What was yours?

[thefishslayer]

What was your first fish on a fly rod. Mine was a 5-6 inch rainbow that i caught on a small wooly bugger. I was 12 i believe. I was casting at a nice sized trout and the little one took it instead. I have not caught another fish on a fly rod

[Kevin2023]

12" grayling

[Zugbug66]

A 14" bow on the lower white river. #16 caddis pupa

[Skunked]

15" cutbow on the gallatin, dumb luck on a wooly bugger

[Shakespeare]

12 inch rainbow at Lee's Ferry Arizona on a hares ear nymph. :cool:

[NCL]

Rainbow

[SXS]

Way back, when the world was young, I tried my hand at flyfishing. Brother-in-law taught me to tie an Adams. I did and took it to Lost Lake (Santiam Pass). After several tries at casting a fly, I finally got it out there a few feet. Must have landed nearest the smallest trout in the lake and he decided he better get that bug before the big boys beat him to it again. He made a dash for my fly so fast that he came out of the water about two feet with the fly firmly in his mouth. I got him to the boat and he was about 5". I let him go and he probably is still telling his grandchildren of the day he fought it out with a fly fisherman and was able to escape by swimming out of my hand after I unhooked him.
The one that really got hooked that day was me. A hatch was on and I landed several that day, despite my lack of technique. My advice: Try out flyfishing for the first time during a hatch. Makes it seem easy.

[Mitch Callas]

Mine was my senior year of high school. I caught a bass about 3.5 pounds stripping a mouse pattern across the pond at a golf course that I worked at. :wink: Haven't fished a river with a gear rod since.

Mitch

[D3smartie]

probably a rainbow.

[Slow and Low]

smolts and small cutthroat in the Puyallup River when I was in 5th grade. swing and stip whatever was tied on for me.

I stopped flyfihing until 1994 then my first successful trip was to the crooked in winter...many many fish.

[FlieFreak]

Small pellet head on a caddis i think

[dartonvpr]

Cutt on an "umpqua special"(steelhead fly). Was 15 and had a friend introduce me to flyfishing, we spent hours practice casting in the backyard. Family went on vacation through Oregon and we stopped to steelhead fish the upper North Umpqua. Hooked the fish and had all my line coiled up at my feet, no one told me what I was supposed to do with that!. Figured it out though, or got lucky. Didn't catch a steelhead that trip, but was hooked on flyfishing.

[PharmFisher]

Brookie, on Belt Creek in Montana. I was in fifth grade. Caught on a caddis larvae pattern.

[Old Coot]

A little rainbow, about 9" long, on the ugliest Royal Coachman you ever saw. I tied it myself with sewing thread, not knowing about things like bobbins and fly vises. I was about 12.

It came from a now non-existant pool on Marion Creek. The 1964 flood rearranged the stream and where the pool was now sits the Marion Forks restaurant.

[Wingdam]

Mine was a small Blueback on the Nestucca at Farmers Creek in about 73 on my dad’s buggy whip Eagle Claw. Caught it on one of the first flies I tied myself.

[uhmw]

Grayling -brooks range gulkana river ak 1972 ( 4th grade)my pops handed me his rod to hold and Iv been hooked ever since.

[neuronick]

~ 10-inch cutthroat in the upper Coeurd'Alene River, Idaho. Was fishing a stimulator. Even on my 6wt rod, this was a fun little fish. What I remember most about that day, however, is the experience of wading in a completely wild, mountain river (wet-wading). This was an experience more beautiful and closer to nature than I had previously encountered. I was a tournament bass fisherman at the time, and the contrast between those two environments was unbelievable. Needless to say, I now only fly fish and am in constant pursuit of a more wild river experience.

Nick

[JRV]

Steelhead, Deschutes river. been hooked ever since.

[PTS]

It would have been 60+ years ago so no way to remember. It most likely was a bluegill on a popper. Bamboo rod because that's all there were.

My best memory was the first time I went steelhead fishing and the first time I ever fished in Oregon about 35 years ago. Chrome Summer steelhead on the Siletz. Thus, the obsession! Can't remember the fly though. Moved up to fiberglass by then.

Most recent memory, Winter steelhead on the Sandy fishing with AndyK this week. Using graphite spey now.

[steel_beaver]

First fish was prolly a cookie cutter pelet head on a royal woulf (Sp). Got a few that day but didn't really get hooked until about 5 years ago on the Siletz... first time fishin for steelhead on the fly and I hooked an early summer on a caballero egg after seeing it flash 20 ft upstream of me. Never before or after that have I caught another fish sight fishing :passout:

[nookslayer]

13" Redside on the D. Prince nypmh

[Maineiac]

Mine was a 6" brookie caught back in Maine. I was fishing w/ my grandma when I was around 5 or 6 and we walked past a locked gate to a hole that later became known as Dad's Hole. I had hip boots on and struggled down the trail loosing a hipper and a sock in the process (boot recovered sock not). I hooked it and caught it on a 7' yellow eagle claw fly rod (6wt?) and a royal coachman. Despite being allergic to fish I demanded that we keep it and I eat it.
My grandma always said that I marched around the camp showing off my "monster fish" to anyone who wanted to listen to my story. 20+ years later I'm still chasing fish and chasing the rush of watching a dry fly disappear into the mouth of a hungry trout!
~ Ross

[drifter15]

smallmouth on the john day

[sherretb]

Steelhead on the Alsea - indicator and caballero Egg while attending OSU. I actually hooked my first right in the meet hole at the alsea hatchery. I grew up combat fishing so I saw no problem in elbowing in with three or four other guys, only problem was no one else was fly fishing. They werent that happy (especially when I hooked up) and I would never do that again. Unfortunately to tight of drag coupled with poor tipet made for a short fight and no fish but it didnt matter, I had recieved the shot in the arm that still pulls me to the river today.

[hooksetter1]

Fishing a stocker pond from my float tube with my new at the time Pflueger combo. Could hardly cast, but lucked out by coincidentally matching the hatch with a brown crystal bugger. I missed probably a dozen fish that day, progressing through the learning curve of timing the strike with a fly rod, but got two nice 11"-12" trout for my efforts. Now with that combo passed on and three nicer setups for trout/salmon/steelhead, well you get the picture.:D

[XQB]

14" Rainbow, lower Henry's Fork caught on a Renegade.

[TillamookChinook]

First on a flyrod was a native cutthroat from Ferguson Creek west of Junction City, probably about 1963. Bought that fiberglass flyrod from Gunson's Appliance store, the only fishing tackle store in J.C. then. Still have it.

First on a fly was a stocker rainbow on the Metolius in 1974. It was a lot easier to catch the stockers than the wild fish that are there now. But the wild fish are way better.

TC

[gottafish]

Brook trout from pigion river in the northern lower pennisula of Michigan. I was 12.

[drake7590]

Squaw fish on the s fork of the willamette

[Steelie Mike]

Three inch Westslope Cutthroat in Camas Creek, Glacier National Park, MT on a caddis.

[water and sky]

Steelhead on the Sandy. Caddis

[Newbs]

You guys catch fish on your fly rods?? :confused::confused:

[Fly Fanatic]

My first fish on a fly was about 15 years ago on the Madison river. Caught a small rainbow on a royal wulff and have been "hooked" ever since.

[thefishslayer]

You guys catch fish on your fly rods?? :confused::confused:
not me

[Fly Junkie]

My first fish on a fly rod was a 15 inch. Bull trout on a adams dry fly. I let the fish go of course.

[Moe]

I was 13 and my family lived in Milwaukie. My dad was a Navy recruiter in Portland and he got a few days leave so we headed down to California to visit family. On the way we stopped in Sacramento to visit my aunt and uncle and they were just headed out to camp at Hat Creek near Mt Lassen. My dad decided to go with them.

I wanted to fish so my uncle lent me his fly rod and gave me a Rio Grande King so I hiked upstream from the camp ground and dapped the fly in some fast water and hooked a big brown trout. I really don't remember the size but my guess is 15 inches. I've been a flyfisher ever since.

[Wreckless]

About 1972 - 10" - 11" Brookie out of Little Lava Lake. #10 black wooley worm, using my dads old bamboo rod and a "floating" line that was more like an intermediate.......:D
Thanks for the reminder!

I still have the rod (s):flowered:

[OSUhuntnfish]

If I remember right, I was probably 12 years old and my first fish on a fly was a 7 inch Brookie on the Upper Deschutes just below Little Lava. I was casting an old 7wt fiberglass rod with a GR hare's ear tied on the end of the line..I was pretty dang excited about my first fly caught fish

[Abalone]

Probably a Steelhead smolt out of a coast stream.

[Wild Chrome]

Not sure if it was a smolt or a small redside, but it was on the Deschutes.

[Catch 22]

Rainbows on the Metoleus using mosquitoes and adams. That was about 1980 or so. Wow time flies!

[wabowhunter]

13 inch rainbow on the North Fork of the Santiam, just above Riverside Campground... 12 years old, on a California Gray Hackle that I tied... Gramps/Pappy had taught me how to tye over my spring break... so when I went back down to the Grandparents for 3 weeks in the summer, our normal camping at Riverside for a week was the first chance to really cast and fish with a fly rod (before that it was fly and clear teardrop bobber on spinning rod) with MY own tied fly...

BAM fish on... and the rest is many hours of time on/in/across the water...

I love gramps (rip) and cheers to you gramps!:angel:

Shawn (me on the right)

[PinkMasta]

Kenai River Sockeye

[branches]

Mine was a 10 inch Rainbow caught at Cady Lake in 1980

[Walt]

Mine was a 10" smallie in banks lake on a damsel I tied. I was born into a gear family but met a group of fly guys in college and they took me in and showed me the way.

[Horsecreek]

14 years old, East Walker River, Bridgeport, California. After the years the pictorial fins broke off so I over exaggerated the missing fins with glued on oversized cardboard! I was so proud of this Brown Trout at the time that I saved up my paper route money and had it mounted.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/96273/ppuser/22749

[Bighorn12]

I wish I could remember. Maybe the old man knows? If I had to guess, probably a rainbow on the McKenzie or MFW, or a brookie at Gold. Regardless, whatever it was ignited a passion that is still going 17+ years later.

Cheers

[goose]

16, I guess. I was president of the Everett High rod and reel club. We were on a field trip to Clear Lake Washington. The one up by Mt Vernon. We were single eggers, still fishing out of our boats and decided that we would try to fly fish that night. The store owner said to use a carrot nymph. We fished to well after dark catching and releasing rainbows. It was awesome fun. It is that memory that is bringing me back to fly fishing now that I have retired..

[Nick93]

last year i got started in it and got a little crappie in mckay reservoir with a red and white fly

[Ryan Pultz]

about a 12 inch pellet head out of a lake in the sierra Nevada's rp

[wilsonriverfisher]

a 12-13 inch rainbow at 8

[Couch angler]

My family used to go to the Metolius every year, this would have been the late sixties. My Sister Becky and I were standing on a bridge near the camp ground, I had stripped out all the line on my reel. The fly was far down stream, I think it was in the shadows under the bushes that grow stream side. Don't know if the fly was still floating or if it had sunk, all I know was I realized that I had a fish on! We were very excited, and I started dragging it back up stream.Once the fish was below us on the bridge I started hoisting it into the air. My sister as trying to help(she's a couple years older).I think our dad was coming to see what was going on when the fish dropped off, back into the river. I was pretty upset When My dad got there, he asked what was wrong and of coarse I said it was all Becky's fault. She got a little scolding And I think we both ended up crying. I'll have to ask her if she remembers this incident (and apologize). So please forgive me for cheating, I didn't catch the fish . Just wandering around memory lane. Senile?
Mike

[motojones956]

Bream in Arkansas on little poppers. I was on vacation My grandpa showed me how to catch them. (really small ones) We would use them for bait at night to catch flatheads. Thats what got me started fly fishing lucky for me the White River is twenty minutes from his house. Unbelievable trout fishery!

[Go Fish]

10" Rainbow on the upper Metolious. Barrowed a rod, first time ever flyfishing. A gentleman stopped his truck and watched me for a couple of minutes, Gave me a couple pointers, handed me a Clarks Stone and drove away. 5 minutes later 20' in front of me with a Splash... It was all over. That next week I bought my first outfit from Kevin Erickson at The Greased Line Fly Shoppe, it's all been down hill ever since.

[jmd]

I was 9 and it was a 12" trout on Davis Lake.