Noobie Fly fishing, want advice for cali!

[flyhigh123]

I've never fly fished before, and want to learn. Will be picking up a class. For the basic setup, i plan on fly fishing mostly lakes in So cali. I was wondering what kind of line i should buy for a lake? Since the trout i've noticed have been a little deeper and not top water feeding, does that make a difference?

Also, what kind of flies are good for so cali as a general fly?

Thanks!

[Greg Madrigal]

You know what you need, You need to join a fly fishing club. You'll get way more experience and bang 4 your buck than by almost any other method.

I'm a member of the FF Club of OC, meeting this Wed night at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim. You should come by to check it out.

A sinking line is ok, but tough to cast, especially 4 a newb. You'd might be better off using a weighted leader or just a weighted fly to get u down. You want to use a fly that looks like trout food. Streamers sound like what you are looking for. Some common flies are the good ol' wooly bugger, the muddler minnow, a Big Brown Trout Fly,
or even a glo-bug. (Google em if you wanna see em)

Later, you could even do a dual rig and trail a nymph off the streamer. (Not reccommended for a newb)
Make sure to match your line weight to the rod & reel u have!

Good luck.

Greg

[Viejo]

What he said! There are a number of very active fly fishing clubs in Socal. All offer classes for beginners. Basic casting....fly selection...tying flies and trips all are offered at no cost. You'll learn the basics...meet some folks who are willing to take you under their wing and mentor you and make some lifelong friends.

[zenmic]

Flyhigh123 looks like we are in the same boat. I took a one-day fly class at PCC and did a 3-day with Pasadena Casting Club here in Pasadena. I am hoping to find some time to put what I have learned into practice soon.

[Skyler]

A sink tip line is a good compromise. A floating line won't let you get deep enough for some situations. You'll want a long 5-7 wt for still water. Bear in mind that if you decide to start fly fishing mountain streams (there are a lot of good creeks in socal) you will need a shorter and lighter rod with a floating line.

Also, fly casting from shore is annoying as hell. And dangerous for passersby. You may want to think about getting a float tube.

As for still water flies, wooly buggers, muddler minnows, and various streamers are a good bet.

[flyhigh123]

thanks for the advice.

I bought a simple 7 foot pole and a fly reel combo. Its a medium action pole.

Can anyone recommend a brand and exact line type to learn on? Or maybe 2 types of lines? This way when i go to a class, i can have everything.



BTW, where is the class at PCC? Is this enrolled through PCC? or is just a club by pasadena?

Thanks!

[zenmic]

It is a part of their Continuing Education classes. Use this link and search for Fly Fishing: http://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?

Here is the link for the Pasadena Casting Club: http://www.pasadenacastingclub.org/


thanks for the advice.

I bought a simple 7 foot pole and a fly reel combo. Its a medium action pole.

Can anyone recommend a brand and exact line type to learn on? Or maybe 2 types of lines? This way when i go to a class, i can have everything.



BTW, where is the class at PCC? Is this enrolled through PCC? or is just a club by pasadena?

Thanks!

[flyhigh123]

How is the PCC class? Is it a good class to take?

[zenmic]

A very introductory class. It is a one-day and only 3 hours long so it cannot cover everything, but is a decent starting place. Looks like the Pasadena Orvis is also doing free classes soon too.

http://www.orvis.com/intro.aspx?subject=8249

Flyhigh123, where are you located?

[flyhigh123]

I'm now living in Hacienda Heights, however my family is in Arcadia and I'm there typically 3-4 times a month on the weekends.