Anyone Else Fly Fish?

[Newfie]

I just took up fly fishing a few weeks ago, after fishing with spinning gear since I was old enough to hold a rod.

I fish primarily in a small pond close to my home that (as you can see below) has a good selection and variety of pan size and bigger.

My first rod is a Streamside Elite 5 wt 8', and have a pair of Okuma reels.

I use mostly dry flies in size 12. With my fat fingers and relatively poor eyes, I have issues trying to thread a 5X tippet through the eye of a #16 hook.

 

[KnoxPhil]

I love everything about flyfishing, and prefer the small streams found in my "home" territory of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; the wild trout, most of them relatively small, are great fun to catch, and quite beautiful. Light gear, short casts, and bushy dries with droppers are the order of the day.

Unfortunately, the demands of owning my own business often get in the way of going flyfishing. Thanks for your pics, Newfie...I am fishing vicariously through you!

 

[Hawkeye5]

I agree KPhil. Boulder hopping small mountain streams is fantastic! Fish are small but always hungry. I like the West Prong of the Little Pigeon and Roaring Fork for quick mountain stream fixes when I'm in the area.

I also enjoy Smallmouth on a fly rod.

 

[_JP_]

For several years I used to teach fly rod casting and fly tying.

 

[The Knize]

nice pond!

I like to fly fish, too, not that I am any good at it or seem to be able to find a reasonable place nearby to do it!

 

[SpyvSpy]

I used to fly fish alot when my grand parents had a house in hawks cay in FLA (forget which key island) and have fly fished every trip I could with my father all over. Best first catch on a 4 weight fly rod was a nice size barracuda (what a good day that was)

 

[KnoxPhil]

I like the West Prong of the Little Pigeon and Roaring Fork for quick mountain stream fixes when I'm in the area.

For those who have not had the pleasure of a first-hand visit, I would like to state for the record that Roaring Fork is completely covered in rattlesnakes and mosquitos and isn't worth the trip. Really. You should probably try to fish somewhere else. Copperheads, too.

 

[Ghostwriter]

I fly fish a little too, but haven't done much this year. Small mountain lakes and streams are pretty fun most of the time.

 

[tpoof]

I love flyfishing as well! tie my own flies..
not many steams around here but further north I know of a couple with wild Brookies in them.

fish alot of stocked lakes with pretty good success..
I find a rabbit hair leech pattern to be my fav for still water fishing.. took a 9lb rainbow on one.. what a brute! released!

most of all though, its the small streams that I enjoy the most.
the trees and the sound of the stream and the fish that look like gems..
truely a gift!
love it!
even a pic with a nice Brookie caught with a small spoon (the wife's)
small spinners and spoons work well also
View attachment 117807

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kinda carried away with the pics...

 

[The Knize]

great pics

the beauty and peace is something I love about fly fishing

addictive stuff!

 

[Dude123]

Yes sir. Tie my own flies as well. I've been doing it for 2 seasons now, but haven't managed to land many trout, but I've only fished one apparently difficult river here and only a few times each season. Had a little more luck with bass and other warmwater species.

Been crazy busy this year and haven't really made it out much sadly, but hopefully I can make up for it during the last of this month and into september.

 

[ginantonix]

I just started about a year ago. I am only about 45 minutes away from the Cowichan River for Rainbows and Browns, and a couple of weeks ago I went up for the Pink salmon at Campbell River. Going up to Campbell River again next weekend for some beach fly fishing.

I also picked up a Spey rod this summer, and while I haven't fished with it yet I am enjoying learning the spey casts.

(Sorry, no photos, I'm on the road at present. Thanks to everyone else for the pics!)

 

[dbl-haul]

I have fly fished since about 1981. I received a fly rod and reel in a bubble pack and I never looked back! I have fished all over and I love it. work has gotten in the way the last few years and I am going to fix that.

"Like many fly fishermen in western Montana where the summer days are almost Arctic in length, I often do not start fishing until the cool of the evening. Then in the Arctic half-light of the canyon, all existence fades to a being with my soul and memories and the sounds of the Big Blackfoot River and a four-count rhythm and the hope that a fish will rise. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters".
Norman Maclean

 

[azmark]

Fly fishing is the only fishing. I have a few custom Loomis and Dan Craft fly rods and a factory Sage. Fly fishing is a good comparison to wetshaving or straight edge shaving; it is passed down through tradition and you enjoy the process more than the affair. Oh and both can get really expensive.

We use to do brook trout fishing up and Labrador. That is some of the best fishing I've ever seen.

 

[azmark]

Fly fishing trout with anything over a 4wt isn't what it use to be. 00-3wt is my ideal now for trout and going to 8wt for salmon/stealhead.

 

[azmark]

I love flyfishing as well! tie my own flies..
not many steams around here but further north I know of a couple with wild Brookies in them.

fish alot of stocked lakes with pretty good success..
I find a rabbit hair leech pattern to be my fav for still water fishing.. took a 9lb rainbow on one.. what a brute! released!

most of all though, its the small streams that I enjoy the most.
the trees and the sound of the stream and the fish that look like gems..
truely a gift!
love it!
even a pic with a nice Brookie caught with a small spoon (the wife's)
small spinners and spoons work well also
View attachment 117807

View attachment 117808

View attachment 117809

View attachment 117810

kinda carried away with the pics...

That's heaven....

 

[The Knize]

Fly fishing trout with anything over a 4wt isn't what it use to be. 00-3wt is my ideal now for trout and going to 8wt for salmon/stealhead.

I am not worthy!

 

[k200817]

Those fish look good enough to eat.

I went to Yellowstone last year with my sons and tried fly fishing. I was hooked (Not by the fly hook )

Long story short, I am now the proud owner of several nice rods and reels including box full of flies. The problem is, there are not to many good rivers/streams in SO Cal.

 

[azmark]

This is a good thread for the Clubhouse.

 

[azmark]

Long story short, I am now the proud owner of several nice rods and reels including box full of flies. The problem is, there are not to many good rivers/streams in SO Cal.

No problem there. Im from Riverside and we use to go float tube Green Valley Lake and Big Bear Lake. That is a lot of fun with tubes. But also some of the best was up in the eastern sierras in Bishop up in the mountains west of their is great fishing and back packing streams. Mammoth Lakes was another favorite with tons of back country lakes with wile rainbows and Alpers. June Loop always was a good area and good camping. Virginia Lakes and Convict Lakes are good too but get some bad winds there. Man I miss fishing up there.

Oh and who could forget Yosemite!!!