rivers or creeks?

[ShhImFishing]

Hey everyone,

So i finally got a fly rod this winter, and cant wait to start learning to fly fish, anway was just wondering what you fluff chuckers thought would be more suited to the beginner, rivers or creeks? maybe shoreside on a lake?

Lemme know your thoughts and if at all possible some suggestions, im in Edmonton so i was planning on starting on the NSR since its close

[Scott N]

I think lakes are easier to fish than moving water is. It's not as complicated as trying to learn how to read moving water is, especially when it comes to someone just starting out. I think I have probably caught the most trout using wooly buggers and sink-tip or sinking line from my belly boat by far.

[Dust1n]

try streams on the trunk road and use attractor dry flies or go to a local stocked pond with a leech fly.

[Darren N]

Other good advice is go to the library and get some books and videos before you go out there. The time you invest even just picking up and remembering a few pointers will help you out. Plus practice in a school field before you go out to get a feel of your rod and line. After that try out Beumont or something like that dry fly to start would be the best solution, then when you feel comfortable go wet and then try rivers or streams.

[walking buffalo]

Find a place with room to cast. No point in making the learning curve more difficult and frustrating by having to deal with casting around obstacles. As well, choose water where you don't have to be too close to the fish. So basically what I am suggesting is try an open lake or small river.

[DaveFish]

Go to chickakoo on a muggy day this spring/summer, took out afew people for their first fly fishing ever last year there, had great success from the shore.

[ShhImFishing]

sounds good ill take a look at chickakoo, never been there before, from the map it looks like only 1 access from the south of the lake, shore fishing from around there i take it?

[DaveFish]

We usually fish within 150m from the parking lot on the right side. Not much size, but pretty little bows and brookies.

[italk2u]

There are many organizations in town that can help you in your quest to learn to fly fish.
two that come to mind right away are the edmonton trout fishing club and the northern alberta fly tyers.
Their members are pleased to give lessons in not only fly casting, but fly tying as well.
I also recall that the fishing hole used to hold a fly fishing seminar every spring down at Stauffer creek.

[ShhImFishing]

We usually fish within 150m from the parking lot on the right side. Not much size, but pretty little bows and brookies.

cool thanks when i get a chance ill get out there :D

[Willowtrail]

Hey Shh, theres actually 3 places out there to park. Lots of access to walk around. Theres even a liittle dock on the NW corner good for 1 guy. Good luck out there.

[Okotokian]

I would not shy away from one type of water or another. They are all fun. Go with what is close.

The advantage of a lake is that it's not moving so it's simpler. No avoiding obstacles, mending line, etc. I went to a lake (a stocked one) my first time and caught a rainbow on my very first cast. That gets you excited about fly fishing.

On the otherhand, a creek is good in some ways because you can get a better idea where the fish might be. You can often see the pools or areas behind boulders, or edges of current where they might be. Sometimes you can even see the fish themselves.

[muskokagould]

I think lakes are the best to begin with, and yes chicakoo is a great one to learn on, but sounds like it may have winterkilled as well as many others around town, might be wrong but i'd do the research before heading out there. i think they should re-evaluate the quantity of fish they are stocking each year and put some of the $ into airators on these small potholes, just think it would get us better results, maybe change the limits on some of these lakes to give em a chance to take off, just my opinion though, hell id be willing to chip in for some of the costs, would be nice to see these lakes make it throughout the winters.

:angry3:I have no clue what a 5" rainbow tastes like but am sure half the people you see on these lakes do.

[fishstix]

Start on a creek. Cast upstream. Learn from there.

[Red Bullets]

The north Saskaychewan river is a great place to start learning. There is lots of room, The river has a few species of fish that will take a fly, where the pothole trout lake only have trout and if they are off fishing is useless to try to catch them. Goldeye or mooneye on a fly are a crazy good fight on a fly. If you go to streamers you may catch a few more species. Just make the streamer a minnow pattern. The further upstream from Drayton Valley you go, the trout popultion increases.