First fish on a fly?

[Phat Mack]

Ray's mentioning Ed Zern and his Exit Laughing column brought back memories that I didn't know I had. I started thinking about the first fish I ever caught on a fly, an event most anglers should remember.

I was probably 14 years old and living in New Jersey. Ted Trueblood, a sports writer, had given a demonstration on fly fishing and I thought I would give it a try. The plan was to ride my bike to the Wanaque river along the New York State border, camp out, fish at dawn and ride back home. I fit a sleeping bag and a mess kit on the back of the bike, tied my rod on the handle bars and set out. I rode my bike for the first ten or twenty miles (it was probably less, but time changes distances) and then hit the Ramapo mountains and pushed my bike the last five miles or so. I had gone to a discount store and bought a selection of flies for $.50. They were tied in Japan and were things like Royal Coachmen and Pink Ladies. I finaly got there a little after dark and made camp. There was no flat ground and no soft ground, but I was too excited to sleep anyway. I was up at first light and fishing.

I got my first strike at dusk. I was using a pink lady and roll casting in a small pool. My line was saturated, but the leader was long enough for the fly to float on the surface tension of the water. It was about 15 feet away from me when a nine inch brown came up to it, gently lipped it and dove. I spent an eternity getting the line sorted, then pulled back with the rod. He was still on! I gently pulled him to the bank and beached him. I was astounded. I knew fly fishing existed in theory but had no confidence that I could execute it in practice. Like many people, this one event hooked me on fly fishing for life.

I had to let the brown go. I knew full well that none of my friends would believe that I had caught him without producing the fish, but I didn't want to eat him, and I had another problem: I was supposed to be home before dark, and it was already past that time.

I got all my stuff on my bike and rode about a mile in the dark when I came to a bar. It was a white cinderblock building with two cannons in front of it, so it may have been connected to the VFW or something. I walked in and was told immediately to get out. I stood outside the door and told the bartender that I was stranded and wanted to find a phone. He relented and let me come in to use the pay phone. I had to borrow a quarter because it was a toll call and my dime wasn't enough. I called my dad; he came and picked me up, and the bartender gave me a homemade birch beer while I waited. Quite an adventure, two firsts in one day: first trout on a fly - first sit on a bar stool. I've kept up with both activities my entire life.

Who else remembers getting hooked on fly fishing?

[HDPM]

Liked the story a lot Phat Mack. I don't want to diminish yours by talking about my pathetic fly fishing experiences, and it didn't get me hooked on fly fishing as others have been hooked. But it did involve camping with friends, drinking, and being so cold in the morining I caught my shoe on fire trying to get my feet warm near the campfire. Ah, July in the Fraser area in Colorado. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]

[Ed I]

Wonderful story.

I was introduced to fly fishing by a friend while steelhead fishing. He handed me his rod and tried to teach me how to cast. After a while he told me he had never seen anybody so bad and that I would probably never be able to cast. I went out and bought a cheap Eagle Claw spin/fly combo and headed for the hills. Picked up 5 cheap flies and proceeded to lose the first four without getting the fly on the water. The 5th cast somehow magically landed on the water and a 4'' trout engulfed it. Its hard to believe that was some 27 years ago. I spent an hr and a half on the river today and I still derive great pleasure from fly fishing.

[Ray Zee]

i grew up in new jersey and learned to fish there. ramapo, wanaque, hackensack,pascak brook,big flat brook, neversink, beaverkill, willowemic, fished them all around the two hour drive from home.
started fishing with a fly rod about nine years old but with worms or eggs. then went to flies later on. it was a good intro as not many people can roll cast well unless they started with bait and a sinker on.

[John Feeney]

You rode to a river. You caught a fish. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Phat Mack]

You rode to a river.

No, John. Please pay attention. I didn't ride to a river. I rode part way and pushed my bike part way. It's time you worked on you reading comprehension skills. Do you see the danger of only absorbing half the read? What if your opponent had two aces and you only put him on an ace? Can you comprehend the grief that would cause?

I would reach for the hemlock, but I remember that Seneca tried hemlock, got bored waiting for it to work, and slit his wrists in a bath tub. Of course, if he had followed my example and ridden a bicycle, he might have had better circulation -- and better results from the hemlock.

[KJS]

Great post. I remember catching my first fish on a fly at a lake in Bellingham, WA. Went from morning class to the lake, caught my first fish, and made it back for my evening class.

Incidentally, I found out via the Bangkok Post recently that Chiang Mai, where I live, is a world center for the production of fishing flies. Apparently the wages and work ethic here have attracted many factories to spring up. The article claimed that Thai and ethnic women from Northern Thailand are very adept at the fine finger work that is necessary to crank out flies. I'll have to go out and visit one of the factories and post a report.

KJS

[John Feeney]

Seneca tried hemlock, got bored waiting for it to work, and slit his wrists in a bath tub.

Well that was dumb. I mean he could have done something productive while he waited for the hemlock to work. :-/

[Ed I]

I'd be interested to know what the work conditions are. In early 80s some shops refused to sell foreign tied flies. I don't hear much talk about it now.

[Zeno]

Great Post. I learned fly fishing from my dad so it has a very special meaning for me. First fish I caught was a coastal cutthroat trout, probably about 9 or 10 inches long and most likely subduded with a woolly worm fly. Very good eating and just right for pan frying.

-Zeno