Just thought I'd introduce myself. I have been bass fishing for as long as I can remember, and have never picked up a fly rod until Christmas. I have a buddy that got into fly fishing a while back and has been trying to convince me to get into it also. My wife got me fly fishing lessons at an outdoor's store called Backwoods in Ft. Worth, and my father got me a fly rod for Christmas. I'm taking the lessons in February, but I am already doing some research. Heck I can already tie a nail knot (without the tool), a blood knot, and the triple sturgess hahahahah. Anyway, I'm sure I'll have many questions in the future when i get more involved in this new hobby so thanks in advance.

Dude you are in the right place for questions. The lessons will help. Make sure and take pictures of your fish and post them here.

I'm really excited about the lessons. I'm not sure I'll be able to wait till february to get a line wet, but I'm gonna try. I've been reading the FAQ sticky on this site and there is a lot of great info there.

I wouldn't follow my own advice, but I advise you to wait until you get the lessons. I jumped straight in and now I have decades of bad habits I'm trying to get rid of.

chilixj99,
Get with Stephen at Backwoods; take your lessons now; do the drills that Stephen will teach you; and go out for the stockers. There's no need to wait until February.

Derek's right get some photos up when you get your first catch.


Les

Lessons are great but the best thing I did when learning was get with a guide. It was way more entertaining than casting in the grass and I feel like I learned a lot more. Any and all tips you can get will be great. Welcome to the addiction!

I just started and Stephen is sooo helpful. I went in there and was talking to him one day and he offered to teach me how to tie a few flies even.

You might also attend the next Fort Worth Fly Fishers meeting. It'll be in wee early January but best to check here.

I have been fly fishing almost 20 years (that make me feel old) but I started at 8 years old. I taught my wife in a day casting out in a field. The next day were we in the alps fishing the rivers. It took her about two trips to start catching the fish and she did well. The hardest part of teaching was setting the hook and the fight.

Thanks guys. I talked to Stephen back in july when I was in there looking around. He put the indoor practice rod in my hand and offered some help. He is a great guy. I'm gonna wait to take the lessons in february because that was the earliest class they had when my wife called and set it up. My best friend is gonna take the class with me also. I've already been looking at guided trips around the Hill Country lakes and streams. My friend and I are gonna take a weekend trip to the Colorado river around March.

Chili,
Before february- bring your best friend to one of our club meetings-
www.fortworthflyfishers.org

You'll meet other fly fisherman who fish here in Tarrant County.There are plenty of opportunities within 15 minutes of where you live. That said, you'll have blast fishing the Colorado river above or below Austin. In the Spring to early summer, I love fishing the Hill Country - the whole area is a treasure.
Les

Welcome to the forum. I hope all goes well with your lessons, that is a long way off. Cabelas or Bass Pro usually offer free casting lessons. Maybe you could try that before the other lessons. 2-3 sets of lessons, and you will have it made.

Thanks Kelkay. I'm going to Cabelas a little later today and will look and see when their next casting clinic will be. I'm sure there is more than 1 "style" to casting, so I thought it may be good to see how different experts teach. And I'm going to check out the fly section since I've never stepped foot in there before.

Yes, there are multiple "style's" used for fly casting, that is very obvious if you ever compare a casting video from Lefty Kreh to one by Joan Wolff. They are a couple of fly casting instructor legends, but they use very different styles.

The substance of the casting is what matters. Bill Gammel boiled it down to 5 esential elements needed for a good cast. I'll paraphase them:
1. Slack must be kept to a minumum.
2. The rod tip needs to move in a straight line path.
3. Stroke length must be adjusted to match the length of line being cast. Long cast = long stroke and short cast = short stroke.
4. Power must be applied properly, you want smooth accleration of the rod tip.
5. Timing, there must be a pause at each end of the stroke and it must match the length of line being cast. Longer cast = longer pause and short cast = short pause.

There are multiple ways to acheive these elements and I'd avoid any instructor who says there is only one way to do it.

Getting a casting lesson is a smart move and it will shorten the learning curve.

Have fun,
Rex

mel krieger did it best on Lake Houston in the early 70's for me
slow, deliberate, and enjoyable that is fly casting fish are the bonus