Anyone here fly fish? I'm just getting started again.

I did a little fishing growing up just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and I fished some while we lived in the UK. Now that we've moved to Oregon permanently, I think fly fishing is something I need to take up in earnest. There are a lot of amazing rivers here, and my girlfriend is keen to learn.

Luckily for me, she appreciates the value of buying decent gear. Earlier tonight she said, "I can use your old reel until I decide if I really like fly fishing, and you can get that Bauer you want." (Her reasonable nature is part of why I feel like one of the luckiest men alive.)

Until now, I've been using a hand-me-down Eagle Claw rod from the 1970s(?) with a Cortland reel (decent reel made in the UK). I don't have waders or boots.

I'm considering:
Greys GS2 9', 5 weight rod
Bauer MAC 1 or 2 reel (Made in Oregon ) or Ross Reels Vexsis 2

I'm also looking for breathable chest waders and boots. Any recommendations? The Simms waders seem nice.

 

Shop around and you will find Simms for sale. They be last year's model or something but they will give a lot of use before they wear out. Your under layers with the waders play a big role too.

I don't do much fishing fly or otherwise but my dad goes to Alaska every other summer to fly fish and he go for carp and steelhead. The kitchen table is fly tying bench at his house. His fly tying hobby takes up more space than mom's quilting.

 

not a fly fisherman, but maybe one day. Fishing in general though I thoroughly enjoy.
My goal is to go several several times this year. I haven't been fishing in the past 1-2 years.

 

Love to attempt fly fishing whenever I visit the parents, Notice how I say attempt as I can do it but there are so many nuances that i will never get doing it as infrequently as I do

 

So I ordered a Greys GS (same as the GS2 but with a matte finish... $46!) 9' 5 weight. I'm now thinking about a Ross CLA 2 reel. They're more reasonably priced reels and get good reviews.

I'm almost ready to go fishin'!

 

It looks like a lot of fun, but I'd probably end up wrapped in a cocoon of monofilament.

 

It's not as difficult as it looks. A little practice in the yard or at a local park and a fishing trip or two has most people casting just fine. Most fly shops give lessons, as well.

 

I love to, but don't get out as much as I'd like. Mostly small river trout fishing here in the Northeast.

 

I really was a fly nut when I was younger- I hope to return to it this summer.

 

You can catch me at the lake almost every day of the summer but I've never tried fly fishing. Maybe I should give it a shot this year at some of the rivers...

 

I need to post a photo of my new fishing gear in the acquisition thread I suppose, but I used it all in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSNMP) in Tennessee last week. I was home for a week-long visit and spent three mornings fishing with Dad. I mainly just enjoy being outside, and fly fishing is a great excuse to tromp around in streams. I found I am easily distracted by birds, insects, and river dwellers I'm not trying to catch. The GSMNP is one of the most ecologically diverse places in the northern hemisphere, so it's difficult to ignore all the amazing flora and fauna.

Because of that, all I caught was this little 10" rainbow trout. Larger than 7" fish are keepers in the park. I baked him with salt, pepper and butter, then put him on a fresh spinach/carrot/tomato salad with balsamic vinaigrette. One of the best fish I've ever eaten. More importantly, though, it was wonderful time spent with one of my favorite people.

 

And on a nymph to boot! Way to go.

 

Might be off to Scotland with a mate later this year or early next year for a bit of fly fishing tuition, both never done it before and decided it would be a beautiful place to learn

 

Thanks Jim. Tellico nymphs are a classic that seem to work very well in east Tennessee. My dad and great uncle tied hundreds of the things, and it's about the only fly they used.

I'm sure that would be amazing. Scotland is beautiful. Just be sure to take a wide brimmed hat and a head net for the midges, but you probably already know that. I lake fished in nortwest England a few times when we lived there (Stock's Reservoir) from 2009-2012. My friend and I caught several 16" 2 pound rainbows. It's a lovely place to spend the day, and you can hire a boat or bank fish. They have a nice little fly shop on site too.

 

thanks for the info:thumb We might try a local place soon that has a qualified instructor just to get a feel of it so we can enjoy the whole Scotland experience a bit more hopefully. I drove up there with my wife last year for a week break, really loved it, beautiful scenery with the Lochs, mountains etc.

 

I love to fly fish but don't get a chance enough. Before kids, I fished all over Maine spring summer and fall, probably three days a week. I was never a purist, weighted nymphs with an indicator, wooly buggers, ect. If the fish were rising, I was fishing a dry but if they weren't showing, I would go down after them. Even got to try for Atlantic Salmon fresh from the ocean in my home town for a few years but they did away with that.

 

To affraid to fly fish.

 

I took my girlfriend fishing for the first time on Saturday. She's a natural. It only took her an hour or so to develop a decent short cast after a little lesson from me. We fished a few pools below a wide waterfall just outside of Oakridge, OR. We didn't catch anything, but she said she never got bored; just cold near the end. I could see my breath by 8pm, and we weren't wearing waders. We only had felt soled boots with wool socks inside neoprene socks with gravel guards. At least our feet stayed warm.

There's a fantastic pub in Oakridge called the Brewer's Union. It's a nano brewery (all beer made there is sold on site), and they serve a great selection of British style ales, along with home made soups, sandwiches, salads, and desserts. I had a bowl of chicken noodle soup (with house-made noodles!), slice of goat cheese cheesecake, and a pint of oatmeal stout while I dried off and warmed up.

 

Sounds like a great day, it's not all about catching fish I usually go with a friend or 2 and we sometimes have a nice breakfast somewhere before we fish, sets the day up nice, not good for my waistline though

 

It sounds like you landed a keeper there Andy! :cool1