New fly fisherman

[Xiph0id]

I want to fly fish.
Keep reading about you guys hiking and fishing these nice creeks!

What weight of flyrod should I get for an starter/all around rod?
Any brands that I should avoid?
I don't want to buy anything fancy yet.
And a few flies I should pick up?
Anything else I should know?

[Dust1n]

I want to fly fish.
Keep reading about you guys hiking and fishing these nice creeks!

What weight of flyrod should I get for an starter/all around rod?
Any brands that I should avoid?
I don't want to buy anything fancy yet.
And a few flies I should pick up?
Anything else I should know?

TFO signature series or a pro series for backpacking
Floating wt forward line

wooly buggers
micky fins
leeches

adams
olive caddis
hl verant

pheasent tail
haers ear
prince nymph

SJW
hopper
ant

Fish the terreistails near the edge of the river & creeks
Match the Hatch as best as you can

[mikeym]

a 9' 4 or 5 wt rod is probably your best bet to start with. small enough for the smaller streams but not too small for the larger streams.

also spend good money on fly line, that is the single most important investment starting out you can make. good fly line casts soo much better and smoother then cheaper line, makes starting out a lot easier.

i will second TFO as a good starter rod. if you want to spend a little more, St Croix makes some nice 4 pc rods in the $200-$300 range that you will be very happy with.

stay away from the low end Mitchell and no name brand rods. they don't cast very well and don't last at all.

have fun

Mike

[AndrewM]

To help with picking out flies check out the add up top. ickyflyworks.ca They have some starter packages on there for bow, alpine streams and a few others.

[Dr.Shortington]

TFO signature series or a pro series for backpacking
Floating wt forward line

wooly buggers
micky fins
leeches

adams
olive caddis
hl verant

pheasent tail
haers ear
prince nymph

SJW
hopper
ant

Fish the terreistails near the edge of the river & creeks
Match the Hatch as best as you can

What exactly does this mean???

[Darren N]

Go to your local library. They have tons of books and videos on fly fishing and some on getting started. The local fishing stores have literature as well but can be pricy. Once you read up on what to do, go to a field and practice.

[Dust1n]

Fish the terreistails near the edge of the river & creeks
terrestrails are bugs that dont live in the water and just fall in from the grass,shrub,tree, ect.
They include Grasshoppers,beatles,ants,Inchworms,Crickets ,ect

Match the Hatch as best as you can
match the hatch is something most everyone does when fly fishing.
its when you take what the fish is eating(hatch) and match it as best as you can.

[Xiph0id]

I bought a dozen flys and a POS scientific anglers from Wholesale sports.
When cabelas opens on aug 4 I might go get something better if I get hooked!
Going to waiporous camping next weekend and might take a drive up to the ram that weekend.

[BBT]

Go to Hansons DT Calgary and sign up for their Boot Camp. For $200.00 you a get a days full of learning and you get to keep your rod, reel and line when its all done.

Best bang for the buck!!!!

[emrich-55]

Dont cheap out on your rod or line. the better the rod the eisier it is to learn to cast. check out the Passport line of Winston RL fly rods, best rod for the money you will find.
As far as line to use, use nothing but Rio fly line.

[densa44]

The line is the most important, rod second. I think the 9' one is good advice, it makes it easier to pick up line.

Although it is irresistible to see how far you can cast (more than far enough) careful wading and watching the water. If they are rising for naturals they will rise for yours if you make it look like a natural.

The question about terrestrials is a good one too, bees, crickets, hoppers, etc. If you find a spot where the grass overhangs the stream, try to carefully land your artificial hopper (elk hair ones are great, they always float) on the grass and then just tug a bit so it drops on the water. Don't wet yourself!