Right, basicly when i start Fly Fishing my quarry will mainly be Trout, also Salmon if possible.
Going to look into lessons 1st before i start fishing in anger as it were but i live 10 minutes walk from the River Ouse that runs through Bedford.
Just wonderd about when im practicing my casting and retrieve.
Is it worth going to the river to practice? Will i catch anything else (I know there are no Trout/Salmon in there) on the fly in there?
Do anything else go for the flies?

Sorry if these are strange questions, ive never fly fished before and still learning.

Rich

" Before I start fishing in anger". I like that quote can I borrow it ?

Have a look in the fly fishing for other species bit of the forum, pretty much everything can be caught on a fly rod. Ouse has a few clonking perch in it, doesn't it ?. Give it a go, Whats the worse that could happen.

Also I think instruction is the way forward, regards casting.

Sean

Evning.
Yes you can and cheers for the advice

Rich

Hi Rich, welcome to the forum and to fly fishing. Regarding fishing for other species when practising, do a search on a member here 'Skateboard Dave' and look for his last few posts as he had a good read going on catching perch, chub etc ( sorry I can't paste links here as I'm on my Ipod). Also best of luck with the casting practise

Cheers

Went and had a quick look at Skateboard Daves posts. He makes interesting reading. Looks like il be perch hunting, i know theres a few about down at the stretch i live near.

Thanks

Rich

Before you start 'practicing' your casting can I suggest that you find an instructor for the simple reason that you don't want to be 'practicing' and ingraining faults that will be difficult to 'unlearn' later.

I live near the Upper Ouse myself and yes there's plenty of fish that can be targetted with a fly but as a beginner I'd suggest you stay away from moving water when you're learning the basics of casting, better to find a quiet field or park.

Have a look here to help find an instructor.

Search for a Game Angling Instructor

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[I]"I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish, except that we like it and it makes us think and feel."[/I] Roderick L Haig-Brown

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Its a controversial subject, learning to cast yourself or getting an instructor. Some people are naturals, others seem to find it bewildering. I really think a lot of it is psychological. I really don't find it difficult at all. Having said that it did take a few years to master it. What I now realise is that no amount of reading casting articles would have helped and few instructors would have been able to relate the technique to me. Double hauling is supposed to be the pinnacle of casting a single handed fly rod, but it simply isn't. Its just a part of it.

My advice to you would be, get yourself down the park initially and practice your casting, at the same time, go fishing as much as you can, and gleen as much knowlege on flies and techniques as you can. Importantly, don't be afraid to ask other anglers advice. Enjoy the journey and know that you'll never enjoy the fishing as much as when you struggled to catch, and every fish, no matter the size was a result! You'll know you are truly addicted when you start tying your own flies and see the myriad of possibilites through the medium of fly tying materials you can use to create trillions of unique patterns personal to you.

Most importantly, enjoy the journey................................

I had a season of catching coarse fish on my fly tackle before I even tried fishing for trout - but, I was already a life-long coarse fisherman at that point, so to me it was a way of learning new techniques while chasing familiar species.

Hi Rich,
Get this :-http://www.michaelevans.co.uk/shop_listProducts.asp?graphics=on&catID=112&parentName=DVD&hLevel=2&parentsParentName=DVD%20and%20Video%20Collection&parentsCatID=72

You wont regret it......

Doesn't seem to have worked, try this;- http://www.michaelevans.co.uk/shop_l...arentsCatID=72

Recommended by me too.........although I think his earlier (3 volume) VHS taped version is a lot better..................birdsnest

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Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
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