what have you learned

[spooner]

what have you learned lately? I know you can never quit learning and always trying too improve on techniques. what have you learned that made a significant improvement in your fly fishing.

[NCL]

Good question. I learn something from this board almost every day. The most intriguing thread lately has been how to swing a fly. With that said you probaly mean learing something that has contributed to success on the river. I would guess that would have to be how to make good mends to minimize drag on the fly and get good drifts. I made 9 trips to the river without a hookup over a two year period then the first part of December it all came together, an now I have landed or at least hooked a fish on my last eight trips.

Your question is what makes flyfishing so facsinating, there is something new to learn all the time.

[dirtyCut]

Great question. There is so much to know/learn in regards to flyfishing, though I would have to say that the "big fish=BIG BUG" thought couldnt be further from the truth as I have taken some nice steelhead on some pretty micro sized offerings, as well as the opposite. Some of the tying techniques seem to be endless - most recent for me, and now addicted to tying is the MOAL. My lady thinks Im sick with it, that particular pattern for me is fun to tye. I need to spend more time flyfishing for winters and not put the flyrod down to pick up the gearrod. I have so much confidence in the jig-n-bobber that its really, really hard to not use it.
I guess its the time I put in that gives me that confidence, though I always go back to the fact that I started really getting into fishing once introduced to flyfishing. Theres SO much to learn/know about flyfishing.

KC

[nb_ken]

Trout wisdom.

-- If you're catching little fish, move along. Ain't no big fish in the area.

-- If you can make a little fish come to a dry, you can problably coax a big fish to that same fly; somewhere else.

-- When dead drifting dries and nymphs, get as close as you can without spooking the fish (or drowning.) Manufacturers, retailers and the fishing press will tell you you can't call yourself a real fly fisherman unless you can cast a 4wt 100'. That's a great way to impress your friends and fish tight line presentations with streamers and wets. But if you're fishing slack line, your ability to set the hook approaches zero at about 50-60'. Figure out a way to wade closer. Save those monster casts for steelhead.

[wapiteaser]

That there are too many people and the waters are becoming crowded.

[nookslayer]

Finally learned how to use my whip finisher

[Pinecone]

Learned a lot about what new fly line to buy from posting the question on this board! gotta love ifish fly fishers....:D

[BaitStop]

Chironomid fishing isn't always as slow as some people make it out to be.

[stillwater97]

I've learned that I can survive without fishing for 4 months.... My hands quit shaking after month 2.... Not that I'm recommending it...

[nookslayer]

also that thread flies can be deadly

[clarkman23]

I am learning, that since I'll be off my feet for a while, I actually can tie my own flies and that it's a lot of fun to experiment with various materials...

I also have discovered that it's best to simplify simplify simplify. Why would I want to take twenty minutes to tie a fly (I'm not the fastest) when I can tie a VERY similar fly that works just as good as, if not better than the original.

Along those same lines, when choosing which flies to use, many times, the sparser the fly, the better it'll work.

~Randy

[bbaley]

1. I can either just pick a place and try it and enjoy the trip, -or- I can obsess, over plan, over purchase, fret over whether I'll catch, and mull over not catching and picking the wrong spot. My choice ;-)

2. I think fisherman determine the HOT color, WAY more than fish do. Green is hot today. red was yesterday.... really... I'm willing to bet, 95% of everyone yesterday was fishing red... and so 95% of the fish were not caught on green. just a guess.

I have, and have watched people, make five casts. all bad, horrible drift, wrong slot. change flies, then make one good cast, good drift, right slot.... and proclaim, to all within shouting distance "Red is THE hot color boys! change flies!"


and, lastly, my only piece of learning that I think approaches "wisdom"....

3. Presentation is NOT what happens ABOVE the water, but BELOW.

I have to repeat that in my head, over, and over, and over.
It's easy to forget.

[abalone-girl]

1) I have learned that no matter how bad your feet hurt at work, You can hike in 3 miles to that special spot where the Steelies hold-up without even thinking about your feet. (until you go to bed that night:passout:)

2) Having a boat really beats not having one...

3) You can never tie too many flies

4) NEVER avoid trying something different or something unconventional

[uhmw]

I learned recently that trout pound a nymph left lying on the bottem with no movement when lake fishing if you find snails in their tummy.

[Slow and Low]

Fish where others dare not tread. Bring extra oars.