There is a lot to learn but pick up a book or take a class or two and get started. Years ago my wife got me a rod/reel for Christmas. I picked up a book, "Flyfishing, First Cast to First Fish" by Joseph Petralia, and spent the winter teaching myself to cast. Once you start actually fishing you'll pick up something new with every outing. Also, if you can find people to fish with you will learn a lot very fast. Experienced or not it's a lot of fun.
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Everything has its place my friend. The ciigar and bourbon are for when you are setting on the bank "resting" the water or observing the water. To be successful you must learn to read the water. Not to different from reading a green. Ha a good bud who could drive 300yd straight and a pin. Get him on the green and everything went to hell. :-)
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I agree with the others: it is not that difficult but requires a lot of practice. Putting a ball on the green from 100 yards may not be that difficult, but putting it 3 feet from the hole takes practice. Same with a fly rod: getting the fly in the creek is not that difficult, but putting it in the right place for a natural presentation does take practice.

Try placing on old tire or hula hoop on the ground and start trying to hit it in the center from 10 yards away. Then start backing up. Just watch out for foliage and friends and hornet's nests behind you.

And if all else fails, watch Brad Pitt's double-hitch casts in "A River Runs Through It," then go outside and "be" the Brad. :-)
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Got out today and did a little fishing. They stocked a local stream a few weeks ago. I worked it over with a black woolly bugger for the majority of the time and brought two rainbows in and had a couple others slip off. Not bad for mid-December. Anyone else getting out there?
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Nothing for me for 1.5 months now. Waiting for the steelhead fishing to shape up within the next week or so and I'll get back out. Sure do miss that trout fishing though.
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Been too busy at work for awhile. It's finally slowing down and I caught the flu bug from a co-worker (thanks bud!). Things are starting to slow down and I am feeling better, so maybe I can sneak out this weekend or sometime over the holidays. I am hearing that the reds ar e TURNED ON in the flats right now.



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Took a trip to New Orleans last April and booked one day on the flats to fly fish for redfish with a guide. It was amazing! Sight fishing for those bulldogs is a blast. And they've got some shoulders; like to run and fight.
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Got out today to two different streams. The air temp was in the 50s (it was in the single digits earlier this week). I caught two rainbows at the first one and had a handful of bites at the second one. I caught the rainbows on an beadhead olive hare's ear and had the bites on a black woolly bugger.
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I was able to hit the tailwaters as well. Air temp was 34, water...much colder. Windy with gusts up to 30 made casting a bit of a challenge. Did get the timing figured out and landed about 6. Size 12 Copper John. The Darwin Award was awarded when I went to pull my glove out of my pocket and with it came my keys....bloop. Then I was at a crossroads. The water was waist deep and I could see my keys. I kept trying to motivate myself to reach(shoulder deep) in the frigid water and get the keys. Easier said than done. So I cast a few more times searching for motivation......then it hit me.......an idea, not the fly. I took the my rod apart and fished my keys out that way. No wet, no frozen, and the key fob still worked. Kept fishing with breaks to get feeling in my legs. Overall, it was a great trip. Hadnt been on the water in a few months and really needed the break.

To make it better, I came home to a wife wanting to exchange gifts early. An hour or so later, I am a Columbia short and pants ahead along with a Geirach book and some flies. She's a keeper.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all........tightlines my friends.
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Hit the water this morning. 23 degrees outside......brrrrr. Down jacket and polartech hat and gloves were a necessity. Fish were hitting very well until the wind really picked up. Once the wind picked up, it really made casting tough. Ferrels had ice build up, line had ice build up, waders were frozen, fish were fat......perfection!! If only a few snowflakes had fallen, I might not have come home.
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Guess I am the only one fishing.... :-)

This is from a trip to Lake SWEPCO. It is built around a cola plant and the water stays about 80 degrees all winter.The bass is a Florida strain they imported. Nothing quite like a largemouth on a flyrod. This was the smallest we caught(did a lot more fishing than pic taking). I was throwing a Sage XP 9ft 8wt with an intermediate sing tip. The fly was a wiggle minnow which those bass loved. Get tha dude about 3in under water and they couldnt resist it.

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I haven't done much fishing the past couple months, been busy with school and work. Last time I went out I caught seven or 8. My buddy caught about the same but the weird part was that we had three doubles. It seemed like every time one of us would hook up the other would too, best fish was about a 16 inch bow...sorry no pics, next time.
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I haven't done any fly-fishing in awhile. I have been doing some bait casting for muskies. I've had a few follows, but haven't gotten one to bite yet. Then a few weeks ago it was cold enough here for me to experience the SW Virginia ice fishing season. It lasted about 3 days, but I was able to get out on a local pond that has trout and pickerel in it. I caught one pickerel jigging and had 5-6 bites. The best part of that experience was being able to tell who grew up in the north and who grew up in the south (some pretty funny comments easily heard). The northerners would walk right out on the ice and the southerners seemed pretty hesitant. Now I'm waiting for the weather to warm up a bit.
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I wish I was fishing! Trying to let my ribs heal a little before I try a couple of casts...I am definately NOT going out in the boat for a little while though!



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I bought my wife one of those rods that shoots the lure for my wife to fish with. I can ship it too you if you want....she wont mind. :-)

Seriously, get better. The ribs can cause alot f trouble down the road if not healed.
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Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I would be able to do that "thing" :-) justice!

I guess for now I'll have to be content browsing thru my spots on Google Earth, looking for more likely spots. I guess if the Military can use Satellite Recon, so can I!
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Nice! Can't wait for trout season to start up. A couple months to go.
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I'm REALLY getting ready to get out and go fishing, the fish tank just ain't cutting it anymore!!!

Come on ribs!!!


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Well Steve, I was having trouble justifying getting out and fishing with other responsibilities......so I decided to help that. I will be guiding river and creek fishing trips here in NW Arkansas. Got a buddy who does lake trips and he was wanting to add more variety. Now I can write off gear, food,.......a new boat. :-)
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Sweet. Sounds like a good idea!

I just got back from a couple of little freshwater ponds with my daughter. To windy to flycast, and to cold for anything to bite, but a great time spent with her! My priorities have changed since my trip to the Keys last month!

Life is Good, especially being alive!!!


BTW, one day I would love to join you for some fishing.
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