This is just how I Feel

[moonshiner1980]

Being new I am still confused on all the "ins and outs" of fly fish. While looking through different pages for info on the difference between leeders and tippets( yes i had no clue, I know no one personaly to teach me ) I found this quote and it hit me as how I have been trying to explain to my soon to be wife what the river and my pole holds for me. This is it;

Jerry Dennis wrote in his book The River Home.

"If I had had the wit and the woman had been inclined to listen, I would have told her that fishing makes us alert, pulls us out of our thoughts, and engages us in something bigger than ourselves. It's a restorative that cleanses us when we've become muddied and makes us healthy when we've become sickened. It's a brace against pessimism.

[moonshiner1980]

I figured I would at least get a thought out of this.

[Steve Smith]

Moon shiner, that’s a nice quote you dug up, and very true. As far as learning about fly fishing, any good fly shop will answer any question you have as long as they are not swamped with customers. I think too you’ll find 99.9% of us long rod addicts are more than willing to share our knowledge. Be warned that opinions will vary from fisher to fisher on everything from knots to leaders to connections to flys, the cast, and so on. Just get the basics down and fine tune to your own liking. Just ask away on the river or on this forum.

[Danoinark]

There are several great video and books that can help you out.

The next time you head to a river you might hook up with someone that can show you some things or at least answer some questions. Join a fly fishing club too. Its probably the best place to exchange info.

Dano

[moonshiner1980]

Well where can you join a club? In Ava there is no such thing, not that i know of.

[Terry Beeson]

The Southern Council of Federation of Fly Fishers has several clubs in the area. Click here to find one near you...

[Steve Smith]

Here you go:

SOUTHWEST MO FLY FISHERS

web: http://smff_fff.tripod.com/

Jim Murphy

824 S Pershing

Willard MO 65781

email: apriljimmurphy@aol.com

phone: (417) 742-5102

[OnTheFly]

Moonshiner,

About 30 years ago I was in the same place you are but was a kid growing up in western Oklahoma where the only fly rod in our county was owned by my grandfather who really didn’t know how to use it. When I picked started using a fly rod it was all hit and miss for me on casting, flies, etc. but the one thing I did know is how to fish. If you know how to fish the transition to fly fishing will becomes an issue of equipment operation and presentation. There are those who would have you believe that there is some great mystery and considerable difficulty to fly fishing but that is the furthest thing from the truth.

So my advise is ask question, google information and most of all GO FISHING and learn as much on your own through trial and error.

Good luck and great fishing

OTF

[moonshiner1980]

thanx for the advice fellas, and OnTheFly I'm not a great fisherman but i do like to fish and i'm not the worst and my fishing stuff goes with me allways. i just got back from bass pro and bought me some sink tip line for my wet flys some grashopper dry fly(i figured out my flys wasntheavey enough for the float line i got) and some leaders 5x and some 5x frog hair tippit this should help me alot i think(i had no tapered leaders, 4 lbsivisaline dous work) thnx a load.

[Micheal Kyle]

moonshiner1980

I just got off the phone with T-bird and she told me of someone that was looking to join a club from Ava. I'm not sure if that was you or not, but I'm the contact and president for the Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers. You can give me a call at the shop 417-889-6548. Our next meeting is next Thursday at the Springfield Nature Center @7:00 pm. Would love to have you come and vist.

Michael Kyle