# New to fly fishing



## C-KRIGAR (Jul 16, 2011)

What are some of the basic things I need to buy for just starting out? I dont have a rod or reel but mainly wanting to fish saltwater.


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## Dawg (Oct 4, 2010)

Bass pro has the TFO combo tha makes a great starter rod


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## meterman (Jan 2, 2011)

Video how to cast a fly rod ? What's good


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## Coconut Groves (Nov 2, 2011)

Fly fishing in the salt is like trying run before you can walk. It looks easy, but trust me, it is a tough game. The slightest wind will be your worst enemy when you are new to it and it blows pretty much all the time in the salt. My advice...

* Start in the fresh water.
* Take a casting lesson. It is well worth it.
* Go out with a guide if you can. You'll learn more in one day than months on your own.
* Don't invest in a ton of gear until you know its for you.
* "Fly Fishing in Saltwater" by Lefty Kreh is a bible. Buy it, read it once. Then read it again.

Not meaning to discourage you, but I know guys who have fly fished for trout for most of their lives who get their butts handed to them when they show up in the salt.

I had to relearn my cast when I got serious about it. When I show up now I am never worried about my cast - just the attitude of the fish and where they are at.

Good luck.


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## meterman (Jan 2, 2011)

thanks will do all just got a great deal so i kinda went over lol access 9 wt , hydros iv like it so far but have all winter to work at it 
thanks
mac


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## Laguna Freak (Nov 15, 2006)

Coconut Groves said:


> Fly fishing in the salt is like trying run before you can walk. It looks easy, but trust me, it is a tough game. The slightest wind will be your worst enemy when you are new to it and it blows pretty much all the time in the salt. My advice...
> 
> * Start in the fresh water.
> * Take a casting lesson. It is well worth it.
> ...


What he said X2


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## Coconut Groves (Nov 2, 2011)

Some of the best free casting info on Winston Fly Rod's website:

http://www.winstonrods.com/category/resources/casting-clinic.php

That page has a clinic, but also look on the right side and you see links to PDF files. There are additional clinics, in order, from Joan's books. Each document is a progression from the previous and eventually works up to the double haul.

Highly recommended... and free. Just make sure to thank them by buying a Winston Rod at some point in the future (disclaimer, nearly all my rods are Winstons).


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

There are big differences between fishing the salt and freshwater...and if you are primarily interested in the salt, then spend your time there learning.

I do a lot of flats fishing and there the premium is on accurate, quick casts...distance is nice but generally secondary to these. 

Accuracy: You need to be able to hit a 1 ft radius circle at 60 ft under any wind conditions that you will be fishing. One of the best ways I know to gain mastery of this is to set up hoops that size at appropriate distances...and practice, practice, practice.

Quick casts: Once you get the accuracy down then work on getting your fly out there with minimum of back casting. One back cast is ideal and you should work towards that objective. Always have a good amount of fly line beyond your rod tip and especially if you are fishing from a boat platform, have enough line stripped out at your feet carefully managed. Practice getting the fly into different circles at different wind directions and different distances.....quickly 

To simulate tropical flats fishing, have someone call out to you the targerts...for example bonefish at 2:00 at 60 ft, bonefish at 12:00 at 45 ft, etc. etc. 

Then you will be ready for that same command from your guide only it usually goes like this: Bonefish at 100 ft moving to the left and towards us, get ready: bonefish at 10:00, 60 ft, cast now. 

If you have done your homework, you will be rewarded with the most exciting take and fight you can imagine. 

Tight lines.


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## Laguna Freak (Nov 15, 2006)

To reinforce what coconut groves mentioned, get some lessons from a *certified instructor*. They will be $$.$$ well spent. Lessons from friends, and online are helpful to an extent but proficient fly casting, especially in windy coastal conditions, is 100% about your technique. Without proper technique, you will just wear yourself out and miss a lot of fun action.

I speak from experience in this. I started fly casting a little over a year ago at the prompting of a freshwater fly fishing friend. In the last 2 months, I have had 3 lessons from an excellent instructor who is a saltwater enthusiast and every lesson has been well worth the expense.


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## Charles28 (Dec 4, 2012)

There are some common guidelines for tracking in fly fishing. It is an individual activity and the sportfishing is always better when there is less stress. Focus on fish that are within twenty feet, which can be quickly achieved with a 7 to 8 feet and a nice easy approach.


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## Coconut Groves (Nov 2, 2011)

While I agree that a certified instructor is good to have, if you know someone who can cast and teach, there is no problem getting lessons from a friend.

I recently converted a close friend who was a life long bait caster. We went on a couples trip to the Bahamas and I self guided me and two of my friends. I taught one to double haul in under an hour. He had never really tried to fly fish before, so he had no bad habits that limited him.

He also caught his first bonefish in the first hour of going bonefishing.


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## itch2fish (May 24, 2009)

I made the same transition 2 years ago, and haven't looked back. I started with takng a few lessons from a certified casting instructor, and absolutely agree that it is the best way to start. Yeah, I did some reading and watched a few videos as well, but having a good coach critique your casting and help you improve is a real accelerator. You can have a geat time in saltwater without it, but the ability to cast and double haul into a wind will save you a lot of frustration.

Good news for you is you have the cold months to learn and practice, then hit the salt. 

Another suggestion - join a flyfishing club like the Texas Flyfishers. Monthly meetings and planned outings in both fresh and salt. Good guys who like to fly fish... how can you beat that?

Good luck!


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## shallowist (May 28, 2009)

Have to pitch in my 2 cents here... After 25 plus years of almost exclusively fly fishing saltwater, I would say that if the salt is what you want to fish, don't spend a lot of time in fresh water. There are two many areas where they just aren't similar. Though you can potentially gain some good casting practice, you will do better learning that through a certified instructor. There are a handful in Texas that are good. Laguna Freak mentioned having some time well spent with an instructor, and I believe I know who that is, very saltwater oriented instruction and will teach you more than just casting...
Do a little research before you make the decision. Not all instructors are equal. I would also suggest that you spend time with someone familiar with saltwater fishing/casting.

Things you should seek to learn:
Quick and accurate casts!! I love it when someone can cast to 60 or 80 feet because it gives them more opportunities, but I frequently put customers within 20 feet of redfish, so accuracy is far more important. Always practice cast to a target.
Fishing position and hook sets for saltwater are much different than freshwater. Fish with your rod tip low and pointed at the fly, strip to set and don't move the rod until you are tight to the fish.
Practice casting in the wind, Practice starting your casts as you would from the deck of a boat, fly in hand and 10-20 feet of line beyond the rod tip. 
Don't get ahead of yourself with the casting, start small and make small incremental increases in distance, stay focussed on the accuracy. Don't even think about a double haul until you understand how to form a good loop consistently. 

There are some great instructors and guides in Texas, but again, research each before making a decision. 

Good luck, and get ready for a whole new world of possibilities to open up when you get proficient with the fly rod.


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## Crow's Nest (Dec 4, 2009)

Dawg said:


> Bass pro has the TFO combo tha makes a great starter rod


I too am interested in getting into fly fishing. I looked at the TFO combos from Basspro but not sure wich setup would be the best for Reds?

Any recommendations?


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## Demeter (Apr 13, 2006)

Crow's Nest said:


> I too am interested in getting into fly fishing. I looked at the TFO combos from Basspro but not sure wich setup would be the best for Reds?
> 
> Any recommendations?


I would get the 8wt set up.


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## Crow's Nest (Dec 4, 2009)

Demeter said:


> I would get the 8wt set up.


With the 9' rod?


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