I have been fly fishing for about six years, but have always used commercial flies.

On my last trip to the chalk streams of the south east of England, I was invited to a dinner the evening before, and was invited to try to tie my first fly, a South African RAB RAB and What Makes the RAB work? « The Fishing Gene.

I was so chuffed with the result that this past week-end I ordered a beginner fly-tying kit from Orvis . Strangely enough, I now find myself eyeing various feather and fur around our farm as potential material. I think I'm (pardon the pun) hooked.

This ended up being one of my better trips, as I caught and released this particular 22" 7lb U-boat-sized brown the next day on the River Kennet, using an Orvis ZG Helios 865-4 Mid and Orvis Mirage 9' 5x 4-pound leader. I think I gave everything (including myself) the stress test of a lifetime. Big Brown - Fly Fishing Forums Gallery

I would appreciate advice on how prople use this site's fora (there are so many of them!). Are there specific places where people share fly-tying experiences, and also where do most people "lurk" to view photos of days on the river? Also, are the file size limitations in full effect all over the site (i.e. is it safe to assume there's no Facebook-style automatic compressor)?

Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the Forum.


I won't push you in any Forum direction but don't be afraid of posting any large photos, I use photobucket, as the Forum will downsize for general viewing plus allow enlarging by clicking on it - great for fly images.

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Save the softmouth trout

Welcome to the forum. Spent three happy years not far from you 1965-1968 serving with the US Air Force at Bitburg Flugplatz when I was young and innocent-well young anyway! Was supposed to be at Rhein-Main, but drew the short straw. Still had a great time and will never forget Bitburger Pils! Prost!

Thanks for the replies. Rest assured, I had no intention to "advertise" anything other than catching a big fish (I wasn't sure if people talked about their equipment such as on a photography forum).

fly tying ....

days out could be in any of the sections here

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

The best thing about fly fishing (aside from giving middle-aged guys with borderline OCD lots of gadgets and things to fuss with) is that it's all about mimicking natural processes; observing weather conditions and the insects upon which the fish are feeding, stealthily stalking the banks of the river and trying to fool these jaded fish who've seen everything that what's coming at them is, in fact, lunch ... and not some guy essentially throwing a tiny hunk of feathers and wool thread wrapped around a hook at them. That and the fact that there's not a minute that one doesn't think about the heritage behind all this:

The complete angler: or, The ... - Google Books

Bowlker's Art of angling: greatly ... - Google Books

---------- Post added at 04:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:30 PM ----------

@Bruce1 , Thanks much!

I was re-reading a P.J. O'Rourke book this afternoon, and stumbled across the following bit on fly fishing:

Age and Guile Beat Youth, Innocence ... - Google Books

It's cut off from the aforementioned preview, but my favorite part of his Rod and Reel piece is this one, which I'm bored enough to type from my paper copy:

"... I looked like Leonard Bernstein conducting "Flight of the Bumblebee" in fast forward ... Then, mirabile dictu, I hooked a fish ... I lifted the rod, the first thing I'd done right in two days, and the trout actually leaped out of the water as if it were trying out for a Field & Stream playmate centerfold ... It was a rainbow and I'll bet it was seven inches long. All right, five. Anyway, when I grabbed the thing some of it stuck out of both ends of my hand. I hadn't been so happy since I passed my driver's license exam. So, I'm a fly fisherman now. Of course I'm not an expert yet. but I'm working on the most important part of fly-fishing technique -- boring the hell out of anyone who'll listen."

Indeed.