Float or sink?

[cohopk]

Heres how it is. I have been an guide on the chuck for many years and as of late I have been doing more drift fishing on the rivers than anything. No more, I wish to expand my skills into flyfishing. Now I belive I have an Ok rod and reel. But the start of all decision is not the rod and reel but the set up and the presentation. Lets start here first. I have the backing on. I have a floating line attached to that. I want to go up to the interior should I be using a 6-8 # leader? How is the leader attached to the floating line? Does someone know a good web site to instruct. Then most important after the cast is the bait. Im thinking that the Damsil fly would be best to use. Any preferance in color. I have been told brown works the best? Guess Im looking for lots of advice. Now I use to be a guide and I know how little info people want to give up. But I have not asked for anything too secrative so please help.

Cohopk

[kettlefisher]

Some of the best instructional sites I have found are listed below

Kettle Fisher (also a newbie fly-fisher)




http://www.flyanglersonline.com/

http://flyangler.ca/forum/index.php?act=idx

http://www.killroys.com/knots/knots.htm

http://www.thenewflyfisher.com/nff_pages/index.htm

[Royal_Coachman]

Couple more links for you:

http://www.chironomid.com/

http://flycraftangling.com

http://www.gofishbc.com/tips_articles.htm

-RC 8)

[fisher4life]

To attach leaders to fly line, use a nail knot. the set up i have now is, i have 4" piece of 20# test nail knotted to my fly line and a loop on the end so that all i need to do to attach a leader is to make a loop on the end of that also and attach it to the loop of 20# test. im thinking to changing that to the following which is a link posted in the article section.
http://www.flyfisherman.com/skills/erloops/index.html

for the leader itself, there is a thread in the open chat section that should help.

As for as flies goes, i would recomend to have a decent variety of flies which should include the following, chironimids, scuds, leeches. Other flies that you should get eventually are damsels, dragons, mayflys etc.

I think it would be helpful to read some books such as "the gilly" and go to local fly shops to get info.

hope that helps a bit

fisher4life

[Stone]

You could also attach a short (2") piece of 25# mono to your floating line and then tie a loop to the end of it. Most commercialy sold tapered leaders have a loop in the butt end these days. Just loop to loop your leader to your line.

As far as Damsel fly nymphs go...they can't be beat when there's a Damsel migration going on. I usually have olive, tan, and light yellow in my box. Concentrate on reed beds, and cast tight to the edge of it if you see fish feeding there. If they are keying in on something else, then you can rest assured that the action will be spotty at best.

Dragonfly nymphs are even better flies to have in your box. When they are getting close to hatching, use mature nymphs an inch or larger. After the hatch or early in the season, use small immature nymphs. Dragonfly nymphs live up to 2 years in the water before hatching...so trout are very familiar with them as a food source.

Never leave home without your Woolly Bugger, especially when you are just starting out. This pattern immitates a host of food items, from leeches and dragonfly or damsel nymphs, to minnows depending on how you present them. Standard colours to have in your box are Olive, Black, and Burgundy in beadhead and unweighted forms. An olive beadhead Woolly Bugger tied on a 2XL nymph hook with a few strands of Krystal Flash on the tail is always in my box.

That should get you started with nymphing anyway...