Beginner Gear For Fly Fishing

[Trout Commander]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but a vest/chest/fanny pack, some sort of receptacle to store all your fly boxes, tippet spools, shot, etc comes in handy. A wading staff if you need it.

Oh, and a stringer

If you just carry your fillet knife with you you don't have to worry about your stringer getting all tangled up.

[eric1978]

I just throw mine on shore and collect them before I leave...that way I don't have to drag 'em around all day. I usually find most of them.

[Wayne SW/MO]

The trout park suggestion is a good one and there should be one near you if you live in Missouri. I wouldn't recommend Taney for a maiden trip. One big advantage of the parks is visibility, you will be able to see your drift and see how the fish react.

[Andrew324]

Winter is also a good time to read. Joe Humphrey's "On the Trout Stream" is one of my favorite books. Dave Whitlock, Joan Wulff, George Harvey, Lefty Kreh, and Nick Lyons make for a good buffet of reading material.

[exiledguide]

3 things to do before you go to a pond or stream to flyfish for any species

1 stop at the local fly shop

2 stop at the local fly shop

3 stop at the local fly shop

These people are succesful in their buisiness selling you flies and gear to help you catch fish. If they did not do a good job, they would not be in buisness.

I also believe if you can aford it hire a guide you can learn more in a day with a guide than you can in a year without one. There are guys on this website who give us a lot of great advice and realy can help you become the fisherman you want to be.

[3wt]

The trout park suggestion is a good one and there should be one near you if you live in Missouri. I wouldn't recommend Taney for a maiden trip. One big advantage of the parks is visibility, you will be able to see your drift and see how the fish react.

Go to Montauk. It'll ruin you for the other parks. Good variety of water. Very wadeable.

Despite the feel you may get around these forums, the big tailwater thing is a bit atypical of trout fishing around here. Big water, little structure. It's tough on experienced guys just because you can't always get to the fish and your casts need to be longer. Not real forgiving for learning fly fishing if you ask me. And it's just a very different trout experience. I'd find your way to montauk. Big plus - you can graduate to blue ribbon trout fishing by just wading downstream.

[RippinLips]

you my want to get some 6x tippet and maybe some more flies such as

eggs

dry flies

nymphs

a few streamers

midges

crackel back

what i am saying is you need to have a large assortment of flies so you know you have to right kind of flies just in case they arnt bitting on what ou have on

[OzarksRiverman]

I just throw mine on shore and collect them before I leave...that way I don't have to drag 'em around all day. I usually find most of them.

Thanks. Now I have beer on my laptop.

[cleabig]

Thanks to everyone for the helpful comments. My goal on the original post was to get out on the water last winter. I must have my seasons mixed up because I finally got out for the first time this afternoon. Took the advice to visit a local fly shop. chuck at Anglers and Archery was very helpful getting me set up. I got more tangles and tree limbs than bites. But I wasn't dissapointed. I spent a lot of time watching what everyone else was doing. And I walked away with a lot oof learnings. Tommorow we are going out with Bill Babler, who I found on Lilly's Landing website. I am really looking forward to getting back out there again.

[strangercreek]

Chuck is a great person to deal with....always helpful