just started fly fishing.

[Inchlaggan]

i was hoping for genuine replies, i dont know what this . i hope you are not making a joke about my inexperience of fishing.

I was certainly not making a joke about your inexperience, and intended no offence.
We are all inexperienced, it is by sharing experience on the forum that we all learn, little by little.
My flippant reply does contain some truth.
Taking account all the other variations (weather, date, river or loch, time, temerature) you really only know which flies will catch after you have caught a fish.
All joking aside, PA has offered some excellent advice.
If you intend fishing wet flies on the lochs, PM me your address and I'll send you a selection- on one condition- that some day in the future you do the same for another beginner- and thanks to the guy (whose name I never learned) who did the same for me on Watten all those years ago.

[Highlander]

I am surprised that hardly anyone has actually answeared the posters question rather than waffle on about merits of wet vs dry.
Right, books

Two for starters
The Fly Fisherman's Entomological Pattern Book..........John Cawthorne  ISBN1-86126-320-1
Matching the Hatch....... Pat O'Reilly  ISBN 1-85310-822-822-7

[bruce]

I am surprised that hardly anyone has actually answeared the posters question rather than waffle on about merits of wet vs dry.
Right, books

Two for starters
The Fly Fisherman's Entomological Pattern Book..........John Cawthorne  ISBN1-86126-320-1
Matching the Hatch....... Pat O'Reilly  ISBN 1-85310-822-822-7

thats true but all these guys are trying to help, and thats what i need lots of it!!!!!, and thanks for these books, i'll try and find out where i can get a copy.

[bruce]

t

I was certainly not making a joke about your inexperience, and intended no offence.
We are all inexperienced, it is by sharing experience on the forum that we all learn, little by little.
My flippant reply does contain some truth.
Taking account all the other variations (weather, date, river or loch, time, temerature) you really only know which flies will catch after you have caught a fish.
All joking aside, PA has offered some excellent advice.
If you intend fishing wet flies on the lochs, PM me your address and I'll send you a selection- on one condition- that some day in the future you do the same for another beginner- and thanks to the guy (whose name I never learned) who did the same for me on Watten all those years ago.

thanks for the reply, and i think over reacted slightly sorry,  i have had a lot of great advice and offers of free flees !!!!!  ( not flies) which i did'nt expect i just hope i can remember al this advice, how do i send a pm?i

[bruce]

ah forgot the wet fly majority :lol:

perhaps i should have said you see a fish eat one and put a fly on that looks like it, skillfull observation that. not sure i go with broon one then black one ect, sounds like trial and error, therein the clashing philosophies of the fly fisher :lol:

thats a brilliant idea alan, it is simple how could it fail??  i will try it and let you know,  thanks  bruce

[bruce]

Bruce,

If you're reading this, despite all that's been  said, you're a determined headstrong laddie and there's not much hope for you.  Those members of this forum who still have wives/partners have put them on the game, their weans are begging in the street or are in care but they have around £10K worth of tackle in the boot of their cars at any time.   Be prepared, this is how you'll finish up unless you take my advice and ignore all the other looneys that post telling you differently.

Put £15 (not a penny more) in your pocket and leave all credit/debit cards at home.  Then go to your tackle shop but in the frame of mind that the dealer is a rapacious, robbing, lying b*****d (which he is).  Buy 6 - Bibios, 6 - Kate Maclarens and 6 - Black Pennells; 3 each size 14 and the other size 12.  Also buy 6 G & H sedges (3 – size 10 and 3 –size 12) plus a spool of 4 lb breaking strain Maxima.  Nothing else and check your change.  The sedge is a dry fly and the others are wets but you don't need to be bothered with technicalities yet.  I assume you've already been done for a rod, reel and line.  Maybe think about buying a net - maybe.

Now these four flees (not flies) will catch troot (not trout) in any loch, lake or lough  in Scotland, England Wales or Ireland.  But.... only 50% of the time if you are very, very lucky.  Don't be tempted to think you're using the wrong flees if you're not catching .. remember – 50% is very, very lucky.

Ties about ten feet of Maxima on to the end of your fly line.  This is a cast (or tippet or leader if you want).  Tie one or two of the wet flees on to your cast (look up a book if you want to use two under the section – droppers), chuck the flee/flees out into the loch and bring them back to you.  Repeat until a troot takes your flee or until you are fed up whichever comes first.  Change the flee/flees now and then and maybe move to another bit of the loch just to break the monotony.  That is wet flee fishing.

Sometimes you will see a troot rising.  This means it sticks part or all of its body above the water to take a flee from the surface.  Ignore it if it only happens once or twice but if it happens regularly take off the wet flee and tie on a sedge.  You are now dry flee fishing.  Chuck it out and don't do anything – just let the flee wander about looking for a troot to hook itself.

Believe me and trust me – you don't need to know anything else and don't need to spend any more money.  You have been warned.  But I suspect that all my excellent advice will be ignored and you will turn into a flee fisher.

By the way, the offer of flees is genuine.  I'll chip in half a dozen Black Pennells (easy to tie) if some other members will contribute KMs, Bibios and G & Hs.

first i'd like to know how do you remember all this !!!!  i expect you've been a fisher for a wee while noo eh!!! i have say that i've had offers to send me free flees!!! which i did not expect and also a lot of good advice, which i need a lot of!!. thanks again.

[Billy]

Best way is to get out with an experienced fisher to get the basics. I am sure there will be someone from the forum in your area or close by who would be only too happy to go out with you to show you the ropes. Either that or try to get along to one of the stravaigs.
They are a friendly bunch of people and there is an almost inexhaustible supply of good information. I have been fly fishing for over 40 years now and pick up hints and tips all the time from the forum. With the new techniques and technologies in fly fishing it is a continuous learning curve but the basics are generally the same.
DVDs, books and magazines are good for info but there is nothing better than getting out to a river or loch/lake and gaining practical experience. Thats where the fish are.
Get your location marked on the member map and put out a plea for assistance. We all needed some kind of guidance at one time or another (I still do) and there is plenty of it available on the forum.
Billy

[davefromtheattic]

Hi Bruce, glad to see the boys are lending a helping hand and offering to sort you out with some decent flees. I'll tie you a few sedgehog/hedgehogs, just PM with your address.

Dave