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[SMo007]

I have just recently started to get into fishing. (Long time golfer) I'm still very much learning the ins and outs of regular(don't know what else to refer to it as) fishing and obviously have a long way to go. My questions is should I learn regular fishing and then get involved with flyfishing, or should I try and work my way through both at the same time. Is there a benefit to knowing how to regular fish first, or is doing both at the same time just too much to take on at once. For the most part the limited number of people I know who fish seem to only be involved in one or the other, and don't seem too interested in fishing the other way. I would like to know both and although my focus is regular fishing right now(because my wife and daughter are learning along with me) I see myself more flyfishing in the future. Any help is much appreciated, and please go easy. Remember, at some point you all were as new as I am. Even if it was when you were 5 or 6.

[mojoman]

I started fishin' via the Thames River in London Ont...a spinning rod...then I got a flyrod and taught myself to fish that rod...I love all the elements a flyrod demands..the rod...the fly....the line...the leader...the tippet....then the retrieve...and...well...a 6ft spinning rod with 6 lb test takes the fun out of tiddlers compared to a 3wt 9ft flyrod...just my .02


mojo

[Rp3Flyfisher]

I am a Flyfishing Instructor, and this is my view on this.

Do not learn "Regular fishing" before you learn to flyfish. The reason I say this is that over the year I have been teaching, the hardest people to teach Fly Casting to are Gear fishermen.

This is not to slag the gear guys in any way, it is just that the gear guys have become accustomed to casting with a gear rod, and this is the furthest thing from Fly Casting.

It's like golf, once you have a swing down, it is VERY hard to change it.

This pertains to Casting only, the theory portion of flyfishing can be used in "Regular" fishing as well.

Good luck, and welcome to your new obsession FISHING.

Rick Passek , Rp3FlyFishing School

[DragonSpeed]

I started fishin' via the Thames River in London Ont...a spinning rod...then I got a flyrod and taught myself to fish that rod...I love all the elements a flyrod demands..the rod...the fly....the line...the leader...the tippet....then the retrieve...and...well...a 6ft spinning rod with 6 lb test takes the fun out of tiddlers compared to a 3wt 9ft flyrod...just my .02


mojo

Small world - that was MY first river too!  Rock Bass in the Thames with my grandfather... What a great man he was to take me out early in the morning and work to catch our fish.  I miss him.

[DragonSpeed]

I have just recently started to get into fishing. (Long time golfer) I'm still very much learning the ins and outs of regular(don't know what else to refer to it as) fishing and obviously have a long way to go. My questions is should I learn regular fishing and then get involved with flyfishing, or should I try and work my way through both at the same time.

Fishing: learning where the fish are and what attracts/angers/scares them
Fly Fishing:  doing that with a fly
Gear casting:  using the weight of lure spring load your rod to propel your line out.
Fly casting: using the weight of the LINE to spring load your rod to propel your line out.

As you can see... Fly fishing is really a subset of "Fishing"
Fly casting is a different type of cast than gear casting.  If you think you like flyfishing... go with that... I love it.  No need to learn ANYTHING before anything else.  No pre-requisites for fishing styles

Welcome to the club!

[jimmywits]

I have just recently started to get into fishing. (Long time golfer) I'm still very much learning the ins and outs of regular(don't know what else to refer to it as) fishing and obviously have a long way to go. My questions is should I learn regular fishing and then get involved with flyfishing, or should I try and work my way through both at the same time. Is there a benefit to knowing how to regular fish first, or is doing both at the same time just too much to take on at once. For the most part the limited number of people I know who fish seem to only be involved in one or the other, and don't seem too interested in fishing the other way. I would like to know both and although my focus is regular fishing right now(because my wife and daughter are learning along with me) I see myself more flyfishing in the future. Any help is much appreciated, and please go easy. Remember, at some point you all were as new as I am. Even if it was when you were 5 or 6.

Welcome aboard, start off with the simplest methods and progress as comfort levels allow. The main thing is to have fun, and starting out with spin casting gear using worms or powerbait or deli shrimp will produce fish and good fun. Most guy's I know that fly-fish got there via a progression of stages. I started out in a somewhat polluted creek fishing with a hand-line a hook and a worm, as a kid and this eventually lead to fly-fishing. There is no rush
good luck   tight lines

[SMo007]

I am a Flyfishing Instructor, and this is my view on this.

Do not learn "Regular fishing" before you learn to flyfish. The reason I say this is that over the year I have been teaching, the hardest people to teach Fly Casting to are Gear fishermen.

This is not to slag the gear guys in any way, it is just that the gear guys have become accustomed to casting with a gear rod, and this is the furthest thing from Fly Casting.

It's like golf, once you have a swing down, it is VERY hard to change it.

This pertains to Casting only, the theory portion of flyfishing can be used in "Regular" fishing as well.

Good luck, and welcome to your new obsession FISHING.

Rick Passek , Rp3FlyFishing School

Hi Rick,
Nice to hear from you again. ( I spoke to you about two weeks ago about fishing the local rivers and you were most helpful) I fully understand what your saying but the reason behind gear fishing first is because we have made it a family thing to learn together(wife and daughter)As such I will deffinitely be doing that, the flyfishing is just a personal desire that I will pursue on my own.(Wife's not interested and daughter's too small) I guess I'll just have to be aware of my bad habits and not bring them over to flyfishing

[SMo007]

I started fishin' via the Thames River in London Ont...a spinning rod...then I got a flyrod and taught myself to fish that rod...I love all the elements a flyrod demands..the rod...the fly....the line...the leader...the tippet....then the retrieve...and...well...a 6ft spinning rod with 6 lb test takes the fun out of tiddlers compared to a 3wt 9ft flyrod...just my .02


mojo

Being new to it all I'm excited by both. I guess the old saying applies "I don't know enough to know anything"

[SMo007]

Fishing: learning where the fish are and what attracts/angers/scares them
Fly Fishing:  doing that with a fly
Gear casting:  using the weight of lure spring load your rod to propel your line out.
Fly casting: using the weight of the LINE to spring load your rod to propel your line out.

As you can see... Fly fishing is really a subset of "Fishing"
Fly casting is a different type of cast than gear casting.  If you think you like flyfishing... go with that... I love it.  No need to learn ANYTHING before anything else.  No pre-requisites for fishing styles

Welcome to the club!

Thanks for the welcome. Apart from what Rick said about potentially developing a bad gear fishing habit(which makes perfect sense and I've seen alot while helping people with their golf game, especially baseball players who take up golf), it seems that both can co-exist and can be done in turn or simultaneously. I'll just take it as it comes then.

[SMo007]

Welcome aboard, start off with the simplest methods and progress as comfort levels allow. The main thing is to have fun, and starting out with spin casting gear using worms or powerbait or deli shrimp will produce fish and good fun. Most guy's I know that fly-fish got there via a progression of stages. I started out in a somewhat polluted creek fishing with a hand-line a hook and a worm, as a kid and this eventually lead to fly-fishing. There is no rush
good luck   tight lines

Thanks for the welcome. We are going to take it slow, that's one of the lures (pun intended) of learning to fish. My concern was if I tried to learn both at the same time would I end up just overloading myself with info, and would I start mixing up techniques and set ups. Seems like it should be fine though. They seem different enough that it won't be a problem associating what goes with each style.

[jimmywits]

Thanks for the welcome. We are going to take it slow, that's one of the lures (pun intended) of learning to fish. My concern was if I tried to learn both at the same time would I end up just overloading myself with info, and would I start mixing up techniques and set ups. Seems like it should be fine though. They seem different enough that it won't be a problem associating what goes with each style.

My Pleasure. I don't entirely disagree with your original concern and that is why I would look at learning to fish as a progression, from very simple techniques ie; spin casting gear using bobbers and bait to eventually graduating to fly-fishing. Allot of what you will learn along your journey will apply to fly-fishing also. Most fly-fishermen I have met and got to know did not start out fly-fishing but got there via this progression. By starting out simple, you will catch fish, which will keep everyone entertained and keen and wanting to get out fishing more, which is how we gain fishing knowledge.
Hope this helps    tight lines

[bigsnag]

Learning to "regular fish" before you progress to flyfishing enables you to learn more about your quarry. One of the most challenging aspects of fishing any body of water be it a lake,river,or the ocean is learning how to "read the water " in order to find fish in the areas that they like to rest,hold,travel,or feed in. Casting lessons from an instructor or another flyfisher and lots of practice is highly recommended. I am at best a very mediocre caster who is able to cast 30 - 40 ft of line well. I'v given up trying to cast any further.
Once you catch a fish on the fly you'll be "hooked " for life !  Enjoy this new challenge.