Well, this year I decided to learn to fly fish. I am hoping to spend at least 50% of my time trying to get at least semi profficient.
I picked up a IM700 Ron Arra 9' 9 wieght, and a Reddington 9/10..
I have started reading thru the pages trying to get an idea of what flies to pick up so I can try my hand at tying some. I have been tying my own teasers and such so i think I can work it out. Figure if I buy 1 of some of the popular flies it will get me rolling...So if you see me, give me a few extra feet, lol :lasso:

For me it's the flies that are not popular that catch the most and most importantly biggest fish. I have fished almost every fly there is with every kind of line but have had the most success with flatwings on a floating line, with the occasional split-shot or sink tip to get down abit when nessacery. The eel punt fly is simple to tie and catches some pretty good size fish when it's tied 10 to 14 inches. You don't have to cast a mile to catch good fish if you put yourself in spots that lend themselves to the fly rod.

Deceivers and gurglers in mostly white, and clouser minnows in olive over white are some of the bread and butter flies around here.

If ya like butterin your bread with schoolies :hihi:

If ya like butterin your bread with schoolies :hihi:
Ooooh,,, that's gotta hurt. :jester:

Ooooh,,, that's gotta hurt. :jester:

Nah, he's just a wise a$$ hiding behind a fake name and an Abrahmite disciple besides. Very limited experience that nobody but newbies might take seriously.

I mean really - how can you trust advice from a guy who's favorite reel for saltwater needs to be rinsed and cleaned religiously or it will freeze up?

Nah, he's just a wise a$$ hiding behind a fake name and an Abrahmite disciple besides. Very limited experience that nobody but newbies might take seriously.

I mean really - how can you trust advice from a guy who's favorite reel for saltwater needs to be rinsed and cleaned religiously or it will freeze up?

Wise A$$, yeah sometimes. All in fun, but I guess you didn't think so.

The flies I fish with catch big fish period. That's a proven fact, and they've been around for a long, long time. The methods used to present them heve been around for hundreds of years. Are you telling me guy's like Abrames and Bonderew Have limited experience fly fishing in the salt? I don't think so. The problem I see today is any "newbie" that walks into a fly shop gets sold short fast rods with speedy sinking lines and small flies for small fish. How long have those methods been around, since the mid 90's. I have fished both ways so my opinion's come from experience with both methods. Do yours?

As far as my reels go, is that how you judge an anglers skill, buy how much his equipment costs.:hs: Thats the kind of elitest attitude that gives fly fishermen a bad name. Some snob dressed from head to toe in the latest orvis atire with the best equipment money can buy, catchin all the little schoolies he can. :bl:

Cheers
Todd Brodeur

Unlike you, I didn't write that your flies would not catch good fish. I catch nice fish with flatwing type flies (which have been around since well before the mid 90's) in specific situations. But I also know how to catch good fish with "bread and butter" flies and find them to be more versatile overall. If you can only catch schoolies with them it is a reflection of your own inability. Do not blame the tools.

Referring to me as an elitist? - Now that's too funny.

ah, friendly room :rollem:

Chris, good luck! For the rest of you guys, soon you will be fishing and not bickering. Try not to ruin his thread.

Every one... Out of the pool! :fishslap:

the fish of size will soon be here... plenty of room for all sorts of "Deciples"

It all depends where you fish. I fish the Cape mostly and small flies catch big fish on the Flats. The reason is the bait is small. Be flexible that's the key to success. There is no magic fly that will do it all. However, two flies that come close are Ray's fly and a Chartreuse and White Clouser. FishHawk

www.aswf.com checkout the fly tying movies by bob popoviks...

simple flies and more....

http://www.tie1on.net/#basics

this shows more stuff...all good!

kg aka pops

Fot the second time this week, it`s aswf.org not com.
Slinger

The two most popular and easy flies to tie are the clouser and the deciever. Both very proven and there are many variations. The new book by Bob Clouser is exceptional and leaves nothing to the imagination. Additionally I would second others recommendations on the Flatwing and Ray's flies. Both cast well and catch well. Getting back to the deceiver I just got back from FL and a guy who was walking lovers key on Tuesday looking for snook took a 29lb Jack Crevalle using a three and a half inch all white deceiver. They work. I tried tying and fishing many patterns myself when I first started but now I have culled it down to the basics for simplicities sake. You find yourself reaching for those same flies you have confidence in. The sea trout in Fl really like the flat wings. There were a million glass minnows in fl this week and the lady fish were all over a standard chartruese and white clouser. I had used synthetic material and didn't have a comb and the fly looked like hell but kept catching skip jacks and lady fish up until this morning when I tossed it into a feeding frenzy of what I thought were all lady fish but turns out there was at least one fish with something sharp in the mix as the leader was sheared off up past the tippet. Maybe a snook or jack I will never know. All part of the fun...