Fishing

I've never been a serious fisherman, but I've had decent luck catching stuff off the lake shore and rivers spincasting with a spoon while drinking a beer. Now that the weather is getting better I'd like to get more into it this year for evenings after work and generally as an excuse to spend more time outside.

I'd like to learn to fly fish this year, so what's the best way to get into it? Take a class? Buy some gear and go stand in a field like a weirdo practicing without a fly on the line? Is it better to spend a bit more money and get a better setup than entry level stuff when I'm starting out?

nsmb, please educate me

well lookin for food here so we just call up them fellas from down river with 2 first names and buddy brings a PU truck full of salmon :)

I'd like to learn to fly fish this year, so what's the best way to get into it? Take a class? Buy some gear and go stand in a field like a weirdo practicing without a fly on the line? Is it better to spend a bit more money and get a better setup than entry level stuff when I'm starting out?

nsmb, please educate me

I took a class at Castlegar fly shop with Rod. Learned the basics inside, went out to the soccer field to practice with wool tied at the end. Also bought my gear there, $600 or so for a decent setup. He is a good guy . Edit: bit over 600 was for two setups, me and wife.

I wasn't the greatest, but it was fun catching little guys at champion lakes from shore. I found the general area of castlegar a little frustrating for a noob, as from shore was hard. Most guys have float tubes, boats to get you to spots in the Columbia and the lakes. I caught some in cottonwood too, but got hung up a lot in the trees. The confluence of Columbia and kootenay was doable from the trails at Selkirk college.

I found It frustrating overall to go out with experienced guys, because they would throw constant advice your way, and it didn't turn out so relaxing.

I took a class at Castlegar fly shop with Rod. Learned the basics inside, went out to the soccer field to practice with wool tied at the end. Also bought my gear there, $600 or so for a decent setup. He is a good guy . Edit: bit over 600 was for two setups, me and wife.

I wasn't the greatest, but it was fun catching little guys at champion lakes from shore. I found the general area of castlegar a little frustrating for a noob, as from shore was hard. Most guys have float tubes, boats to get you to spots in the Columbia and the lakes. I caught some in cottonwood too, but got hung up a lot in the trees. The confluence of Columbia and kootenay was doable from the trails at Selkirk college.

I found It frustrating overall to go out with experienced guys, because they would throw constant advice your way, and it didn't turn out so relaxing.

that's good info, I will check his shop next time I'm in the 'gar .. any other advice from people on here? What about buying stuff online vs in a shop, where to find good deals online etc?

The only other thing I would add is if you are buying online, you need to know for what and where you are fishing, and if you consider yourself experienced or beginner. Your choice in line type, rod length, weight, etc matters. That's why I went to Rod, he knows his stuff for the local scene, and is worth say $50-100 premium (just guessing, no idea if he is expensive, but I'll assume he is over online).

Check out this book.

https://books.google.ca/books/about/The_Little_Red_Book_of_Fly_Fishing.html?id=Tf64g05FtHcC[HTML_REMOVED]source=kp_cover[HTML_REMOVED]redir_esc=y[HTML_REMOVED]hl=en

I've had a lot of great help from the guys at Michael and Young in Surrey. There are a lot of deals to be had online, but only if you know specifically what you are looking for.

I have found that I buy the right stuff once.

fly fishing is insanely complicated. guys who are into it are always (almost) really nice guys who want to share their passion with you but don't ever let them tell you it's not that complicated. it is, and then they will go on at great length about every nuance from flys to the rods and the casting. it's as straight forward and simple as golf. or mastering mtn biking on the north shore. probably as satisfying if you devote the time to it. i need another lifetime to do so.

steelhead is big business up here, people come from all over the world to fish the bulkley [HTML_REMOVED] babine in the fall, some lodges don't advertise the prices but it can be 1000$ a day and you gotta wait for someone to die if you want a better week

SteelheAD are catch and release,I like eating fish more than catching them so probably gona call buddy up and get a few doz salmon this summer …way cheaper

I have caught some springs bar fishing down on the Skeena

http://venturingangler.com/2016/03/28/video-the-future-of-skeena-river-salmon-in-river-wide/

some great^^ river porn warning its anti pipeline/LNG

Really his name is Rod? How apropos..

fly fishing is insanely complicated. guys who are into it are always (almost) really nice guys who want to share their passion with you but don't ever let them tell you it's not that complicated. it is, and then they will go on at great length about every nuance from flys to the rods and the casting. it's as straight forward and simple as golf. or mastering mtn biking on the north shore. probably as satisfying if you devote the time to it. i need another lifetime to do so.

seems like there's alot to fly fishing, I'm starting to wonder if I actually have the patience to take it up and stick with it or if I should just stick with lazy fishing with a spin casting rod and some lures..already have several setups and a box of lures that seem to work around here (half the time, anyways).

well lookin for food here so we just call up them fellas from down river with 2 first names and buddy brings a PU truck full of salmon :)

well that's an option too but kinda takes the fun out of fishing. plus, "we" declared the only FN group in the immediate area extinct a while back so we could dam the valley bottoms and lakes around here to build bigger hydro-electric projects on top of their villages and sacred sites. So, all that to say it's pretty white around here, so white it's scary.

I hear that buddy had it changed eh

http://captainquinn.com/

more fish pron from the captain

well that's an option too but kinda takes the fun out of fishing. plus, "we" declared the only FN group in the immediate area extinct a while back so we could dam the valley bottoms and lakes around here to build bigger hydro-electric projects on top of their villages and sacred sites. So, all that to say it's pretty white around here, so white it's scary.

I would sgree but it doesn't take the fun out of eatin

Still lots of FN up here in fact so many that they control the vote, the skeena is undammed/not yet fucked up and after the Tsilcotin decision more likely to stay that way