OT- Any Fly Fishermen Here?

[GANJIRO]

Just curious, how many here are fly fishing enthusiasts? I've had a 5/6 weight rod & reel for over 20 years which I have fished in our local stream for Smallmouth Bass using freshwater shrimp imitations. Also have owned my 9/10, and 10/11 weight outfits for 12 years without getting them wet Maui lacking protected waters and flats, no freshwater streams with fish, and usually blowing a gale by 10:30 in the morning. Now back here on Oahu my interest has been rekindled not only because of numerous freshwater opportunities but especially with the numerous flats surrounding this island loaded with large Bonefish and Trevally. Also my own backyard I have pretty much exclusive fishing rights to a private 90 acre brackish pond loaded with Barracuda and Milkfish (don't let the name fool you). I just picked up a 3/4 (panfish), and 7/8 (Peacock Bass) weight outfits to round out my quiver especially since they were on end-of-year clearance at Albrights, and Sierra Trading Post for a song. Just curious how many of you here are fly fishing enthusiasts, and what you pursue using what weight outfits, and what flies (dry, wet), and are into tying your own flies.
Thanks for entertaining my boredom while my back slowly but surely heals.

[bsaride]

I'm kinda like you, three rods and haven't fished them since my partner passed away.
$300 in bass flies never used, don't roll my own. The good news is I bought a fishing
license for the first time in about 10 years and used it to baitfish for trout on my
birthday two weeks ago (I called is casting instead of fishing as I didn't catch anything).

[Blaine]

Bet it's hard getting a filet off the little buggers.........

[rjohns94]

Hey Ji,

glad to hear you are healing ok

I've been flyfishing for some three decades. I have an Orvis 1 oz rod in 2 wt that I use for bluegill and crappie and small large mouth bass - I use nymphs and streamers. I love to use this for yellow perch using micky finns I tie.

I have a bamboo 5 & 6 wt for trout and other similar species. I have a lot of streams in an hours distance that have trout, either native or stocked. The spring run of shad is also a favorite fly fishing time.

I have an 8 wt Orvis trident that I use for stripers, sea trout, shad, bluefish in the back bays at the ocean and bass in the rivers and lakes. I use alot of streamers, mostly in chartrues and fast sinking line for the salt water species, normally a floating line for the fresh water stuff. I use a large arbor reel on this rod and I have several spools ready to go. I've taken fish in the surf and around the jetties, as well as casting to deep water in the bays and for cruising fish from a boat. I have even gone after carp with this rig.

I do tie most of my own flies.

blessings.

[Bigahh]

I bet a Bone fish on a fly rod would be a thrill! I have 3 fly rods, all ST. Croix. I do a lot of hunting, and fishing right near the St. Croix factory, and you can get slightly blemished rods fairly cheap. I have a 7 foot 3 weight for the smaller trout streams, and Beaver Ponds, an 8 foot 5 weight for my Bluegill/crappie fishing here in Wisconsin, and a 9 foot 6 weight for the Big Missouri River in Montana. Big Rainbow, and Brown trout out there. My favorite is fishing the backwoods beaver ponds for Brook Trout with the 7 footer. I do not tie flies, don't think I have the patience. I thought about trying to tie some Pan fish Poppers some day though.

[mescalero1]

JI,
Don't fly fish.... but I am glad to hear you are mending, keep the faith!

[adirondakjack]

I'm a novice fly fisherman. Bought a 4/5 wt. Cortland outfit last year, and a 7/8 cheapie that I gave away it was so bad. Even with the 4/5, bass, bluegills and small walleyes are great fun, as well as trout. I mostly use dry flies, and some poppers, with the odd nymph when conditions warrent. I love to fish the small lakes and flat water streams with a kayak.

[GANJIRO]

My outfits are all pretty much entry level since I didn't want to make a big investment in a style of fishing I was not sure I could get into but I'm pretty happy with what I have. My newest are a Reddington 3/4 weight rod (sierra Trading Post) which I matched with a Daiwa fly reel I already had for years, and from Albright.com at 70% off sale bought a 7/8 Topwater reel, and 7/8 Yellowstone rod. My oldest is a entry level Bass Pro Shops 5/6 rod with a newer Superfly 5/6 reel. My second oldest rod is a 9/10 weight South Bend rod match to a very ancient (1960s) Compac reel a ebay special in as new condition, and finally a 10/11 weight Shakespeare Ugly Stick fly rod matched to a old Mitchell 782 fly reel another ebay special in perfect shape. My 3 largest rods have fighting butts which I prefer, and currently have all my reels loaded with weight-forward floating line though I do have intermediate line, and shooting head for the largest outfit. My 3 largest reels also have 300 yards of backing. On fly gear I've only fished for and caught Smallmouth Bass so far, and this was over 14 years ago, so I look forward to getting back into fly fishing, and hope to one day catch a Yellowfin Tuna from my Dory on the 10/11 outfit.
The 2 wt sounds light awesome fun for Bluegills which we also have here in decent hand size at our only freshwater lake. I have had a fly tying vise for 20 years but used mainly for tying feather jigs for ultralight Trevally and bass fishing.
Thanks for all the input.

[lever-4-life]

Glad your feeling better, For trout I use three fly rods, my favorite is a 9' 3wt with a fighting butt built on a fisher blank, the other is a 7' sage, and the last is a 8' 6'' Orvis. All of them ware orvis reels. I have caught countless trout on the two 3wts, and one good salmon on the 9'

[geobru]

JI,
Keep mending and don't overdo it while in recovery! This would be a great time to start tying flies!

I started flyfishing about 35 years ago. I have an assortment of rods. There are a couple 2's, a 4, 5, three 6's, a couple 7's and a 9. I used a 2 wt for trout until I broke it on a fish in Idaho a couple of years ago. I hooked a 6 pound farm pond trout on that rod when it was new and I realized then that I was seriously undergunned for fish that size with that rod!!

I have caught rainbow, cut throat, eastern brook, dolly varden, and brown trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, perch, salmon, steelhead, carp, catfish, whitefish, suckers, bullheads and chubs on flies, and I'm not sure I named them all. I started tying flies when I started fishing for salmon and steelhead because at that time, those big flies were $2 apiece, and they are big, so they are easier to tie. It was a natural progression that I would tie trout flies as time went by and I learned the tying techniques on the larger flies.

I like longer rods, so the shortest is 8'6" and the longest is 10' long. My newer rods are Lamiglass and my older rods are 1970's vintage Fenwick fiberglass rods. I use Phleuger reels and the best line I can buy.

Since I started flyfishing, the only time I have fished with a spinning reel is when pulling plugs for steelhead on the Clearwater River in Idaho. It has been a source of many days of enjoyment and golden memories.

[tman]

does using flies with a noodle rod count?

[Bob A]

I've been flyfishing for 30 years. Mostly small stream/river fishing in California for trout. I stopped accumulating fly rods about 10 years ago when I realized that I had one or two for any situation. My favorite and most used is an 8' 5wt sage LL. The LL model was phased out years ago, I guess everyone was buying the stiffer actions that can cast 75 yards. Personally, I prefer to fish in close. Most of my fising is to pools no more than 20 yards out. Keep low, be quiet, hit the spot.
I read a book about fly fishing the reefs and flats of Hawaii years ago and always wanted to give it a try. Maybe someday.

Bob A

[GANJIRO]

Here's 3 videos of fly fishing here in Hawaii I hope you will enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJNhmsidd00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zal0JyK ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNbfSBO4 ... re=related

[AndyM]

I hope you continue to mend well...

I flyfish, mostly freshwater trout in Pennsylvania. Our hunting cabin is on Penn's Creek, home to one of the most famous green drake mayfly hatches on the east coast. The actual green drake hatch has always been hit or miss for me, but there are always other inscects on the water when the drakes are coming off to...

My typical trout outfits are a Sage 8.5 foot 5wt and a G.Loomis 7.6 foot 4wt, I also own a Cortland 5/6 wt. and a Redington 7/8wt for smallmouth bass fishing.

One thing I have learned is a good fly round will not only be easier to cast with it will help you catch fish a little easier. I never thought this to be true, until I traded a lower model Cortland for a Sage, I can cast farther, easier than before, and feel more (since most of my fishing is with nymphs)

I would still telling anyone just starting out to look at Cortland brand items, they make a very good product for decent money.

[dryhackle]

Been Fly-Fishing about 28 years. Since I'm from John Voelker country and as I write this there is 30" of snow in my yard it is a little depressing. Started out with glass in the 70's. Then graphite in the 80's and thought it was the greatest until I decided to try Bamboo. I'll tell you right now Bamboo rods can be just as addicting as lever guns! Stated with a 7 1/2' 5 weight, then decided I needed an 8' 6 weight for big streamers, then had to have a 7' 2" for smaller streams. Along with a couple of 9 footers I don't fish. Lately I have been thinking I need something in the 6 or 6 1/2 foot range for small streams just like I feel a need for a 35 Rem. although I already have a 32WS, 375BB, and a 30/30. I won't even comment on fly reels because.......

[lever-4-life]

Dryhackle, welcome to the fourm! being a lever and trout fan I think you schould fit right in here.

[Bigahh]

Welcome to the Fire Dryhackle!

[k8bor]

(1) each in 4, 5, 6, & 8 weights. I live 1/2 mile from the famous AuSable river here in North Mich, but don't fish too many trout. Mostly bass, walleye and panfish in the local inland lakes around here.

The 5 weight is an old first run Killwell graphite with a slow action, and the 6 weight is a much newer faster action graphite Orvis. Those two rods handle 90% of what I do, but you know how you have to have the others "just in case".

I roll 90% of my own flies. The whole business is fun. The art of fly fishing and the art of shooting are my two favorite enterprises.

[Meeteetse]

Started fly fishing about 40 years ago when my father-in-law taught me because he needed a fishing buddy. Loved it ever since. I have four 5 wt. set ups for trout, and a small pack rod (4 wt.) for mountain back pack trips. Tied for several years, but gave it up when we moved to Texas. Not much opportunity for trout fly fishing in Texas. Most of my flies are 16 to 22 size small black knats and ants with a few nymphs. Very small stuff for Brook trout, cut throats and goldens. Boy do I miss Wyoming and those beautiful high mountain lakes.

[BigSky56]

I use flies on high mtn lakes but on spin gear with a clear bobber when the brookies and cutts quite the flies I switch to panther martins or bait. danny

[GANJIRO]

When I lived in Idaho almost 30 years ago a friend there taught me how to fish flies behind a clear bubble float using spinning gear. I bought an ultralight rod and had fun catching trout in the high mountain lakes. I use an ultralight 10' noodle rod with a matching spinning reel for trolling in a nearby 90 acre brackish pond for Barracuda, and Ladyfish, a whole lot of fun match tackle to fish. My lightest fly rod is a 3/4 but you guys talking about your 2 and even 1 weight rods have me looking for even smaller outfits so I can fish for the Tilapia off my backyard pier and give them a sporting chance. Thank you for sharing all your insights to this rookie fly caster.

Before I forget I want to thank all the well-wishers for their encouraging remarks concerning my healing and recovery. My last X-rays taken on the 20th of January finally started to show some faint bone growth between L4 & L5 discs so the fusion is finally happening slowly but surely. Docs also said I'm finally strong enough to start aquatic therapy, and the prescription has been submitted to my insurance by my Doctor so just waiting for his approval. In the meantime I guess I better start tying some more flies. Thanks again one and all for all your input and encouraging words. And dryhackle, welcome to the forum, I too look forward to your future comments both levergun related as well as off topics ones especially those that have to do with fishing.

[Meeteetse]

I use flies on high mtn lakes but on spin gear with a clear bobber when the brookies and cutts quite the flies I switch to panther martins or bait. danny

Yup, done that too. I've been on a couple of backpacking trips where we carried very little food and relied on catching fish. Under those conditions I have tried everything to make sure I had dinner. . . . .

[Rusty]

Ji,
Glad to see you're on the mend.


I've been flyfishing about 6 years now. I started out tying Clouser minnow patterns and never have gotten away from them except when I need a popper or two for bluegill.

I have an 8 wt for everything in salt water around here. A 6 wt. I bought a few years back when I went to the N. Ga mountains for trout and a 3 wt for gills.

Bob Clouser is a retired meat cutter who now fishes full time. He invented the Clouser minnow just for small mouth bass in PA. I've used that same basic pattern for so many different things it's not even funny. I even tied one on a circle hook and caught a baby tarpon with it. There's plenty of information about them on youtube if you search. I change the colors and the length of the bucktail for different appearances and I change the size of the lead eyes I use to get different actions. I have even used bead chain for the eyes instead of the solid barbell eyes to tie a very light and very small version for gills.

For your tilipia you might try a green San Juan worm that will look like a piece of vegitation floating by. In fact if you find out something that works better LET ME KNOW.

Happy Trails and God Bless,

Rusty <><

[GANJIRO]

Aloha Rusty, thanks for the comments. I bought a Lefty Kreh saltwater fly tying video (VHS) ten years ago and have been tying Clousers, and Deceivers ever since though I use them on spinning tackle with a clear water bobber. I have been using hardware store bead chain cut into pairs for the eyes and they work well enough and much cheaper than barbells for me. I gotta get me a 2 wt for the Tilapia my 3/4 I think is too big for these quarter pounders. I have some tiny white Muddler Minnows I'm gonna try since these Tilapia LOVE white bread. I'm looking for green San Juan worms on ebay to try but so far no luck. I'll try tying white bread flies too for Tilapia and Milkfish, I better get a tyin'.