In article , PG
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I'm taking up fly fishing and have a few queries and I'd be grateful for
any tips or advice and recommendations of good fly fishing venues (I'm
in Bromley, Kent) good fishing websites, books, etc.

You can flyfish practically any water. This is a game fishing ng so I
presume you intend to ff for game fish ... if you take your fly rod to the
sea then ask in uk.rec.fishing.sea

I'm completely new to fly fishing, I have done some course fishing, but
that was about 25 years ago and for fun rather than serious fishing. So
I'm really starting from scratch.

Any experience pays off in the end. You can carry on where you left off and
flyfish for coarse fish (OT here too) and so get the feel of a new method on
fish whose habits you know.

Can you put fish back after catching them?

Yes. If you are on a water with funny rules then use barbless hooks (or
squeeze down the barbs) and reel the fish right to the rod tip so that the
rod becomes an extra long disgorger and the fish is never actually landed.

The reason I ask this is cos my work mate said you always kill your
catch and take it away with you, but I thought some venues only allow
you to take a certain number of fish, (to preserve stocks) and if this
is the case does that mean you have to stop fishing once you have caught
up to the limit?

Each venue has it's own rules. Ask before you book in. Most commercial
fisheries are looking to conserve money rather than stocks and so will try
to sell you an extension ticket.

Or can you carry on and just put back any further fish that you catch?

Sometimes, check the local rules.

What if you catch a fish that you don't want to keep? (eg: non
trout/salmon).

Again, there may be local rules but in general, release it just as you might
if your catch was below the size limit or (more common on commmercial
waters) too big to be worth eating.

Do I need to have a mat to lay the fish on when I'm unhooking, etc? I
know that carp fishers and course fishers use them, but I'm not sure
about Game?

They're not -needed- anywhere unless you want to pose with the fish and
dither around with cameras. You can usually keep the fish in shallow water
or the wet net while you unhook it and release it without excessive
handling.

What does the number on the rod/line mean?

A frequent question here. Google for a long thread in June 2002 where Mike
Connor explained it all neatly.

I know you have to match the line to the rod and I have a 9' (2.7m) fly
rod that states it should use 6/7 line, and I have some 6/7 line but
what does 6/7 mean?

It's a very rough guide indicating the -weight- of flyline it will cast -
you might be better with a #8 on that rod, beginners often do OK with a
slightly higher line rating - but see Mike Connor's postings (as above).

I've been told its best to use floating line in summer, and sinking line
in winter, is this correct?

No.

Use a floating line when fishing the top/upper part of the water. Use a
sinker when not on the top. Decide how deep to fish when you see where the
food the fish are taking is. I have (once) seen fish taking off the top
amid floating ice...

I assume it is right cos flies will be on the water during summer, and I
presume during winter the grubs, larvae, etc will be below the surface
so I can see some logic in it.

I have a selection of dry flies. I presume these should always be used
with a floating line cos they are intended to stay on top of the water?
Is this right?

Therefore, I presume its best to use wet flies during non summer months?

Just be ready to adapt to circumstances on the water.

How do I keep dry flies in good condition? do I need to use the
floatation fluid stuff and coat the flies occasionally? if so often do I
need to coat them? (eg: every time I use them?)

Every time they sink.

Can I use a fly rod AND a course rod at the same time at the same
location (not sure whether my fishing licence allows this?) I have a one
year non migratory and course fishing licence.

Do you get many venues where the above is plausible (eg: trout/salmon
and other course type fish in the same place).

In theory, yes. In practice you will rarely be able to split your attention
properly and you'll probably end up catching less. You will find that
roving, chub-fishing type tactics will take trout on the bait and as usual
the best place to fish is just downstream of the local duck feeding
station...

Larger trout are often fish feeders so spinning and sink-and-draw
deadbaiting may get you a big 'un. Livebaiting is possible though tricky,
in all cases, if pike are about you need to include a wire trace.

Lastly, I'm not really sure about fly lines and suitable knots!

I know I need a backing line, and connected to this is the fly line, and
then connected to this a thinner leader line to the fly. But what is the
best method of connecting these?

Someone told me to just tie knots, and someone else told me to use
v.thin rubber sleeves to cover joins (with or without superglue?)

What is the easiest recommended method?

Whatever you are comfortable with.

Is it worth taking more than one reel with different line types on each
reel, say one floating and one sinking, so you can swap on-site?

That's what I do, or spare spools for the one reel.


In general: Forget the hype. You are reading too much by the sound of it.

Book a couple of lessons on a local water, gt the instructor to take you
through all the setup problems.

Get a budget outfit with cheap mill-end line and aim to destroy it within
the first year. Cast into all the nightmare spots any you'll catch more.
By the end of the year you'll be casting into those same spots but not
(usually) getting hung up. Next year buy decent kit which you will -know-
how to use and which you will have tailored to your local waters.

And have fun. Cheerio,

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