fly fishing clinic

[joel137]

I bought a fly rod several years ago and i got waders tackle vest etc.i take it out in the spring and try to "fish" but end up getting frustrated.i got a book fromm LL bean but that didnt help.I got a mailer from Breezy/national recreation area,where i used to go surfcasting.they are having a 5 day ten hr clinic.there are 3 teachers and 10 students.the guy on the phone said hes been a flyfisherman for 30 yrs.the price was 50$ so i signed up.hopefully i get the hang of it this time and will get to meet some of ya on the water and i wont look like a jerk,cept maybe for the vest .just felt like sharing this tidbit

[WaukeshaKid]

Hey,

Where is this clinic? do you have a number or a website?

I need all the help i can get

[SteveD]

That does sound like a good clinic to attend. Breezy Point is Far Rockaways on LI, yes? This would be surf casting, which is a bit different from stream fishing with a fly rod. Heavier tackle and rods, bigger fish. Big waves that can drown you if you are not careful.

Joel, can you post more details?

For stream fishing, Todd and Charlie at the Bedford Sportsman are good teachers, and run small clinics locally on weekends. See http://bedfordsportsman.com/.

There are lots of books about fly fishing, and many of them are quite helpful to learn about tackle, fish habits, and techniques, but they cannot help you perfect your casting and learn to find the fish as well as good guides and teachers can. I have read a lot, but have learned the most when fishing with experienced teachers and guides.

As an aside, I also recently found some amazing videos about trout, shot underwater in streams by Ozzie Ozefovich. Check out http://www.underwateroz.com/ I think these might improve my ability to catch fish, but have not been out on a trout stream since I got them.

[joel137]

your close stevebreezy point is in brooklyn/rockaways.the actual spot is floyd bennet field and from my understanding were going to be learning on the ground at first,i never asked if we were gonna do salt water.but im an old surf rat so its no biggie.they also have surf fishing clinics .heres the infoGATEWAY NRA JAMACIA BAY UNIT FLOYD BENNET FIELD BROOKLYN NY718-338-3799 10am till noon join expert flyfisherman for 5 workshops that will cover the art of fly casting.equipment will be provided there is a 50$ fee.space is limited;;reservations are required.You can also log onto   www.nps.gov/gate for the full schedule of programs.Like i said i used to fish all arounfd the area and did very good.you need to buy a permit for 50$ but its good for a full year and its good for the whole sandy hook area and NY.check it out

[SteveD]

What I see in the Jamaica Bay schedule for that link is:

Surf Casting Clinic 
Fort Tilden, Building 1
Saturday, June 21
9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Learn the basics of surf fishing with
the Gateway Striper Club during a
morning of fun and fish.  Afterwards,
continue fishing along Fort Tilden
Beach. Bring a rod and reel, if you
have one.  Reservations required.   

Is that the class you are taking? They are also offering it again Aug 16.

Doubt I could make it on a Saturday AM, too many family duties. Enjoy it!

[joel137]

nope they have an ongoing fly fishing clinic pg 4 in the mailer

[joel137]

went to my first lesson today.Let me tell you its real hard trying to undo 35yrs of spin casting.with the fly rod you have to keep your wrist from bending.what a chore that was .after 2hrs i started to get it.i swear i was gonna tape the rod to my wrist with duct tape.man are those muscles sore.I got my own rod so i can keep practicing during the week

[joel137]

well im getting better but still got a bit of a wrist problem,but at least im hitting the target.I ordered a wristloc from joan wulff thats supposed to break the habit it should be here tomorrow.I got a camping trip with some FDNY guys and kids to the esopus .Im hoping to try my luck with the trout  early and late in the day .I got all my gear stowed .

[Tom]

Good luck, let us know how it turned out.

[joel137]

my wrist loc arrived tonight gonna try it out over the weekend.cant wait to try some trout fishing

[SteveD]

So how was the fly fishing? Did the wristloc make it easy to get your casts right?

I tend to use too much wrist and not enough elbow action, so I wonder how well that device works to break the bad habit.

[joel137]

the conditions were tough.very muddy then it rained hard and the river was fast and real muddy.my buddy was using spining gear and connected with a few trout one good brown for the pan the other's we're released.the wristloc is excellent i was making great cass as it really helps with curbing your wrist.I highly recomend it.it dont look like much but it works