# fly fishing?



## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

Does anyone here flyfish?


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## Ohio Rusty (Jan 18, 2008)

I do occasionally. I have a 6 weight outfit/ pfleuger medalist reel with a graphite rod for smaller fish and an 8 weight outfit with a martin multiplier reel for bass sized fish. I used to also tie many of my own flies. I still have all the equipment and materials, just haven't done it for a while. (Busy working). 
You know how life and work gets in the way of all your fun !!
Ohio Rusty


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## rooter (Mar 25, 2006)

Yes, I flyfish a few times a week. Why do you ask?


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

I was sitting here tying a few flies the other day as the weather was nasty and it dawned on me that I hadn't seen any posts about flyfishing so I thought that I'd post the question and see if I got any responses. 

What do you mainly fish for rooter?

I know what you mean about work Rusty.


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## rooter (Mar 25, 2006)

Mostly, I fish for trout in the White & Norfork rivers. But also hit the Spring and Crooked creek pretty often and Bull Shoals & Norfork lakes some too. Occasionally get up on the North Fork of the White and the Buffalo and a couple of others. Just love to fish for smallmouth. Spent last night tying NearNuff craws. 

So, Rusty & netexan what kinda flies do you tie and where do you fish/what so you fish for?

Yea, that work thing sure gets in the way. Unless ya work at a flyshop or guide or something.


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## DrippingSprings (Sep 22, 2004)

I am lucky enough i can fish warm and cold all right here lol 

I live on a huge lake with several hundred miles of shore line full of warm species like bluegill, bass--spots, stripes, etc and on the dam side of the lake which is only two miles from me i can fish for rainbow trout.


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

rooter, I used to guide for a living in AK. It's not all it's cracked up to be but I think that it sure beat the heck out of being stuck in an office.
Nowadays most of my fishing is for LM Bass, Bluegill and Crappie. I still tie flies though for friends in AK and FL though so I'm still tying salmon bunnies, decievers and clousers as well as my bass flies. The salmon bunnies really seem to work well on the largemouths too. I think the undulation of the fur body tail is more then they can stand.


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## MushCreek (Jan 7, 2008)

Only saltwater, once or twice a year. Here is my BIL w/ a nice redfish from the last trip:


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## rooter (Mar 25, 2006)

Hey, netexan your friends are lucky folks. Those flies work great here, too. Is the salmon bunny a rabbit strip palmered on the shank with a long piece of the strip left for the tail? I tie & fish those for large & small mouth on the lakes and warmwater streams. Black or chartruese works most of the time. Fished sorta like a plastic worm really is more than those LMB can stand. Also, rabbit fur has some real wild action in a current. Clousers are one of my favorites-fished anywhere that has smb-and them or decievers anywhere fish are feeding on threadfin shad. Just to keep this homesteading related, I raise rabbits and chickens and a lot of their fur and feathers do end up in my flies.
Dripping Springs,that sounds like the perfect place. I read that Guntersville & Eufaula just made Field & Stream top 20 places to fish.
MushCreek, a guy with a name like that should get to fish a whole lot more. What rod is BIL holding?


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

tried flyfishing and just couldn't get it. Kept smacking myself in the head. Put an ultralight spinning reel on it and now it is one of my favorite rods. It has caught everything from bluegill to northern pike. A Channel Cat on 4# test takes you all afternoon.


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

rooter, The salmon bunny is a palmered strip of rabbit. I've had really good luck though lately with a bunny that I tie with a black zonker strip tied in at the tail then wound forward tied in and trimmer off at the middle of a 2x long saltwater hook, then I tie in some crystal flash on both sides and trim it at the middle of the tail, next I wind a strip of charteuse zonker strip from the middle to the hook eye and whip finish. It's been pretty deadly on nearly everything that swims and even picked up a channel cat, much to my surprise, this last fall.
I don't have rabbits, yet, but I have ordered some chickens just for their tying materials and I use fur from some of the animals that I harvest here on the 'stead'. Might be fun to have some sort of swap for home raised materials or flies if we can get enough people interested. Thoughts?
Nice redfish, Mush.
I still use Orvis equipment as they took really good care of me while I worked as a guide. Now that I'm done doing that however I sure do miss the discounts.


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## Big Dave (Feb 5, 2006)

How does one learn this skill as I am interested and have not found many people that do this. What type of rod? What type of reel? I have bought a rod and reel but was told they would not go together??? Any help? (Ft Smith Ar area)


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

Big Dave, I'll try and help you with any questions you might have. As far as rod and reel go fly equip. is gauged by weight of the rod, so if you have a six wt. rod you need a reel that will hold a six wt. line as well as some backing. The heavier the weight the heavier the line, as an example a 3 wt. is a good bluegill rod while a 9 wt. is a good choice for silver salmon or bonefish. With fly equip. you are casting the weight of the line not the weight of the lure or bait as with standard tackle. Hope this helps.
Also, there are several good schools that teach fly fishing, or if your not to far from NE Texas and willing to take a road trip I could help you out and have you catching fish in no time flat. Though like many other things the art will take a lifetime to try and master.


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## Ohio Rusty (Jan 18, 2008)

My favorite thing to tie is spun deerhair flies like dahlberg divers, poppers, etc.. I like the floatation and the 'bugginess' of the fly. I'm more of a surface person as I like to watch the boil and strike. I was once surprised fishing with a teeny size 16 tan hendrickson (looked like local bugs) and it was sipped in daintily by what I thought was a bluegill, which was really a 3 1/2 pound bass. That was a rush .... 
Ohio Rusty


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## rooter (Mar 25, 2006)

Hey Big Dave there is a nice fly shop in the Woodsman in Fort Smith. Ive heard they are great folks and are very beginner friendly. Even tho your rod & reel may be mismatched its likely still very fishable. Ive seen quite a few good fisherman intentionally use big reels on light rods and visa versa with great success. If you can attach the reel to the rod it will work. The line weight does need to match the rod weight. Usually the rod weight is written just above the handle. There is a big flyfishing event in Tallequa sometime in May and in Mtn Home in March. Both have lots of classes, demos and free instruction for beginners. Netexan's offer would be the best bet. A day fishing with a good guide is the best and fastest way to learn.
Netexan, thats a great tip on tying blk & chartruese on same fly. Ive tied 2 color rabbit strip in white and flesh color for someone else and never even thought about trying 2 colors on my bass flies-thanks. Orvis is great stuff. Especially like their reels. Have you seen their new rod, the Helios. Its amazing and should be. Can buy a good cow for the same $. Which chickens did you buy? For what it cost me to feed my flock for a year I could buy about 50 good genetic saddles or necks at the local fly shop-but it just wouldnt be the same. oh yea, I forgot, Im growing the chickens for eggs & chicken n dumplins not tying material-LOL. A swap might be fun-e.g.anybody got a black mutant pheasant tail they wanna trade for some flies? Dyed olive yarn for a lop rabbit? Yup, sounds like fun.


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## quietstar (Dec 11, 2002)

I love flyfishing so much now that I've tried it that my ultra light spinning gear is dusty. My goal this year is to rig a removable casting platform in the rear of my little Whaler for working the big Texas lakes for Stripers and Hybrids. Anyone have advice for a beginner at this? Glen


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## Big Dave (Feb 5, 2006)

Just getting caught up on my forum reading. Yeah the Woodsman is alright. I have met a fella that is suppose to look at my stuff this week. There are Fly fishing events all around where I live I am finding out. I will get back on here to tell what I learn.


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

Good luck, Big Dave. 
I don't know anything about building a removable platform, quietstar but maybe someone could help you in the building posts.
rooter, I'm getting ready to order the fly tyers assortment from Mcmurray and I'll let you know how it works out. I went out yesterday to knock the dust off of my rods for about an hour and caught 4 bluegills on a black bead head crystal bugger. Have any of you been out lately?


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## rooter (Mar 25, 2006)

Hey guys, I almost missed your posts. Yes, I got to fish yesterday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon on the Norfork river. Tuesday started out nice-sunny,71,but pretty windy. Then got worse-sustained winds of 30mph gusting to 60 mph and temps dropped to 28. I learned some new casting techniques and caught a few fish. Yday was sunny calm and warm. Caught a lot a small cutthroats a few browns and some rainbows on scuds,midges and wooly buggers. Some bluegills would sure be nice but they arent very active right now. 
Ohio Rusty, that bass on a dry fly sounds like a blast. Ive actually tried to do that. There are some mayfly hatches on the lakes here and sometimes Ive been out when fish were rising to them but havent got one to take my fly-yet. 
quietstar, I know what ya mean about the dusty spinning rigs. A friend of mine put casting decks in the front and back of his open hull boat by framing with 2x's, putting plywood on top and glueing carpet on the plywood.
Netexan, MM has nice healthy birds and are great to deal with. Ive raised the breeds they include in the ft package and tied some with them. Nice colors but are a little big and webby for some flies. Good for large poppers and streamers. If your expecting genetic hackle, prolly be disappointed. Of couse, about any feather can be used to tie something.


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## rdelliott (Nov 17, 2007)

netexan said:


> Does anyone here flyfish?


Yup; fly fish, tie my own flies. Don't do as much of either as I would like :/


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

I hear ya, rd though I'm gonna do more this year than last.
Sounds like a decent weekend despite the weather, rooter. Cutthroats are one of the few things that I miss since moving south, as much as I like bass I still miss the trout and the scenery that comes with fishing for them.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Fly fishing with saltwater fly patterns can be a blast for pike fishing just after ice out up here in the northland which few in my area do, but I tried it using my own custom built muskie fly rods and highly recommend this to anyone willing to take the time to get into the shallows prior to pike spawning or thereabouts. Great fun!


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## Guest (Feb 5, 2008)

netexan,
Have you even used flys for lake trout? I need to tie some up before spring. 6" bucktail jigs and large streamer flies.

LT


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

moonwolf, I second your opinion. Pike on the fly are great fun and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fly fishing. The big females are pretty agressive in the spring.

lonelytree, I've had some limited success with lake trout, but most of my deep fishing with a fly has been done in the salt where I've had decent luck on halibut, rockfish and P cod. If you'd like I can PM you with the recipes for hvy flies that have worked for me and I could try to get some photos of them. One in particular, a jointed 2 piece fly seems to do the trick on just about everything that I've fished for below 30 feet deep.

LT, Come to think of it, I have some large saltwater streamers and such hanging around in fly boxes and I can't see a use for them in the near future so if you'd like I can box up a few and mail them to you if you'd like.


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## gluna (Feb 5, 2008)

I used to fish below the norkfork lake or mcclellan place.Bat usully fish in the beaver tail water, it's closer to my place. Been fishing in the patagonia (Chilean side)in the 2000.Now with my child and bees not very much time to flyfishing


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

Welcome aboard, gluna. It seems as if we're all short on time for fishing these days so don't feel like your the only one.


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## rooter (Mar 25, 2006)

Hey, Gluna, McClellans is a great place to fish. Sadly the walk-in has been closed since last winter so takes a boat to get there. I think its fishing even better now. Patagonia-wow! Netexan, what kind of line/rig do I need to fish that deep-30'? Might go after some lake fish this winter if I can figure that out.


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

rooter, I use a full sinking line that I bought a couple of years ago called "depth charge" to go deep with and sadly enough I can't find it anymore. Also my flies are quite heavy with a cone head and lead wrapped body, on the jointed flies only the front fly is weighted as the trailer seems to have more action when it doesn't have any weight on it. I also use a short leader about 7 1/2 foot as these heavy rascals can be a bear to cast but 10 and 14wt. rods are tough to cast anyway and I haven't had the guts to try casting one with my 6wt. I think that I posted somewhere else in here about them and since I haven't had a reply on them I'd be happy to send you a few "Heavies" if you'd like to try them out, most are pretty large and I believe they are all tied on saltwater hooks as that is what they were designed for although I'd bet that they'd work on smallmouths and other warm water game fish like walleyes or pike. Let me know rooter.


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