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[Woosh]

Hello everyone. I just started flyfishing about a month ago.

So far...Not a single fish.

How do you find out if you got a bite? Also how fast would you strip in a leech fly?

On a less important matter. .. . .

Would Koi and Carp take leech flies? I was wading in Lafarge Lake and this gigantic Koi was literally within reach. I tried to get him but he ignored my fly

[OGrady]

hey

fly fishing is very difficult to start but once you get the rytheme it will be alot smoother.

if your striping a leech fly often the bite will be very obvouise (a large tug). Other times you may just feel more weight at the end of your line then before. When u get a bite or think u may be getting one, lift up you rod.

I see you fish lafarge and have spotted some of the koi and carp.

thogh there are fly methods for catching these fish it can be very diffucult and i sudgest if you are starting to flyfish that you target the trout in this lake. If you go to your local fly shop you can ask about fly's for these fish such as my fav, the carp candy.

[Woosh]

In that case I think I might have gotten something yesterday.

I was casting from shore and felt a tug. Pulled it out, the fly flew out of the water.

It kept happening though, so I guess it was weeds D:

I also fish Buntzen lake, but never flyfished there before.

Also the Pitt river but my parents got sick of Whitefish.

[Rp3Flyfisher]

I would recommend that you take a flyfishing class through myself or someone else. This will help you with the small questions and get you going on the right track. Flyfishing can be a VERY rewarding sport, but for the beginner, it can also be VERY frustrating.

Take a class and learn about the do's and don't s of the sport, this will make it less frustrating. I have talked to soooo many people that say that they gave up on it because they had such a hard time getting fish.

Good luck

Rick

[marmot]

You'll know when you get a bite if you're stripping any patterns.  If you're chironomid fishing (which i assume you aren't) it can be more subtle but you'll still know.  When you get a hit, just lift up and keep tension on your line and be prepared to reel like hell to pick up the slack if its a good fish (won't be a problem where you are fishing unless its a carp!!). 

Leeches can be stripped fast or slow.  Some like to pause the retrieve.  I've caught doing pretty much everything possible with a leech, dead sink, fast strip, slow strip, pauses, they all catch.

If you are fishing from a boat of some sort maybe try trolling around a bit, along the dropoffs, over the deeper end of shoals etc until you get the hang of where the fish are and how to get your fly to them.  At least then you'll get a feel for the fight on a flyrod.  You will like it

[fishseeker]

Hi there Woosh, I have been at this for a year and I am just starting to get the hang of it.  I can think of some guidelnes that might help.

a) On lakes like Lafarge, you want to go within a week or two after it's been stocked - keep an eye on the stocking database on this website.
b) I have almost invariably found early morning or dusk produce significantly better results.
c) If they are biting and your hooks are sharp you won't have to worry about what the bite feels like - when I was at lafarge two weeks ago they were hitting the fly so hard I did even need to worry about making the strike (one actually broke my leader) .  At another time I simply found they were on without me even feeling the bite.  (If they are biting hard, trust me, you will know!)
d) As for the speed of your strip - try different things. Last time I was at Lafarge they seemed to prefer a faster strip rate but I don't think there is any rule
e) Also, try different depths - use a coundown before you start to strip (say 3 seconds first cast, 6 seconds second cast etc. I have been using a floating line with about six feet of leader)

All I can say is keep at it.  Last year my success was limited, this year it's getting better and I think it's got a lot to do with timing.  I am really finding it helpful at my early stage to head out for stocked lakes pcking the morning or the evening as my time.  (Not sure how long a lake remains good after a stocking - probably fished out after about two weeks).

As for casting, I took a class and I am still crap at it but I think I would have been even worse without the classes