How many flyfishers (or fishiers of any kind)?

Options
Kicks
Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
edited June 2017 in Bonded by Breast Cancer

Wondering how many other flyfishers there are here? Or fishing of any kind?

If you're into flyfishing do you tie your own flies and build your own rods? I started fly tying at a class offered at Cabelas after I started fly fishing.

I had wanted to learn to flyfish for years but never got around to it but after I finished TX, I found out about Casting For Recovery (a nationwide organization for women who are BC) that puts on free weekend Retreats and teaches about flyfishing. It would have been unlikely for me to have been able to go to one as my State does not have any and if I had been accepted to the one Retreat for those in States without Retreats, I would have had to fly from SoDak to Penn at my cost. So Hubby asked me if I wanted to try to be included in the Retreat in Penn. or get an inexpensive rod and reel (to see if I liked doing it) and take some lessons from the local fly shop. That's what I did. Loved it. Then I found out about Project Healing Waters (a national program for Veterans) and did it. They teach flytying and how to build your own rod. They give you a rod blank and everything needed to build it (including the reel and line) and the instruction to do it. Since I built my first rod through PHW, I've build 4 more fly rods and 3 spinning rods.

2 yrs ago, I found out that the Neb. Casting For Recovery had gotten permission to allow 2 from SoDak to attend the Retreat - I was one of the 2. It was a fantastic weekend at a Golf Resort and then fishing at a private reserve on the Snake River near Valentine. I was supposed to go last Oct as a River Guide but 'tupid little car's starter went out on the way so didn't make it.

I've rambled enough (often do ) but would like to hear from others who flyfish (or fish anyway - I still use my spinning rod at times)/or would like to. (I don't do ice fishing.)

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Dianarose
    Dianarose Member Posts: 2,407
    edited June 2017

    I don't fly fish but I do bass fishing. Hubby and I go a lot in the summer

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited June 2017

    Great! I'm a Native Floridian so did a lot of bass fishing back home. The first fish I caught when I started flyfishing here in So Dak was a small mouth (not common here) that actually jumped out of the water to take the fly (black knat) as I was casting it. Exciting! It wasn't big (probably 11") so it went right back in the water.

    We mostly do catch and release unless being used for the next meal. Also use barbless. Got into barbless fishing when we lived on Whidbey Island (Puget Sound) as barbless was the law in the areas we usually fished in.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dianarose
    Dianarose Member Posts: 2,407
    edited June 2017

    imageThis was my first ocean bass last year. He was two inches to short to be a keeper. I am in Maine so we do a lot of lake bass fishing. We don't keep them

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Siciliana
    Siciliana Member Posts: 127
    edited June 2017

    I spent many happy childhood days fly fishing with my dad. We weren't sophistocated about it, no fancy casting, just fished small streams (small enough to wade across) mostly in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. My dad was a master at being able to maneuver that black gnat fly right in front of the Cutthroat trout's nose! Back in the sixties and seventies we could catch our limit (about 8 or ten each day as I recall) and Mom would fry them up for dinner along with fried potatoes and corn on the cob. Oh, and huckleberry cobbler for dessert!

    I should clarify that in those small streams, the fish didn't get very big, so if we caught a 12 incher, it was considered gargantuan! Oh, and Dad made sure we cleaned our own fish.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited June 2017

    My Dad took us fishing for rainbow trout in Rocky Mountains streams & rivers when I was growing up. We had nothing fancy either - a bamboo pole as I remember. Out of the steam & into the frying pan. Haven't been stream fishing in years, but spent a fair amount of time fishing offshore in the Gulf in past years. I'd like to do Fishing for Recovery, but not in Texas (too darn hot). I just picked up a brochure earlier this week so I can check it out.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Beatmon
    Beatmon Member Posts: 1,562
    edited June 2017

    I have never been a fly fisherman, but have spent many many hours fishing for largemouth bass my whole life. As an adult my Dad and I spent many hours fishing together, long 12 hour days that my hubby that was crazy. I have my bffs and husband finally trained in how to plastic worm fish and how to take off their own fish! Lol

    But now instead of going alone, since surgeries and Stage 4 I have found myself not strong enough to load and unload the boat and especially the battery for electric motor.

    I have a strong, younger male friend who has taken me twice this year to my favorite place, he did all of the hard work and I brought the drinks and eats.

    My casting is not as "dead eye" as it used to be, but maybe that is from my retinal troubles.

    It is one of the things I miss the very most. I loved being out, loved waiting for that next strike. Miss our trips to the ponds. It has been a source of depression for me.

    I'm glad that you ladies have found fly fishing

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited June 2017

    My father took us fishing as kids, too! We did fresh water as well as salt water, but no fly fishing. Lucky for me - I found a fisher for a husband! He does do some fly fishing, but I've never been very interested. Looks like too much work. ;-)

    I wonder how I'll do this summer with fishing. It's only been a month since my surgery and, while I think I'm doing pretty good, the thought of casting out and reeling in seems a bit overwhelming. Maybe we'll go somewhere that I can just drop a line ...


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited June 2017

    Not a fly fisher but I do enjoy pond/gulf fishing and want to go deep sea fishing someday. Never fished until I mentioned that fact to my then boyfriend (DH) in my early 20's. He almost immediately took me fishing, I hooked a catfish by the top back fin by accident, reeled him in and held him up. He was huge and I was super excited, everyone was impressed. Then, he wiggled, the fin tore away from the hook and he flopped back in the pond, ah the one that got away. I reacted by beating the water with my pole and ordering that fish to "get back here damn it!" and everyone had a real good laugh. I also enjoy net crabbing in Galveston, though it's been several years ago.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories