Fly Fishing

S

snow leopard27

250+ Posts
We are headed up to the Yellowstone / Grand Teton area this August, and I would like to try my hand at fly fishing. I was hoping for a couple of tips:

Since I am basically a first timer, I want to see if I enjoy it before investing a lot of money in equipment . I checked out the Sports Authority website, and they have some rod / reel / line combos for under $100. Does anybody have any recommendations on good deals for gear? (I live in Dallas).

Any recommendations on good spots would also be appreciated. We will be staying part of the time in Cooke City, Montana, and I am looking at the Lamar River and Beartooth Highway areas. The other part of the time we will be at Jackson Lake Lodge in GTNP.

When we get back it will only be 2 weeks till football season !!
 
My recommendation would be to get a guide and take a lesson before you buy anything.

-You don't want to buy crap and then not enjoy yourself only to find out later that it was because you were using crap equipment.
-Also, you don't want to spend a day trying to figure out how to tie flies onto your line only to find out you were doing it wrong.
-You need to know how to cast, how to hook the fish, what you can and can't do...

I've been once. In Breckenridge. I bought some cheap polarized sunglasses at the store that 2 friends and I rented out equipment and hired out guide. We only drove about a mile up the road and practiced casting on grass. Then we walked into the creek and our guide gave each of us personal attention.

I had a good time. I caught a fish about 6 inches long. And I want to do it again. But if I hadn't had a guide, I wouldn't have known what to do, where to do it, what to look for, and I'd probably never want to go again.

And that's all I have to say about that.

hookem.gif
 
I bought my fly rod/reel from this guy here in SA. Tackle Box Outfitters
He threw in a free lesson which was enough for me to go out and have a good time. I would recommend a guide if you can afford it but if you have already taken casting lessons it will get you more time actually fishing.
 
Learning to cast often has nothing to do with learning to catch. I own at least 8 fly rods and have been flyfishing in Colorado, Utah, Montana, Alaska, Texas, The Abacos, etc. Your gear for fishing in Colorado most likely means next to nothing at that time of year (not that it's a bad time to fish). What is FAR more important is for you to hook up with a guide who knows where to fish and what to fish with and who knows how to get your fly out of the trees or untie wind knots. Eventually, you won't need a guide, but for the first few times it's crucial.
 
Just reiterating what you had said. It can be a zen experience, but not if you are constantly ******* with flies in trees or falling into the water or not even getting any refusal rises. For the area being discussed, it's probably pocket water fishing (which is probably my favorite) and in such a place the most important gear is probably boots (with metal cleats) and then breathable waders and then the choice of flies (probably a dry and a dropper).

The first time I played golf, my grandfather took me and only allowed me to take a 7 iron. Not even a putter. It was a pretty sage move and you would be well served to think about that. You can own gear or gear can own you.

Consider reading almost anything by John Geirach. He posits that no problem is too large that it can't be solved be a flyfishing trip and also that a true flyfisher is not measured by how large a fish you can catch, but by how small a fish you can catch and still be happy without losing hope that you can still catch a big one.
 
Just to add to what has been posted. I can also recommend the Temple Fork line of rods. The one I have is great. And, Temple Fork is out of Fort Worth (I think) so you're supporting a "local" company.

I also have a couple of Orvis Rods. If you are starting out the Clearwater series is a good choice and You can get a complete outfit for under $200.

You don't say where you live, but some of the better shops are Sportsmen Finest in Austin, ( I still miss Austin Angler). In Houston, there is an Orvis by the Galleriia. In the same area is Angler's Edge. They also have a shop in downtown Houston. Angler's Edge sells Temple Fork rods. They typically won't try to upsell you to something more expensive

There is also an Orvis in the Woodlands.

I support getting a guide. Make sure you tell them you're starting out. So they can match you up with someone who is good at teaching. Some guides we've used are great at getting you into fish, and great fishermen, but not so good teachers. If you have time, a good book to read Iin additon to Gierich) is Taylor Streit's Insticntive Fly Fishing. It is a how to, but also covers a lot of what to expect from a guide (and you as the client).

Videos are good ( better than books) and if you go to the Orvis web site, they have a lot of free videos on that site on casting, etc. Take a look there. The thing about fly fishing is it is all about feel- you can read and watch but the only way to really learn is to do it- like many things in life.

I'll be somewhere in the Hill Country this weeked, with rod in hand. Tight lines.


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Thanks guys, those are all helpful comments.

I have a couple of days up there on my own before the wife flies in and always wanted to give this a try. Oddly, I don't even feel it necessary to catch a lot of fish; I do a lot of hiking and just wanted to try something new, more as an excuse to spend a couple of days out on the rivers and streams than anything else.

I have been watching instructional some videos and plan to do some practice casting before heading up there. I'll consider the guide idea, a couple of years ago though I tried kayaking but the guide / instructor was a bit of an a-- hole and it kind of ruined the whole experience. I've had guides for other activies that have been very good though.
 
This is what happened on my second ever fly cast attempt. It wasn't pretty, but the fly obviously made it to the water. I can't wait to take it to the salt and try it on a redfish.
photo.jpg
 
I live in the Yellowstone area from May through mid-October (I'm home on Lake Travis for now), but just reading this thread has got me fired up about heading back up. We still have three feet of snow on the ground at the cabin, however, so I will curb my excitement.

You are heading into a great area to learn fly fishing. There is an abundance of rivers, streams, and lakes on which to practice your skills. August is generally the worst month for fishing up there because it is generally the warmest (warmer water=less oxygen in the water=sluggish fish). On the bright side, we have been getting a ton of snow this year, which should result in a heavy snowpack in the mountains, which leads to stronger, cooler water flows in the summer. As a newcomer to the sport, you will have a great time anyway.

Another bright spot is that August is the month for the sport of "gulping". Gulping is sight-fishing for trout as they patrol the surface of still water and gulp down dry flies. There is no finer gulping lake that I know of than Hebgon Lake, just outside of West Yellowstone, Montana.

I agree with the other posters that you need to (1) take a casting lesson before you leave, (2) do some practicing on a pond, in your street, really anywhere that you have some room, and (3) get a guide to show you the ropes when you first go out in the Yellowstone area. A really good guide service out of West Yellowstone is Blue Ribbon Flies The Link . I'm sure that if you were to contact them about your trip, they would give you some good advice.

My theory on gear is that the only cheap gear that would absolutely ruin your trip as a beginner is leaky waders. I'm inclined to get inexpensive gear initially, and then spend the big bucks once you are committed to the sport and have a sense of what gear works best for you. It would be ideal if you could borrow some gear for this trip, but I'm sure you would have explored that option on your own without prompting from this board.

Here is my ideal August day fishing with a guide in the Yellowstone area: In the morning go gulping on Hebgon Lake until the winds pick up and blow you off (you need still conditions to spot the fish feeding), then drive over to the Madison River, eat a box lunch, and float the Madison in a drift boat for 4-5 hours. Locate a good bar (I prefer The Trouthunter in Island Park, Idaho) and commence lying.

Another great day is fishing the Firehole River in Yellowstone Park. This will be one of the most unusual fishing trips you can take since you will be fishing among stream vents, geysers, and bleached buffalo bones. If you click on the link above, one of the pictures that scrolls by is of the Firehole. Even if you don't catch many fish, it is an unusual adventure. We always hike upstream on the Firehole so we are away from the tourists and just have the wilderness to ourselves.

I would be glad to provide you with any other information that might help you. Feel free to PM. Unfortunately, my cabin is near Warm River, Idaho, about two hours from Cooke City, or I would volunteer to meet you up there if possible.
 
Kahuna,

Do you ever fish the Ruby River? When I was 8 years old, my family spent a week camping on the banks of the Ruby fishing each day, and cooking our catch over an open camp fire. This was in 1968 (yes, I'm an old fart)...still one of the greatest memories in my life.

MAROON
 
I have never even heard of the Ruby River. I see that it is near Virginia City, which is the location of my summer pilgrimage to the Montana Microbrew Festival. I'll try to check out the Ruby this summer. Thanks for the heads up.
 
If you're going to be around Bozeman, Montana, another good guide (and Texan) is Toby at Fins & Feathers. An Ag buddy of mine and I went up there for three days of fly fishing with him in May a couple years ago, but the snow melt had muddied the rivers around Bozeman. He took us to fish the Bighorn River, which is more in the plains and close to the Battle of Little Bighorn. We stayed in a town called Fort Smith Trailer Park and it was composed of Indians and fly fishermen. Awesome trip and a lot of big fish as well.
 
Rent gear and get a guide first, then you will have a better idea of what to buy.
BTW, if you happen to be around the San Juan River in northern New Mexico, there is a guide by the name of Andy Kim who is tremendous. He has been featured in Fly Fishing magazine, and I believe that a day of guiding is between $200 and $300 (comparable to most guide services), but a day or two should teach you everything you need to know to catch fish and have fun.
 
The Ruby River, outside of Sheridan, is where I fell in love with fly fishing. August. Wet-wade. Hopper-dropper. Brown trout. Heaven.
 
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