Things I've learned Fly fishing

[jeffnles1]

The tree limb your fly is hung on is always about 3/4" higher than your maximum reach

6X tippet is totally useless for pulling a tree limb down that extra 3/4" so that you can reach your fly.

I'm still not sure if it's more painful to lose a fly you paid $2 for in a fly shop or one you spent 15 minutes tying yourself.

barbless hooks are much easier to remove from your body than barbed hooks

fish have an IQ of about 3 yet we still fail to catch them far more frequently than we care to admit

casting a 3wt into a 20 mph head wind is cause for a whole new vocabulary.

Your teen age son greatly appreciates the new phrases and word combinations he learned when dad is casting a 3wt into a 20 mph head wind.

why it's called fishing and not catching

small bluegill think they're really big fish

tying your own flies saves a lot of money (at least that's what I tell my wife)

you cannot own too many fly rods

when fishing warm water ponds, always bring a few "trout" flies like an elk hair caddis.

anyone who thinks golf is frustrating has never gone fishing

anyone who thinks fishing is boring has never gone fishing

fly fishing is a lot of fun.

Jeff

[OttoDita]

I heard someone on a fishing show, while bluegill fishing say "If these things got to 5lbs, I'd never go swimming". Haha, they certainly do think thier big

Haha, I love these threads. Always make me smile, most of the time I'm laughing while reading through the "things".

Great lessons
Shane

[Gigmaster]

Things I've learned fly fishing:

1. Make a Pit Stop at the restrooms BEFORE you put on your waders and float-tube.

2. Make the same Pit Stop BEFORE you take off in a kayak.

3. Water Moccasins are attracted to float tubes.

4. The absolute perfect fly pattern for the fish that day is the one you left in the flybox at home.

5. DNR Rangers will never ask for your license until you get into your waders and float tube, and are a good ways from shore. And it will always be in your wallet.

6. Holes and drop-offs that were never present before, will miraculously materialize in front of you when wade-fishing.

[Uncle Barry]

Good evening,
After 46 or 7 years at this fly fishing thing, I have discovered there is still too much to learn !

Kind regards,
UB

[LouT]

If you know how many fly rods you own, you don't own enough fly rods.

The shortest guy should always wade across the deep, fast creek first.

It'd the size of the tippet, not the size of the rod that determines how much it takes to break off.

You can't catch fish unless your fly is in the water.

If you are only carring one fly of a pattern and are fishing an area that snags flies, that is the pattern that will work.

Weedless flies are not weedless.

[shorthaul]

zip only the pockets of your vest for the items you want to keep

your car roof is not a rod rack(for very long)

dont unhook uderwater snags with your rod tip

if you ignore the previous line---break the piece of rod off above the last remaining snake guide

feet first floats are better than headfirst floats in fast water

DONT ASK ME HOW I KNOW THIS STUFF

[Bamboozle]

Here's a few lessons I've learned (from an old post I made here):


My fly snags on my waders, shirt, pants, hat, trees, rocks, and everything else except in the fishes mouth when it counts.

Leader to tippet knots & tippet to fly knots come undone but tangles and wind knots are forever.

Waders don't leak when it MIGHT feel good; like when it's really hot and humid.

The flies I spend all night tying for a trip don't work and the flies I already had do.

I always run out of the tippet size I hardly ever use.

When I need to retrieve a snagged fly, I'm wearing hippers and the pool in front of the snag is 3-1/2 feet deep.

No matter how many pit stops I make on the way, nature calls IMMEDIATELY after the waders are on.

A trout will attack a leaf, feather, strike indicator, cigarette butt, or gum wrapper but will ignore my REALISTIC offerings.

The worst tangle of the day is ALWAYS at dusk during a hatch with tons of rising fish all around.

On the ONLY day all season that I forget my fishing license; the ranger shows up.

Sinking dry flies & floating wet flies sometime work better than floating dry flies & sinking wets.

The tree branch always grabs my offering on the back-cast JUST BEFORE I attempt to deliver the fly.

On the occasion I leave my wading staff in the car; greased bowling balls are the order of the day.

Leaving your rain gear behind increases the chance of precipitation to 100%.

Leaving your sunscreen behind changes the forecast from cloudy or overcast to clear & sunny.

On unfamiliar waters, one foot deep holes become 10 foot deep holes at dark.

Anything that fliess or buzzes about you at dark is a huge natual born killer and out to get you!

The hatch I drove 2 hours to fish was better last week, no matter what week I get there.

A 6" trout on a dry fly makes you happy but a 12" chub pi$$es you off.

The item you can't be without, never seems necessary when you forget it at home.

When I get up at 2:00 am just to get first crack at my "honey hole"; nobody shows up at the creek all day.

When I am fishing tiny flies and gossamer tippets, the wind ONLY blows when I'm casting.

On the day I forget my camera; I catch the biggest trout of the year.

Scratching the hatch works just as well as matching the hatch

And of course, my signature...

[CaseyP]

never ever make an unconsidered move. hurry never caught me a fish.

this is also the hardest rule i know. even worse than "Thou shalt not take the Lord thy God's name in vain"...

[Vinny]

1. The simpler fly catches a lot more fish (and if you tie your own, then it doesn't matter much if you lose a couple in the trees).

2. For Bass and Bluegill - "It ain't no use if it ain't chartreuse".

3. Brown Trout like to eat (attack) Black Woolybuggers.

4. If your wife thinks one of your flies is a bug and tries to kill it with a fly swatter, then that fly pattern will catch fish (Good enough for the wife - Good enough for the fish).

5. Always remember to Catch, GLOAT, and then Release!

Vinny

[Flyrodde]

You can never fish too early, too late or too much.