Favorite way to fly fish.

[Ray Danders]

I just got around to reading the fly fishing group so thought I would join up. Catching a fish on a dry fly is just about as exciting as it gets. I started fly fishing almost 50 years ago after a friend of mine won a free week at a Fenwick fly fishing school.

We only had one fly rod between us and he taught me what he learned at the school. By the time I was in high school my day purchased me a Shakespear fly fishing set up and I was off and running. When I got out of the service and started college, I joined a group of guys from a General Motors plant where I worked who only dry fly fished. For about 18 months I was a dry fly purist.

We caught a lot of fish, but I soured on the club because they had little use for anyone but dry fly fishers and besides tying flies didn’t interest me. After my bad experience with the group, I turned to other methods and gave up fly fishing.

About 5 years later, while trout fishing below a dam on a cold water river there was a tremendous hatch with about 50 decent trout rising in the big pool. I couldn’t get a bite with my traditional gear, so next night I was there with my old fly rod and had a blast. I had gone full circle and now break it out whenever a hatch occurs..

Most of my fishing is done on my float boat which allows me to carry several rods and I am never without my fly rod. These days when fishing I try to figure out what the fish are biting on and use that technique.

I assume that some of you fly fish for trout also so I am posting some trout pictures here but not in my gallery. I see people that do it, but since I am quite new and have not figured out all the protocols yet I thought I would post them in this thread.

In Michigan a stream brown over 20 inches is a real trophy.

This is my best brown trout on a fly.

This one just made 20 inches.

This one was caught on a small river and gave me a real battle.

About half the steelhead I catch are on flies also.

I know it's just a closeup, but one of my favorite pictures.

Back to the subject of bluegills since that is why we come here.

[Bruce Condello]

Terrific pictures!!

[David Merical]

Great pictures, Ray!

[Michael S. Greene]

Ray:
Nice trout. I also fish for multiple species using all methods. I like fly fishing, especially tying flies. I have been looking forward to trying steelhead fishing, and was thinking of the Manistee or Muskegon rivers. Any thoughts? I also like to hunt grouse and woodcock and was thinking of a combination trip. Do you need a boat to fish your rivers? Also, if you want to try something different, I live on Kentucky Lake, which has a very diverse fishery from bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish to stripers and sauger. Send me a note, I'm retired and have lots of time.

Michael Greene

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

I ve been fishing for fifty years, using a fly rod for forty years from South Louisiana to North Arkansas ,rivers lakes ponds streams creeks and swamps. Grandad was a bream fisherman,Dad was a bream fisherman, and now my job is to teach my kids the way they taught me. I'm old school, when I go it's to put meat in the boat,and sometimes it seems like work as the action gets fast and furious, but wouldn't have it any other way. My equipment is an 8'6" graphite 6-7wt rod " I know a little heavy, but comes in handy when hauling in 6-12 lb catfish raiding the bream beds". I use an african porcupine quill as a float and depth finder,and at the end of my line I like crickets untill I run out and then I switch to breamkiller sinking flys or topwater foam spiders. This spring my daughter has a choice ,taking fish off or putting crickets on . But it really does not matter a morning on the water catching dinner, spending time with your kids, putting 100 fish in the boat in three hours, priceless

[shooter]

ray that is some nice fish,i like you got started early on fly rods,my dad bought me a set up when i was nine,and i haven't been right since.
i am now 60 yrs. old and still love the sport just as much as i did 50+ yrs ago,nothing like a bigO thumper at the end of a tippet,and that line humming through the water.

"The solution to any problem -- work, love, money, whatever -- is to go fishing, and the worse the problem, the longer the trip should be."