Practice, practice, practice

I've been practicing a lot since my casting lessons.  I've seen quite a bit of improvement.  I still have a long way to go but everyday seems to get a little better.  Big thanks to Rick Whorwood of http://www.flycastingschool.com/

Lessons learned..

Wow what an awesome time I had with Rick Whorwood this evening.  The man is an awesome instructor.  I can't say enough good things.  I learned more in two hours than I would have in two years on my own.  Time and money well spent.  If you need a quality casting instructor in the Niagara Region look up Rick at www.flycastingschool.com you won't be disappointed.

It's all in the cast...

Who would have thought that some thing as basic as casting could be so hard.  I've been fly fishing now for a couple of weeks.  More or less self taught with the help of You Tube.  I've even caught a fish.  It amazes me how just a slight mistake can foul a cast. 


Fishing on the fly is amazing, I'm kicking myself for not trying it sooner.  Fighting a fish on a fly rod is truly exhilarating!  Even small fish are great fun.  Getting the fly to the fish has been a bit of a challenge though.  Fly casting takes a lot of practice.  I still can't cast very far and I'm sure I'm not casting effectively, I still spook more fish than not.


I always hear fly fishermen talking about presentation.  I'm not sure I even understand what they mean but I figure I need to be able to get the fly to the fish before I start worrying about how the fly moves.  So I booked some casting lessons with Rick Whorwood from www.flycastingschool.com .  Before I created too many bad habits I figured some lessons from a pro would really help in getting my casting to a point where I can fish effectively.

Got out in my kayak for a few hours yesterday.  It was cool with a steady wind.  Went out to 50 feet in Lake Ontario for some Salmon and Trout.  Tried vertically jigging for the first time.  It proved quite productive.  I went 3 for 7 with the largest being a 22lbs King Salmon.  The water is still very cold but the fish are moving out of the river and into the lake.  The next few weeks should really be good if the weather holds.

Fly Fishing

I've often wondered why people choose fly fishing over a conventional rod and reel setup.  Fly fishing has always interested me but I could never bring myself to take it seriously.  Fly fishing always conjured up images of some little man hunched over in a stream vigorously whipping his fly rod back and forth.  

Well I couldn't have been more wrong.  I was down south recently and watched a couple guys fly fishing the flats.  It was amazing to watch.  The precision of the casts, the bend of the rod and the thrilling look of the casters when they hooked a fish.  I had to try it.  

When I got home I started researching fly rods and reels.  To say I was overwhelmed would be like saying Niagara Falls is a quaint little trickle.  There was so much information and it was so different than what I was used to.  Gone were the Medium, Heavy or Ultra-light powers replaced with 5 weight or 8 weight.  Weight what?  It certainly took some time to get used to the jargon.

The entire world of fly fishing was new to me and I felt like a kid going to school for the first time.  It was so different.  During my research I did end up finding some very good advise.  It didn't come from the internet though, I found it on TV while flipping through the channels.  I had been watching WFN for a while but had never really stopped on any of the fly fishing shows.  This time the Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing was on.  I think it was the first episode and some time during the show the host Tom Rosenbauer said something along the lines of a good 8 weight rod and reel would serve best as a starter.  So now I had a starting point, back to the research.

After much aimless searching or websites I turned to some excellent forums that I frequent.  The majority pointed me towards the Temple Fork Outfitters BVK 9' 8 weight.  While fairly expensive for a "starter" rod most impressions were that for the money there was nothing better and it would easily carry into any serious fly fishing habit.  So a shopping I go.

Now time to find a reel.  Things were not so clear here.