I agree. You can get into fly fishing fairly cheaply (The casting does take some practice). It's like any hobby, however you can spend tons of money on very high quality gear if you want to. Nevertheless I find it to be much more rewarding to catch a trout on a fly that I tied by hand, myself then on bait or a store purchased spinning lure. Ultimately it doesn't matter how you fish, but that you fish. Good luck on the water!
advice for trout?
- Thread starter scottb
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I agree. You can get into fly fishing fairly cheaply (The casting does take some practice). It's like any hobby, however you can spend tons of money on very high quality gear if you want to. Nevertheless I find it to be much more rewarding to catch a trout on a fly that I tied by hand, myself then on bait or a store purchased spinning lure. Ultimately it doesn't matter how you fish, but that you fish. Good luck on the water!
Just for kicks, rent and watch A River Runs Through It. Gets the fever going.
I LOVE that movie! The book is really good as well!
I'm nowhere near New York (mountains of British Columbia), but I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between your trout and my trout. I have two tackle boxes full of fancy crap that I've collected over the years, but when it comes to trout fishing, that's what it is: crap. Lures and baits might be the right choice if you wanted to fish specifically for the record breaking trout, but for enjoyment fishing, or getting a couple fillets, there's one piece of tackle that's ALWAYS worked for me, and often been the ONLY thing that worked: a simple black fly. Shape don't really matter, just as long as it's mostly plain black.
I only have spin casting gear myself, so I often just put a plastic float on the line about 3-4 feet up from the fly. If I'm fishing from a canoe or kayak, I use the same setup but with about 6 feet in between.
I know this only helps the argument that fly fishing is better, heh, but imho, doing it this way works just fine too, cause I keep coming home with dinner.
I only have spin casting gear myself, so I often just put a plastic float on the line about 3-4 feet up from the fly. If I'm fishing from a canoe or kayak, I use the same setup but with about 6 feet in between.
I know this only helps the argument that fly fishing is better, heh, but imho, doing it this way works just fine too, cause I keep coming home with dinner.
Try a small tube jig on light line, look for berkley or leland trout magnet.
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I'm still learning how to cast a fly rod without snagging my ear/waders/every tree in a mile radius. In the meantime, I caught this one on a tiny spoon. I am switching out the treble hooks for singles and interested to see how this effects hook-ups.
This guy was happy to get back in the water. Since catching him they look more interested in the insects than any spinning lures, so I should get back to learning how to cast.
This guy was happy to get back in the water. Since catching him they look more interested in the insects than any spinning lures, so I should get back to learning how to cast.
Nice catch and release! You'll be fine with a single hook and it makes it that much easier to remove. Practice make perfect with the fly rod.
If your snagging trees and yourself, try roll casts until you get a better hold of it. Above all... keep that fly in the water as much as possible.
Cheers!
If your snagging trees and yourself, try roll casts until you get a better hold of it. Above all... keep that fly in the water as much as possible.
Cheers!
I've never caught a trout with anything other than a fly. I love fly fishing. I love everything about it, from the tying, to the casting, to the books and science of both trout and aquatic insects. It's been my passion for 15 years.
It can be expensive (especially the tying), but it is a hobby, and I'm blessed to do it almost 100 days a year. I have the same reel as Memorex88 has in his profile pic. $200.00 may seem a lot for a reel, but after 10 years and hundreds of outings, it still looks brand new and performs like it did on Day 1. And most importantly, it puts a smile on my face. And it's certainly going to my son after I'm gone. That's the value of quality reels. But for $25 you can get one that will work just fine.
Its a lot more affordable now than when I started. Imported rods and reels are a great value. You don't need a $800.00 rod. I picked up a $100+ vest off ebay for $25 shipped. Buy from ebay during the off season for the best values.
Advice for trout:
Don't attempt to eat anything that includes a hook.
Or did you mean advice on catching trout?
Don't attempt to eat anything that includes a hook.
Or did you mean advice on catching trout?
Catch and release with barbed hooks can really tear up the inards of a small brook or brown trout. If you're using small (#10) hooks (and you shoud be), they tend to suck them right down into their gullets if baited with something natural and succulent like a worm. And while we're on the subject, any worm works -- small red, giant garden, whatever. Just cut 'em into manageable sized chunks if too big. The key is light line (4 lb.), natural presentation (i.e. no jerking, just drift with current) with next to no weight if possible, and leave the floats for the boats. Just as important as gear is a light step on the banks and managing your shadow if it is cast across the stream. Should be noted that this set-up is highly specific to location, and mine is small, cold tributary streams which hold decent populations of easily spooked native brown and brookies.
