cptjeff
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2010
- Messages
- 4,637
- Reaction score
- 330
practice a couple of basic knots (clinch, blood, surgeons loop, etc.) and read one of the many primers available (recommend curtis creekk manifesto). casting is semi-intuitive, but it's easy to pick up bad habits/form that can be tough to break.
Curtis Creek is a great book. It's the one my dad used to teach me. And bad habits aren't bad if they get the line where it needs to go (and you don't spook the fish). My roll cast is nowhere near textbook, but for the little creeks my dad and I tend to fish, it gets the fly where I want it.
Also, before you run out and buy ten million flies, get a few basics. Elk hair caddis, Royal Wulff, Perhaps a Goddard caddis, Perhaps a PMX or two. For the wet flies, a few midges, couple of nymphs and a Wooly Bugger or two to round out the wet fly lineup. Add a few more flies that seem to work in the area (based on the recommendation of your local fly shop guy) and you're good to go. Matching flies to the hatch is often a waste of time, you'll usually do well with a few good generalists presented correctly.