A bend in the creek...
Flowers on the bank...
Ready to hit the water...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Ellicott Creek
Headed to Ellicott Creek yesterday... It was my second time fishing this section. Took a few quick pictures using hipstamatic on my iPhone. Amazing app...
A bend in the creek...
Flowers on the bank...
Ready to hit the water...
A bend in the creek...
Flowers on the bank...
Ready to hit the water...
Equipment...
I love gear... Especially fly fishing gear. I love the look of a classic reel attached to a beautiful rod. I love a box full of flies, hand-tied here in WNY. Unfortunately, beautiful equipment does not come cheap...
On my very limited budget, I purchased a Redington Redfly 2 from Cabela's on clearance and a Redington Pursuit from ReelFlyRod.com. I already had the Orvis Clearwater floating line and backing, so my rig was complete and I was ready to go.
On a side note, let me make this recommendation... If you can, buy locally! If you can't, go to ReelFlyRod.com. Todd, the owner, is great! He carries a great selection, including Redington. His customer service is top notch, and there some great options available when purchasing a reel. I opted to pass on having Todd spool my reel, deciding to use my Clearwater line instead. Probably should have gotten the line, as my Clearwater is already sinking at the tip with an unweighted woolly bugger tied on.
So why did I go with Redington? Simple... Best value on the market, hands down. The stuff is great quality, at very affordable prices. I picked up the Pursuit 4/5/6 reel. This is a great reel, with a sealed adjustable drag system and larger arbor, it matched my Redfly 2 5wt perfectly. My only regret is not getting the Surge reel instead. The Surge is all metal, while the Pursuit is a combination of graphite composite and aluminum. If function, it works very well, but I still prefer all metal construction. Eventually, this will become my smallmouth bass rig. I hope to pick up the Redington Drift reel to go with a Classic Trout 4wt rod.
Lesson learned: try before you buy, if possible.
I mentioned earlier the importance of finding a local shop... Here in WNY, I go to Oak Orchard Fly Shop. Outstanding service, great people, killer local fly selection... What more could you ask for? Nick, the manager, is always willing to share his knowledge of the local waters, recommend fly patterns that work, and even tell a story or two. Most of the flies in my flyboxes are from his shop.
Streamers and poppers:
Dry flies:
Sparse collection, I know, but why go out and buy a ton of flies I may never use? Another reason to find a local shop... You buy the flies you need, when you need them. Some may disagree, but when operating on a limited budget, this is the best way to get most out of your fly investment.
So I guess that's all I have to share regarding equipment (for now). I'm hoping to pick up a new rain coat and waders soon!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
On my very limited budget, I purchased a Redington Redfly 2 from Cabela's on clearance and a Redington Pursuit from ReelFlyRod.com. I already had the Orvis Clearwater floating line and backing, so my rig was complete and I was ready to go.
On a side note, let me make this recommendation... If you can, buy locally! If you can't, go to ReelFlyRod.com. Todd, the owner, is great! He carries a great selection, including Redington. His customer service is top notch, and there some great options available when purchasing a reel. I opted to pass on having Todd spool my reel, deciding to use my Clearwater line instead. Probably should have gotten the line, as my Clearwater is already sinking at the tip with an unweighted woolly bugger tied on.
So why did I go with Redington? Simple... Best value on the market, hands down. The stuff is great quality, at very affordable prices. I picked up the Pursuit 4/5/6 reel. This is a great reel, with a sealed adjustable drag system and larger arbor, it matched my Redfly 2 5wt perfectly. My only regret is not getting the Surge reel instead. The Surge is all metal, while the Pursuit is a combination of graphite composite and aluminum. If function, it works very well, but I still prefer all metal construction. Eventually, this will become my smallmouth bass rig. I hope to pick up the Redington Drift reel to go with a Classic Trout 4wt rod.
Lesson learned: try before you buy, if possible.
I mentioned earlier the importance of finding a local shop... Here in WNY, I go to Oak Orchard Fly Shop. Outstanding service, great people, killer local fly selection... What more could you ask for? Nick, the manager, is always willing to share his knowledge of the local waters, recommend fly patterns that work, and even tell a story or two. Most of the flies in my flyboxes are from his shop.
Streamers and poppers:
Dry flies:
Sparse collection, I know, but why go out and buy a ton of flies I may never use? Another reason to find a local shop... You buy the flies you need, when you need them. Some may disagree, but when operating on a limited budget, this is the best way to get most out of your fly investment.
So I guess that's all I have to share regarding equipment (for now). I'm hoping to pick up a new rain coat and waders soon!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, August 21, 2011
First time on the water
So where did I leave off... Ah yes, my first trip.
The day after I took the class with Orvis, I packed up the car and headed to Rainy Lake in Ontario, Canada. Located near Parry Sound, this lake was small, secluded, and full of smallmouth bass, pike, and panfish.
The first task upon arrival was picking up a fishing license... Please take note: if you are planning on fishing in Canada, be prepared for a hefty fee, the Canadian licenses are not cheap. I opted for the 7 day, although in retrospect, I should have gone with the year. The trout fishing in southern Ontario is red hot right now!
My first few early morning attempts were really just opportunities to practice my horrible casting skills. It wasn't until the last evening that I finally caught my first fish... A nice little 6 inch smallmouth on a black popper.
I caught two panfish soon after I caught the smallmouth... Actually, I caught the same panfish twice. Apparently, he failed to make the connection between the black thing with red eyes and getting caught. On the second take, he almost swallowed the whole fly!
Overall, a successful first trip. Some lessons learned:
- casting is key, make sure to practice
- get a good system down for managing gear (bag, lanyard, vest). Pick what works best for you (and don't ask me, I'm still working on it).
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The day after I took the class with Orvis, I packed up the car and headed to Rainy Lake in Ontario, Canada. Located near Parry Sound, this lake was small, secluded, and full of smallmouth bass, pike, and panfish.
The first task upon arrival was picking up a fishing license... Please take note: if you are planning on fishing in Canada, be prepared for a hefty fee, the Canadian licenses are not cheap. I opted for the 7 day, although in retrospect, I should have gone with the year. The trout fishing in southern Ontario is red hot right now!
My first few early morning attempts were really just opportunities to practice my horrible casting skills. It wasn't until the last evening that I finally caught my first fish... A nice little 6 inch smallmouth on a black popper.
I caught two panfish soon after I caught the smallmouth... Actually, I caught the same panfish twice. Apparently, he failed to make the connection between the black thing with red eyes and getting caught. On the second take, he almost swallowed the whole fly!
Overall, a successful first trip. Some lessons learned:
- casting is key, make sure to practice
- get a good system down for managing gear (bag, lanyard, vest). Pick what works best for you (and don't ask me, I'm still working on it).
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
And so it begins...
I would like to begin by welcoming any and all who find this blog... And then promptly apologize for it.
Let me be frank... I am by no means a fly fishing expert. As a matter of fact, I'm as green as the lush lawns at your local country club. The purpose of this blog is to share my journey towards understanding this new addiction... Fly fishing.
I guess the best place to start is at beginning (I know, quite profound). I discovered fly fishing the way many have... The movie "A River Runs Through It". I was instantly fascinated by the sport, but I was also quite young, quite poor, and already involved in too many activities to try adding another. And so I put the thought out my mind.
Fast forward to the present... My first father's day, to be exact. I woke up to a wonderful surprise! My son, Elias, had gotten me my first fly fishing kit, complete with rod, reel, fly line, and everything else needed to get started. I immediately contacted the local Orvis store and registered for their fly fishing 101 class.
The class was great, and I learned most of the basics, including how to cast, tie knots, and select flies. I was ready to go! Oh wait, I still needed flies for the trip to Canada. Some bass poppers and a few woolly buggers took care of that.
I was off and running...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Let me be frank... I am by no means a fly fishing expert. As a matter of fact, I'm as green as the lush lawns at your local country club. The purpose of this blog is to share my journey towards understanding this new addiction... Fly fishing.
I guess the best place to start is at beginning (I know, quite profound). I discovered fly fishing the way many have... The movie "A River Runs Through It". I was instantly fascinated by the sport, but I was also quite young, quite poor, and already involved in too many activities to try adding another. And so I put the thought out my mind.
Fast forward to the present... My first father's day, to be exact. I woke up to a wonderful surprise! My son, Elias, had gotten me my first fly fishing kit, complete with rod, reel, fly line, and everything else needed to get started. I immediately contacted the local Orvis store and registered for their fly fishing 101 class.
The class was great, and I learned most of the basics, including how to cast, tie knots, and select flies. I was ready to go! Oh wait, I still needed flies for the trip to Canada. Some bass poppers and a few woolly buggers took care of that.
I was off and running...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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