hi everyone, first post so please be gentle. after 4 years of fishing still waters I am making my first foray into rivers. I have waders, boots, staff and the rod etc all sorted but what I am lacking is the basics of fly fishing on rivers. My first river is going to be the Ericht as it has been recommended by a few people as a good start. any help on good spots (will be on a season ticket) fly choice and the most important, where to cast ie upstream, downstream across stream etc Any pointers would be greatly appreciated
cheers
daz

Best Advice I could give is to book a session with a local Instructor you will learn more in 4 hrs than a complete season on your own

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Allan
Trout always recognise a bad leader.

Don't people ever look at the top of this page?

Reading Rivers, Tracing Trout

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Coolest Radio

I'll second that - I really struggled starting off until I had a half day with an instructor. The main thing to learn IMO is where in the stream fish will tend to lie when they're feeding. The rest you can pick up as you go along. A few hours with a competent river fisher would accomplish the same I'm sure, and be cheaper.

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Steve


"There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting licked in the process." Paul O'Neil

Try to get hold of a few DVD's. Ollie Edwards is good. Paul Gaskell, you will find him on this forum, has a good one too. Like yourself, I converted three seasons ago and certainly struggled because coming from stllwaters you get locked into the big casting syndrome which just aint the plan on the river. Get a fleurescent braid on the end of your fly line. I have a good one from Spiders Plus. Make your leader up to the length of your rod with a bead head GRHE, 12/14 on the point. Tie on a dropper 2 foot above it and try a size 14/16 spider pattern or a Greenwells wet pattern. Cast upstream no more than 1 - 2 rod lengths and keep your eyes glued to the bit of fleurescent and with the rest of your flyline OFF the water. Let it drift back to you before you lift off and cast upstream again. The slightest halt or pull lift the rod and you may connect. It certainly won't come easy. In my third season I feel I was getting somewhere. One thing for sure, you won't regret the change for it is a branch of our sport that is absolutely captivating. Of course as others will confirm, I have only scratched the surface here. ATB, Alan

Just noticed that you are a forum virgin. Welcome and good luck. Alan.

Best advice already given. Try and spend as much as you can afford first and secocond time around. Welcome to the forum.

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"A fish seen is a fish nearly caught"

Welcome to the forum!

The 'How to read rivers' thread is highly recommended.

All the best and enjoy the river!

Thanks for all the replies guys, very helpful. Yes it was my first post, but I must have joined quite a while ago and couldn't remember it as when I tried to join the other night it told me there was already a member using my chosen user name. As it happens I probably wont be going fishing fishing for a while now. I discovered yesterday that some nice person has nicked my rods from the shed. We had a visitor a while ago who nicked my chainsaw, and I thought that was all they had taken, until I went to get the rods out yesterday for an afternoon at Ledyatt and discovered that they were gone. Brand new greys GRXi 9ft 5/6 which I had bought especially for the river and a greys GRXi 10ft 7/8 for the lochs. All I have left now is an old rod lent to me by a friend when I first started. It's a Daiwa 9ft 5-7 and a bit too supple for me and I struggle to cast with it, I suppose I will just have to practise with it as I can't get a new one at present
Thanks again for the replies, I am now away to the top of the page to carry out some suggested reading
cheers
daz

Insurance!! Baseball bat. Just gave a couple of cheapie rods away or you could have them. Will ask if the kids I gave them to are using them.Bad luck.
Regards John.