Tell me about fly fishing

[Craig]

After being seized by a compulsion to catch fish for the table I've acquired a 9 foot, 6weight rod and I'm going to the local fishery next week. I've bait fished many years ago but this will be the first time I've fly fished. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[PTRSAK]

Don't stand behind someone who is fly casting would be my #1 piece of advice. I've seen someone get a very stylish ear piercing from a fly. They're so lucky it wasn't an eye piercing.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I don't fly fish, but I do hang around with someone who does.  He swears he catches things, although I've never seen it myself, despite the two of us having been out more than a few times!

He seems to spend more time whipping the thing over his head than with the lure in the water.  Maybe I'm missing the point, but I always thought you'd have more luck with the lure in the water where the fish are than whipping through the air where fish generally don't congregate.

Def

[Likeablefish]

Where to start 

Firstly you're going to love it, secondly good choice on the rod and it's wf rating.

Make sure that your line and reel match your rod, so you need either 5/6 or 6/7 for both.
If you've never fly fished before you're definitely going to need at least a few lessons and read a few books on flies and techniques. It takes many hours to get the hang of and a lot of patience.

What make rod do you have? And on the back of the ear piercing comment it's a good idea to debarb all your flies.

[Craig]

The rod is a Shakespeare Sigma. Thanks for the replies - I'll let you know if I catch anything

[tattoosteve99]

Technique technique technique. Practice the fly rod at home using a lure without a hook. It's an art form. Getting the fly to land on the water while making it look like a real bug landing is the hard part. Practice. It's very relaxing to fly fish as you do need to be quiet while doing it