There’s a lot that goes into fly-fishing and understanding the basics is paramount.

Before I head out this holiday weekend I decided to check the weather and ended up reading this powerful article by Paul Omundson over at the The Register-Guard that I hope everyone will find interesting, I sure did.

First step

Beginners simply need to get exposed to the basics of fly casting, Daughters recommends. “That’s the key. Delivering the fly effectively dictates your whole presentation and experience.”

But it’s not distance you’re after, he emphasizes. “In fact, most fish are caught close by. Whether you cast 20 feet or 100 feet, it’s all about how the fish sees the fly.”

Lane County is a haven for fly-fishing, with plenty of public and private classes and assistance available. A good first stop, Daughters says, is to visit a local fly-fishing shop.

“Shops like ours are a great resource,” Daughters said. “We pride ourselves on giving you information, resources and advice you need to be successful.”

Better yet, if you want to jump-start the sport with bang, sign up for a guided fly-fishing trip. Local guides make it fun — sometimes with a riverside lunch — in addition to hands-on instruction. You’ll most likely learn more on a guided fishing trip in one day than weeks of dry land classes and reading. Inquire at fly-fishing shops, or check out the McKenzie River Guides Association — organized in 1931 — at www.mckenzieguides.com….More at Try fly-fishing and tie into the wonders of nature by Paul Omundson at the The Register-Guard

Some great tips here and I intend on using them to my advantage.  Looking forward to a pan full of fish and if we cross paths I’ll sure share my catch with you!

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Getting your hands on the proper fishing gear, knowing when and how to use, it is what makes the difference between a successful fishing outing and a total failure.  

I spend a lot of time checking my tackle box and choosing my rod and reel combination before everyfishing outing and I can attest that it makes a big difference in my catch.

I came across this article bassfishingtips.net that does an outstanding job of outlining what you need to consider when preping for a fishing trip

The Right Fishing Gear and Bass Fishing Equipment…

A fishing reel can be used by all types of fisherman, including beginners, professionals and industrial fisherman. A fishing reel is a round, cylindrical devise attached to the bas of your fishing rod which has the line wrapped round it. This devise has a winder which can be used to reel a fish in, if t is some distance away from where you are based. Most modern fishing reels have attached a very small devise which ensures a free flowing movement of the line and can also make sure that the casting of the line is smooth. The most traditional type of fishing which reels are used in is recreational sport as well as in competitions as it is about speed and time.

There a wide variety of fishing reels available in this day and age, which normally match up with your fishing rod. These reels include; Fly reels, which can come as a part of your fly rod (which has been mentioned in previous articles). Fly reels are often used during the practice of fly fishing. It is fly reels which have minimum drag and resistance and are usually used in the fishing of larger fish which tend to struggle.

Bait casting reel operation is another type of fishing reel. Using this type of reel can be extremely efficient however, requires practice and skill. If you have ever seen movies with fishing in them, then it is usually this reel that is used. This reel requires a swinging backwards and forwards motion and then a stronger flick and casting out motion….More at Bass Fishing Reels – Essential Bass Fishing Equipment

What do you think?  Pretty comprehensive if you ask me.  Many thanks to the folks at bassfishingtips for this valuable information.  I think I’ll be spending some quality time there checking out all the other things they have to say.

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If you’re on a budget this fishing tip is a Godsend.

Every so often I come across a fishing tip that is just amazing.  Ed Carter over at feildandstream.com has come up with a doozie.   He describes how to make a fishing lure out of a wine cork!  Check this out! 

Next time you enjoy wine with dinner, hang on to the cork, which you can make into an effective bass plug. I’ve fooled more than one lunker with these lures—and saved some money, too. They’re easy to make, and chances are you already have most of the necessary parts. One tip: Use plastic wine corks. They don’t crack, are easy to cut and shape, and have a smooth finish once painted.

Instructions:
[1] With a Dremel tool, or circular rat-tail file, shape the front of the cork in the profile of a floater-diver plug. (Or hollow out the front to make a popper.) Next, drill a 1/16-inch hole through the middle and insert the wire shaft.

[2] Bend a U in the front end of the read more here….

What a great idea and since you uncorked the wine I suppose you’ll have to drink it….

Here’s another that Tom Biesot wrote over at globalflyfisher.com about how to build a home made reel.  Now that’s a fishing tip I’m going to have to try too.

A few years ago I met Martin Joergensen at the clubhouse of our local fly fishing club. He had been invited by one of our members. That very evening I happened to have a number of my homemade reels with me, which I showed to Martin, who was impressed by the looks of them. So he asked me if I was willing to write an article on them which would then be published on the Global Flyfisher site. I told him I would gladly do so but for now I did not have the time so he would have to wait.

A few months ago Martin’s request came to mind again and I thought it would be a good idea if I described the entire process of the design, construction and manufacturing of a new reel in a global manner with accompanying pictures of the manufacturing process and the materials and tools.  read the rest of the article here

Now with my homemade lure and homemade reel and a bottle of wine I’m set.  These kind of fishing tips are right up my alley!

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Pitching Fishing Techniques

By Scott Nelson

Fishermen in boat

There’s a cast for just about every different situation that present itself during the fishing day.  There comes a time for a long pitch and a time for an short quick flip, an overhand roll or a pitch-skip cast.  By learning and practicing these fishing techniques preferably left and right hands you will a not only a better fisherman that is ready any obstacle that presents itself

Flipping – best for muddy water or extremely heavy cover.  A short line technique.  that is quiet and more accurate than any of the other casts when distance is not requires.

Pitching –  great for clearer water situations when a quiet precise entry is needed but with a lot more distance.

Over Hand Roll – A good technique for getting just under objects or in between branches.

Pitch-Skip – the most ideal for getting way back under objects (docks and laydowns) here the cast presents the bait in the skipping/fleeing motion than hungry fish love.

Kelly Bostain wrote about these fishing techniques in an article featured in the Tulsa World this week that goes into great detail about these casts and the need to know how and when to use them.

The point of flipping and pitching is it allows a presentation that works a bait down into cover where the fish live. With water in the Red River warming up, bass are moving into the shallows and preparing to spawn. On top of that, rain and high winds have stirred things up and likely caused bass to “hold tight to cover,” Biffle said. That means the fish have tucked themselves in close to stumps, roots, laydowns and ducked under old duck blinds and floating mats of plant matter and grass.

That’s where flipping and pitching comes into play. “It’s a technique that allows you to put the bait right on top of the fish’s head,” Biffle said. “You slip it in the water right there, with a real quiet entry, in next to a log or whatever when the fish get tight to cover. … It’s just the best technique you can use right now.”

Pitching involves letting out line about the length of your rod, letting it swing back toward you as you hold the rod upward and then, with a flick of the wrist, using that momentum to propel the bait out for a soft delivery into the water 10 feet away or out to 60 feet away.

Flipping uses the same sort of delivery, but the angler lets out more line and, with a similar rod action, casts while holding the line out to the excess to take up the slack and then letting it go. “It’s more limited is why pitching is a better technique,” Biffle said. “Flipping you can only reach out 20, 25 feet.” read full article…

I think Kelly did a fine job of covering these fishing techniques and I for one know that learning this will greatly improve my catch.  I’m investing in some of those Premium 7″ Purple Pre-Tied Texas Rigs that he spoke of to take advantage of what I learned.  Thanks Kelly!

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Fly Fishing growing in popularity

By Scott Nelson

I’ve always said that fly fishing is best enjoyed when the whole family participates but I suppose I’ve just plain been lucky that way.  I have friends that struggle justifying their time away from family to fish and I encourage then to bring the family along.    A fishing trip is a treat from the hectic pace of work for the grownups  and  school for the kids that that we seem to have to go through each and every day.   With just a little planning you can ensure a weekend family fishing trip that’s a fun time for everyone!

Columnist Jonas Breaux of theadvertiser.com wrote a beautiful and interesting piece and I thought I’d pass along  a small portion for your enjoyment (full article here)

The idyllic scene of a stream running down from the mountains and a gentleman in chest waders whipping the line of his fly rod back and forth, until he lays the line out is how the sport of fly-fishing has been perceived ever since its rise to popularity in England and Scotland back in the 15th Century.

Like golf, fly-fishing was seen as an elitist sport. But as in golf, those views have changed tremendously over the last 20 years.

That change in perception is what Lane Pelissier, president of the Acadiana Fly Rodders Club, said he hoped participants at Saturday’s Acadiana Fly Fishing Conclave walked away with.

“Right now is the best time to get into fly fishing,” said Pelissier. “The equipment is better and much less expensive than it used to be. A complete rod, line and reel setup, with a lifetime warranty on the rod can be bought for around $200.”

Pelissier said there are starter rigs for children and adults that can be found at most area sporting goods outlets.

A rod builder by trade, Pelissier said fly fishing can appear to be an intimidating sport, that’s why seeking help from someone with experience is a good thing. read the full article…

I’m going to forward this article along to some friends and invite them to come with me and my family sometime.   Fly fishing does not have to be and should not be a solo sport.   Bonding come from spending quality time with your kids is the importance cannot be understated.   Some may be too old to play contact games and some may be too young for something like plaing card games but fly fishing is something that the whole family can enjoy.

Get the whole family out there and have some fun!

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Foul Weather Fishing Techniques and Tips

By Scott Nelson

Kevin VanDam shares some fantastic fishing techinques in this video.  These  foul weather tips are going to empower me to get out there and catch’em when their biting.

I had to get out a pad of paper and take notes.  Thanks Kevin for these great techniques and fishing tips.

Man is this a fantastic amount of information for some of the different baits. fishing techniques and how to information.

I want to giggle like Kevin when I catch a five pounder!   Ordered some new foul weather gear and jerk baits to take advantage of what I learned.

I’ll see ya later.  I’m goin’ fishing.

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Don’t let the experienced show you up with these fly fishing tips for beginners.

Written by Scott Nelson

Every so often I come across some great advice and tips tailored for fly fishing for beginners that is awesome.  Jack Simpson over a Williams Lake came up some hum dingers.

Take a few moment to check out what he wrote, there’s something here for everyone and truly some solid advice that will improve your catch.

Rods, lines, and reels are all matched by an arbitrary weight designation to more accurately optimize your equipment performance in order to present your fly and give you the necessary casting distance. It all starts with the line weight for your particular type of fishing. Rods are designed to cast a specific line weight while reels are designed to hold specific weight lines. Smaller weight combinations (2 to 4 weight) are generally used to catch small fish. Mid-sized rods/reels (5 & 6 weight) are good for fishing rivers and lakes where you may catch fish of up to about 7 pounds. Higher weight rods (7wt-9wt) are good for those big lunkers or salmon in migratory rivers.

You will also want to consider items like waders and wading boots. These will undoubtedly make your experience better but more importantly, safer.  Vests are used to carry all your gear.  And there are miscellaneous accessories like nets, sunglasses, and other tools that will also help make your life easier when out on the water fly fishing.

I won’t kid you: it will take some money to acquire the equipment, but you shouldn’t have to take out a second mortgage to get a good quality rod, reel and line. Just make sure you purchase the correct rod weight for your type of fishing and a rod/reel combination that actually feels comfortable in your hand. If it doesn’t feel comfortable, put it back in the rack

Flies

Welcome to the wonderful and wacky world of flies. There are literally thousands of different fly patterns out there, most trying to imitate a specific insect for the area. Others imitate nothing at all but apparently look too tempting for fish to pass up.

Some flies float on top of the water (drys), while others will sink to the bottom (nymphs). You don’t need to be an entomologist to understand your basic fly patterns. Usually there just a few different patterns you will need to cover the basics while fishing. read the entire article here

I can’t wait to get out and try some of this with the new Eagle Claw 8-Feet 6-Inch 5/6 Weight 2 Piece Fly Combo I recently picked up.  Man it’s sweet and even with my technique I know I gonna be eating good.  Follow these fly fishing tips for beginners and you’ll be reeling them in before you can say boo.

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Written by Scott Nelson

It’s a wonder that more folk don’t tie their own flies to improve their fly fishing odds.

I suppose that it’s a skill that is best learned young and I came across an interesting piece about just such a youth.  Seems that Ellie May Dean had picked this up with a vengeance.

I have a few folks that I have make my custom dry flies and once in a while I try my luck with my own creations using the new kit I just got.

But enough about me, I want to her more about this 8 year old fly fishing fly tying little girl.

Here part of the article John McCoy wrote about Ellie May in The Charleston Gazette:

“Bill Harkness – he was one of the guides at Elk Springs – showed me how to tie a streamer pattern. After that, I started concentrating on tying real trout flies,” she said.

Lisa allowed Ellie May to set up a fly tying station in the corner of the resort’s short-order restaurant. She showed her flies to anglers who gathered there each day to have lunch and discuss the morning’s fishing.

“People started offering to buy her flies, and they’d come back in and tell her about the fish they’d caught on them,” Lisa said.

At the same time she was learning to tie flies, Ellie May also started to learn the intricacies of fly fishing. Deron recalled the day she caught her first fish on one of her own creations.

“She was maybe 8 at the time,” he said. “Dave Breitmeier taught her how to tie the Black Midge Pupa pattern that’s so effective on the Elk. She tied one in size 18 and gave it to me to fish. It was about 30 degrees and snowing, but I took the fly out to try it.

“It was one of those days when the fish were looking for exactly the fly I had on my line. By the time Ellie May and Dave came out to see how I was doing, I had caught 25 trout. I handed her the rod, and she cast it out and almost immediately caught one – her first trout on a fly she had tied.” read the full article here

Wow, I suppose practice makes perfect and becoming an amazing fly fishing angler at such a young age is down right amazing.

I’ve learned a lot from Ellie May and many thanks to John McCoy for finding her and tells us about her skills and talents.

I suppose for me it’s time to hit the book and see if I can come up with any fresh ideas after this bit of inspiration

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Written by Scott Nelson

There are many different things that come into play when saltwater fishing from the temperature to the time of day to the equipment you utilize.  I don’t get the chance to fish the open seas very often but when I do it’s critical that I’m ready and armed with all the knowledge I can gather.

I came across an excellent set of saltwater fishing tips at thefishinggears.com that made me smile and taught me more than a few things.

Saltwater fishing

Tips for Salt Water Fishing

To begin with one has to grow to be acquainted with the equipments. Casting, baiting, knot tying processes can be practiced without having even environment a foot on a boat. Familiarizing with it will make saltwater fishing a lot more pleasurable an activity. If you are an angler, you want to be training initial alongside a lot more skilled anglers. You can also take aid from the fishing guides. These are the folks who can assist you best your saltwater capabilities. Fishing celebration, head boats, or pier fishing are just ideal areas to decide on up some basic skills.

Finding the appropriate spot is important and that has to be a area where fish are biting. It is a rule of thumb to discover locations wherever the fish are likely to feed. So you need to have to pick your tackles appropriately. Fishing reviews occur in handy in this regard. It is greatest to study the location just before you are out in the drinking water. You will also arrive to know the distinct species of fish in that specific location. If you have chosen saltwater fishing, you have to be individual. You have to continue to be at the very same place and wait around patiently, at minimum trying with two different lures or baits.

Novice or not, we all know that simply casting the lines in the h2o will not yield any fish. From a perspective fishing may well look that it is one particular.  read more in the original article

I feel much better equipped now to go after my catch with these saltwater fishing tips.  I found what these folks had to say very helpful and I hope you did as well.  If you found this valuable how about clicking the like button so others know how you feel.

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If anybody has a birthday coming up you can drop some hints by pointing your friends and family to this article about fishing gifts by Gus Gustafson in the The Charlotte Observer.  Everyone know that the best gear is gift gear and it’s a sure way go get a bite of the catch of the day.

Deciding what to get or even knowing what might be enticing to a fisherman is best provided by example and explanation. Gus identified more than a few great fishing gifts and his ideas in his article are sure winners, I see some things in there that I sure would like to have .

Products that make great fishing gifts

Fish finder/chart plotter. Black & white units as low as $199: An affordable fish finder/chart plotter combo is a must for every angler. Even the occasional angler will find it useful. What could be better than seeing the exact depth and location of the fish displayed on a screen?

Prices increase with screen size and features. Humminbird, Garmin and Lowrance brands are industry leaders.

Auto-piloted electric trolling motors: Minn Kota offers a series of trolling motors with auto-pilot. This feature allows a 55-, 80-, or 100-plus-pound thrust electric motor to guide the boat along a set compass course.

The auto-pilot motor is a favorite with deep-water fishermen on Piedmont lakes. The co-pilot, an added feature, allows for wireless remote-controlled operation.

A deluxe version comes with a built-in sonar transducer. When connected to a fish finder, the transducer provides an underwater view from the bow.

Better yet, the top of the line I-Pilot has its own GPS system that keeps the boat within 5 feet of a designated spot or cruises a predetermined course at a set trolling speed.

Cockpit wash-down kit. Less than $200: Clean the cockpit of your boat with a high-pressure 12-volt DC pump and wash-down kit. Fresh/saltwater is easily accessible for cleaning decks, muddy anchors or for filling bait tanks. Wash-down kits with Surflo and Jabsco pumps are available at local marine dealer outlets.

Rubber landing net: A rubber net with an extendable handle is both fish- and angler-friendly. The rubber webbing doesn’t remove the slime from a fish, as does a monofilament. Hooks are also less likely to tangle and snag, which makes unhooking less aggravating.

Marine binoculars: Binoculars make it easier to locate channel markers and diving seabirds from a distance. Upscale models are waterproof with built-in compass and range finding capability.

Gore-Tex outerwear: Gore-Tex allows for maximum comfort in adverse weather conditions. Gore-Tex jackets, parkas and pants not only keep out the wind but resist water and allow body perspiration to escape. Outerwear is available with or without insulation.  Read more here…

That auto pilot trolling motor is my fishing gift of choice (hint hint hint for my wife     I wonder how many times I’ll have to volunteer to help with the dishes to land that. I think it would be worth it.

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