School me on fly fishing

[JLS]

Why did they have you put a 5 weight line on 6/7 weight rod?

Skwalas are a smaller golden stonefly.

Your basic pattern types are a nymph, which is the larvael form of the insect.  Next you have emergers, which is the form as the larvae emerges into the insect form, and the adult which is the hatched insect. 

The basic insects you'll have on the Bitterroot are the skwalas, caddis, and mayflies.  I have a book called Flyfishing Montana that does a really good job of showing the different hatches going on each month, and the patterns one would want to use during that time.

[75johndeere]

That was my fault I thought it was a 5/6 weight rod is that going to make a big difference?

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[JLS]

Yes, it will.  The 5 weight line will make it harder to "load" up the rod for casting.  Usually on a rod that is dual weight like yours, you want the heavier line for closer casting and/or bigger flies (bass bugs, pike leeches) and the lighter line would be for longer distance casting.

I think it's going to be hard for you to cast with it.  How did the practice go?  Maybe check with the shop and see if they'll work with you on it.

[75johndeere]

I did alright was getting it to lay down smooth but couldn't get much distance worse case I can buy another rod as I didn't buy the first one it was free from a friend

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[thatkidwho]

The rod, reel, line wt combo seems odd to me but I know nothing. I just started fly fishing last summer. Check out LL Beans guide to fly fishing. Its a great primer on techniques, theory and water reading. It also covers some basic fly tying.
Practice,  practice, practice. I spend 30 minutes twice a week in the street practicing my cast. Also get friendly with the guys at a local shop, they love to talk about it.

[JLS]

I did alright was getting it to lay down smooth but couldn't get much distance worse case I can buy another rod as I didn't buy the first one it was free from a friend

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It will be hard to cast much line when it is underloaded by 2 weights.  It's like trying to pitch a 1/4 oz Panther Martin with a steelhead rod.  You just can't load the rod up enough to make it work for you while you're casting, and without the flexing and loading you won't get any power or distance.

A 5 weight is perfect for the Blackfoot and Bitterroot.  Maybe see if you could trade the rod, or sell it and buy a 5 weight?  Check your local Craigslist too.

[JLS]

The rod, reel, line wt combo seems odd to me but I know nothing. I just started fly fishing last summer. Check out LL Beans guide to fly fishing. Its a great primer on techniques, theory and water reading. It also covers some basic fly tying.
Practice,  practice, practice. I spend 30 minutes twice a week in the street practicing my cast. Also get friendly with the guys at a local shop, they love to talk about it.

You're not actually casting your line ONTO the street are you?  Blacktop is not going to help your line last very long.  Those magical coatings will get abraded off in very short order

[thatkidwho]

The rod, reel, line wt combo seems odd to me but I know nothing. I just started fly fishing last summer. Check out LL Beans guide to fly fishing. Its a great primer on techniques, theory and water reading. It also covers some basic fly tying.
Practice,  practice, practice. I spend 30 minutes twice a week in the street practicing my cast. Also get friendly with the guys at a local shop, they love to talk about it.

You're not actually casting your line ONTO the street are you?  Blacktop is not going to help your line last very long.  Those magical coatings will get abraded off in very short order

No it lays in the grass but I do have to stand street when shooting for distance

[jagermiester]

You don't need to learn how to cast you need to learn how to read the water and mend your line. Every time you go stop at a fly shop and spend 6 bucks on three flys and pick those guys brains. You are in mt with the nicest people on earth get someone to take you fishing there are no secret spots because there are fish everywhere. I envy you I spent two years in Dillon going to college by far the best place I have ever lived.

[JLS]

You don't need to learn how to cast you need to learn how to read the water and mend your line.

 

So when you have a great big lunker laying next to a cut bank, sipping emergers, how are you going to catch him if you can't cast?

[jagermiester]

Are you kidding I am saying the casting is the easy part!

[JLS]

Are you kidding I am saying the casting is the easy part!

:bash:Doh!

I'm with you now. 

[75johndeere]

We are headed out Saturday morning. you are right about some of the nicest people on earth it's hard going anywhere around here with having a 30 min conversation about nothing with a complete stranger. I think I finally figured out the casting thing was dropping the fly into a garbage can lid 3 out of 5 attempts at about 20-25 yards and no more whipping sounds. What do you mean by mend the line like fix it or is there a different meaning to mend when I comes to fly fishing?

[jagermiester]

You want your nymph to have a realistic drift. If your fly line gets into fast or slow water it will pull your nymph and the fish won't bite. Try to keep it simple at first find nice deep holes fish the bubbles. Have a blast buddy.

[GEARHEAD]

YOUTUBE any questions you have, there are tons of instructional vids on it...."mending" is simply flipping or throwing that belly that will occure, upstream, while at the same time not throwing it so hard that it affects the end of your fly line, your simply attempting to fight physics and keep your fly on a nice dead natural drift....that belly that will form will attempt and will drag your fly rapidly down stream faster than the current, so on an average cast/presentation, you will be mending a couple times or more, to keep that steady natural drift...youtube it, you wont be disappointed.  best of luck.