Fly fishing 2024

dave reply :

I don't fly fish but, my fishing partner does. I attended an annual event in Annapolis, MD called TIEFEST. The lengendary Lefty Kreh was there doing a talk and casting demonstrations. 92 years old. These fly fisherman have a passion for this fishing "art"

I know a number of customers that love to fly fish for bass and it dawned on me that on BR, fly fishing for bass is never really mentioned.

Do any of you fly fish for bass?

bassinhole reply :

I love to fly fish for bass! It is often productive when other methods are not. Especially in the middle of the day when the sun is bright and the wind is dead calm... A popper chugged across the top like a bug can be deadly!

I have had bass literally jump out of the water to grab a fly as it was making it's approach. That is one of the most amazing things you'll ever see. I never knew you could catch fish before your bait was wet until I witnessed it first hand.

0119 reply :

Yes it is my favorite way to fish. But very hard to impossible to do in most of the bass waters I fish because of a lack of backcast space.

Paul Roberts reply :

Yup!

If you search you'll find there are some threads every now and then.

cgolf reply :

Yes, I especially enjoy fly fishing for smallies. I have done ok with it on the lake too, but the last few years it has been too windy when I was the only one in the boat. With a 16 foot boat it gets cramped enough with 2 of us casting conventional gear.

redux reply :

I'm in the same boat as 0119. I love fly fishing but it's really hard to get after it from a bank in Florida. Roll casting only works so well for open water and few rods can handle heavy cover. Heck, fly lines are only rated to around. 30#.

dave reply :

My fishing partner has been after me to learn for years. He is accomplished and ready and willing to teach me.

I don't need another revenue stream going "out"

Yeajray231 reply :

I'm very interested in this . My 72 year old grandfather just gave me a brand new cabelas fly rod. And I have no idea what I'm doing or how to go about it . This thread wasn't much help. But I'm glad I'm not the only one interested in trying to use it for bass. I guess I'll just have to watch some videos. Kind of hard when you're always on the road. I can't watch videos when I pay 15 dollars a GB. Lol

Turkey sandwich reply :

I've slowly been learning, and several forum members have been pretty helpful in making suggestions. Smallmouth on the fly are a blast!

Team9nine reply :

I've got a couple fly rods and plenty of flies - a nice change of pace for something different every once in a while, but I'm not overly fond of the technique. Actually did more Tenkara bass fishing this year as I finally grabbed one of those poles. Accounted for my largest smallie of the year so far

-T9

J Francho reply :

On 10/1/2016 at 3:35 AM, Team9nine said:

Actually did more Tenkara bass fishing this year as I finally grabbed one of those poles.

Looks like a cool way to fish. Not too far off the way I centrepin for trout, though no reel. Simple. Deadly.

Paul Roberts reply :

Tenkara smallmouth?!

Gundog reply :

I've flyfished for largemouths but never for smallies. It was a lot easier to learn than I expected. I picked up the basic cast at an outdoor expo in Harrisburg about 20 yrs ago and while I'm no expert I can fool a trout every once in a while.

cgolf reply :

On 10/1/2016 at 6:05 AM, Paul Roberts said:

Tenkara smallmouth?!

I am tempted to try it with a cheap 5 weight I had set up for a small creek, but realistically anything above 15" will probably just break off. Doesn't hurt to try lol.

Jtrout reply :

I bought one last week for pretty cheap and my elbow has been hurting ever since! I must b doing it wrong!

flyfisher reply :

I do it all the time. I prefer fishing for smallies with the fly rod and certain situations for largemouth.

Also to whoever said there are few rods that can handle the heavy cover, you couldn't be more wrong. There are plenty of rods that can handle the thickest cover you can manage and while the fly line may be rated to "only" 30lbs, there is so much shock absorption in the system i can pretty much guarantee you will break your rod before your line breaks.

I have caught 20lb class carp that took me to the point i could see the spool three times on my 4 wt and the line never broke.

Bluebasser86 reply :

I have caught lots of largemouth and bluegill on the fly, and actually caught my first ever fly rod smallies a couple weeks ago. while I was chasing bluegills.

the reel ess reply :

I've done it, but it feels like intentionally and unnecessarily handicapping myself.

Yeajray231 reply :

On 10/2/2016 at 1:46 AM, the reel ess said:

I've done it, but it feels like intentionally and unnecessarily handicapping myself.

The fight isn't more rewarding ?

Neil McCauley reply :

On the right body of water, fly fishing for bass is not only the most enjoyable/exciting way to fish, it's just plain deadly, too.

On the deep clear lake I usually fish it's not a go-to method. Bass are suspended or around structure 25-35 feet deep about 90% of the year.

But on a few other lakes I fish, a fly rod and tackle is all I even take, if I know the weather is decent. Mostly they are lakes that are shallow (avg 10-20 fow) and have good shoreline cover like rocks and boulders. Small rivers and streams would probably be good also. If you are using topwater productively anywhere and not required to cast >50 yards then you could probably be using a fly rod setup.

And there is nothing, other than maybe a muskie or big trout/salmon, in freshwater fishing like fighting a big bass on a fly rod. The give of the rod and the stretchable line take away a lot of the worry about line break-offs, and the tiny fly stuck in their jaw has very little chance of getting thrown. It is a challenge to control and reel them in, though.

Yeajray231 reply :

Anyone have recommendations on the best LM bass flies. I already have a suitable rod. And 2 different style poppers.. and a dragonfly looking one.. a spider. And a wasp looking one too. Anything else I should try?

.ghoti. reply :

https://flyshack.com/DisplayCategory.aspx?CatID=15&pg=1&SortID=0

Check out the rabbit strip divers. I used to fly fish for bass a lot, and when I did, these were my most productive fly.

crypt reply :

oh heck yeah,one of the best things to do……………….watch a bass rise on a fly,popper etc. what a rush.it's one of those things you really can't explain. you have to do it. like skydiving.

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 10/3/2016 at 7:04 AM, Yeajray231 said:

Anyone have recommendations on the best LM bass flies. I already have a suitable rod. And 2 different style poppers.. and a dragonfly looking one.. a spider. And a wasp looking one too. Anything else I should try?

I do well with wooly buggers, both weighted and unweighted. I also have very good luck with bonefish flies that are meant to imitate small crabs or shrimp. They're often built on small, sturdy hooks that hold well in a bass' jaw.

Turkey sandwich reply :

On 10/3/2016 at 7:04 AM, Yeajray231 said:

Anyone have recommendations on the best LM bass flies. I already have a suitable rod. And 2 different style poppers.. and a dragonfly looking one.. a spider. And a wasp looking one too. Anything else I should try?

The Clouser Minnow is killer for virtually any game species and was actually designed on the Susquehanna for smallmouth. Just change the size and you can fish them for anything from trout to bass, to musky, to bonefish. a Clouser, stripped just under the surface when bass are feeding up is deadly.

the reel ess reply :

On 10/2/2016 at 2:18 AM, Yeajray231 said:

The fight isn't more rewarding ?

Yeah, but I don't want to lose my PB because I'm purposely handicapping myself. That fish will be a challenge on any tackle. There's a place I'd enjoy fly fishing for bass and bluegill because I think now it only has small bass. But my PB came from there 13 or so years ago. You never know where your PB is lurking.

J Francho reply :

On 10/2/2016 at 2:18 AM, Yeajray231 said:

The fight isn't more rewarding ?

If you're in it for a fight, choose another species.

Yeajray231 reply :

On 10/4/2016 at 10:52 PM, J Francho said:

If you're in it for a fight, choose another species.

I'm not sure what you mean ?? There are huge bluegill and maybe *** lb bass where I plan to use the fly rod at. I think that will be plenty of fight..

1 to 3*

J Francho reply :

On 10/4/2016 at 11:20 PM, Yeajray231 said:

I'm not sure what you mean ?? There are huge bluegill and maybe *** lb bass where I plan to use the fly rod at. I think that will be plenty of fight..

1 to 3*

Bass fishing is a mental game. Rarely does a fight last more than a minute or two. Blue gill don't even register on my radar of "fishting fish."

Here's a couple examples:

Yeajray231 reply :

Alright bud.. I don't have access to those species where I live.. and bluegill are arguably the hardest fighting freshwater fish lb for lb. They aren't your average gills either. 10-12 inches. I have pictures. I want to use the fly rod because it would make more of a challenge for the fish in this certain pond.

J Francho reply :

I'm not saying it wouldn't be fun, but it's not a fight. You can downsize the tackle to create more of a struggle. About the only time I feel like I'm under matched is when I've got a smallie on light line, in very deep water. Even then, you just let them run, and gently reel them up.

And you do have access to some of those fish, though you might have to travel to get to Erie. As far as the gills being hard fighting, ounce for ounce, that's very true. An ant can carry ten thousand times it's own weight, but it cannot withstand me stepping on it, lol.

Let's some pics of those slab gills, man. We catch some monsters through the ice on Oneida.

Yeajray231 reply :

I think they're hybrids.. which are supposedly 99%male. I'm not sure tho. I haven't managed to fool anything with the fly rod. I don't know what I'm doing yet.

Erie is quite a haul from me lol. And I have a young family and a real jacked up schedule... rarely I get to put my little Jon boat on the water, like once every couple weeks. Normally I just slide over to one of the many ponds I have access too for a couple hours. The one I'm talking about for the fly rod has huge gills and small bass.. (small for bass anyway)

Ice fishing sounds fun.

Does a fly reel "click" as you reel it in?

J Francho reply :

NIIIIICE!!!!!

On 10/5/2016 at 12:13 AM, Yeajray231 said:

Does a fly reel "click" as you reel it in?

Not one with anti-reverse.

ottosmagic13 reply :

On 10/5/2016 at 12:13 AM, Yeajray231 said:

I think they're hybrids.. which are supposedly 99%male. I'm not sure tho. I haven't managed to fool anything with the fly rod. I don't know what I'm doing yet.

Erie is quite a haul from me lol. And I have a young family and a real jacked up schedule... rarely I get to put my little Jon boat on the water, like once every couple weeks. Normally I just slide over to one of the many ponds I have access too for a couple hours. The one I'm talking about for the fly rod has huge gills and small bass.. (small for bass anyway)

Ice fishing sounds fun.

Does a fly reel "click" as you reel it in?

Depends on the reel, some have click and drag systems others are free-spinning on the wind. I have several vintage automatic reels that don't click as much as they buzz as they take in line but those are definitely an exception.

As for the topic, I love fly fishing for any species. Smallies are extremely fun to catch on 3,4 and 5wt rods. I have a 5/6wt rod that handles most of my non-trout fresh water fishing. Wading up a small creek throwing Woolly Buggers or streamers at the tails of ripples and swinging them through pools is so much fun.

.ghoti. reply :

On 10/4/2016 at 3:30 PM, Turkey sandwich said:

The Clouser Minnow is killer for virtually any game species and was actually designed on the Susquehanna for smallmouth. Just change the size and you can fish them for anything from trout to bass, to musky, to bonefish. a Clouser, stripped just under the surface when bass are feeding up is deadly.

The Clouser is a great choice, and so is a Deceiver. Try both

Yeajray231 reply :

Mine is a cabelas 5wt 8'6" rod and reel combo. I just noticed it was clicking . It's brand new so I don't think it's damaged.. I'm not sure what the clicking means.. I'm not sure how to retrieve the flies either. I just "strip " them in? The one I was trying yesterday sank. It looked good in the water . Just no takers. I only tried for about a half hour but normally that's more than enough time to catch something at the area I was at.

Also I'm using a 9ft tapered leader. I read somewhere that I use a "tippet" to attach the fly to the leader. Well the leader I'm using comes to a very fine point. And the tippet I purchased is basically the same size.. so do I not need the tippet until the leader is shortened to the thicker area.

J Francho reply :

On 10/5/2016 at 12:55 AM, Yeajray231 said:

I just noticed it was clicking . It's brand new so I don't think it's damaged..

It's not broke. It does not have anti reverse. The click is just a ratchet to keep the reel from free spinning and tangling up the fly line.

Yes, irrespective of the reel type, you strip the fly in, and then just false cast that line back out, and cast to your target. You should look up some YouTube videos to get the hang of it.

Yeajray231 reply :

Ok I will. What about the tippet and my tapered leader ?

ottosmagic13 reply :

On 10/5/2016 at 12:55 AM, Yeajray231 said:

Mine is a cabelas 5wt 8'6" rod and reel combo. I just noticed it was clicking . It's brand new so I don't think it's damaged.. I'm not sure what the clicking means.. I'm not sure how to retrieve the flies either. I just "strip " them in? The one I was trying yesterday sank. It looked good in the water . Just no takers. I only tried for about a half hour but normally that's more than enough time to catch something at the area I was at.

Clicking is perfectly normal, if you look inside it is a series of springs pressing teeth into a gear. Clicks on wind and provides drag when pulling out line.

The type of fly determines the action. Poppers are common with bass, they are stripped with small jerky strips that pop just like their bigger counterparts. Streamers and Woolly Buggers are also effective and imitate small baitfish when stripped 6"-12" at a time, varying the length of the strip and pausing erratically produces a 'wounded' action great for reaction strikes. Dries are meant to be fished on top and usually represent insects and terrestrials, bass this time of year seem to like grasshopper imitations (hoppers). Some dries need floatant; a coating that helps them float otherwise they'll sink and not be effective.

As for Leader/Tippet:

I run 2x-4x leaders for bass. Usually in the 7-9ft range. Tippet I usually match to the leader and attach 2-3' to preserve the length and taper of the leader. Changing the tippet every session and the leader as necessary.

J Francho reply :

A tippet is just an extension of your leader. I use furled leaders, and attach the tippet to that.

atpns1234 reply :

Fly fishing for bass is great. Not as difficult as trout in my opinion. I spent 5 days fishing streams in north Georgia earlier this year. Threw thousands of casts to catch 5 rainbows and would do it again in a heartbeat. Give it a shot brother. Very satifying to catch a fish on the fly.

Turkey sandwich reply :

(As I'm learning), fishing streamers often doesn't require a long 7-9' leader plus tippet. 4-5' seems like the happy place (again, at least for me) when casting streamers.

.ghoti. reply :

On 10/5/2016 at 1:12 AM, J Francho said:

A tippet is just an extension of your leader. I use furled leaders, and attach the tippet to that.

ditto

Yeajray231 reply :

So my tapered leader is not the most ideal option?

ottosmagic13 reply :

I use a tapered leader purely out of convenience. I've used furled (uni) leaders before and liked them but they were not that different for bass/crappie and they are harder to aquire around here and I've never learned to make them myself. I did like the built in indicator aspect of the ones I had. Tapered work just fine.

@Turkey sandwich It really depends on the water quality and fishing pressure, sometimes a short leader works (~5') and can be easier in the wind too; other times landing the fly line too close or a heavy fly/streamer to hard turns off the bite, especially with river/creek smallies (forget it with trout).

My default is 7.5ft 3x tapered on a 5/6wt with 1-2ft of matched tippet. I recently started using leader rings and it makes the leaders last pretty long.

J Francho reply :

On 10/5/2016 at 8:11 AM, Yeajray231 said:

So my tapered leader is not the most ideal option?

Tapered are fine. My friend owns a fly fishing company, and his wife ties and makes leaders, so I get them from him.

Good place inexpensive supplies.

http://www.wildwaterflyfishing.com/furled-leaders/

The owner and I grew up together. He actually lives down the street from where my parents still live. Really good guy. I introduced him to fishing back when we were in cub scouts.

Wind Knot reply :

A 4wt fly rod can make a 3lber feel much bigger. I don't usually target bass when I'm fly fishing, but occasionally they'll bite at a little foam dry fly.

P.S. Foam spiders are a good multispecies fly in ponds

ottosmagic13 reply :

On 10/5/2016 at 9:31 PM, Wind Knot said:

A 4wt fly rod can make a 3lber feel much bigger. I don't usually target bass when I'm fly fishing, but occasionally they'll bite at a little foam dry fly.

P.S. Foam spiders are a good multispecies fly in ponds

I was targeting trout in a small creek with a hopper (John's Green Hopper) and dropper (Hare's Ear Nymph) with a 3wt rod with only a 7x leader and a good sized smallie (14") took the Hopper and took off into the current channel. Man that was a fun fight, most things in this creek are under 12" and not nearly as crazy as that smallie.

J Francho reply :

I have a 7' 3wt two piece that I only use for blue gills and sunnies. Even them, it's not a big struggle to get them in. I can imagine a decent smallie over 14" being a problem, though.

ottosmagic13 reply :

On 10/6/2016 at 1:22 AM, J Francho said:

I have a 7' 3wt two piece that I only use for blue gills and sunnies. Even them, it's not a big struggle to get them in. I can imagine a decent smallie over 14" being a problem, though.

Mine is a vintage cane rod with a older Martin auto-reel, got it from my father-in-law. You would be generous to call it medium power and medium action. He used it for Bream and Crappie, I use it on occasion for trout and bream.

J Francho reply :

Mine is a custom build on a modern graphite blank. I'd say it's comparable to a light power, fast spinning rod.

fishwizzard reply :

On 2/22/2016 at 10:53 AM, dave said:

I attended an annual event in Annapolis, MD called TIEFEST.

Thanks for posting this, I am right around there and this looks like a really cool event.

I have not gotten into fly fishing yet, but just received a book about simple fly tying. I am going to get into it this winter and look to pick up a rod in the spring. My wife has expressed an interest in taking a fly fishing class or guided trip, so it could be a fun way to get her hooked on fishing.

J Francho reply :

There's a pretty cool one up here, in winter - guys, pies, and flies. It's actually all genders, family friendly, pizza, and fly tying. At the end there's a raffle.

Yeajray231 reply :

Fly fishing is expensive lol. Just as expensive (for me)

Probably much cheaper if you tie your own.. but time is money.

J Francho reply :

Check out my bud's site. Really good prices on the starter kits, and it isn't junk.

ottosmagic13 reply :

On 10/6/2016 at 4:43 AM, J Francho said:

There's a pretty cool one up here, in winter - guys, pies, and flies. It's actually all genders, family friendly, pizza, and fly tying. At the end there's a raffle.

When and where is this event? I'm only 35 minutes away from Rochester (Newark) and would love something like that. I just started tying my own flies this year. Saving up for a decent fly tying setup, right now i have some old locking pliers being held in a table vice.

J Francho reply :

It's during winter (February?), and usually up at the beach house in Charlotte. I didn't go last year.

ottosmagic13 reply :

On 10/7/2016 at 12:38 AM, J Francho said:

It's during winter (February?), and usually up at the beach house in Charlotte. I didn't go last year.

I'll have to keep an eye out. February is usually the about the time I go stir crazy, hopefully tying will help some of that.

I found that B & E tackle in Ontario has some stuff and there is a Bass Pro in Auburn; where do you usually get your materials? Synthetics I have no problem finding but things like masks and peacock.

I recently learned to tie a beaded Hare's Ear Nymph that incorporates some peacock for a flashback design but can't find peacock, order online or use synthetic flash? I definitely need to get better at dubbing loops.

J Francho reply :

I just let other people tie for me, lol. I don't actually use many flies. I go to the event more for the social aspect. Since I switched to centrepins for trout (the darside!), I pretty much gave up on the fly. I sometimes use a fly on my drift rigs, though. I also like to mess with the sunnies with the little 3 wt.

For places to find materials, Field & Stream in Henrietta has a nice selection of stuff, too. There used to be that Orvis shop in Panorama, but I don't know if he's still in business.

the reel ess reply :

On 10/5/2016 at 12:13 AM, Yeajray231 said:

I think they're hybrids.. which are supposedly 99%male. I'm not sure tho. I haven't managed to fool anything with the fly rod. I don't know what I'm doing yet.

Erie is quite a haul from me lol. And I have a young family and a real jacked up schedule... rarely I get to put my little Jon boat on the water, like once every couple weeks. Normally I just slide over to one of the many ponds I have access too for a couple hours. The one I'm talking about for the fly rod has huge gills and small bass.. (small for bass anyway)

Ice fishing sounds fun.

Does a fly reel "click" as you reel it in?

99% male, huh? I'll bet the females are tired after the attempt to spawn.

J Francho reply :

LOL, they're usually sterile, hence the size. No time or energy wasted looking to reproduce.

Yeajray231 reply :

I was told that the huge ones are "hybrid" and that they are 99% male. I honestly have no idea.

That's not all the bluegill in this pond there are a few different kinds.

j bab reply :

On 10/6/2016 at 5:13 AM, Yeajray231 said:

Probably much cheaper if you tie your own..

I don't think that's the case unless you lose hundreds of flies per year and/or you sell flies on the side to offset costs.

Paul Roberts reply :

On 10/6/2016 at 5:13 AM, Yeajray231 said:

Fly fishing is expensive lol. Just as expensive (for me)

Probably much cheaper if you tie your own.. but time is money.

Fly-tying does not have to be expensive. You can invent your own stuff with cheap and found materials.

Scott F reply :

I started fly fishing when I was 10 using a fiberglass fly rod with an automatic fly reel. I carried and used a fly rod, along with spinning gear, on all my smallie trips. I was never really properly instructed on techniques or gear. I was exclusively a topwater fly fisherman. Many years later, after I joined a club devoted to Smallmouth fishing, I had the opportunity to fish with some expert fly fishermen. When I saw how much effort these guys put into chasing smallies with the long rod, I knew it was more than I was willing to do with the limited time I had to spend fishing. I also learned that the cheap rods I was using was limiting my ability to cast.

Fly fishing doesn't have to be expensive but to become proficient at it, takes a sizable investment. One fly does not cost much to make, but you can't buy material to make just one fly. You can buy a cheap tying vise, but they don't work very well. You can buy a cheap rod, but they don't cast very well. Fly fishermen are not immune to the bait monkey.

When you take up fly fishing, there is a lot more to it than just catching fish. You need to be able to appreciate and enjoy the "art" of casting.

CaptMikeStarrett reply :

Fly fishing is easy on the arms if done right. At the end of the day your arm, shoulder and neck will be less stressed. Try throwing a spinner bait or an A rig all day. However you will catch less and on those rare times you will catch more than other fisherman.

Try to go CODE an entire day and you will learn a lot. CODE is only fly gear all day.

I am the guy Dave talks about. It is an art that over time becomes a passion ..then it becomes second nature to lay a loop out 30 yards on the head of a fish.

Sadly most younger fisherman would not learn the art. It takes years to perfect that cast..then learn a new one and start over.

Capt Mike

Yeajray231 reply :

On 10/12/2016 at 4:03 AM, Paul Roberts said:

Fly-tying does not have to be expensive. You can invent your own stuff with cheap and found materials.

Expensive to me and expensive to you are very likely two different things. I worded it wrong fly fishing was expensive (for me) to start.

Cool idea though.

Further North reply :

On 10/5/2016 at 1:12 AM, J Francho said:

A tippet is just an extension of your leader. I use furled leaders, and attach the tippet to that.

Do you make your own, or buy them?

On 10/5/2016 at 4:16 AM, Turkey sandwich said:

(As I'm learning), fishing streamers often doesn't require a long 7-9' leader plus tippet. 4-5' seems like the happy place (again, at least for me) when casting streamers.

Agree - and I often don't bother with a taper - just straight line.

Further North reply :

On 10/5/2016 at 8:11 AM, Yeajray231 said:

So my tapered leader is not the most ideal option?

There's nothing wrong with them...but tapered leaders are really meant for finesse presentations...like softly setting a wispy blue wing olive fly on a trout stream.

For bass (and for me, pike and musky) I want that fly to look like it fell off a cliff most of the time. We're not dealing with a trout that's going to run from a poor presented fly, we're dealing with aggressive predators that will most often turn towards something that falls on the water.

I fly fish for bass, pike and musky a lot...I usually have at least two fly rods in my boat in case the opportunity arises...or if I think what I can do with a fly might entice a fish to bite...and sometimes it's what they want on a given day.

I use 6, 7 and 8 wt. rods for bass, 8, 9 and 10 wt. rods for pike and musky. I'm not creating a handicap at all compared to spinning or casting gear...in fact there's a good chance I've got an advantage as I've got a lot more direct connection to the fish if I'm stripping it in...that line is in my hand...not attached to a reel.

On 10/5/2016 at 9:03 PM, J Francho said:

Tapered are fine. My friend owns a fly fishing company, and his wife ties and makes leaders, so I get them from him.

Good place inexpensive supplies.

http://www.wildwaterflyfishing.com/furled-leaders/

The owner and I grew up together. He actually lives down the street from where my parents still live. Really good guy. I introduced him to fishing back when we were in cub scouts.

Good site - I bookmarked it...

Further North reply :

On 10/7/2016 at 3:08 AM, J Francho said:

LOL, they're usually sterile, hence the size. No time or energy wasted looking to reproduce.

Man...I'd be HUGE...

Yeajray231 reply :

Lol. Some of those bluegills would make you blush I promise.

Ratherbfishing reply :

While I do fly fish from time to time, it hasn't become the passion I thought it would be-perhaps because I have only so much time and can only carry so much equipment. It's KIND of like crappie fishing. While I like to crappie fish, every time I set out to go crappie fishing, I almost always end up bass fishing. The only time I go out with JUST a fly rod is in the spring when the big bream are spawning-and then it's fun as "h e crooked letter, crooked letter." My hope is that if/when I retire and can pick and choose my time more generously, I'll expand my repertoire considerably.

DrMarlboro92 reply :

On 10/9/2016 at 2:57 PM, j bab said:

I don't think that's the case unless you lose hundreds of flies per year and/or you sell flies on the side to offset costs.

It's definitely cheaper to build your own. The cost of 12 nymphs normally runs me about $4. Buying 12 nymphs can cost $6-24 depending on brand. I never understood paying $2 for a fly when I can tie my own for pennies.

J Francho reply :

24 nymphs, and a box - $16. Double that amount for $30.

http://www.wildwaterflyfishing.com/nymph-assortment-24-flies-with-small-fly-box/

j bab reply :

On 10/20/2016 at 1:06 AM, DrMarlboro92 said:

It's definitely cheaper to build your own. The cost of 12 nymphs normally runs me about $4. Buying 12 nymphs can cost $6-24 depending on brand. I never understood paying $2 for a fly when I can tie my own for pennies.

How much time and money do you have invested in fly tying equipment? And real estate in your house. Tools, vices, materials, etc...

You didn't pay all that off by making 12 flies. My point stands. I realize it's worth it at a certain point, but it's not for a casual fly fisher.

J Francho reply :

I totally agree.

Jon P. reply :

On 2/23/2016 at 12:39 AM, 119 said:

Yes it is my favorite way to fish. But very hard to impossible to do in most of the bass waters I fish because of a lack of backcast space.

invest in a shooting line.

when thread fin or yearling bluegill are schooling a little flashy streamer pattern can outfish the best baits any day

Bassun reply :

To me, fly fishing is much more than just going out to catch fish. Personally, I think if you are not tying at least some of your own flies, you are missing out on half of what fly fishing is really all about. Sure you can buy dozens of flies for the cost of a couple bass lures (or 1/4 the cost depending lol) - but then you probably end up just fishing.

If you take the time to tie a dozen flies - when you catch a fish, it's all you. You have become PART of the process and, to me, that makes it even more enjoyable. When you tie that Parachute Adams, and have a big bull gill suck it under -- when you tie that woolybuger and have a smallie try to destroy it -- you did that. Not someone else. That sense of accomplishment, that rush of self created success, adds to an already amazing past-time.

That's not to say it is always cheap, or cost effective. But you also don't have to buy the most expensive vice, feathers, hurl, etc. My first fly I ever tied was a weighted streamer, on an old eagle claw hook, with pink feathers from a feather duster. I used a pair of pliers in a vice to hold it, and tied it up with black thread out of my step-mom's sewing box. And it SLAYED the bass in the little lake near our house as a kid. Dragging it through beds was deadly. I followed that with what I called a black gnat. Same setup, smaller hook, and basically a bunch of thread. Bluegill could not resist it. The point being, you only have to spend as much as you want.

Now if you fly fish a lot, sure maybe it is worth buying the right tools - and maybe ...MAYBE you save some money in the long run. If not, then at best maybe it's break even... but chances are it's a loss. But, it's not about P&L, it's about the experience. I love wade fishing for smallies with spinning gear...but I never feel as connected with fishing as I do when I am fly fishing with stuff I've tied myself.

** RE: someone who posted it's difficult to fly fish on a 16' boat. I 100% disagree. You just have to position the boat differently vs casting with bass gear. 16 foot or 22 foot -- you still can't easily whip it around across the boat from front to back...unless you're partner would like a new piercing, lol.

J Francho reply :

Fishing, for me, irrespective of the gear is always about catching fish. Anything else is just preparation for my next personal best.

DrMarlboro92 reply :

On 10/20/2016 at 4:51 AM, j bab said:

How much time and money do you have invested in fly tying equipment? And real estate in your house. Tools, vices, materials, etc...

You didn't pay all that off by making 12 flies. My point stands. I realize it's worth it at a certain point, but it's not for a casual fly fisher.

After making 100 flies a $200 kit (which can normally give you well more than 100 flies) pays for itself when you consider most flies cost $1.75-7.00, and a budding fly fisherman is apt to break off numerous flies in a single outing when starting.

Personally, I've never upgraded from the vice and tools that came in the kit I bought years ago, and it only took about a month or two to pay off given that in my early days it was quite a frequent occurrence for me to break off flies in trees on the back cast, and wanting to try out every pattern I could possibly tie. Given that even today after exhausting the usefulness of my $80 kit, the only "real estate" my fly tying takes up is a medium sized Tupperware tub in a closet, and a bit of table space when I break it out to tie, it's not a hard thing to make room for. My bass tackle takes up more space then all of my fly fishing gear, and that's not including a closet full of surplus and multiples storage.

Obviously fly tying isn't for everyone, but it's nowhere near as expensive or cumbersome as many want to make it out to be. But that's just my $0.02 And comments from the peanut gallery.

Further North reply :

On 10/26/2016 at 12:48 PM, DrMarlboro92 said:

Obviously fly tying isn't for everyone, but it's nowhere near as expensive or cumbersome as many want to make it out to be. But that's just my $0.02 And comments from the peanut gallery.

'm with you - I buy buy most of rods and reels on E-Bay for pennies on the dollar (Each full rig costs about what a bass fishing rig costs, or less, and I don't own a cheap reel or rod...mostly Lamson, with a couple Nautilus and Orvis Reels, rods are TFO, Scott, St. Croix, Sage, Winston...). A lot of folks thnk they want to fly fish, buy expensive gear...then give up and you can buy it on E-Bay when they get tired of it cluttering their closets or basements.

I buy little flies - they are cheap, less than $0.50 in bulk.

I tie many of my own bass, pike and musky flies because it's fun and is way less than buying them. I have a rolling bench that is about 2 ft. x 2 ft. and I store all my materials under it when I'm not tying. I bought a really nice Renzetti rotary vise used for about $100.

You can let any hobby be a financial burden, or you can be smart about what you buy. You can fly fish on a budget that is just as reasonable as bass fishing, if you want to.

Bassun reply :

On 10/27/2016 at 9:46 AM, Further North said:

You can fly fish on a budget that is just as reasonable as bass fishing, if you want to.

"Just as reasonable as bass fishing" --- I'm SOOO doing it wrong as my bass budget is waaaaay to high, lol.

Further North reply :

On 10/28/2016 at 10:24 PM, Bassun said:

"Just as reasonable as bass fishing" --- I'm SOOO doing it wrong as my bass budget is waaaaay to high, lol.

That was the reason for my caveat.

....I do the same kinds of things for a lot of my bass gear as well. In the last couple weeks I picked up a brand new TFO GTS casting rod for $68 ($160 list) and a brand new Daiwa Tatula reel for $86.

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