Beginning fly fishing

I'm taking the Orvis class this weekend

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Beginning fly fishing

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The hardest thing is to realize that you have to let the line do the work, not your arm. Don't whip the rod back and forth. You have to learn the cadence of the cast.

Well I guess I'll sink or swim. If worst comes to worst I can just hike or something if I get too frustrated. One of my buds going on the trip has experience, not a pro by any means thought

I began fly fishing without lessons, only books and videos. Got some tips here and there from folks. Learned to cast primarily in the back yard. Eventually got a few lessons and picked up some help on guided trips.

You can certainly become a capable caster without lessons. The harder part will be finding fish, landing fish, developing drift technique, etc. I've seen decent casters try their luck for hours with little to no results, only to replicate most of the same stuff with a guide and have great success. Of course, I know some pretty capable fly fisherman who never got lessons and never use guides.

But regardless, get out there and have fun. Get your waders wet (if applicable), focus on casting technique and appreciate how awesome it is just to be out there. Don't get frustrated. Down the road you may look back on this trip as a blown opportunity when your skills improve, but you already know that, so lower your expectations and enjoy yourself.

fly fishing for dummies is actually a good read on the subject

don't let the line bow and get down stream of the fly. It will sag and pull the fly faster than the water is flowing and across the flow also and no self respecting trout is gonna bite that.

bring lots of tippet

check tippet often as it so thin even small nicks will cause break offs

A net is essential

a wading belt or suspender style vest is preferred by many now over the traditional large fly fisherman's vest.

learn how to roll cast

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I've seen this happen more times than I can count. Someone buys a combo for a trout trip and spends the first day or two frustrated before giving up.

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Yep.

To the OP - you have to consider something here. Those blue ribbon trout streams you're going to get absolutely hammered by fly fishermen every day of the year. We're talking guides/professionals and others that have been doing it for decades. This means your casting technique/presentation/fly selection has to be really good. The places you're talking about can have the most subtle of strikes - it's not like fishing for bass and they just hammer the bait. Learning what a strike even looks like can be challenging. I think your best bet is doing the class and getting 1 day with a guide so he can show you, in person, some good technique.

I started out fly fishing in the waters you're going to and for months I refused to get a guide and wanted to learn it on my own. I hardly ever caught anything - finally just went with one on the S. Platte river and it changed everything. I told him from the first minute I couldn't care less about landing trophy fish but just wanted to learn as much as possible. I ended up doing both and only regret I didn't do it sooner.

Thanks for all the help guys. Like I said I kind of fell into the trip at the last minute. Right now all I know is that we're flying into Denver on Saturday and heading to Colorado springs, then over the course of the rest of the week we'll be headed west and looping back around the rest of the state then flying back on the 23rd. I've been hiking before and really enjoy it, plus this a great opportunity to catch up with college friends I haven't seen since they graduated. I'm not too worried about going over there and catching all the fish, but more along the lines of getting my bearings for future trips.

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So, watch some videos on mending your line. You really can't practice it, though, unless you're on a body of moving water. You need to understand the theory at least, though. You'll need to get some strike indicators as well. Palsa indicators are easy to use, but I prefer yarn indicators, personally. You'll want some weight, most likely as well. You can get putty or split shot. I'd recommend some generic western stream flies (PT nymph, gold ribbed hare's ear, copper john), but you're probably best off just going to a fly shop near wherever you're fishing and asking them what flies to use. Also ask them if there are any hatches going off, what time they're happening, and what flies you should use when the hatch happens.

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This is good advice and I really should have offered more help on equipment. I read my post and it does seem a little gloomy.

In general most of the action is lower in the water column so get those flies down with some weight. I know it's sexy to get dry fly action but most of the time fish are eating stuff under the water. I personally do not like yarn indicators if I'm using one at all (you should use one) but some definitely do. Thingamabobbers, sticky palsas, or a big fat hopper fly with some foam on it can all be good indicators. Remember - even a very subtle drop of your indicator below the surface can mean a strike. Really big fish and small ones can do this so you have to pay attention.

100% spot on with mending line - if there's any clarity to the water and you don't have the right drift the nymph will not look natural as it flows through the water and they will ignore it. A big downstream loop in your line (unmended) will do this every time. This is even more important on heavily fished streams. I can usually be a little more lazy with that when it's not as clear. I fished the catskills this weekend (see post I made yesterday) and the water was gin clear - I'd cast at the same fish 10 times and only got him when the drift was just right if I got him at all.

Advice on casting - do not go all Brad pitt with tons of line out like you're in A River Runs Through It. Try to fish with as little fly line in the water as possible to decrease unnatural flow and increase your sensitivity. Casting all the way across the stream with different flow seams between you and your target is very tough so maintain a low profile (not uncommon for me to fish crouched down) and try to hit sections that are closer to you. Remember the fish are always facing upstream so keep that in mind as you approach an area where you think they might be. They will see you and spook.

Keep your wrist straight. The natural motion is to break your wrist on the back cast. Don't do it. Stop your back cast with the rod straight up. Then wait on the line to straighten out before you begin your forward cast.

If you can learn those two first you will have most peoples biggest hurdles beat.