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Thread: Getting better at being a beginner

  1. #1
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    Default Getting better at being a beginner

    Looking back on all the questions I've posed on this site, I surely do owe you folks alot for saving me the humiliation of looking like a moron in front of skilled fishermen. From the beginning (Which end of the leader do I tie to the fly line?) to now, my mechanics have matured considerably. The problem is, still no fish. I mean none. At all. I'll fish for hours and see trout rise 20 feet, ten feet, 5 feet from my fly - not interested. Its seriously getting to the point where I'm thinking the sport isn't for me. But just in case, how important is it to get the exact right fly? I mean, I'll try ten different flies and still get nothing. I've GOT to be doing something wrong. All the people at the local shops say early black stoneflies are the way to go, but I don't see any hatches. When I do try them, nothing. Its starting to warm up and get sunny enough that I don't use streamers anymore, but nymphs and cressbugs don't help either. I mean, any suggestions? Fish just don't seem interested in what I've got to offer.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    DFW metroplex, TX USA
    Posts
    1,164

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    See if you can find somebody who knows more about fly fishing to go out with you, let you watch what they are doing and give you some tips. You may have to hire somebody from your fly shop for this, but it will probably be worth it.

    Pay special attention to how they rig up, mend, control their drifts, etc.

    Also keep in mind that fishing is slower and more difficult in the winter months. the fish won't move much to get food and the takes on nymphs can be very subtle. The fish will also tend to be fairly close to the bottom on moving water, so be sure you have your fly down deep enough to bump along the bottom.

    Hang in there!

  3. #3

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    I have the SAME PROBLEM! It gets pretty annoying. I just keep a positive attitude. Then I moved to salt water and couldn't keep fish of my fly. But I am still pretty stumped about freshwater. And for flies, here's a secret, when all else fails, use a wooly bugger! Ha Ha. How's your presentation? Is the knot too big? ALOT of stuff can turn trout away from your fly. Scent is another one. Also what Oldfrat says, go FFishing with an exprerienced angler (I only catch fish with another person with me). DON'T GIVE UP!
    -Fly_Fisher_12

  4. #4

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    You won't see a Black Stonefly hatch on the water, they climb out onto rocks on shore the hatch, try a stonefly nymph fished close to shore.
    The man who coined the phrase "Money can't buy happiness", never bought himself a good fly rod!

  5. #5

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    LetortRun:

    I hope you're not fishing at your namesake because that place can be brutal at best. I have a friend who has accompanied me there for years and has NEVER caught a fish.

    If you are in Carlisle go to the "run" that comes out of Children's Lake in Boiling Springs. Work the section where the wall is, above the footbridge and try some short line nymphing with an indicator. Try just about any nymph that tickles your fancy but change flies frequently if your choice doesn't produce. I have caught fish on just about any nymph I used with great success with nymphs that resemble the naturals for the Run. Try stoneflies, cress bugs, caddis and later on Sulphur Nymphs.

    I GUARANTEE that if you stick with the "Run" and strike at ANYTHING that resembles a hit ESPECIALLY a slight hesitation of your indicator, you will catch a fish or three. I learned a lot about nymphing there in my formative years. Ignore the guys that congregate by the bridge and stay upstream. It?s tougher to cast up there so if you have a short rod use that. I typically use a 6?6? rod when I stop by there.

    Later on in May and June try Clark?s Creek in Harrisburg. Fish the water with a #16-18 tan caddis or later in the summer a beetle and I guarantee you?ll go home happy.

    Have fun, stick with it, and stay away from the Letort for a few years!

  6. #6

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    Letortrun, I'm new to this also, but if I may, try using #18,20,22 flys. How deep is the water your fishing?? Pheasant tail nymph in a 20 try it. get it down and relax, study the water, look for those magic holding areas. Don't forget to use a dropper if its legal. dry on top and put the PTN behind it. I'll be at Kettle creek 1st week in May to try my luck.

    Hope aothers will jump in and help ya

    Good luck and sound government

    Philip

    [This message has been edited by old geezer (edited 13 March 2005).]
    Excuse my spelling and grammar, I hooked Mondays and Fridays to either fish or hunt.

  7. #7
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    LetortRun
    If you are unable to interest rising fish in taking your fly and you are being very stealthy and not allowing too much commotion when you cast, I would guess wrong fly. Try a 20 to 24 Griffis Gnat. If they won't pay any attention to that then they may be sipping them before they reach the surface. Try a #18 or #20 Snipe and Purple tied on either standard or, preferably 1x short shank hooks. The bodies should be thin and extend from a point directly over the barb of the hook forward. The hackle should be from the underside of the snipe's wing about where the bird's wrist is. Starling has been a standard substitute but in my experience the Starling feathers are weak and break too easily. The tying thread should be purple and can serve as the body thread. Silk or rayon can also be used. If the little black stone flys are on, Same fly size 14 or 16 would be a good try. You will not be able to see the fly since it will be submerged but only a very little. You may see the hit but don't try to "set" the hook. You will be using a 7x tippet. Some guys use 8x but those who use it successfuly (few breakoffs)
    are the experts of our sport. You ain't there yet and neither am I...and I've been at it for sixty years.

    Try it, I think that it will work!

    Ol' Bill

  8. #8
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    Dear LeTort Run,

    The reason you don't see fish eating the Early Black stoneflies is because they don't eat the adults.

    Try fishing a soft hackle wetfly made of peacock herl with a black hackle in a size 18. Fish the fly quartering downstream and let it swing in front of likely fish lies. Give it an occasional twitch and I'll bet you can catch some.

    Stay away from the LeTort, it was way over-rated even when it was good, now it's just plain over-rated.

    Regards,
    Tim Murphy

  9. #9
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    The amount of flyfishing knowledge on this site alone is truly dizzying. Thank you for all your help; how do I know if its too cold to fish dry flies? Today it hovered right around 40 and some fingerlings were pretty active, rising and such, and the occassional larger splash, but I didn't see any hatches. Were they just jumping at mosquitos? I never thought I'd have to study biology so much!
    Now thats its staying light longer, I have time to do more fishing, but wonder if its still too early to begin moving away from shrimp, cressbugs and streamers? Fish are definitely rising, but I'm thinking that doesn't necessarily mandate a dry fly.

  10. #10
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    The problems I've seen most (aside from the casting) is that people don't get the fly down deep enough when fishing subsurface and they don't pay attention to drag on their fly.

    As for hatches, I always heard that insects generally hatch during the most pleasant part of the day.

    But you may very well be on some tough water. Here's a site I like for hatching of specific species: [url=http://www.westfly.com/ento/ento.htm:7f195]http://www.westfly.com/ento/ento.htm[/url:7f195]

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