After our trip to the PNW last year, I sorta got enamored with fly fishing. I mentioned it on another site and was gifted 2 reels and some flies. I didn’t realize like all the other rabbit holes I’ve gone down, this one can be just as expensive.

I finally got a rod and started with one of the biggest gifted flies and after a few days of practice in the yard, caught my first bass. Granted, he wasn’t exactly a “trophy” but you couldn’t tell me nothing, lol.



I ended up catching a few more that day as well.




I ended up ordering some “bass flies” and caught my first using a Clouser Minnow…




Even caught a few on a top water popper…



And of course I had to get on the bream as well!




I’m using a 5wt rod and reel and probably about to get me an 8wt for some larger bass and salt water fishing. Hoping to take a trip to North Ga, maybe Tenn and KY this Spring and try fishing for trout. We have a family reunion in Broken Bow OK this Summer and hope to do some fishing out there as well. If anyone on here has any pointers, tips, ideas on rods/reels, flies, etc…I’m all ears!!

That is fantastic. Wait until it evolves into chasing 15-20 pound Northern Pike with a fly rod! I seem to recall a guy from Flathead Lake in MT chasing Lakers in the Fall with a fly rod too. Good fun.

Broken Bow is a great fly fishing destination !

Enjoy, bud. And it is definitely addicting.

I rigged an old bamboo
for our trout season.

You need to tie,
you'll only "need" couple tools.

That’s something I hope to avoid, lol!! I was online “shopping” with the wife and she was about to have a heart attack when I told her I wanted a Sage rod for Father’s Day. It was a joke, but I wanted to show her what I “could” be spending instead of what I am spending!!

Fly rods to this southerner is bream poppers working over a bream bed.

I question the testosterone level of those arguing over hackle, nymphing, and other such questionable and most likely immoral activity.

Knowing nothing about fly fishing.... can you tell me more about this, warrior???

Fly rods to this yankee are about taking it too the next level. Fly fishing aint just for trout!

Fly fishing is super fun. Started with it around ten year old and still find it to be my favorite way to fish streams and lakes. The only problem I have is that river boats and nice fly rods do not mix well. Barbie rod sets are nearly indestructible, and get the job done. They don’t mind rough treatment.

Last two photos original post. Those are poppers. They can have popper mouth or not, rubber legs and/or feather tails, foam bodies. Cast out over a bed of bream, pop it to make it chug or wiggle and hang on. Kind of like working a slower topwater bait.

Probably the most fun way to catch a mess of bream.

Nice fish, DT.
If you think fly FISHING is a rabbit hole, just wait until you start fly TYING your own flies! And then, when you really get into trout, and convince yourself you must match every hatch and start looking at the finest capes, you will discover you will probably require a second job, and a spare "fly tying room".

I fished bass tournaments for 5 years in my early 20s and got burnt out. Always fished for bream with a fly rod, but then got into chasing bass pretty heavy. If we’re on a vacation, I generally try to see if there’s anything trout related to chase as we don’t have any in SE VA.

From Alaska last year. Not huge, BUT it was a rainbow in Alaska…

Good luck. It is addicting.

Lol. It's crazy. I spent about 3 nights sorting through and reorganizing all my fly tying stuff... Then I found another box

[quote=Rat_Pack][quote=alaska viking] Nice fish, DT.
[quote=alaska viking] Nice fish, DT.
Yep, there's no end to it once you start tying your own flies. I tie mostly small jig heads with feathers and fur. It's a great way to spend the bad weather days. AND ,, there's no way you can tie just one of any kind.