Techniques for new guys

Good day Gentlemen, Im very new to fly fishing. I'm just looking for some pointers on how to actually present my fly to the trout itself...i hear things like dead drifting etc...I dont use any dry flys...I do use alot of wooly buggers and things like that..so any help with regards to Position, casting, retracting  line...etc would be more than appreciated.
 
       thanks a bunch

I am also new at fly fishing. I love it!

the swing is so exciting.  keep your rod tip low and a tight line to control the fly as it swings downstream in an arc, also stop the fly and let it come to the surface at the end of the swing it often produces a strike.  also, I like to cast and "swim" streamers through a pod of fish, you are just casting upstream, facing the fly downstream and giving it a little bit of a motion aka swimming it through the fish.  def has accounted for alot of them.

I'm From PA...I fish in Allegheny, Somerset,and Fayette County and will be expanding to Erie at the end of the month

I'm from Latrobe, like it says under my name.  Been out on the water with a few members here, and so far, it's been fun!  Learned alot from guys here offering their help and experience, and sometimes, in-person help!  Always up for more help though.  Especially since I can't nymph for $hit.

Well I'm always up for fishing...Considering I took a year off from Archery Hunting...inorder to take up flyfishing.....So I plan on being out as much as i can until the snow flies...and like I said I could really use the help

Ultimately, you'll catch more fish while nymphing, than by swinging streamers in most situations.
 
To nymph, you'll need some small shot (BB through the smallest sizes), some good indicators (I like fish pimps, but there are plenty of other good brands). A 9 ft tapered leader (for steelies, I typically use 3x)...And some nymphs.....
 
As far as flies go. Have glo-bugs and sucker spawns in various colors (14-18),  flashback pheasant tails (12-18), hairs ears(12-18), copper johns (12-18), green caddis larva (14-18) .....just to name a few.
 
For a nymphing set up, tie your first nymph onto the tippet, then tie on a piece of tippet to the bend of the hook, cut it off to about 10", then tie on another nymph or egg to that piece of tippet. About 10-12" above your first fly, attach your shot to the tippet, spacing them out about a fingers width apart from each other. I start out attaching my indicator about 1.5 to 2 times the depth of the water, above the shot.
 
Make your casts above you, and let the indicator drift until it gets down to you, but no further (the fish below you, chances are have already been disturbed by you, and arent to interested in eating while you're standing on top of them). If the indicator stops, gets pulled under, or goes off in a different direction, set the hook. Sometimes it will be a fish, and sometimes it will be the bottom of the creek. The only way to know, is to set the hook. If your flies never hit bottom, add more shot, or switch to bigger shot. If your flies get stuck on every cast, remove some shot. If your indicator is constantly going under, move it closer to your fly line.
 
When nymphing you want to make sure your flies are drifting naturally along the bottom of the stream, where the fish are. If you want to know how your flies are drifting, watch your indicator. Remember, your indicator indicates two things, they indicate strikes, and how well your nymphs are drifting. For example, if your indicator is not going as fast as the current, you know your flies arent either. To get good drifts, learn to mend your line....
 
Mending line......The best way I can tell you how and when to mend is to have you go fishing, make a cast across a stream, and notice as some of you line goes down stream very fast, some line goes slow and some barely drifts. When this happens, you'll notice your fly getting pulled faster than the current it's cast into, since the line before it is going at a different speed, and therefore your fly drags, instead of drifts. Mending line is where you compensate for different current speeds. It's pretty simple to do. Let's say you make a cast, and your fly line is drifting faster than your indicator. You'll want to lift your rod slightly, and make a quick flick of the wrist to send only the fly line that's being pulled downstream faster, upstream to compensate for the difference in current speed. If your fly line is going downstream slower than your indicator, throw the mend downstream to compensate for the slower current speed. You may have to mend more than a few times each cast to get a good drift. After doing this a while, you'll get a feel for it. To get good at mending, you have to watch the changes in current speeds, and be able to mend according to thier speed, before they affect your drift. In my experience through guiding, teaching someone to mend the right way, makes the biggest difference in their ability to catch fish.

I just sort of figured that the creeks froze over...but If theres water running I'll be fishing I can tell you that much...Thank you drake for the Nymphing tips....i really can't wait to get out this weekend and try all of these new tactics...thanks again to everyone...and please keep them coming
 

i was just wonderin how to use wolly buggers on the sream do u use the swing technique or what? i'm new to fly fishing this year and any advice would be helpful even with how u use blood dots and sucker spawns also. thanks guys and maybe i'll c some of u on elk or walnut this weekend tight lines to all. i'll be the guy with a camo flat brim hat that is having trouble fly fishing.. good luck.

Is there any size you would suggest? or brand?...oh one more ?...can you nymph all year round?..or is there a certain time to do it?

will trout take dry flies in the middle of winter?  are there any flies that you can pretty much use year-round with success?
 
thanks for all the help guys, this thread is answering alot of my questions.    im trying neshannock this weekend cant wati.

ORIGINAL: thedrake

ORIGINAL: LittleJoe76

Drake....what should i use for an indicator?? and could you possibly pm me or email me a picture of this nymphing set up....my momma always told me a picture is worth a thousand words....Etr1633676@hotmail.com/

I'll take a pic when I get home this afternoon.

 
Got tied up with work.
 
I'll post a pic sometime tomorrow....

 thank you double taper i'm gonna be up the 10,11,12 and possibly the 13 any advice for low clear water fly fishing i can't wait to lay into some steel, do sucker spawn and blood dots work well in low and clear water? also what kind of spinners should i use in the mouths and possibly the lake? thanks for all the info

I feel your pain, dt!

From what I'd read, I figured, "Okay, so we'll fish em like a trout...same tactics, same presentations, slightly different bait, and heavier tackle."

Well I dont think it works.

I can usually out-think bass and panfish, and can usually figure out whats going on with trout (if not how to translate that into a catch), but so far these steelhead puzzle me.  They dont think like trout!

ORIGINAL: thedrake

ORIGINAL: TransAmWS6

will trout take dry flies in the middle of winter?  are there any flies that you can pretty much use year-round with success?

thanks for all the help guys, this thread is answering alot of my questions.    im trying neshannock this weekend cant wati.

On some spring creeks you'll occasionally find some fish taking midges on warmer winter days, but you get most fish on nymphs throughout winter.

 
Especially big suckers.