Beginner fly fishing advice

Cecco70

Hi all, I've decided to give fly fishing a go this year.

I bought all the gear and then had a casting lesson with Keith Mc Donnell(great instructor btw)

This morning I decided to give it a go so I headed to the Dodder(Bushy Park area)

I tried a couple of different dry flies but didn't get a single strike. I'm sure my casting wasn't helping the situation most times but I did have a few good ones.

Should I be using dry flies or nymphs during this period? I'm a complete noob to fly fishing so any advice is welcome.

Cheers

Miklos

I'm a complete beginner as well. Myself and my brother were catching on the Dodder on small gold nymphs at the weekend, using a dry as an indicator. Small wet flies worked as well. Apparently it's a bit early for dries yet.

Cecco70

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118884152#Comment_118884152

Thanks for your help, I'll give that a try next time I'm out.

Jim_Hodge

As a beginner to fly fishing you'd be better to avoid dries for a while. Wets and nymphs will be more forgiving and successful. I've never seen the benefit of indicators but some people swear by them.

boomdocker

Too cold still for dries

Small beaded nymphs - stick to the simple ones - hare's ear, pheasant tail etc..

Look at 'Gundog and Fly' on youtube - he is the master of the simple, effective fly

ardinn

June onwards I wouldnt take the dries out until.

If your beginning I recommend you stick to wets, learn to cast and learn to swing them, then you can add 2 wets, and over the season eventually move onto a team of three on the line. (do not do this now because you will tangle every cast and break your rod over your knee in frustration)

With regards nymphs, if using them on say a wet fly swing thats fine, but actually trying to euronymph at the beginner stage again is another no no.

There are the 3 main types of fly fishing, and we all want to explore and do different things and get good at them all - my advice is to stop, and concentrate solely on wets until your catching 10-20 fish a night, when that happens you have somewhat mastered the technique and are safe to move on. Some good wet flies at the moment are

Snipe and purple

March Brown

Partridge and orange

If thats all I had in the box heading out id be fine with it.

I can explain the wet fly scenario like this.

When lads want to get into fly tying, they look to buy all the materials under the sun, and all the books and watch all the youtube videos.

I generally stop them and only give them the ingredients for a simple fly. Zebra midge, or black pennell or similar.

I do this because in fly tying, as in fly fishing, there are elements you need to learn. The Zebra midge has a bead, a body, a herl and a rib. thats 4 things you need to learn. I tell them to tie 100 of these, 1000! tie them until you can tie 10 identiacal perfect ones blindfolded. Then, add an element in your next fly - a wing, a tail, a hotspot. and do the same until that is mastered.

I see so many lads tie a fly - and its ****, then they tie a different one, thats **** too, then another, and another - they all suck, and they give it up completely.

Learn the wets. forget the rest for now.

Cecco70

Thanks for your advice, I'll stick to wets until I'm comfortable casting.

I haven't been out lately unfortunately{busy busy) but I'll be heading out next week, hopefully catch a few fish.

Cecco70

How's the fishing in the dodder riverbank Park area? Is there access to the river from there?