Hello hello

Hello all, this is my first year with a fly rod so assuming I know next to nothing about this stuff would not be inaccurate. I've lived in here in Boone for about 5 years now, but I grew up in Louisiana and did a fair amount of baitcasting down there. I've fished the DH sections of the Watauga river and Wilson Creek, Middle Fork New River, and a few of the wild waters around lost cove and gragg prong, but I'm definitely early in the learning process. I caught zip three times out this week, although I rarely have more than a couple of hours at a time to go out, so I need some encouragement here.

Tyler, I just found your blog a few months ago but it has already helped me out, and I look forward to checking out some of the other guys' sites soon.

-Andy

Andy,

I'm still learning as well, but, I'm having a tad more luck at the present time. They stocked all the DH streams a week ago and there should be plenty of fish in them. If you are looking to catch fish without regard to technique I would suggest that you find a nice run and fish downstream with a large fly. I've found that floating a 14 Parachute Adams into a pool will usually get most stocked Brookies interest whether the presentation is good or not. These fish will often take the fly as I'm dragging it back in against the current. Now, this won't fool many native fish, but, if you're in a DH section you're probably not so interested in your technique.

Welcome to the forum!
Greg

Welcome aboard Andy!!

Fly fishing is definitely one of the tougher sports out there to learn. I was flat out horrible when I started out. Over time I gradually got better. It takes practice for sure. I took my fly rod out onto the lawn and practiced casting without the pressure of trying to catch a fish. I was able to just concentrate on improving my casting. I practiced basic overhead casts, roll casts, and eventually I started to try double hauls almost every day. Practicing on a daily basis helped me immensely. Books, videos, and even classes will help you further improve. It took several outings before I was actually able to catch my first fish on a fly (a small brown). You'll hit a point when you rocket into fly fishing and start catching fish on a majority of trips. Watch out, because once you catch your fish fish on the fly, you'll be hooked for life!!

Glad to have you on the forum,

Tyler

Thanks guys, I had some luck when I spent the day on Wilson Creek late March. Caught 10 including some nice rainbows, but I have a feeling those fish are kind of dumb. I'm going to start spending more time on the smaller creeks, I think that will force me to learn good form, and when I absolutely am going crazy I'll fight the crowds on the Watauga and try to catch something. I did land a sunfish and a smallie last time, those count right?

Dumb fish or smart fish, 10 is pretty good!! If it eats a fly, it counts!!

Welcome Andy! Tyler has a nice little chat forum here that you can learn a thing or two from and not have to worry about some pompous a-hole making you feel stupid.

I have been fishing for a while but I was a tosser for many years before I got serious about fly fishing a few years ago. Delayed Harvest waters are gold for the novice fly fisherman. The fish are not stupid, just less educated. It's nice to boost your confidence with a slew of feisty stocker brookies. Wilson Creek is the new jewel in the DH crown. Only problem is that DH ends in a couple of weeks. Like Tyler said, keep practicing and ask a lot of questions. It's a lot of fun!

I agree. DH fish are not necessarily stupid, but they have enough of a brain to make fishing for them fun.

Like Les said, DH is over in a few weeks. Wild waters are going to be the big hit until October. Wild fish are, for the most part, not hard to catch, as long as you are stealthy and stay hidden.

Andy,

If you hang out around sites like Tyler's forum and his blog, you'll move along the learning curve pretty quickly. Sometimes, IMO leader and tippet choice can often have a greater effect on catching than the choice of fly. Stealth around the water helps too. I make it a point to stay out of the water as much possible. The sound of you stumping your toe on a rock, or sending ripples across a pool can really spook fish. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. Any day with 10 fish caught is a good day. Just remember, its not always about the catching.

Very true. Tippet size can be more important than fly selection. Especially here in NC. The Southern Appalachians are generally home to very opportunistic trout. Out west in Idaho, Montana, Colorado, etc, fish tend to be more selective. Fish around here will eat a lump of thread wrapped around a hook as long as it's presented well. For spooky fish, 6x and 7x tippet is a must. If you are not catching much, your tippet size may be too large. It's happened to me a lot of times. I'll start with 5x and for a while I won't receive a single strike. Then I'll make the switch to 6x and it's like a whole new door opens up. 9 times out of ten, the fly an angler is using isn't keeping the fish away, it's the tippet (or something else other than the fly...)

I've been using a 5x and I just switched to a 6x last time out. Why are wild waters good until October? Is it because the HS waters are just too crowded? I need to work on my stealth for sure.

Delayed Harvest waters are switched to Hatchery Supported in early June. With the transition, fish may be taken, so the population of fish in DH waters rapidly decreases. NCWRC does this because of the summertime heat. If folks don't catch the fish out, they'll usually die anyways. Wild waters are the main target for fly fisherman during the summer months. Wild streams contain a self sustaining population of fish. They won't die in the summer (for the most part). You'll have a heck of better chance of catching fish in wild streams vs. DH streams until DH season picks back up in October.