Multiple Newbie Questions

[Alec]

Hello Im slowly but surely learning the fly fishing game. Though I am progressing I do have some minor questions

1. I am having trouble storing my line/leader. Everytime I reel my line/leader it tends to tangle even when I do it gently particulary its the leader that gets tangled.

2. My leader and tippet coil up badly and this can make it hard to tie the necessary knots. What is the best way to get rid of the memory in the leader and tippet.

3. What are some good starter or for that matter all around flies. I have the Adams and Wooly Bugger in my arsenal and I follow the hatch chart as much as I can.

Dont feel obligated to answer all the questions. Thanks again for all the help you provide here at this forum as I have learned alot from just lurking.

 

[gfen]

Alec wrote:
1. I am having trouble storing my line/leader. Everytime I reel my line/leader it tends to tangle even when I do it gently particulary its the leader that gets tangled.

2. My leader and tippet coil up badly and this can make it hard to tie the necessary knots. What is the best way to get rid of the memory in the leader and tippet.

3. What are some good starter or for that matter all around flies. I have the Adams and Wooly Bugger in my arsenal and I follow the hatch chart as much as I can.

1 Don't bake it in the sun, expect to need to stretch it a bit anyways.

2a Stretch it a bit. Don't worry about the line too much, but you can do the same thing to both. Hold between thumb and finger firmly, not tightly. Pull. Lather, rinse, repeat.
2b Perhaps its twisted. Remove leader. Follow 2a. Throw line into moving water, and just strip it out and let it hang in a bit of faster water a few seconds. Rewind.

3 Screw slave to the hatch chart. Buy brown, grey, cream, and olive dry flies of your choice in sizes 14 through 18. Go fish. Watch the skies, pick closest match. Catch fish.

 

[flytyingfred]

I find that two of the most needed flies in my box are a hares ear and a pheasant tail nymph or any variations of those two. a few different colors perhaps an olive and a black on the hares ear and a flashback and a bead head on the pheasant tail. they work all year long.

 

[jay348]

I'll agree w/ the nymphs mentioned by flytyingfred. I'll also suggest a griffiths gnat...if fish are rising, it's always produced for me, regardless of what the "actual" hatch may be. Best of luck!

 

[Fishidiot]

Alec,
Does your fly reel have backing on it? If you're not sure, "backing" is a length of line, usually made of dacron or other rope-like material, that is wound on to your fly reel before the fly line. Usually, if your fly reel has holes in the spool you can see it. Backing is there in case a large fish pulls off your fly line and allows the fish to continue to run (trout fishing in PA almost never sees this effect). Sometimes, beginners don't put backing on their reel and what happens is the fly line winds up being more tightly coiled when in use. Backing will widen the spool making the coil problem a bit less. If this isn't the problem, I'll second gfen's suggestions.