# Fly fishing is hard



## rkierner (Jun 17, 2013)

I got my first fly rod for Christmas this past year and I have to say, I really enjoy fishing with it. Now if I could only catch a fish! I've put in about 15 hours and not a bite! I am about 90% sure I'm fishing the right general location but obviously doing something wrong. Could be the flies, could be technique, could be timing. The hard part is that I really don't know what to fix.

I'm curious if anyone would be interested in showing me a few tips. I usually fish the Big Darby near the Hilliard area. But I'm willing to travel a little bit. 

I'll be out for sure tomorrow starting at 5:30 ish.


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## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

I'd be willing to meet you on the darby....I don't know that river ..but I'd guess your after smallmouth...As long as the stretch you fish has ripple's and pools in it along with some deeper areas with good shore line structure , weeds yada...yada I'm sure I could help you ty into a few......what fly's and sizes are you using?? I have fished the darby before but only a few times down where the little D dumps into it.......if your willing to travel we can go to the Stillwater and since that's the smallie river I fish I'm sure I can help you with your perpetual skunk I live in Springfield not far off of I-70 ..if your interested I'd be willing to show you the rope's...PM me a cell# and we can go from there....I may be able to go this week 1 night after work ...but this weekend I have family commitments so maybe 2wks Sat or Sun. from your avatar I see you have a yak.....we can do a float trip....somewhere...


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## Troutchaser (Jan 1, 2013)

Taking casting lessons at a fly shop ( I usually go to Mad River Outfitters in Columbus ) can really help your technique, and if you have any other questions i'm sure they can help you out. They are all very nice and knowledgeable. Also, keep at it! Good luck!


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## gahannafly (Aug 11, 2012)

Something that helped my confidence level was fishing ponds with dry flies or shallow streamers or poppers. Every one gets skunked sometimes, but on streams you have to think about current, etc, On a good pond in the summer you are bound to catch fish in the shallows. Also, you don't have to worry about snagging a tree over head. You can concentrate more on casting technique and setting the hook.
Also, spill ways can sometimes congregate fish.
I never get to fish good small mouth waters, Just big walnut which is very hit or miss, so sometimes a pond helps me feel better when I have been skunked on the stream.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

HipWader said:


> The #1 mistake most beginner's make is not matching the hook size to the tippet size....
> 
> The #2 mistake is not making the leader correctly....either to long or to short...


Good guidelines to start, but not fully necessary. So many times we get caught up in the "science" of doing everything by the book, when that book isn't exactly needed. Sometimes I will go from a size 28 dry to a size 14 nymph to a 14/20 topper/dropper in a matter of a half an hour. If I followed those guidelines, I'd be spending half my time on the river tying up leader/tippet combos. 
[/COLOR] 
Start with a leader for the average size fly you're going to be casting, and add some tippet to it based on the size of fly and the spookiness of the fish at hand. The tippet guide is very useful as the poster presented with regards to fly size per tippet.

Hit a local pond or small lake to go for some 'gills. Get good at catching them. Then translate that to a river. Learn to drift and mend your line. Sometimes the fish want to be fed (drifted to them) and sometimes they want to hunt (strip that bugger or streamer back to ya). Just think of it as fishing - just like "regular" fishing, because fly fishing is just a different presentation. You are casting a fake lure to a fish and trying to get them to bite it.

If you want to hit a pond or stream this week, PM me. I'm on vacation.

Steve


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

gahannafly said:


> *Something that helped my confidence level was fishing ponds with dry flies or shallow streamers or poppers. Every one gets skunked sometimes, but on streams you have to think about current, etc, On a good pond in the summer you are bound to catch fish in the shallows. Also, you don't have to worry about snagging a tree over head. You can concentrate more on casting technique and setting the hook.*
> Also, spill ways can sometimes congregate fish.
> I never get to fish good small mouth waters, Just big walnut which is very hit or miss, so sometimes a pond helps me feel better when I have been skunked on the stream.


X2. I started the same way and I think it's a lot easier to take the current, debris, trees, and "water reading" out of the equation early on. You can focus on casting mechanics and hooking fish, which will happen in a pond full of bluegills in the summer. All you need are some foam spiders, maybe a hopper or two, and a green weenie and you're set.


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## ledslinger (Aug 24, 2006)

Troutchaser said:


> Taking casting lessons at a fly shop ( I usually go to Mad River Outfitters in Columbus ) can really help your technique, and if you have any other questions i'm sure they can help you out. They are all very nice and knowledgeable. Also, keep at it! Good luck!



*Bingo!*

When I started 54 yrs ago (showing my age) the only thing we had was a few books in the library and a few magazines. I did ok but nothing fantastic until i took my first lesson . I learned more in one month than i did on my own in 20 years.

Joining the FFF or T-U helps a lot. 

A 4 wt and a bunch of bluegills gets the process down.

Locate some active gills with the spinning rod and a casting bubble and fly , then after you have them located switch off to the flyrod.


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## rkierner (Jun 17, 2013)

Loving the suggestions everyone! keep them coming. I've got one of these bluegill drainage ponds in my neighborhood. It's surrounded by trees about 15ft off the bank though so that makes it really tough for me. I'll see if i can hit up a different pond to get the technique down. 

I'm definitely down for lessons. I'll check out Mad river and see what that is going to run me.


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## rkierner (Jun 17, 2013)

sbreech said:


> Good guidelines to start, but not fully necessary. So many times we get caught up in the "science" of doing everything by the book, when that book isn't exactly needed. Sometimes I will go from a size 28 dry to a size 14 nymph to a 14/20 topper/dropper in a matter of a half an hour. If I followed those guidelines, I'd be spending half my time on the river tying up leader/tippet combos.
> [/COLOR]
> Start with a leader for the average size fly you're going to be casting, and add some tippet to it based on the size of fly and the spookiness of the fish at hand. The tippet guide is very useful as the poster presented with regards to fly size per tippet.
> 
> ...




I like this vibe man. This sounds like a good approach


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## rkierner (Jun 17, 2013)

TheCream said:


> X2. I started the same way and I think it's a lot easier to take the current, debris, trees, and "water reading" out of the equation early on. You can focus on casting mechanics and hooking fish, which will happen in a pond full of bluegills in the summer. All you need are some foam spiders, maybe a hopper or two, and a green weenie and you're set.


Certainly sounds like it would be logical. I'll head to Gander Mountain and pick up some more diversity. I've got a few flies but maybe I need a larger starter pack


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

If it wasn't hard, it wouldn't feel so good when you have success. 

Keep it simple with flies, wooly bugger olive, black or white, popper, or grasshopper, hares ear nymph, prince nymph, rubber legged floating thingy. They will catch you a lifetime of bluegill and bass. Then keep moving to other types of fish as you gain confidence. 

Remember to fish your fly when it hits the water. So many beginners, me included, concentrate of hitting a certain spot, or casting length. So many times I have made a "bad" cast and had a hit anyway. So pay attention to fishing once you hit the water.

Have fun,
Rickerd


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

rickerd said:


> If it wasn't hard, it wouldn't feel so good when you have success.
> 
> Keep it simple with flies, wooly bugger olive, black or white, popper, or grasshopper, hares ear nymph, prince nymph, rubber legged floating thingy. They will catch you a lifetime of bluegill and bass. Then keep moving to other types of fish as you gain confidence.
> 
> ...


Yep, if your fly is in the water it's fishing. We all fall victim to that one I think, from time to time. If the fly is fishing you have to be ready.


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## plumberroy (Aug 3, 2013)

I started with a cheap martin set from a big box store played a little with it managed to get a few hits not impressed , so I put it up. My tenkara rod broke and is away being fixed . I got it out replaced the cheap level line with cheap weight foward line and caught a few bluegills (no trout in my local) . I had been eye balling a box of cheap rods at the local old tackle shop. No size marked on them finally found an ebay listing for the same model # said it was a 5 weight 7 foot rod after some haggling I walked out with the rod for $8 (it was real dusty) .The last couple of trips to our club I have just been working on casting and caught several gills and a couple of bass . the biggest thing for me is slowing the casting motion down .
By the way He has more rods , so what is a good fly for a #50 grass carp
Roy


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

By the way He has more rods , so what is a good fly for a #50 grass carp
Roy[/QUOTE]

Light green sucker spawn soaked in Gink with a crayfish dropper.

Wear a GoPro and give us a show.

Rickerd


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## Buckeyeguyty93 (Jun 10, 2013)

Drop the fly rod and get a centerpin


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

Troutchaser said:


> Taking casting lessons at a fly shop ( I usually go to Mad River Outfitters in Columbus ) can really help your technique, and if you have any other questions i'm sure they can help you out. They are all very nice and knowledgeable. Also, keep at it! Good luck!


They are great people at Mad River.

If you live further south, Sunday September 1st at 10 am. Little Miami Inc. is hosting a free Orvis flyfishing class at the Scenic River and Trail Center in Nisbet Park, Loveland on the Little Miami River. Its posted in the events forum if you want to read more about it. .


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## plumberroy (Aug 3, 2013)

> Light green sucker spawn soaked in Gink with a crayfish dropper.
> 
> Wear a GoPro and give us a show.
> 
> Rickerd


Didn't get him on a fly rod but did have one pick up a dough ball 44inches long 33inch girth did not weigh it but it was heavier than my granddaughter which puts it mid 40's :B


> Drop the fly rod and get a centerpin


The club I belong to has a release grass carp *unharmed* rule ,that kinda shoots down your Idea
Roy


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## Buckeyeguyty93 (Jun 10, 2013)

How would a centerpin hurt them?


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## plumberroy (Aug 3, 2013)

Buckeyeguyty93 said:


> How would a centerpin hurt them?


I was assuming centerpin as in bowsight ????


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Buckeyeguyty93 said:


> Drop the fly rod and get a centerpin


Oh boy!


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## rkierner (Jun 17, 2013)

I wanted to thank everyone for all of their suggestions. After reading the posts, having a few phone calls and PM exchanges, I was able to make some significant changes to the way I was fishing with the fly. And what do you know!! It's not that hard. Waded for a little bit and caught these two guys (and three rock bass) over a 2 1/2 hour time span last night on a brown wooly bugger with chartreuse highlights (I'm sure that's not the right way to say that...but I'm learning!)

I had a blast! After landing the first one, it was so relaxing and peaceful.


















The first one was a little bigger than the second but neither were big enough to weigh.

The second one had a wound on it where it had gotten stabbed all the way through a while back. Seemed to be healing nicely.

Funny thing that I didn't expect. When I wasn't getting snagged on the bottom, my fly ended up getting attacked by crawdads. one time the little sucker wouldn't let go and I shot him across the river on my next cast.

I'm hooked!


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

Nice fish and congrats on the catching. i think fly fishing is one of those things that you can pick up pretty quickly and have fun but takes years to master. After a year I'm still in the have fun stage and very rarely get skunked anymore but I'm happy catching 4 to 8 fish in an outing. 

I've been fishing several heavier flies lately with dumbbell eyes on the bottom. The hook point stays up and snags less but I still get a good bounce off the bottom. So far the fattest fish I've caught this summer have been using this method.


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## meathelmet (Aug 4, 2008)

Awesome....I think that does it .... I am going to start tying


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