[Kersh]

So, after starting sea fishing years ago, and doing a bit of coarse over the past few years, I decided to go try fly fishing.

Got myself a 9ft Fladen vantage flyrod, and reel, (aftma 5), something I figured would be nice and light, and not break the bank. Then I went off and got some backing, Lureflash wf6f line, and some 2 and 3lb leaders. I picked up some flies on Ebay, nothing fancy, just a selection. I loaded up the reel, looked on the interweb for all the knots, and thats as far as i got for 2 weeks...

A friend of mine promised to show me how its all done. So on monday he gives me a call, says to meet him in Maynooth at 5.30.

Packed up all the gear, and off i went. We went to Lyreen fishery just out of the town. The guy at counter put my leader loop on, picked the flies out of my box that he figured would be good, and off we went.

So on his 2nd cast of showing me, he hooks one, a nice 2 pounder, and i go off to my swim and think "hey, this looks easy "

In the 3 hours we were there, I lost 9 or 10 flies . . snapped off, some in front of me, some behind me. They were floating around in the lake about 15ft in front of me . So i figure Im going back too far, and swinging forward too soon. Kinda got better and better as the evening wore on, and I missed one rise. But I think I was making progress all the same.

So I headed off home happy with myself that I now know how it all goes together and what is expected.

Up bright and early the next morning I head off again. Really looking forward to it. I head around to where the wind is behind me and off I go. Not too many snapped off flies, in fact none in the first hour, and i seemed to be a lot calmer doing everything. It felt like I was gettin somewhere . . .

Lots of fish taking something on the surface, so I switched from my little black and red fly to a white moth . . and low and behold I hooked one .

I was delirious . . I could hardly do anything I was shaking that much . . it was magic. I landed him, took a pic and set him free. Then I snapped off my first ever 'killer' fly . . . and was back to little black and red flies for the day (all the rest of the white or nearly white ones were out on the lake since the monday ). . I missed 4 more rises (think i struck too soon) . . but anyway . . I had a ball.

Going back in the morning to try again, and hopefully get a little bit better

Heres the fish . . .



And in the landing net was this little guy

[Ingenuist]

Congrats

Goes to show hard work pays off

Nice fish!

[bad2dabone]

Result! well done sir!

[wgsten]

Nice one, you are hooked! Welcome to the wonderful world of fly fishing.
wgsten
http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/

[Dusty87]

Either the fish looks a lot smaller in the second pic or your fly rod is tiny
Well done, i remember my first trout on the fly, something i should get back into i think. Fair play to ya

[coolwings]

Kersh: You said it all there and I hope the beginners take note. A great report and thanks for sharing the day with us.
Congrats on breaking into another new branch of angling.
I can still remember every feature of my 1st fly caught trout, the fly, the place, and that was almost 40 years ago. So I think the pleasant memory of your 1st fly caught trout will last many years.

[Kersh]

Thanks guys, hope today brings abit of improvement, and maybe a fish

Wgsten, I have been going through your site over the past month, its brilliant, and real easy to read . . plenty of info that Im sure is slowly sinking in.

I really wanted to keep the fly . . but sure at least I know it was a white moth. Only cos it was marked. I have ordered some lighter coloured flies online, so they should be here soon.

[ironbluedun]

Originally Posted by Kersh

Wgsten, I have been going through your site over the past month, its brilliant, and real easy to read . . plenty of info that Im sure is slowly sinking in.

yes just had a look through that site and it looks good....especially the entomology section….you are doing a very good job there its an area that a lot of new or inexperienced anglers struggle with…..a lot of books written about entomology are not really written from an Irish point of view, even JR Harris ‘Anglers Entomology’ a classic in its time and still a excellent reference book has a heavy emphasis on up-winged flies and largely ignores others such sedges and buzzers….and many of the modern books are copies or just cogged of Harris and you can see where they have copied his mistakes….the ‘Waterside Guide’ by John Goddard springs to mind as containing some errors…For info on distribution of Irish up-winged flies check out the Kelly-Quinn book.
keep up the good work.

[Kersh]

So . . . I spent Thursday evening and 6 hours from 12-6 on Friday at Lyreen.

Tried a spent daddy long legs with a black buzzer on the dropper. Then switched to a booby with a buzzer. Had a few fish rise to it, but missed them.

I was struggling with wind, so I switched to the far side of lake, and tried a wet fly (white montana I think) and I hooked 3 but they all got off the hook, one right at the net

I then missed 3 or 4 definite takes, so a little bit of a struggle.

I dont know why im missing the obvious takes on the wet fly, but whatever it is I can feel the fish take it and when I lift the rod they dont seem to be there.

Anyway, Im lovin it, and the casting is coming along a bit better

[Kersh]

Was out this evening, stayed from 7 til 10. Bit of a better day, first I fished a montana, nothing doing so I switched to a dry white moth with a buzzer on the drop. Got 2, just as it was getting dark. Both came on the buzzer. Delighted with myself. Heres pics of the pair of them

[wgsten]

Nice fish well done, keep it up.
wgsten
http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/

[keithob]

heading down to lyreen place on sat...

good aul spot...

[thehamo]

Originally Posted by keithob

heading down to lyreen place on sat...

good aul spot...

Just FYI, Lyreen is a course venue only. They got rid of the fly lake last year and stocked it to make a match venue now. May still be trout there but its not for fly fishing.

If you knew this already.... well dont mind me!