# Fly- fishing help!



## BrookTroutKid (Oct 10, 2007)

All right I recently got into fly fishing and I have no clue how to rig my fly rod. Any help on rigs, flies, anything? I always get skunked everywhere I go.


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## RnF (Sep 25, 2007)

That there is a loaded question, about a books worth. Here is a helpful website that will hopefully get you pointed in the right direction.

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/

Here are some fly suggestions (time of year can depend on when to use them)

Dry Flies (use in sizes 20-14)
BWO (Blue Winged Olive) typically used in the spring and fall
PMD (Pale Morning Dun) typically used in the summer
Adams - can be used all year, but usually the summer and fall
Griffiths Gnat - used all year
Elk Hair Caddis; colors...olive, brown, tan, black, lime green - used in summer and fall months
X-Caddis - same as above

Nymphs (sizes 20-14)
Hare's Ear - used all year
Pheasant Tail - used all year
Prince Nymph - used all year
Zebra Midge (black, red, olive, and brown) - used all year
Brassie - used all year
Copper John - used all year

If you use the above flies, you should be able to catch fish. It is a good place to start. You don't need a huge variety of fly patterns. It's all about colors and sizes.

As far as rigging your fly, it can be unique to everyone. I like to get pre-made leaders that are 7 feet in length that taper down to a 5x tip (diameter), tie it to the end of your fly line using the Nail Knot. I then like to tie on about 20-30 inches of 6x Tippet to the end of the Leader using a Blood Knot. Then tie on my fly on the end of the tippet using an Improved Clinch Knot.

If you want to use nymphs, just add some weight about 18 inches above your fly, add a strike indicator (I like yarn indicators) near the top of your leader and you will be good to go.

Hope that helps a bit. Good Luck


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

RnF gave you some great advice but it may be a little more applicable for rivers than Minersville. Be honest with yourself BTK, You do fish Minersville a lot :lol:. 

It sounds like flies that will work at minersville right now are wooly buggers and stuff like that. Fish like you would cast/retreive a jig. If you're fishing from shore it's a little harder than from a tube or boat. from shore - get it out there as far as you can, let it sink for a few seconds and strip the line in at varying speeds. If you do get out in a tube let a bunch of line out and kick/troll wolly buggers all over that place.

Also, I learned a lot from a really little stream when I started fly fishing. Find somewhere with little holes and 6 inch trout that will hit flies hard, or maybe even panfish. You can often get away with casting shorter distances and see all the action as the fish approach and take the fly. Seeing how fish react to flies taught me a lot about technique.

Good Luck


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

BTK: Depending on when you fished Minersville, don't feel too bad. It was pretty fast action prior to this weekend's storm, but slow after that and even those with a lot of experience weren't catching too many fish.

Part of the fun is that no two trips are the same, and sometimes no two days are the same. Sunday I was having the best luck using a #3 sink line with a crystal killer & chironomid larva dropper fished very slowly about 7 feet deep. Monday morning, the only way I could catch anything was a floating line drifting a small chironomid pupa using almost no movement. Very different fishing styles, and the takes were light too.

My approach has always been to experiment. Try different depths, flies, areas of the lake, and retrieve speeds (everything from dead drift to as fast as you can strip). When you get a hit, repeat the successful technique for a while and see if you get repeat performances. Flies fished right will nearly always out fish anything else, but the down side is that nearly every trip will have a slightly different recipe for success and you have to be willing to experiment all the time and not get stuck in a groove.


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

Sometimes the fish just aren't biting. But if they are, you need the right combination of fly, depth/location, and retrieve. 

Fly: Some people have hundreds of patterns, while others carry around just a few. I catch most of my fish on a small handful of patterns but I carry a bunch of others just so I can experiment when fishing is slow. Krystal Killers in green, brown, and black, damsels, CBS leeches, and scuds are what I fish with 90% of the time. 

Depth/location: You have to put your fly where the fish are. Learn to recognize shoreline features that indicate where fish feed. Rocky shorelines, outcroppings, weed beds. Many times, if there is a wind, the fish will hang out right off the points. The wind will push food around the point and they'll feed in those areas. Places that have weeds or structure that are adjacent to some deeper water are often good because fish have good food and an easy escape route. With practice and catching fish, you'll learn where the fish are most of the time. And don't be afraid to fish close to shore. Sometimes I'm casting within a foot of shore(if I can) and retrieving from there. Rarely do I fish the middle of the lake; 95% of the trout I catch are close to shore in 15' of water or less. Experiment with different depths until you find fish, and rig your line to fish efficiently at that depth. I carry a floating line and 2 or 3 sinking lines so I can match my retrieve to the depth I'm fishing.

Retrieve: Vary it until you get hits. Usually I start with a medium retrieve and branch out from there. Once your fly has sunk to the depth you want, strip in some line while keeping your rod pointed at the fly. Just pull in a foot of line in a half a second and repeat. Some people do three quick strips and wait a second or two. There are so many ways to retrieve a fly, but the main thing to look at is speed. Some predatory fish like a really quick moving fly. Sometimes just drifting the fly with the wind is plenty of action. My quickest retrieve involves stripping my fly in about as fast as I can with 2-foot strips, and my slowest is hanging the fly under an indicator and drifting it or giving it a little 2 or 3 inch twitch every few seconds. Once you start catching fish, stick with that retrieve.

Now, as far as rigging goes: For sinking lines, I use a short tapered leader and a long tippet (10' or so). 6 or 8 lb tippet is good for all-around use. Smaller is better if you want to fish little chironomids or emergers. Just make sure you have a nice clean tippet with no knots near the fly. For floating lines I use the same setup, but sometimes I use an indicator. Place the indicator above the fly according to the depth you're fishing and go for it.

Lastly, don't hesitate to watch others and ask questions. If someone near you is catching fish, just ask what they're using and how deep, etc. Most people are happy to help out.


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## Guns and Flies (Nov 7, 2007)

El Matador said:


> Lastly, don't hesitate to watch others and ask questions. If someone near you is catching fish, just ask what they're using and how deep, etc. Most people are happy to help out.


 :shock:

I have been fly fishing for few years and still have so many questions. I heard a new way to rig up recently. Someone said they tie on leader to fly line with nail knot, then they tie on 6lb tippet on the end of the leader when nymphing, and if they see a rise they tie on a 3lb tippet on the end of the 6lb, this way they dont have to have extra spool with extra fly line extra leader with the 3lb on the end (which I am currently doing which is expensive because end up buying lots of fly line). Anyone else have success rigging up this way?


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

The easiest way to learn is to go to a planted lake in the Uintahs and cast black Wooley Buggers to the fish. Slowly strip them back and fish will hit them. Lift the rod tip when you feel a tug and you'll catch a few. Do the same thing on a river. You can use a Bugger or a wet fly to begin. Cast down and across and let the fly swing in the current. You'll get a few hits and catch a few. Once you learn how the water pulls on a line, you are ready to advance to casting up stream and dead drifting some nymphs and dries.

If you don't have the patience to learn on your own, get a guide or find a fly fishing buddy. I would recommend (if you have the money) getting a hold of http://www.utahflydrifters.com They have very good and patient guides who are also teachers of fly fishing. One good lesson from them will take a few years of frustration from your life (if your the kind that gets frustrated with learning on your own).


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

HighNDry said:


> The easiest way to learn is to go to a planted lake in the Uintahs and cast black Wooley Buggers to the fish.


+1 on this concept too. Learning to fish on mature or wild trout, especially in an artificial only lake w/ a slot limit where lots of the trout have been caught before isn't easy. Lakes with planters are great to learn on, and most areas have some around. Areas like the Uintahs or Boulder Mountain are great too, where the fish have short summers and are generally aggressive feeders.


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## BrookTroutKid (Oct 10, 2007)

Thanks for all the advice guys, it will help me out at Minersville.


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

> Monday morning, the only way I could catch anything was a floating line drifting a small chironomid pupa using almost no movement. Very different fishing styles, and the takes were light too.


threshershark was that you an el matador in the large truck with the kick boats on Monday that pulled up on the gravel bar and launched from there. You guys fished for a couple of hours and then left :?:


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

That was us alright! Green Chevy pickup w/ 2 pontoon boats.


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

Man it was like a forum reunion down there it sounds like. Too bad we didn't recognize anyone, but so far I've heard of these forum members being at Miinersville last weekend:

BrookTroutKid
hamernhonkers
Cheech
Jeremy28
Threshershark
El Matador

Were any of you guys part of that big Russian group that had dinner at the steak house Saturday Night? The waitress asked one of them if he wanted soup or salad and he said "Yes."


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

I was there on friday and then monday morning. monday i was on the boat ramp with a friend fishing the north side of the cove as one of you two came by in your toon.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

You guys need to get some of the forum window stickers on you vehichles so you can tell who forum members are.
I'm even putting one on my fishing boat.


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## BrookTroutKid (Oct 10, 2007)

We need to get official hoodies or t-shirts with UWN logos all over them to wear when we're all fishing.


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## BrookTroutKid (Oct 10, 2007)

I think next years UWN ice fishing party should be at Minersville, since it seems like a lot of us are always there.


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## Guns and Flies (Nov 7, 2007)

BrookTroutKid said:


> We need to get official hoodies or t-shirts with UWN logos all over them to wear when we're all fishing.


+1


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