothing else!

Hi Pross,

Between Bristol and Newport, don't bother as the Bass need to see the fly and in the Bristol Channel they hunt by scent alone too much sedement.

Looks like you made a good choice in rod length and line weight, clousers do work but..... there are better flies to use...... mine of course!

Describe further your line coming off the reel, how does it look. If you want to cast first you must strip some line off the reel onto the ground.... keep the hand at the side of you holding the line.... with your right hand (if right handed) hold the rod just above the reel with your thumb on top and pointing in a straight line towards the tip of the rod. The line will only cast wherever the rod tip is pointing.

Don't try and cast a long way, go out onto the back lawn and do this excercise.

Strip off about 8-10 yards of line you need the weight forward part of the line to load the rod (bit like a spring) same as in beachcasting.

Imagine a clock face at the side of you..... 12 noon is right above your head one o'clock just by your right ear.... 9o'clock straight out in front of you...

Now start with the rod at 7'oclock just off the ground... now lift the rod slowly to 10 o'clock and at this point put a little flick backwards... keeping your casting arm close in to your side... do not allow it to swing outwards your arm will come back up alongside your eye line at this point stop the rod and the line will gently flick backwards up into the air behind you. Do not let your wrist bend/break at the wrist joint as this will put your backcast near to the ground behind you. If you put the butt of the rod inside your jacket cuff this helps a lot. Then bring the rod back forward again stopping the rod at the 11'oclock position in front of you.

This should get you going... failing that book a lesson with me!!


Cheers
Shaun

[kiwimarty]

Originally Posted by Old Smoothound

Marty,

Don't go buying any fly tying gear yet mate, not until after the 2nd October. As i will be down for the Devon meet and hopefully be able to advise you on your next big step into the world of Fly fishing...... that is unless I am so busy catching..... like i wasn't yesterday !!! Never mind it gets better from here on in.

But if you read by bit on Saltwater fly fishing i am putting together a basics list for the wannabee fly fisher, plus i will be adding what you need to get started fly tying.

If you want to buy some fly fishing / fly tying gear send me a PM....
Cheers
Shaun

As you say we will talk more on the 2nd. Very interested in your 'basics list' but I want to take it one step further. If it's poss I would like a set up that I could possibly use for freashwater fly fishing as well. Now I dont know if this is poss, as I imagin that there is a significant difference between rods etc.

Best thing for me to do is take you up on your offer of me coming up etc.

In the mean time perhaps you could pm me with the costs of starting off.

Cheers Shaun.

Martin

[Old Smoothound]

Originally Posted by kiwimarty

As you say we will talk more on the 2nd. Very interested in your 'basics list' but I want to take it one step further. If it's poss I would like a set up that I could possibly use for freashwater fly fishing as well. Now I dont know if this is poss, as I imagin that there is a significant difference between rods etc.

Best thing for me to do is take you up on your offer of me coming up etc.

In the mean time perhaps you could pm me with the costs of starting off.

Cheers Shaun.

Martin

No problem Marty, will price up a starter kit for you and PM u with it in the next couple of days... word of warning don't buy really cheap RT stuff made in China as it does not do the job for Saltwater very well. Will explain in a PM later .

I would suggest a rod rated 7/8 if you want to use for freshwater as well. You can use an 7 or 8 line plus a shooting head line rated 8or9. Shooting heads are basically 12 yards of fly line with a thin running line attached. Use the head to load the rod build up loads of line speed in 2-3 casts and send it sailing into the blue yonder say 30-40 yards if you get it right!


Rod plus change of lines will get you fresh and saltwater fishing.

Cheers
Shaun

[Pross]

Shaun, I think I tried to explain the problem to you before. I start off casting with the line coming out of the reel in the proper place (between the reel seating and the first bar running across the reel) but by time I have a lot of line out it somehow drops through the first bar so that it is feeding from the bottom of the reel. Probably easier to show you, I'll bring the reel for the Brixham meet. Must also speak to you about getting flies made up.

Martin, I wanted to get back into fly fishing and try saltwater fly fishing too. Ended up buying this package http://www.troutfishing.co.uk/ishop/...opscr1020.html which I think should be fine for saltwater and open freshwaters although may be slightly heavy for river fishing (I intend trying it on the River Usk next season though). Shaun may advise if the kit is any good, I haven't really had a chance to try it yet but have been told that the Ideal XL stuff is good cheap and cheerful starter equipment and at the end of the day the price is very good.

[kiwimarty]

Thanks Pross. I've bookmarked that page. Very good price.

[Old Smoothound]

Originally Posted by Pross

Probably easier to show you, I'll bring the reel for the Brixham meet. Must also speak to you about getting flies made up.

Shaun may advise if the kit is any good, I haven't really had a chance to try it yet but have been told that the Ideal XL stuff is good cheap and cheerful starter equipment and at the end of the day the price is very good.

Pross,

If Brixham is still on, bring down your rod and real and i will advise.

Cheers
Shaun

Hi,

Just joined the forum. I've been fly fishing for since I was 8, mainly self-taught. The best bit of advise I would give to anyone wanting to start fly fishing, saltwater or otherwise is to get some casting lessons and join a club. You will then be up and running in the shortest possible time. I really regret not doing this when I started as a wasted alot of time and money.

I hope this helps.
JohnT

[fishypaul]

welcome to the friendliest forum on the net john,i'm sure your experience will be very useful to some of us who would love to try fly fishing one day.

posted 9/04 [When I was in the Cayman Islands several years ago I was watching people fly fishing off of these flat deck boats. They were fishing for Bonefish in about 2 to 3 feet of water. It looks like a lot of fun.
Bob]

I work in Key Largo Florida, and was just fishing a week and half ago off a flatbottom 16foot skiff in shallow water. The guide was poling the boat slowly, and he was teaching me how to sight-fish for bonefish. I did get to see some tails, but didn't hook anything. But, this was just like you saw in Cayman - I was standing on the flat bow of the boat (making very little noise, mind you).

[audiracer]

welcome to the forum betsy

just looked at your website, what a great location, whats the fishing like over there?