Any Fly Fisherman on F-chat?

We have a place in North Georgia. I hired a guide about a year ago and went with my father and brother, it was fun. We cought a couple of trout each. I hooked the back of my head, the guide's wife is a nurse and removed the hook for me. Luckily it didn't hurt much. Part of the experience, for me at least, was taking advice from him such as what fly to use, what time of day to go fishing, what months the monster trout are available. If I were up there more often I would probably get my own gear but right now hiring a guide is the way to go. Definitely a cool and relaxing hobby!

 

I started fly fishing when I was 8yr's old, I'm now 43yr's old. My older brother and I used to fish a pond close to our house and one day he say's "So you think you a bigshot with that fly rod let's have a competition"! The competition was the most fish in one hour, guess who won LOL? I caught 63 fish, bass and bluegill's, compared to his 30+, good time's.
What I found so exciting was placing the fly between two reed's that were 2-3ft apart and about 30ft to 50ft away. The water was so clear you could watch the fish surface to take the fly now that's exciting!!!

 

If you want to practice your casting do as I did and cast in the yard on the grass. Guide's are truelly an asset but not a requirement, remember there is no substitude for practice and basically for any fish in stream's and river's you want to look for pool's and structure of some sort that the fish can use as cover yet the current is still presenting feeding opportunities to them. Learn the fish, learn their habit's and learn to 'match the hatch' and you will be have exquisite shore lunch's consistently.

 

He hand-tied flies to match the local insect population which was popular with the trout. He placed us into positions he knew on the river which were productive, but remote. It was $200 for a half day for the three of us, all gear included. Included a light lunch & drinks which the guide provided. Well worth the $. I felt he was invaluable, we would have went out later and not had the handmade ties. Having him around meant we all caught fish and had a good time.

 

I think a guide is invaluable. I've used them for various spots in Colorado and Vermont. I also think classes are effective. The 2-day Orvis School in Manchester, NH was great, but Orvis and LL Bean offer them in several states.

http://www.orvis.com/store/shop.aspx?pageType=GROUP&dir_id=758&Group_ID=7524&shop_id=14175
http://www.llbean.com/outdoorsOnline/odp/courses/flyfishing/index.html?feat=gn

Note that guides, like car mechanics, span the spectrum of competency. Using Orvis, LL Bean, Cabela's, or other national recommended guides will increase the likelihood that you'll get a good guide.

 

I've been fly fishing, fly tying, and fly rod building since I was 10 (I'm 46). I've traveled just to fish (New Zealand) and do mostly freshwater streams but have done saltwater fly fishing as well.

Guides are an invaluable source of LOCAL information. What flies work, when to fish, where to look for fish, specific techniques, etc. When I travel someplace new I like to get a guide for the first day to get a "lay of the land". After that, I'll usually go out on my own. I have never had a truly bad guide, but there is a range of both competency and compatability. Referrals from other folks are often a great source, since some small/out of the way shops won't have any national affiliations.

 

+1

If you're going to fish the waters round your cabin on a regular basis, it would be wise (and much more productive) to hire a guide to take you out a couple of times. You'll learn in a few hours what might otherwise take years to figure out on your own. You might also make friends with people at local fly shops. The people there can tell you which flies are currently effective and give you tips along the way. You'll pay a bit more for their product, but it's well worth it IMHO.

For me, half of the fun in fly fishing is working on my casting and presentation techniques. I can have a lot of fun, even if I don't land a single fish. I can't say the same with most other types of fishing.

 

I've been flyfishing for 15yrs, learned to cast in an old aircraft hanger. It was amazing how far you can cast with no wind. now I just do the flats in florida.

 

I first fly fished when I was about 10 with my Dad. We were in Oklahoma and blue gill, pearch, and bass are a ton of fun to catch on a fly rod. Been trout fishing as well, but I really prefer the lake fishing with a fly. I would really like to bone fishing with a fly rod.