Fly Fishing
 

So I have been considering fly fishing for a while. Kayaking and kayak fishing is one of my newer hobbies but one of my favorite for as long as I can remember is hiking. I like to spend my time hiking along creeks and streams in the mountains and fly fishing would seem to fit in perfectly with that.

Also living in Riverside I can't just pop out to the beach all the time (with gas prices on the rise) but a travel fly rod is something I can throw on my scooter and just pop to the park lake a few miles away and practice my technique there.

However I have just begin to master casting a conventional reel and have never even held a fly rod. For those of you that have what are your feelings on it?

It has only been a fancy of mine but a really good deal has popped up on Craigslist and I figure if I don't enjoy it I can just resell the gear.

Better yet anyone else have fly gear in SoCal and wouldn't mind showing me some loops?

I have several fly set up
I use to go up to yellow stone for the wild trout up there
I'm not a professional or anything but I do know my fair share of fly fishing
I will make you a deal?!
I teach you how to fly fish
you teach me how to master a conventional reel haha

If you live in Riverside, slide up to Bass Pro and visit the Fly Shop. Very knowledgeable guys there. If they have enough staff, they will take you out in back of the store, where there is a pond, to show you techniques and practice. When you go, just let them know you are interested in trying the gear.

When I went to fly room at BSP I wanted to live there. I did not know they had that available, I'll definitely go check that out.

And Yakin, that sounds pretty cool.

I'm right up north of you I live in running springs but work in redlands
but I also have family in riverside and I visit very often

Cool man, I don't have conventional small enough for local waters. In my haste and excitement of ocean kayak fishing I purchased big gear because clearly I was going to be pulling in big fish left and right :rolleyes:

I want to get a baitcaster as well for tossing at fresh and salt water bass. At la jolla this weekend I had just taken apart and gone through my reels and I was tossing a sala 7x about 40 yrds with no birds nest! however... I'm sure having an 8oz lure makes it a little easier

I have used spinners all my life
I even used a shimano baitrunner and caught a 65lb albi
Just I would like to have something a little more stronger for bass
but I wont stop using my spinners for bigger fish

I started fly fishing when I went to college up north. all FW of course, lots of steelheading, some other stuff too like FW bassin' from a tube. fun stuff. never really got into the trout thing, just not the river runs through it kind of person. when I moved back to socal in the mid 90's the fly gear was dormant for a long time. tried a couple of streams and creeks and what not, but like, whatever. I was always a SW guy at heart. and there wasn't anything bigger than 10" trout. or so I thought.

on a whim several years ago I dropped into a local (for me, san fernando valley) fly shop and asked about the fly fishing. of course it was trout focused, but I told the guy I was mostly a steelheader kind of fly fisherman, and had mostly heavier (7-9wt) gear. then he suggested the surf.

HUH???

then I discovered a goldmine. there's is probably the best fly fishing world right off the beach, 100's of miles of great coastline in socal. and it's easy too. which was good for me 'cause I'm not the most skilled :D:D:D

long and short of it, google fly fishing socal surf, or head over to scsurffishing.com and use search. other sites too. probably an easy way to get started. I've done some fly fishing off the yak, and it's a blast. going to bring the fly rod on the islander this year and plan to use it for some calico. also I do fly fish the harbors like newport.

if you've never fly fished, it's a much more expensive way to fish, and much steeper learning curve, than traditional gear. if you've never done it, I suggest borrowing some gear or finding someone who'll take you out a few times and show you the ropes. dropping $3-400 (yes, that's around average to enter) and realizing all the difficulties and shortcomings to work around, and all that, might be frustrating. but it's an awesome way to fish and I love it, it's just not applicable to every situation. but it sure is addictive.

robmandel I'd for me the most upsetting was not getting my wait time before i swing back forward and snapping my flies off
till me a month of trying in the back yard to get that down

I'd want the trout gear (found a 4wt) because that's where I enjoy being already, and my family can get me on arrowhead (private) Lake on my kayak and it would be fun fly fishing up there.

I found this http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/spo/2901753230.html which the reviews I've read are great for the gear and I priced it all at just over $500 when i did my research. I'll go to bass pro and see if I can demo a similar rod.

People in reviews have said it's great for streams and creeks and can even handle large mouth bass. If I like it enough i could get a salt water reel and use it for bay bass. Heck even playing macks with it could be fun.

Also considering how much I've spent on yak fishing, that seems like a deal!

I have like rights also still waiting on the funds for the stamps its $150 per stamp per kayak
also its $10 per day at lake silverwood
and $45 per year per kayak for big bear lake!

Deep Creek flyfishers

High desert flyfishers

Get in touch with either, they are both close to you. They'll help you out. From advice to free lessons and even going fishing with experienced guys.

That 4 weight outfit will be a good start, do not spend any more cash till you know what you like and don't get caught up in the gear hype of flyfishing.
Its like golf, lots of guys walk with a $500 fly rod and don't catch crap.

A mac on that 4 weight is a huge battle.

The most memorable fishing trip I ever had was catching breezing bonito on an 8 wt fly rod out at Catalina one year...

Makes me want to get out the fly tying kit right now and tie up some Lefty Deceivers and Surf Candies.

Deep creek is usually where I like hiking, natural hotsprings, waterfalls you can jump off and miles and miles of solitude of gorgeous scenery. I will get in touch with them for sure.