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Hi Relatively new to fishing...I have done a little bit while living in Saskatchewan, but none here in BC. I was wondering if there were any classes/clubs to join on the lower mainland which aren't filled with experts? As well, any info anyone could give me on starting flyfishing? Any info is appreciated.
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Hi, I know how you feel. No idea really of where to start? I had this situation abouty river fishin a year or so ago, and everyone will tell you to put your time in. I say, find advice first, then put useful tiem in. As for a little help, flyfishable rivers aroudn here are the Stave, Vedder, Chehalis, Squamish and tributaries, Cap/Seymour possible, I suggest you get a BC Freshwater Atlas, big yellow magazine book, which has every river and lake and whats in it, for BC. Beyond that, Im not really familiar with flyfishing. Steelheadign is probably much the same here as anywhere, which is what you will probably be targeting soon. Chris
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Wade, if you're looking for a good general primer on flyfishing, go to the following website and click on the "For Beginners" section. Read it all, then come back with questions. Real newbies who don't want their hand held every five minutes will get lots of good advice here, and at the site I'm pointing you to. Good luck. http://www.flyanglersonline.com/
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Wade I suppose some of the gang will chuckle at this but I learned a lot of basic stuff from a book. A good companion to flyanglersonline is the Complete Guide to Modern Flyfishing ISBN 0-695-81312-9 written by Larry Solomon in 79.
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Bobber, Im curious, how exactly did you learn about river fishing... as you seem to be one of the know-it-alls naturally. Chris
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Chris, do you remember the time, not too long ago, that you asked someone on this board where West Coast Tackle on Hastings Street was ? I do. I still laugh about that one, to this day. You won't see the humour in that, but trust me - it's hilarious. I know nothing about river fishing ... which is fortunate, because the questions from Wade have nothing remotely to do with river fishing, so I am eminently qualified to answer them. (Stan, in the event that you're stumped by the West Coast Tackle mystery too, I'll give you a clue. Look in the phone book. Sssshhhh ... don't tell Chris.)
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Wade, www.myflyshop.com I took casting lessons there, and I've learned a lot in general from the store and its people (such as Giovanni and Brad Michael). When you walk in, never be afraid to ask questions. That is what they are there for. They will answer anything and can set you up with a nice combo that is relatively fair priced, and can set you up with some flies, maybe even some sort of a fish out. The shop is the best fly shop, even amongst the best tackle shops in BC and its not all prices, or gear, its also because the attitude and people at the shop make it worth while. Also go back and read some of the old posts in the fly fishing section and you can learn a bit. Scott
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Getting lessons in FF is the way to go these days. M&Y and most other tackle shops offer them. They'll teach you the basics. Some school districts offer similar fishing courses in their evening Recreational courses. Beyond that there are books and videos but that takes longer - but it can be fun. It's the way I learned 20 years ago.
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Guess I just asked cuz Id foget to look in phoen book. hehe No river fishing!?! Thought that was what everybody on this board does, although I dont find it to be the best type of fishing. You still havent answered the question, how did you learn about fishing? Chris
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Chris, I didn't say that I don't do any river fishing. I do quite a lot of it, actually. What I said was that I know nothing about river fishing. I know this to be true, because every time I think I know something about a river, the river proves me wrong ... and that's what I love about rivers. Stillwater's okay, but when the water's on the move you really have to be paying attention. I learned what little I know about fishing from watching, reading, trying, and asking - in that order. The order is really important. Watch, read, and try first - then ask. You'll have better questions, and you'll get better answers.
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That's funny Bobber, because I learned from watching, trying, asking, and then reading. I watched my Dad fish, it looked easy enough. So I tried it myself. When I failed to catch fish, I ask what I was doing wrong. I tried again. Over the years I have since supplemented the knowledge gained through experience and inquiry with books on everything from entomology and biology to how-to's like "how to read water" or "how to catch steelhead on the fly". These books can offer suggestions, but unless you test that knowledge in practice, it is not very useful. And Bobber is also right to suggest he is not a "know-it-all", but I would guess he is being modest when he says he "knows nothing about river fishing". If you have ever fished in a river, then you know something about river fishing, even if it is that you know nothing about river fishing. Just remember the credo of the life-long learner: "the more you learn, the more you will realise how little you know."
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Wade, happy to see another guy interested in flyfishing! I usually go out a couple of times a week if time permits. I live in Vancouver, so I will frequent any of the above mentioned rivers. If you want to e-mail me if you have any questions or if you want to hook up at a river, drop me a line!
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Learning fishing I always went read, read, learn, learn, learn, ask. The best way to gain knowledge is through experience. Sure you can ask but don't take advice as the number one thing. Alot of fishing secrets are stumbled upon. Whether it's by rolling a rock over and finding a certain size or color bug, pumping a stomach, or finding a fly under a rock in a river the best way to learn is through experience and experimentation. The thing about fisherman is that very few are humble and what they believe is always correct. A good example of this was when I was up at Sheridan lake this spring a guy had caught a 10 pounder on a #12 brown chroni. I was in the store getting a bag of chips and there were two old guys sitting there, one had a similar fly in his hand and they were both staring at it. "No way a fish would eat this," the one guy said. "A fish couldn't even see that darn thing," replied the other. "The guy just doesn't want us to know what kind of lure he's using," said the other back. Funny enough they had a 20 bayliner trophy and downriggers and the good old macs squid. I'm not saying don't listen to anyone, but if they told you that was the only way to catch fish would you believe them? Try people's suggestions, but don't take them as gospel. The more hours on the water, the more you'll learn. Also then you can share you experiences with others, instead of asking one way questions. Oh, bobber I remember you were talking about whitefish last spring. I don't know if you're still interested but the Adams is chalk full of 'em.
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