# Fly fishin beginner here...



## ScullsMcNasty (Oct 4, 2007)

ok, i used to fly fish wheni was younger for bass and bream and i know(pretty much but i havent done it in yrs) how to control a fly rod. im interested in getting back into fly fishin againbut i want to do some offshore fly fishin. i want to catch some snapper on flies... we normally chum the snapper up off the wrecks to where they are swimmin right behind the boat so im sure i can do it. 

now, i would like to know the basics id need to get started. i dont need anything expensive, i just want to basic stuff. can yall point me in the right direction?? or if yall have a old setup you could part with, can i buy it??

also, what kind of flies should i use for snapper, bobos, spanish, ect?? types of line? and any other thing yall think i should know.. im really excited about getting back into fly fishing

thanks in advance,

Scully


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## ScullsMcNasty (Oct 4, 2007)

come on guys. i know there are some of yall out there that have some input


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

I got ya. 

The weather this weekend is not so great, but soon as we havea decent weekend I will be honored to show you how little I know. 

My tackle or yours don't matter to me. Specks and reds over the grass is a great start. Is Big Lagoon easy for you to get to? 

I'll Stay in touch and soon as we can get together, we'll go.


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

I would recommend some good sinking line when you decide to go out for snapper. I have the cortland quick decent line on my 12 weight that I have caught a few snapper and small AJs on.Even when they do come up top, Sometimes the fish will be just down too far out of the reach of an intermediate line, so it's good to have some good sinking line. For flies, anything that resembles a baitfish profile, like a deciever.

For bonita, an intermediate line is good. It keeps the fly in the water when you're using a fast strip required for those little buggers. Medium-small white flies in all different styles work great.


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## ScullsMcNasty (Oct 4, 2007)

garbo - Im def up for the fishing!! but i have to get a fly rod first. i have a buddy that is gonna come with me to get one at academy. im sure its not gonna be a good one but its will be just fine for me to "get my feet wet".. 

so if i wanted to target these different species(trout, redfish, snapper, bobos, spanish, ect..) am i gonna have to have a different reel for and rod for each species?? like you were saying, you need one type of line for snapper and a dif type for bobos and im sure you need different size rods and reels for trout and redfish??


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

My advise would be "don't buy anything yet". 

Let's take one step at a time, and go fishing. I have plenty of tackle and you got alot to figure out. Fly fishing can be very expensive and going with the Shotgun plan is going to cost lots of money and you haven't even gotten started yet. 

We can plan a day, and I will supply the tackle, and you will get a feel for what it's all about. It doesn't have to be nearly as complicated as it seems, but the best way tostart is get a feel for it first, you may not like it at all. 

If I can sightfish, I would rather flyfish more than any other type of fishing. *Tying the fly that fools a fish you presented it to is Unreal in my opinion.* You may not find it as attractive. 

Stay in touch.


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## Russian (Jan 13, 2009)

Well I am not new to fly fishing, but still new to fly fishing for the species down here. Only thing I have made it out to do is catch bobos on the fly so far which is an absolute blast, like TrueKing said intermediate line with a small white or white and blue sparkle baitfish imitation for bobos. Was invited to go out tomorrow with my boss and some friends if the weather will give us a few breaks in the day, probably fish a mixture of live bait and flies. Hope to target redfish and trout for the first time so hopefully the patterns I have been coming up with work. Tying flies can be addicting, I turned my drafting table into a fly tying bench in my apartment, works quite nice. I would suggest going with an 8 wt for an all around good rod inshore and offshore. Never fished for snapper and jacks with a fly rod though. Like Garbo said it may be easiest to start out with the redfish and trout. Sounds like he will have you taken care of. Hopefully I will be of more help in the future as I learn also. I think you will have a blast once you get into it. It is expensive though, I have been collecting equipment and tying flies for probably 13 yrs now. Unfortunately I am not looking to get rid of anything, I am still buying the right equipment for down here.


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## FlyLipps (Oct 3, 2007)

Skulls, Garbo is dead on here, and you should take him up on his very generous offer. Fly fishing, by its very nature, requires the caster to develop a very strong connection to their equipment. That is part of the lure, pardon the pun, of the sport. And while it sounds like you have a fair amount of experience, the demands of saltwater casting are quite different than those of fresh, therefore the rod best matched to your stroke for salt may not be the same as what you might choose for lighter freshwater conditions. I fish large saltwater flies almost exclusively, and on those rare occasions that I fish light freshwater it requires a good deal of time for me to change my stroke and learn to cast in a totally different way. For example, it is very difficult for me not to double haul on every cast. It was the pure joy of casting that drew me to fly fishing, but it is the thrill of fly design and tying that fires me up the most now. Besides, fly fishing with those who love the sport is a great thing in itself!


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

> *FlyLipps (3/15/2009)*therefore the rod best matched to your stroke for salt may not be the same as what you might choose for lighter freshwater conditions. I fish large saltwater flies almost exclusively, and on those rare occasions that I fish light freshwater it requires a good deal of time for me to change my stroke and learn to cast in a totally different way.


I know how you feel there! I'll be throwing a 12wt on the boat and then see some bonita and grab the 8wt. It always feels like a noodle for the first few minutes!


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## ScullsMcNasty (Oct 4, 2007)

i used to tie my own flies when i was a kid. i did alot of flies for bream and bass and even made a few for my trips to the mountains for trout. i have two fly tying boxes, one i bought and one i made when i was about 12 or 13, so i am excited about getting back into tying flies.. without a doubt, i will def take you up on your very generous offer Garbo! obviously we didnt have very good weather the past few days so the water clarity is gonna be bad and i am gonna go bass fishin today in my canoe so we will have to wait for the next good weekend. i think i might be goin to biloxi next weekend but ill let you know.. thanks for all the advice guys!


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## UnderWater Angler (Jul 18, 2008)

A good way to start is just get a stripping basket and wade. Soon as the water warms up a little more there will be reds and specks on the flats. You'll be blind casting for the most part but at this stage the more you cast the better off you will be. Focus on sand spots and holes as well as deep water troughs. I have actually had a lot of luck with the Woolly Bugger and it's cousin the Crystal Bugger (white). Big Lagoon is a good place to go with a lot of flats and depth change. 



Another thing that helps in saltwater flyfishing is to let line out on the back cast; this enables you to get distance with only one or two false casts. Also, experiment with line wts I have thrown a size up in line to help get better distance. 



I would definatley recommend a stripping basket (Orvis makes the best to my knowledge) or if not use a floating/sinking tip line so that it does not sink around you and make casting 10x harder. 



Good luck man, and remember when you're flyfishing it's always a good day even if you don't catch fish!


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