Help getting started.

My 14 year old son and I would like to try fly fishing. The nearest
fly fishing club is about 50 miles away so there isn't a local place to
go for help (I live in downstate Illinois). There isn't a fly fishing
store near here either. I've picked up a couple of beginner books and
read them, "The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide" and "Fly Fishing for
Beginners" (The Freshwater Angler). And a DVD "Successful Fly Fishing
Strategies" (Gary Lafontaine and Dick Sharon). I've also spent a week
browsing this group.

Are there any other sources that you would recommend we check out to
get started?

It looks like my son and I will need to "learn on our own" how to fly
fish. Can a person learn this from books/DVD's or are we fooling
ourselves? We just want to fish for panfish (Crappie and Bluegill) and
if we can get the hang of it then maybe try for Bass.

From our reading we feel like we now understand what equipment we need
to catch the fish we're targeting. But we need advice on where to get
a decent deal on affordable equipment (like a lot of people we're on a
limited budget). I've read in this group about Cabella's, TFO, Bass
Pro and Orvis being places to check out starter equipment -- and we've
done that. But we were wondering about "used" equipment. Is that a
way to go? I've checked out Ebay, but it looks like a lot of the items
there are selling for top dollar. Is there another (better priced)
place to go for used fly fishing equipment? Or is that pretty much
what we're going to pay regardless?

Thanks in advance for helping us out.

"mdk77" wrote in message
oups.com...
My 14 year old son and I would like to try fly fishing. The nearest
fly fishing club is about 50 miles away so there isn't a local place to
go for help (I live in downstate Illinois). There isn't a fly fishing
store near here either. I've picked up a couple of beginner books and
read them, "The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide" and "Fly Fishing for
Beginners" (The Freshwater Angler). And a DVD "Successful Fly Fishing
Strategies" (Gary Lafontaine and Dick Sharon). I've also spent a week
browsing this group.

Are there any other sources that you would recommend we check out to
get started?

It looks like my son and I will need to "learn on our own" how to fly
fish. Can a person learn this from books/DVD's or are we fooling
ourselves? We just want to fish for panfish (Crappie and Bluegill) and
if we can get the hang of it then maybe try for Bass.

You can learn just about everything you need to know about theory from print
sources, videos, etc. but, obviously, there is no substitute for hands on
experience in practice. Going out with an experienced friend is the best of
all possible worlds, but lessons from a professional teacher or members of a
nearby organization like FFF or Trout Unlimited would also be invaluable.
On the other hand, many of us started out on our own and only later got to
exchange notes with others. A lot of folks (including me) generally prefer
to do things this way. Odds are that the process will be slower and
attended by higher levels of frustration, but the level of eventual
satisfaction that comes with success is correspondingly higher as well. In
short, yes, it CAN be done......you just need to decide whether that's how
YOU want to do it. Either way, targeting panfish in an easy to work
location close to home is an excellent start. They tend to be cooperative
and less easy to spook than most others.

From our reading we feel like we now understand what equipment we need
to catch the fish we're targeting. But we need advice on where to get
a decent deal on affordable equipment (like a lot of people we're on a
limited budget). I've read in this group about Cabella's, TFO, Bass
Pro and Orvis being places to check out starter equipment -- and we've
done that. But we were wondering about "used" equipment. Is that a
way to go? I've checked out Ebay, but it looks like a lot of the items
there are selling for top dollar. Is there another (better priced)
place to go for used fly fishing equipment? Or is that pretty much
what we're going to pay regardless?

Personally, I'd suggest avoiding Ebay until you've got a much better idea of
your own preferences in equipment. Again, there is no substitute for
experience. Take advantage of any opportunity to try someone else's stuff
if you can. If you can't, take the time to travel to some place where you
can look at a variety of rods, reels, and other equipment, and to talk to
someone knowledgeable.

Wolfgang

mdk77 wrote:
My 14 year old son and I would like to try fly fishing.

Good for you. It sounds as though you've done a lot of homework
already.

Are there any other sources that you would recommend we check out to
get started?

If you don't mind separating the wheat from the chaff here, this is a
fine resource. Don't be shy, but don't be thin skinned either. Good
specific questions will get you good information from the group; but
vague questions will not.

It looks like my son and I will need to "learn on our own" how to fly
fish. Can a person learn this from books/DVD's or are we fooling
ourselves?

It's not rocket science, and you should have no problem. Just pay
attention to what the books & DVDs tell you. The toughest part will be
unlearning the mechanics of bait casting; fly casting is different.
The 11 o'clock - 1 o'clock thing you'll see regarding fly casting is
just a crude approximation of the actual action, but it is nonetheless
illustrative of the basics. As you practice more, watch the motion of
your fly line, and learn/feel how the rod changes the shape of the
cast. Don't try to lay out 60' feet of line when you're just starting.
The basics are easy, proficiency takes longer. Watch the line. Feel
the rod. Nananananana.

From our reading we feel like we now understand what equipment we need
to catch the fish we're targeting.

For a novice, I'd recommend staying away from Ebay & the used stuff at
first. Try an inexpensive medium outfit from BPS or Cabelas & see how
it goes. By the time you decide to either chuck the whole mess or move
up to something better, you'll have a much better idea what your needs
and preferences are.

Your rod choice isn't so much aimed at the fish you want to catch, but
more at the flies you'll need to throw to catch them. For poppers &
minnow imitations for bass & panfish, you're probably better off with a
6 wt., but a 5 wt. is also a great all-around rod & should toss the
smaller stuff okay IF you get proficient at it. Personally, I think a
5 wt. is a great weight to learn with. Bigger bass flies will send you
up to a 7 wt. I'll leave the rod size discussion alone for now. Others
will no doubt be chiming in on that score and proving me wrong. g

Joe F.

mdk77 wrote:
My 14 year old son and I would like to try fly fishing. The nearest
fly fishing club is about 50 miles away so there isn't a local place to
go for help (I live in downstate Illinois). There isn't a fly fishing
store near here either.

Near or far a fly shop is your best bet for gear and advice.

http://www.midwesttroutfishing.com/i...isAllShops.asp

I've never been to Fly Fisher's Outfit in Springfield but I've
visited their booth at Outdoors Shows here and they know their
stuff. There's a couple of fly shops in St. Louis that are good,

http://www.feather-craft.com/flyshop.asp

and

http://www.thargrove.com/

snip
From our reading we feel like we now understand what equipment we need
to catch the fish we're targeting. But we need advice on where to get
a decent deal on affordable equipment (like a lot of people we're on a
limited budget). I've read in this group about Cabella's, TFO, Bass
Pro and Orvis being places to check out starter equipment -- and we've
done that. But we were wondering about "used" equipment. Is that a
way to go?

Forget the used stuff until you know what you like.

It will be well worth the trip for you and your son to visit a
fly shop at least once before you take the plunge. If the sales
staff tries to talk you into the expensive stuff you can walk
out no worse for the wear but you stand a better chance of being
able to glean a lot of info in a short amount of time in a fly
shop than by reading books or watching videos.

My $.02, and worth every penny. ;-)

Oh, be sure to get sunglasses for the both of you and never cast
a fly line with a hook attached without wearing them.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Oh, be sure to get sunglasses for the both of you and never cast
a fly line with a hook attached without wearing them.

Probably the best advice thus far. In fact, I'd go so far as to delete
"with a hook attached".

Joe F.

"rb608" wrote in news:1164751918.821499.318990@
80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com:

Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Oh, be sure to get sunglasses for the both of you and never cast
a fly line with a hook attached without wearing them.

Probably the best advice thus far. In fact, I'd go so far as to delete
"with a hook attached".

Joe F.




If you keep deleting your attached hooks, you won't catch very many fish.
You certainly wouldn't have caught anything like the nice Steelie I
caught on Sunday!

In all seriousness, this can be a good forum, but it's nowhere near as
good as direct in person instruction.

Regardless of the approach you take, you'll eventually learn. If you
can't find a local organization offering a beginners course, the next
best fastest shortcut, would be to buy a functionable new rig in about a
4 or 5 weight line, and book yourself a guide on the nearest
"destination"-type stream you have. Be absolutely sure to tell the guide
before you book him that you have zero flyfishing experience, and that
you would like the outing to be an on-stream getting started lesson. If
the guide isn't interested in entertaining this, he'll let you know then.


--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

"Ken Fortenberry"

Forget the used stuff until you know what you like.


umm...that's about the only part I'd disagree with. Many folks get into
flyfishing and upgrade. That means there are good deals on beginner outfits
on ebay, club bulliten boards and the like.

A biginner outfit is often a good way to go...even used.

Then, patronize your local fly shop for the rod. Search the net more...look
in the local shops...they may seem to be a 'bass' shop but if it is the
local type with the coffee pot brewing you can bet flyfishers frequent
there....

john

Oh, be sure to get sunglasses for the both of you and never cast
a fly line with a hook attached without wearing them.

Excellent advice, but be sure to get *polaroids*. You can see *into*
the water much better.

vince norris

"vincent p. norris" wrote ...
Oh, be sure to get sunglasses for the both of you and never cast
a fly line with a hook attached without wearing them.

Excellent advice, but be sure to get *polaroids*. You can see *into*
the water much better.

Umm... "polarized" me thinks.

Dan
....tho polaroids can be lots of fun, too.

Daniel-San wrote:
"vincent p. norris" wrote ...
Oh, be sure to get sunglasses for the both of you and never cast
a fly line with a hook attached without wearing them.
Excellent advice, but be sure to get *polaroids*. You can see *into*
the water much better.

Umm... "polarized" me thinks.

Vince is showing his age. The first polarized sunglasses on
the mass market were called polaroids. So it's like calling
a copy machine the Xerox machine or paper tissue a Kleenex.
Folks know what you mean.

--
Ken Fortenberry