Dillo

the rod has put up with a lot already! My first carp will not be my last

I bought a new 5 weight fly rod a couple of weeks ago and I think it came with some mojo. Some noteworthy catches so far include some of my biggest crappies and trout, and my first carp!

I'm considering getting a new fly setup, either 7 or 8 weight. I plan to use it fishing in the Florida keys and on the gulf coast of Florida mostly for bonefish and snook for a couple weeks this summer, and also for carp and bass here in Colorado. Basically I'm looking for a "big fish" freshwater rod that can double as a "not so big fish" saltwater rod. Should I go with a 7 or eight weight rod?

Only caught one fish today, but man it was a beauty.

suckers, and crappie. Ive caught some pretty lame trout, too, but also some amazing fighters, I think that's more of an individual fish sorta thing. Pound for pound, Bluegill are consistently the hardest fighting fish I target.

I think this is a chub but I'm not sure. I caught it in a warm water pond that had bluegill, bass, and crappie.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado River cutthroat is the only trout native to this area, so now I'm pretty sure both are that subspecies. every fish other than the bottom one looked like the top one, so maybe the top one was just a little different. Maybe the difference is male vs female?

I hiked to lower Mohawk lake near Breckenridge, CO today and caught a few cutthroats. It is my understanding that these are all wild, native fish. These aren't the best pictures but these two trout are very different. Anyone know what they are?

I was fishing at a local reservoir the other day. I have never caught a fish from this reservoir, but I've seen plenty of carp and trout recently so I brought my fly rod with me while I was trying to kill some time. I found an open sandy beach and waded out about 20 feet and into knee deep water. Carp were swimming under my rod tip, but when i put my brown wooly bugger in front of one (even when I didn't spook it) the fish just ignored it. How can I stack the odds in my favor to catch these fish? I'm looking for tips on flies/ lures, time of day, presentation, and anything else that might help me catch these giants. Also, I was using a 9 foot 5 wt Echo Carbon rod with a Lamson Liquid reel. I feel pretty confident in this setup, especially the reel's drag, but would you feel comfortable catching a mid-sized carp on a 5 weight?

An outdoors store in my neighborhood is going out of business and having some great deals, so I though this would be a good time to jump into fly tying. I don't think they have a great tying section, so I want to know what i need. I'd like to tie flies for trout and bluegill. Are there any essential materials that I should buy? I figured that if i got some thread, dubbing, elk hair, hackle, foam, and beadheads i could tie a lot of different basic flies. Is there anything else that I should have to start tying for these species (I know I need a vice and bobbin and other tools).

they sure are pretty fish, and great fighters! The first fish I caught by myself (no dad to unhook it) was a green sunfish, and I almost had a heart attack watching it smash a spinner from under a rock

there are dozens of cutthroat subspecies

No salt in Colorado, but i'll definitely be going back to Florida!

What did you catch it on?

I planned on fishing brushy rivers from the bank, so I bought a 5 foot ultralight- this is a bad idea! You can get away with a longer rod than you think, and a long rod often comes in handy. A 6 to 7 foot rod would cover a lot of situations.

Is this a black or white crappie? I caught a bunch in a small pond yesterday, just curious.

when i doubt, go small. Most panfish don't have big mouths, and they will attack big lures but you won't hook any. If they can't fit the hook in their mouth

never too early to catch something- they have to eat year round! Use smaller lures and work them slower than normal.

google orvis how to flyfish- Tons of great videos. If possible, go out with someone who knows what they are doing- whether its a professional guide or you uncle. For bass and bluegill, try some wooly buggers, hares ear nymphs, prince nymphs, elk hair caddis, parachute adams, small stimulators, hoppers, and ants/ beetles. the leader is the tapered line that helps transfer energy from the line to the fly in order to turn it over gently. Tippet is straight mono or flouro that you use to rebuild or extend your leader. You will burn through leaders like crazy and that adds up- check these out: http://www.orvis.com/news/fly-fishing/tuesday-tip-how-to-use-a-tippet-ring-and-perhaps-join-the-dark-side/ http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-fishing-gear/extras/tippet-rings/

Streams are open year round here in Colorado. Ive only gotten out twice since october, most recently yesterday. Last fish I caught were redfish in florida in december though.

While you're in the fly section, pick up some beadhead hare's ears in size 18 to 14. I caught more bluegill on this fly than anything else this summer. check out prince nymphs, pheasant tails, copper johns, royal wulffs, and elk hair caddis aswell

I would go with a five or six weight. If you are mainly going after panfish or bass under a pound, a 4 weight or five weight is enough. I like the five because it is light enough to have fun with little fish and heavy enough to be used in the wind or with big(ish) flies. If you can, go to a shop that lets you cast rods before buying so you can see what each weight and individual rod feels like. Another tip: none of these fish really test a reel, so you can go relatively cheap on the reel. The general rule is to spend half the price of the rod on the reel. Prioritize the rod and line and you will be fine.

If you want to fish for trout, bass, and stripers with one rod, your gonna have to compromise. A trout rod is ideally a four to six weight. A six, seven, or eight weight would be good for bass (most bass can be landed on a trout rod, but faster rods and heavier line help throw bigger flies), and for stripers (ive never fished for them, this is my impression based on reading), an eight or nine weight is good. You could buy a 6 or seven weight with a good reel, but I would save up and buy two rods if I were you. A five or six weight for the trout and bass, then an 8 weight for the big guys, or giant bass flies. If you spread out the purchases, you can afford better gear that is a better value in the long run. you'll also enjoy fighting trout on a five weight more than on an eight weight, and you probably won't land many stripers on a five weight. You should invest in a better reel for the 8 weight "big fish rod", and you can save money on the lighter rod's reel. As far as flies, it helps to have a good selection and many flies, as you will lose them. My first time fly fishing, I lost half of my flies in two hours (about 12 flies). Check out BigYFlyCo.com, they have awesome prices on flies, and some well thought out application-specific packages. Get what you can reasonably afford and learn how to use it well. A $700 rod is useless if you can't cast it. It sounds crazy, but practicing casting in the yard pays off on the river. I wish you luck and hope you fall in love with this sport like I did!

I just started this spring. Here in CO, fly fishing opens up so much more water to fish. I try to fish for trout as often as I can but I really fish for bluegills and bass most often. I'm also planning on trying to get some redfish on the fly this winter (wish me luck). For you guys who have never caught a bass on the fly, DO IT! you don't need an eight weight with 6/0 streamers, They're a blast on a 5 or 6 weight and hoppers or woolly buggers.

Trout can be pretty line shy. Instead of using super light mono, I would use 4-6 lb mono with a few feet of 4 lb fluorocarbon. What you have for lures sounds good, i would add some jigs and small plastics. Most of these are marketed for panfish, but are good for trout too.