hi, new to fly fishing and how do you know the current hatches for the specific time of year, and when fishing whatever flies how do u know the retrieval technique ?

A lot of experienced anglers will know what hatches when as a general rule. For someone new to fly fishing then "Matching the Hatch" by Pat O'Reilly is a must. A lot of excellent information that will help you no end.

In terms of types of retrieve, IMHO that is something that is down to the individual and how they fish their flies. A lot will depend on the water and weather conditions. If you are a bit more specific on the type of flies then you are likely to get a more detailed answer.

__________________
Eddie
"We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation."
Voltaire

Plenty of great books out there. As per Eddie and also John Goddard's Trout Fly Recognition and Trout Flies Of Stillwater. There are also other books that give seasonal accounts of what flies to expect at certain times of the year. Retrieving, match as much as possible the natural's movement. Again this can be found in some books and by just observing what is going on. Also listening to and watching other anglers.

As other members have said there are helpful books out there that show how to identify natural flies you can try to match.However, I'm not aware of a book that explains the thousand and one ways to retrieve or not retrieve a fly or lure.
Every angler has his or her own range of retrieves to use in various fishing methods and weather conditions. Often this skill is learned by experience and by watching more experienced anglers. If you see someone catching fish don't be afraid to ask questions it is one of the best ways to learn.

BK

a book can only tell you what you can probably expect at a given time of year-a good starting point.Other factors will come into play such as warmer starts to the season further south or changes to normal weather patterns(eg earlier mayfly hatches this year).Also insect life will vary depending on what a specific water can support.The evidence of what you see around you on the day and spooning of killed fish will give a good picture of what the fish are feeding on and at what depth to fish


all the best Nick