Fishing for beginners

[clackamascoug]

How is a fly rod more efficient on a stream (Did I mention I'm a beginner)?

Efficiency is the number of casts and the amount of bait time on the water. Fly fishing is a really fast in and out because the "bait" is floating on top. Fishing with conventional would require a bobber and a weighted hook and bait... more cumbersome to load and unload the casting process and trolling the pool of water.

[clackamascoug]

Lebowski nailed it. Learning how to do it right is important and don't mess around with a half ass introduction unless you want to discourage them from enjoying it. Find a fishing friend or hire a guide. Given where you live, I would just jump into fly fishing. A fly rod is a much more efficient way to cover a stream and you have many great trout streams in your neck of the woods. Some pics of my son and I fishing thewest walker last summer in BigPiney's neck of the woods.

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Here's a song that features the Walker River in the opening lines...

[The_Tick]

Lebowski nailed it. Learning how to do it right is important and don't mess around with a half ass introduction unless you want to discourage them from enjoying it. Find a fishing friend or hire a guide. Given where you live, I would just jump into fly fishing. A fly rod is a much more efficient way to cover a stream and you have many great trout streams in your neck of the woods. Some pics of my son and I fishing the west walker last summer in BigPiney's neck of the woods.

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Still waiting on a DM to go Fly Fishing...

[Pelado]

As I was perusing their website last night looking for licensure info and the such, I found that the Department of Fish and Game runs a program called "Take Me Fishing". They park a trailer at one of several local ponds/lakes for four hours up to three times a week. While they are there, no licenses or anything are required. They also provide fishing rods and such that can be used during the event.

So I took my 10-year-old daughter to the event today at Marianne Williams Pond. She practiced using a couple different types of reels. The simple button closed reel style had a bobber and worm bait. The open reel type had a shiny lure. With the open reel lure, she reeled in a stocked rainbow trout (that had been hooked by one of the F&G employees). While we were debating whether or not to take it home, it worked its way off the hook, dropping back into the pond.

While my daughter was casting the line, I was casting questions at the employees about fish, fishing, etc. I learned a lot but still feel like I know very little about it.

They had started putting everything away by the time we were set to leave. Before they let us go, though, they gave her a new fishing pole, tackle box, and a hook/bobber set. She was on cloud nine.

[Flystripper]

Still waiting on a DM to go Fly Fishing...

Sorry man. My bad.


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[Northwestcoug]

There's at least 8 threads dedicated to fishing. The one that has the most replies was started by SU, and I still feel like a beginner, so I'm updating this one.

A few years ago I posted on this thread that my son was guilting me into teaching me how to fish. A year ago we did a float trip down the Gallatin River, and he caught a fish or two. But until a couple of months ago he really didn't talk about fishing. But earlier this year he asked me to teach him how to fish. He's eighteen, and I figured that this was the last time he would reach out to me, so I got busy. We had my dad's dozen rods and reels and plenty of flies, but we still needed waders and boots. Since I'm not 100% sure there isn't something of my dad's essence still with us, I took his bank card that still has my share of his inheritance, and used that to buy our gear. If he did notice it, I know I got solid son points for that. I reviewed my knots on youtube one last time and we headed out.

We went to the Deschutes River a few miles outside of Bend where it gets smaller, and we started from scratch. He got the hang of it pretty quickly. We were getting some action on dry flies, but we didn't catch anything that first day. But he was hooked. He wanted to go again the next day. On the advice of the fly shop owner, I tied a nymph on the end of my dry fly and used that as an indicator. I caught a couple that way. My son got better at casting and watching his fly. More action, but he still didn't land anything.

I went back to work that week but he still wanted to go out. I gave him my best advice (such as it is), and he went with a friend. Third time's a charm:

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He caught a few more like this. He hasn't let their size dampen his spirits, and he has gone out a few more times after work. He is really enjoying it. He hasn't strayed from the same ~mile stretch of river. I really think this gives him a sense of peace (he quit community college once they went virtual, and he's struggling to figure out his future). And now I'm at peace knowing fishing didn't die out in my family because of me. And I should say, I'm really enjoying it also. This may be the hobby that I can keep myself busy if I retire early!

[BigPiney]

Good for you.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Well done.

[Goatnapper'96]

There's at least 8 threads dedicated to fishing. The one that has the most replies was started by SU, and I still feel like a beginner, so I'm updating this one.

A few years ago I posted on this thread that my son was guilting me into teaching me how to fish. A year ago we did a float trip down the Gallatin River, and he caught a fish or two. But until a couple of months ago he really didn't talk about fishing. But earlier this year he asked me to teach him how to fish. He's eighteen, and I figured that this was the last time he would reach out to me, so I got busy. We had my dad's dozen rods and reels and plenty of flies, but we still needed waders and boots. Since I'm not 100% sure there isn't something of my dad's essence still with us, I took his bank card that still has my share of his inheritance, and used that to buy our gear. If he did notice it, I know I got solid son points for that. I reviewed my knots on youtube one last time and we headed out.

We went to the Deschutes River a few miles outside of Bend where it gets smaller, and we started from scratch. He got the hang of it pretty quickly. We were getting some action on dry flies, but we didn't catch anything that first day. But he was hooked. He wanted to go again the next day. On the advice of the fly shop owner, I tied a nymph on the end of my dry fly and used that as an indicator. I caught a couple that way. My son got better at casting and watching his fly. More action, but he still didn't land anything.

I went back to work that week but he still wanted to go out. I gave him my best advice (such as it is), and he went with a friend. Third time's a charm:

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He caught a few more like this. He hasn't let their size dampen his spirits, and he has gone out a few more times after work. He is really enjoying it. He hasn't strayed from the same ~mile stretch of river. I really think this gives him a sense of peace (he quit community college once they went virtual, and he's struggling to figure out his future). And now I'm at peace knowing fishing didn't die out in my family because of me. And I should say, I'm really enjoying it also. This may be the hobby that I can keep myself busy if I retire early!

Likely my favorite of your posts. I bought gear a couple of years ago and I really want to get out a lot more than I do. I would have loved to fly fish with my pops. He once sent me a card about fly fishing the Henry's Fork. It never happened but I took my kids out on the Henry's a few weeks ago. It was insane. There is such solitude and landing a fish on a fly rod is just more enjoyable than spin casting.

[Flystripper]

Heading up to Elk Lake Montana in a few weeks to hike and fish a variety of places with the family. Will also be at my in-laws cabin on Strawberry for a week before and a week after. They just got high speed internet at the cabin so I can work in the afternoon and fish in the morning and evening. I should have been doing this for the entire quarantine.

Can’t wait.

My oldest is a soph USU and has finally been pestering me to fish more. My middle son spends every waking minute that isn’t in a weight room or on a track, on a body of water trying to catch whatever is there. It’s hilarious he has been pulling large mouth and small mouth out of local ponds in Westlake Village baffling all the residents.

Cracks me up


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[Jeff Lebowski]

Caught nine beautiful salmon yesterday.

[Flystripper]

Caught nine beautiful salmon yesterday.

awesome those strawberry kokes are delicious

[Pelado]

As I was perusing their website last night looking for licensure info and the such, I found that the Department of Fish and Game runs a program called "Take Me Fishing". They park a trailer at one of several local ponds/lakes for four hours up to three times a week. While they are there, no licenses or anything are required. They also provide fishing rods and such that can be used during the event.

So I took my 10-year-old daughter to the event today at Marianne Williams Pond. She practiced using a couple different types of reels. The simple button closed reel style had a bobber and worm bait. The open reel type had a shiny lure. With the open reel lure, she reeled in a stocked rainbow trout (that had been hooked by one of the F&G employees). While we were debating whether or not to take it home, it worked its way off the hook, dropping back into the pond.

While my daughter was casting the line, I was casting questions at the employees about fish, fishing, etc. I learned a lot but still feel like I know very little about it.

They had started putting everything away by the time we were set to leave. Before they let us go, though, they gave her a new fishing pole, tackle box, and a hook/bobber set. She was on cloud nine.

My daughter hasn't been fishing since then. And hasn't really asked about it, either. My son went fishing once while on a camping trip with his priesthood quorum brethren (maybe it was still Scout-sanctioned), which I attended, too. Didn't catch anything. Has not asked to go since then.

One of the things that bothered me about my discussion with the F&G employee was learning to identify all the different kinds of fish. On the off chance that we actually pulled a fish from the stream/river/lake/reservoir, I didn't want a F&G warden fining us because we didn't correctly identify whatever offensive-tasting fish bit at our bait.

[Northwestcoug]

There is such solitude and landing a fish on a fly rod is just more enjoyable than spin casting.

Indeed. My son verbalized it pretty much the same way you said it. Even when he's not catching anything, he enjoys concentrating on nothing but the fly. There may even be a lesson in there about how difficult it is for kids who have short attention spans these days...

My daughter hasn't been fishing since then. And hasn't really asked about it, either. My son went fishing once while on a camping trip with his priesthood quorum brethren (maybe it was still Scout-sanctioned), which I attended, too. Didn't catch anything. Has not asked to go since then.

One of the things that bothered me about my discussion with the F&G employee was learning to identify all the different kinds of fish. On the off chance that we actually pulled a fish from the stream/river/lake/reservoir, I didn't want a F&G warden fining us because we didn't correctly identify whatever offensive-tasting fish bit at our bait.

A guided float trip might pique the interest in at least one of them. All my kids caught something when we went, and when a guide takes care of everything it makes it that much more enjoyable. I was talking to my daughter in Bozeman last week about visiting her this summer, and she commented about fishing again. She may yet get serious about it. That would mean a success rate of 50% for my kids!

[Jeff Lebowski]

Indeed. My son verbalized it pretty much the same way you said it. Even when he's not catching anything, he enjoys concentrating on nothing but the fly. There may even be a lesson in there about how difficult it is for kids who have short attention spans these days...



A guided float trip might pique the interest in at least one of them. All my kids caught something when we went, and when a guide takes care of everything it makes it that much more enjoyable. I was talking to my daughter in Bozeman last week about visiting her this summer, and she commented about fishing again. She may yet get serious about it. That would mean a success rate of 50% for my kids!

Book an Alaska trip. You will have the time of your life.