Introduction

Hello all.

I'm new to flyfishing and have been lurking this group for a couple
months anxious to ask a few questions.

Last June me, my wife, and my Chocolate Lab Tater went to Wyoming and
fished the North Platte and Encampment around Encampment, Wyoming.
Had some luck on the North Platte close to the Colorado border.

Then we went up to the Miracle Mile. The first day nothing. The
second day was starting to be a rerun of the day before and I figured
I just didn't have the right stuff on the end of the line. So I went
to a little store there and a lady pulled out a big assortment of flys
and she gave me four Wolly Buggers. Yikes, I pulled in bigger
Rainbows than I had caught around Encampment. No Browns though.
Successful trip. Anxious to go again.

So I'm looking for advice. I live in Ohio but love the western
states. When I bought tackle about a year ago, I think I got stuff
that would be better suited in the eastern waters. These Wolly
Buggers were a lot bigger than what I had, so far as size goes. It
seemed like all of the flys she had were bigger than what I had. So
the question is, what size should I get for western fishing?

The other novice question I have concerns the monofilament leader. I
bought 5 lb line. When I used it the end was very thin, it is a
tapered line. I'd get strikes and end up pulling in a blank end. In
other words the fish were snapping the line. Once I got down to
thicker line, I started to get at least some of the fish. The problem
is that it also gets harder to get the line through the eye of the
fly. Also... once some of the mono gets shortened, I cast better. A
heckuva a lot better. So please advise. Am I missing something? Do
you pro's shorten the mono?

My next trip is in the planning. I have been reading up on the Green
River. The headwater up in Wyoming sounds like a good trip. We sleep
in the back of an SUV and don't like crouds. Any advice for that area
would be appreciated. Other areas as well. We are open to
suggestions. With a trip of over a 1,000 miles we want some success.

Hope these questions aren't too much for a first timer. Thanks...

AL


AL
From Eastern Ohio.

Pipes are occasionally of extraordinary interest.
Nothing has more individuality save, perhaps,
watches and bootlaces. -- Sherlock Holmes

AL wrote:

So
the question is, what size should I get for western fishing?

You'll need an assortment from about #4 (giant stoneflies) to #28 (midges)

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

AL wrote:
Hello all.

I'm new to flyfishing and have been lurking this group for a couple
months anxious to ask a few questions.

Last June me, my wife, and my Chocolate Lab Tater went to Wyoming and
fished the North Platte and Encampment around Encampment, Wyoming.
Had some luck on the North Platte close to the Colorado border.

Nice area.


So I'm looking for advice. I live in Ohio but love the western
states. When I bought tackle about a year ago, I think I got stuff
that would be better suited in the eastern waters. These Wolly
Buggers were a lot bigger than what I had, so far as size goes. It
seemed like all of the flys she had were bigger than what I had. So
the question is, what size should I get for western fishing?


Like RW said, fly sizes range widely depending on the place and the
conditions. The Miracle Mile is a unique fishery and fishes differently
than most other waters.



The other novice question I have concerns the monofilament leader. I
bought 5 lb line. When I used it the end was very thin, it is a
tapered line. I'd get strikes and end up pulling in a blank end. In
other words the fish were snapping the line. Once I got down to
thicker line, I started to get at least some of the fish. The problem
is that it also gets harder to get the line through the eye of the
fly. Also... once some of the mono gets shortened, I cast better. A
heckuva a lot better. So please advise. Am I missing something? Do
you pro's shorten the mono?

You need to buy some tippet material. If you had a bunch of breakoffs
with 5 lb. use 4X tippet to start. You need to get in some more practice
handling fish on fly gear. 5lb tippet is strong enough for the vast
majority of trout you're going to hook. However, you can't horse them in
or try to really set the hook like you can with bait casting gear.


My next trip is in the planning. I have been reading up on the Green
River. The headwater up in Wyoming sounds like a good trip. We sleep
in the back of an SUV and don't like crowds. Any advice for that area
would be appreciated. Other areas as well. We are open to
suggestions. With a trip of over a 1,000 miles we want some success.

The upper part of the Green would make a good trip. MUCH less crowded
than the lower, more famous, section in Utah. However, access is limited
in some areas.

Willi

Willi wrote in news:3fb3ab27$0$193$75868355
@news.frii.net:

The other novice question I have concerns the monofilament leader. I
bought 5 lb line. When I used it the end was very thin, it is a
tapered line. I'd get strikes and end up pulling in a blank end. In
other words the fish were snapping the line. Once I got down to
thicker line, I started to get at least some of the fish. The problem
is that it also gets harder to get the line through the eye of the
fly. Also... once some of the mono gets shortened, I cast better. A
heckuva a lot better. So please advise. Am I missing something? Do
you pro's shorten the mono?

You need to buy some tippet material. If you had a bunch of breakoffs
with 5 lb. use 4X tippet to start. You need to get in some more practice
handling fish on fly gear. 5lb tippet is strong enough for the vast
majority of trout you're going to hook. However, you can't horse them in
or try to really set the hook like you can with bait casting gear.



Also, you might want to look into your knot strength. The knot itself can
be substantially weaker than the line, and if you're routinely snapping off
5 lb tippet, there may be something wrong with your knots.

Scott

On 13 Nov 2003 16:13:43 GMT, Scott Seidman
wrote:

Willi wrote in news:3fb3ab27$0$193$75868355
:

The other novice question I have concerns the monofilament leader. I
bought 5 lb line. When I used it the end was very thin, it is a
tapered line. I'd get strikes and end up pulling in a blank end. In
other words the fish were snapping the line. Once I got down to
thicker line, I started to get at least some of the fish. The problem
is that it also gets harder to get the line through the eye of the
fly. Also... once some of the mono gets shortened, I cast better. A
heckuva a lot better. So please advise. Am I missing something? Do
you pro's shorten the mono?

You need to buy some tippet material. If you had a bunch of breakoffs
with 5 lb. use 4X tippet to start. You need to get in some more practice
handling fish on fly gear. 5lb tippet is strong enough for the vast
majority of trout you're going to hook. However, you can't horse them in
or try to really set the hook like you can with bait casting gear.



Also, you might want to look into your knot strength. The knot itself can
be substantially weaker than the line, and if you're routinely snapping off
5 lb tippet, there may be something wrong with your knots.

Scott
Thanks Scott, I thought that it was probably my knots at first. But
the line will usually have a coil in it if the knot comes loose. I've
had that happen. These didn't. I also thought that I was casting a
loop into the mono and creating a weak spot, but I didn't find that to
be the case either.

I have a book that shows tipet so maybe I'll take your advice and give
it a try. It just looks more complicated than the single piece of
tapered mono.

You're right I do need more practice.

Thanks again.
AL
From Eastern Ohio.

Pipes are occasionally of extraordinary interest.
Nothing has more individuality save, perhaps,
watches and bootlaces. -- Sherlock Holmes

AL wrote in
:

Thanks Scott, I thought that it was probably my knots at first. But
the line will usually have a coil in it if the knot comes loose. I've
had that happen. These didn't. I also thought that I was casting a
loop into the mono and creating a weak spot, but I didn't find that to
be the case either.

I have a book that shows tipet so maybe I'll take your advice and give
it a try. It just looks more complicated than the single piece of
tapered mono.

You're right I do need more practice.

Thanks again.
AL
From Eastern Ohio.

Pipes are occasionally of extraordinary interest.
Nothing has more individuality save, perhaps,
watches and bootlaces. -- Sherlock Holmes



The line will have a coil if the knot slips, but if you have a bad twist in
your knot, it might break clean, and you wouldn't see a "pigtail"

Scott

The upper part of the Green would make a good trip. MUCH less crowded
than the lower, more famous, section in Utah. However, access is limited
in some areas.

Willi


Thanks Willi, This place sounds interesting and should have some
great scenery.
AL
From Eastern Ohio.

Pipes are occasionally of extraordinary interest.
Nothing has more individuality save, perhaps,
watches and bootlaces. -- Sherlock Holmes

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 12:23:12 GMT, AL
wrote:

Hello all.

hey AL

good to see yet another person from ASP on ROFF.



Joshua

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 13:04:22 -0500, Joshua Rosenblatt
wrote:

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 12:23:12 GMT, AL
wrote:

Hello all.

hey AL

good to see yet another person from ASP on ROFF.



Joshua

Hello Joshua,
Yes I finally got up the nerve to start asking my dumb questions.
This sport is about as complicated as pipe smoking. I bought a couple
videos on casting and can do pretty good at that. Got some books on
bugs and how they should relate to flys but they didn't take. I just
try something that looks good and hope for the best.

True confessions. I can't smoke a pipe and work the water. I smoke
my Camels if the bugs get bad.

AL
AL
From Eastern Ohio.

Pipes are occasionally of extraordinary interest.
Nothing has more individuality save, perhaps,
watches and bootlaces. -- Sherlock Holmes

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 21:37:39 GMT, AL
wrote:

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 13:04:22 -0500, Joshua Rosenblatt
wrote:

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 12:23:12 GMT, AL
wrote:

Hello all.

hey AL

good to see yet another person from ASP on ROFF.



Joshua

Hello Joshua,
Yes I finally got up the nerve to start asking my dumb questions.
This sport is about as complicated as pipe smoking. I bought a couple
videos on casting and can do pretty good at that. Got some books on
bugs and how they should relate to flys but they didn't take. I just
try something that looks good and hope for the best.

pretty much what we all did when we started out. Stick with it
though, once you climb the learning curve eveything falls into
place... umm, err, most days.

There is always more to learn of course

True confessions. I can't smoke a pipe and work the water. I smoke
my Camels if the bugs get bad.

I enjoy a pipe on the water and have some pipes specifically made
(large bowl, light weight, hangs perfect from teeth & rests on chin)
but mroe often than not i'm found with a cig in my mouth too.

Cigars, as much as I love em, jsut don't get smoked much on the water.
The smoke gets in my eyes too much and becoems a distraction -
especially if I'm playing a fish or working a seam intently.

If ya get a chacne next spring, make a trip east to PA and we'll wet
a line together and share some baccy.

Best
Joshua