Fly fishing is similar to habitat work or archery hunting. It takes more time and money than you have at your disposal but you do it anyway. I learned the basics casting on a local bass pond just to get a feel for the process. I nearly exclusively fish moving water now for trout. Just like any other hobby, once you get committed it can be consuming.I dabble. I'm not great at casting, and the rivers here are not open like the western US. Brown trout in ponds are very skittish. Once the line slaps the water, you have to wait about 15 minutes for the fish to calm down and start feeding again.
I go for bass and Brook trout in lakes sometimes. But that's mostly for fun and practice.
The most fun I ever had fly fishing was mackerel. You can use very cheap flies, and the fish just never give up.
If you have tips and recommendations, I'm all ears.
Beautiful rainbow!I fly fish a bit (even did an AM turkey hunt/PM fly fishing outing “cast and blast” this spring that was awesome). I live in a great part of central PA very close to some world-renowned streams (Penn's Creek, Slate Run) and also have some really good less well-known streams (Loyalsock Creek) within minutes of my place…View attachment 73189
They are a lot of fun and the crazy thing is there are trout everywhere, even in the tiniest pockets…make sure you check out the Trophy trout waters too..they are designated by the PFBCBeautiful rainbow!
I actually am in the process of planning a trip out your direction to fish some of the wild PA streams. I'm only a couple hours away.
Will do, thank you! I spend a lot of time on the Class A waters chasing wild browns and native brookies. I hope to ID some good class A water in your neck of the woods for some winter fly fishing.They are a lot of fun and the crazy thing is there are trout everywhere, even in the tiniest pockets…make sure you check out the Trophy trout waters too..they are designated by the PFBC
Just remember not to fish for those Ontario bass while they are spawning..we got a stern talking-to by the not-so-friendly Canadian fish wardens about bass fishing (we go every June to catch walleye, but use spinners which can catch about anything)..I guess Hank Parker did a show up there one year before bass season was open and caught some big ones, but the authorities were less than pleased…we were even told if we hooked a bass to cut our lines to release it quicker (not happening with a 5-15$ lure on)…In Norway there are brown trout and Atlantic salmon all up and down the coast. Many places also have Arctic char. Scotland has some nice places to fish as well, but it tends to cost a bit more money. Fly fishing is a bit too much of a scene here, so I never got really into it. The on lure that crushes fish here is a wooly bugger with a small spinner in front of it. You can fish it kinda like a streamer. You can't really back cast it, but if you fling it out and swing it across the stream, it's very effective. Winged ant patterns are dynamite early in the summer on some of the ponds, but ponds are hard to fish and require a lot of patience. Salmon will take streamers in the rivers from summer to fall, but their movement depends a lot on the rain (I haven't caught one yet, just seen it).
Bass fishing in Ontario is lots of fun. Early in the season they will hit almost anything, but often the shy ones can be convinced with a fly if you give them a rest. Sometimes later in the season they will only take fish flies from the surface, so those patterns are good then.
I should dig out all my fly fishing gear. It's been a while since I gave it a proper try. My newest rod is short and light for nymphing in small streams, and I use it almost like a tenkara.
Just remember not to fish for those Ontario bass while they are spawning..we got a stern talking-to by the not-so-friendly Canadian fish wardens about bass fishing (we go every June to catch walleye, but use spinners which can catch about anything)..I guess Hank Parker did a show up there one year before bass season was open and caught some big ones, but the authorities were less than pleased…we were even told if we hooked a bass to cut our lines to release it quicker (not happening with a 5-15$ lure on)…
Yeah we are usually up there the first week in June. It is comical to watch the guys in tricked out sparkly bass boats pull right up to a rock pile or beat the banks real hard. They’re definitely not trying to hide it. We are usually out floating in the middle of the bay trying to locate a walleye school or two, but it seems like even isolated rocks have a smallie near them. The one year we got stopped and my dad’s buddy hooked a really nice smallmouth that started jumping and tail walking as the warden’s boat pulled away. He jammed his rod tip down in the water to keep it below the surface! Definitely no photo op on that one..Third Saturday in June in Zone 10. I won't even fish near a bass before then. I was stopped once before bass season while trying for perch in about 30ft of water, and the warden asked me if I was fishing for bass. I said "No, they're not in season yet. And they're way up shallow right now." That's borderline entrapment, in my opinion. I don't trust those guys, and I sure as heck don't want to give them a reason to not trust me.
Yeah we are usually up there the first week in June. It is comical to watch the guys in tricked out sparkly bass boats pull right up to a rock pile or beat the banks real hard. They’re definitely not trying to hide it. We are usually out floating in the middle of the bay trying to locate a walleye school or two, but it seems like even isolated rocks have a smallie near them. The one year we got stopped and my dad’s buddy hooked a really nice smallmouth that started jumping and tail walking as the warden’s boat pulled away. He jammed his rod tip down in the water to keep it below the surface! Definitely no photo op on that one..
Yeah I think it upset us more because we weren’t targeting them and were specifically NOT fishing near the rock piles where a walleye might be just because there were definitely gonna be bass hanging there. I never understood the allure of bass in Canada when you can catch a 10 lb walleye, a 35” pike or a 50” Muskie..also I can catch bass at my house haha…You won't get in trouble for catching one by accident as long as you throw it back immediately.
I have a neighbor who started fishing bass the day before the season opener. When he got back, I went over and told him that it wasn't fair to the rest of us who wait for the season to open and hinted that I might send the warden a video if he did it again. That kind of crap really burns my bottom.
Yeah I think it upset us more because we weren’t targeting them and were specifically NOT fishing near the rock piles where a walleye might be just because there were definitely gonna be bass hanging there. I never understood the allure of bass in Canada when you can catch a 10 lb walleye, a 35” pike or a 50” Muskie..also I can catch bass at my house haha…
Getting it done!! Love to see it. Those are some beauties.