How Did You Get Started Flyfishing?

[AZ_Trout]

This has been a very enjoyable thread, and it’s interesting how many of us have similar beginnings and experiences. Fiberglass - Diawa, Eagle Claw, or Shakespears as the first rods, and progressing on to the next stage of this addiction—tying your flies. I have been fly fishing for over 35 years, starting in my early twenties. I’d describe the first 5 years as learning with very little knowledge and minimal success. Back then we didn’t have the internet, no YouTube, or DVDs to help in our progress. Luckily we had local urban stocked lakes and the trout parks of MO. I remember a trip out to Colorado’s South Platte River, stopping into a fly shop to get a little local info and flies. They were having success on RS2s size 20…we got some, didn’t have a clue what they were or how we’d use them, since our leaders were larger than the eye on the hook. Growing up in St. Joe and then moving to Topeka after college I had spent my more productive learning at RRSP and Bennett Springs and our winter – spring local stockings

My oldest son was lucky enough to grow up around fly fishing and started playing with a fly rod at an early age and thus had an accelerated curve. He could use a spinning rod well for a little kid so we did a winter season catch and release trip to RRSP when he was 8 years old. He did OK on his own with his spinning rod and a single hook rooster tail. Tim Homesley was fishing near him and had hooked a nice trout so he offered my son the fly rod to land the fish. After landing the trout and enjoying the fly rod, my son looks at me and says “This was way more fun than the spinning rods – I got to learn this”. By the summer season he was casting well and hooking fish. So a big thanks to Tim. And yes at Boy Scout Camp(Camp Jayhawk) he was always tearing up the bass and gills at the ponds.

Twenty years ago we moved out here to Arizona, thinking trout fishing is over, but pleasantly discovering that some very good fly fishing only 3 hours from Tucson. And now I have a four year old grandson that is starting to play with the long rod. I just hope they have as much fun as I have had.