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Post by crimsonnight on May 8, 2017 13:04:31 GMT -6
I still seem to be struggling with fly fishing. I have practiced in the grass several times. I went to McHugh and it seemed that I wasn't casting well in general. I had to resort to my normal gear to catch fish. Any way to get better? I will be headed to the west in a few days and I hope I make consistent casts.
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Post by nova on May 8, 2017 16:25:47 GMT -6
Watch some tutorials. Leave your other gear at home.
I started last year. I enjoy all types of fishing, so to me fly fishing is just another technique in the arsenal. I did the same as you, I'd fish a bit and get frustrated and switch back to my conventional gear. It wasn't until I made a conscious decision to leave all my conventional gear at home that I finally started catching fish. I forced myself to get better without having anyone to learn from. This isn't really something a person can take to overnight, IMO. A year later an I'm just "ok" at best. My casting still has a long way to go and I've a lot to learn about fishing nymphs, chironomids and drys.
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Robert Burton
Fly Fishing Zombie
Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.
Posts: 4,744
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Post by Robert Burton on May 9, 2017 7:24:53 GMT -6
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Post by kilgortrout on May 15, 2017 13:39:58 GMT -6
Go to Lockport , lots of fish this time of year and you do not have to cast very far. Should have a better fun potential. McHugh is a hard lake even if you are experienced. cheers Ron
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Post by bambooaddict on May 15, 2017 16:31:35 GMT -6
Struggling with the fishing part is not new - happens to the best casters . Some days they get skunked like every other fly fishers. I think you mean struggling with fly casting and that will make fly Fishing frustrating. A few recommendations for you: - you have been practicing, but have you done so with a good caster watching you? It's asking too much of a biginner to diagnose him/herself; - focus on the basic cast with no more than 30 feet of line out; - it's technique (and proper form) over power - you need to build your muscle memory properly; - don't practice more than 15 minutes, at least initially. The amount of casting you do in that timeframe surpasses the amount of casting done fly fishing for a few hours. If you're fishing chironomids your 15 minutes of casting practice is a full day of that type of fly fishing, LOL. We don't realize that 15 mins of concentrated casting will tire our muscles, then form and technique go out the window and you introduce bad muscle memory; - if you don't have a good caster to help you out, have someone videotape your basic cast. Then compare it to a few good videos on YouTube. Look for The Basic Cast by Orvis instructor Peter Kutzer, and look for a Joan Wulff video in which she explains the basic cast. She is a classic style caster and a distance world champion fly caster. When you see how small she is you will understand technique over power; - if you want to get it done faster, get lessons. Hope this helps.
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Post by lurker1818 on May 16, 2017 6:10:15 GMT -6
I have been doing this for probably 10 years now and still don't think I am that great of a caster. Haven't really worked on things like double hauling etc. What I really worked on is accuracy. I pride myself on being able to put a 40 foot cast into a small spot that I pick out. Also, when starting, let the conditions dictate where you cast from, don't try to throw a weighted fly into the wind, it will just flop in front of you, tangle the line, and you get really pissed off very fast. get the wind behind you and use it to carry the line, much easier to do and you will enjoy the day because you are not getting frustrated. Also, manage your rod to your casting style, I have several rods that need to be casted differently depending on the rod. For me, I find the stiffer rods handle heavier flies much better and are more forgiving, but for me I find them more stressful on the arm. My softer rods are much easier on the arm, but take a bit more technique to cast, the timing on these is much more important. And as said above, leave the other gear at home so you can't fall back on the simple stuff when you get angry with the fly rod.
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Post by crimsonnight on May 17, 2017 9:50:09 GMT -6
I'd like to go to lockport but I don't know if my 6wt can handle a big fish if I hook into one (at lockport anything can happen)
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Post by rockbass09 on May 17, 2017 11:48:35 GMT -6
Stick to the floodway, little to no current in there. I got by with a 5wt for two years before upgrading to a heavier setup and caught lots of big carp and cats on it. Was a little difficult trying to turn a running fish but hey that's the fun in fly fishing!
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Post by kilgortrout on May 19, 2017 10:16:06 GMT -6
You can fish Locport with a 6wt.
Lee Lee Wolf had a favorite bamboo rod it was 6 ft 5 wt, one piece rod he would land 26lb salmon with this rod.
I think the key to not breaking your rod or any rod is to NOT raise it much past 45 to 60 degrees( this is a ballpark figure) when you have a fish on. Course it is common practice to get your rod right vertical right from the hook set on. Once the rod is vertical the tip is vulnerable to snapping off, I know this from doing it. With the rod less vertical it will flex more deeply towards the handle instead of just the tip taking the brunt of the force. Also line does not flow out through the guides as easily with the rod vertical. Using a rod in this manner ( less vertical) I think you will be surprised how powerful a 5 or 6 wt rod is when the whole rod comes into play, and you will not be overplaying the fish and not endangering its success after release. Best of all you will be playing the fish with a massive grin knowing you can enjoy the fight and not worrying about breaking your rod.
As an aside, the trend is for people to want a "fast" rod, this type of rod is more prone to tip breakage when fished vertical. Nubies especially do better with a soft rod, easier to cast and less prone to breakage. Even now I will go for the softer, "slower" rod ( bamboo is another quantum step slower). As a Nubie you can use one line heavier than the rod, so a 6wt line on a 5 wt rod. Fly lines are rated for something like having 30ft of line out past the tip. So as a Nubie if you can't get 30ft out for a cast,(read a lot of people can't) put on a heavier line and you will load the rod easier with less line out. As you improve you can adjust your line weight to your skill. Once I learned soft rod heavier line casting was much easier. Cheers Ron
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