any fly fishing sites geared toward beginners?
- This topic has 12 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated Jan 10, 2013 at 12:47 pm by
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I have a bowhunting friend that is an angler, but he has spent his entire life fishing with conventional tackle (like most sane humans 😉
I taught myself to fly fish in the mid-1970’s mostly by reading and experimenting. And it wasn’t easy – especially since there were only a couple how-to books around then. I would suggest that he try as many of these as possible:
1. Read all the how-to books from Orvis, L.L. Bean, and learn the basic knots, principles of fly lines, etc. Also study the books on reading water, insects and matching hatches. (What else can you do in Chicago from November to May anyway?)
2. Check out the local fly shops. Many have programs in the winter and spring for help in everything from casting to fly tying. A shop called the Fish Hawk in Atlanta was invaluable to me for my first year of fishing for trout.
3. Join a Trout Unlimited chapter and attend the meetings. Everyone there will be a resource for him.
4. Look online for a FFF Certified Casting Instruction nearby. They may offer free lessons or charge a lower fee than larger operations.
5. If he wants to spend the money and jump start his skills, take the Wulff School of Fly Fishing courses. Pricey – especially with transportation and lodging thrown in, but after three days he will likely cast better than half the people who own fly rods.
6. Go to a trout stream, sit on the bank and watch. Don’t fish – just watch. It’s an amazing education.
Have him check out videos on Youtube. Lots and lots and lots of great how to info on there. I compleatly learned to cast two handed rods from watching videos on that site. Â Not only about casting, but gear, bugs, flies, reading the water, different techniques for different fish. Â
~Wes
Orvis has put a lot of time into their How To Fly Fish website and Tom Rosenbauer’s podcast is worth a listen to as well.
Although not all inclusive, this URL certainly addresses the basics.
Hate to be a spoiler, but my best starts on new things often start with books – good old paper paged books.
Thanks guys-
Many of the suggestions were already known by me, but I was trying to get a place where a beginner could go and find info in some sort of organized manner geared towards the beginner– Sexyloops has plenty of great information, but much of it is well over the head of the average beginner, or even intermediate angler-therefore, until I have time to dig around and find specific threads I think Brian will find of use, I will use other avenues-
The “How to fly fish” from Orvis is a link I sent him-
I had already explained about digging around youtube-but not to believe everything he sees or reads i=on the internet, as we all know, there are many opinions on all things fly fishing, and a good deal of it is BS–
I referred many of the other links suggested.
Thank you-
P.J.
P.J.
Where exactly in the Chicago area is your friend?
It’s a pretty big place.
There are two fly shops in Chicago proper: Chicago Fly Fishers on Clybourn Ave. and Corens Rod and Reel on Nina (Northwest Side of the City close to Park Ridge). Orvis has a couple of locations but I find them trending more to clothing than gear.
I would suggest Corens as a good “Blue Collar” shop and starting point.
Eric has a lot of info as well as used gear which would be more reasonably priced.
PM me if you want to have your friend get in touch. I’m in the Western Suburbs of Chicago, where we have a fly tying club (DRIFT) a local TU chapter as well as several rod makers in the area. Some of the DRIFT club members are excellent casting instructors as well.
I mainly chase trout, but again, a lot of the DRIFT members fish for bass and pan-fish locally.
John
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