im new to the fly kinda ive done it in the past not to serious but now i wanna get serious i got a 8wt white river rod and reel from bass pro and i got abt 15 flies not sure what is good but i just grabbed some that looked good my main question is, is fly fishing more spotting the fish to catch them or just cast and hope for the best ive been fishing ray hubbard latley but no luck im not asking for anyones secrets just some tips and pointers to get me going in the right direction and what kinda fish im catching dont matter any feedback will be appreaciated

You can sight fish or fish just like you would with conventional gear. Find fishy areas with brush, structure, etc. and give them a try. Some days I fish 15 flies in 3 hours and some days luckily the one I started with is catching and I'll fish 3 hours with just one fly. Presentation and fly selection are the key though.

With the 8wt I assume your main target is Largemouth bass? If so, the key is to get up super early,especially this time of year. Get out just before the sun comes out, and find areas with deep water nearby. You should be able to catch some.

Just wondering, what flies did you get?

Your close to my part of town. I fish Ray Hubbard occasionally. I've got a few spots I like to hit... accessible if you got a boat.
Here are some spots I've had some luck, fishing early
1. By Robertson Park marina, (I-30,Dalrock)by the rocky areas around the boat ramp and all around there.
2. Across the lake, at Chandlers Landing Marina. There is a rocky jetty that protects the marina. I've caught a few decent fish there.
3. By the power plant jetty, have caught some largemouth and catfish there too, on both sides.
4. Keep eye out for schooling sand bass
5. If you want to go down to the dam, I would bet you would have some luck down there.
Rocky areas with decent water depth next to them is the key.

Catching Anything, I'm in the same boat you are. Only been fly fishing for a short period and am starting to get discouraged by the lack of results. I'm willing to do as much research and get out as early as needed but I feel like I just don't know how to figure out what the fish are looking for. Was on a lake today where fish were eating off the topwater like crazy. I tried 3 different flies and didn't get a nibble. Does anyone have any good videos or books to read that would help with that?

When they are schooling, sometimes they will hit anything, but other times they can be quite selective...meaning they are focused on a particular size shad, and so you might need to experiment with different fly sizes to get a hit. Also you might try speeding up your stripping and make it more frantic-looking.
Where are you fishing at, CPrice? Don't get discouraged... July/August can be tough. If you get out early enough, eventually you'll do well and get even more hooked.

I've tried a bunch of different places. I was on the Brazos this afternoon in a kayak and the fish were everywhere but wouldn't hit anything I threw out there. I've fished Bethany Parks, Lake Levon Dam, Bethany Park, and others that are similar to those. I would love to find a place to fish a creek or river in the Dallas area. I know that July and August are the toughest months to fish in Texas so that makes me not as frustrated. When are the best months?

well i dont have a boat trying to save for a kayak but i have been going to 30 and dalrock on the side that the fishing barge is on the oppisite side of all the boat slips a the bar over there and the flies i got im not sure of names of em but i kno i got a popper and a white woolly bugger the rest are small ones that i thought just looked good

Unless you can spot the fish (unlikely around 90% of these parts do to water clarity) you just need to be working your flies over likely spots just like you would with a spin caster.

Try some clouser minnows for large mouth bass. I have found yellow and white to be a good colors for me. Buy qulity ones with nice flashy eyes. Your fly will have to make up for lack of sound and water disturbance with flash for bass to find them in muddy water. For top water, poppers with big rubber legs are great. The biggest mistake I've made is popping them too much. Just one or two pops every 15 seconds or so. I've actually caught quite a few on the big mouse patterns as well.

I feel you on saving for the kayak. I've been at it for over two years and think this birthday the wife may actually make it happen

I'd suggest you get a cheap vise, and start tying bass and crappie flies. $1 sheets of foam at Walmart and some marabou, and you have a bunch of gurglers. These float like poppers, but are bigger if you want them to be. Youtube will teach you the tying steps. I like to tie an unweighted crappie jig from the bend. Then you can target both species. I'm just starting the journey to sight fish for carp here in the DFW area. I'll be tying May's Identity Crisis for starters. Wooly buggers and dragon fly nymphs are good choices if you want to go sub-surface. Pretend like you are teasing a kitten...don't just chuck it and haul it back. Believe there are fish, because there are...

Just_fishing542 I live south of you in Terrell. If you want to meet up and fish one day. Might not be much help to you, but at least you won't suffer alone.

Your local fly shop will be very helpful in seeing you learn to enjoy the sport of fly fishing. They want to sell you stuff in the future. You might want to ask about casting lessons.

Join a local fly fishing club... they will be happy to share information and help you get started. Fishing with someone who knows what they are doing is a great learning experience.

Hire a fly fishing guide to take you out and show you how it's done. Be sure to let them know your just learning... and want to learn more (not every guide is a good teacher) LOL