Rookie fly fishing question

[Bob-WY]

I fly fished a couple times as a kid, MANY years ago.

got a fly road last week from my wife for my birthday and am now trying to figure this out!

Question on how to approach something......

Last night wife and I were in a mountain lake, VERY deep quickly from shore. We were in our small boat and to much wind to break out the fly road, so we caught several brookies and a rainbow on spinners.

Anyway, the lake was formed by a damn where 2 rivers flowed into a draw. The sides of shore are STEEP, and it seems to continue into the water. I tried to drop anchor about 15 yards off shore, my 25 foot rope wasn't enough to reach bottom. I mention this because I would LOVE to flyfish here, sometimes from shore. It's to deep to wade, as I'd be over my head in 2-3 steps, so what is a casting technique I can lookup and learn to deal with very little to now back cast room?

If wife and I are in the boat with a bit more confidence I won't hook her, I will use the fly road, but on shore, not sure what to try

 

[rwc101]

 

[Ppartin4570]

Hire a guide a couple of time. Much knowledge to be had quickly

 

[TheJason]

Yep, roll cast is your friend.

 

[rustneversleeps]

Flop in a woolly bugger and let it sink and slow strip

 

[Coop]

You can learn everything you'll ever need to know from this guy! In all seriousness though, get the roll cast down and find a way to make it work for you. Something you'll find is that everyone's casts vary a little bit. Experiment and make it work for your style!

 

[Gary]

Fly fishing in deep water usually requires a sinking line. A floating line won't be much help unless the fish are feeding on the surface. I also use a float tube extensively - eliminates the roll cast.

 

[cedahm]

You can learn everything you'll ever need to know from this guy!

Everyone should watch Hank

As everyone is saying - Learning to snap a good roll cast is a great one in your arsenal for tight backcasts. With lakes in particular, you don't even need to really worry about pinpoint accuracy, as you're rarely needing to drop a fly in a spot the size of a paint can with appropriate hooks/piles/slack needed for a dead drift like on moving water. Just get it in their 'zone'

Beyond casting - unless the entire lake is this way (steep drop to black water 360' around the lake) - I'd also look for places where there is a shelf or something. It doesnt take much, I have a spot very similar to the one you describe on a local mountain lake, it drops to 30' depth really quickly on an entire shoreline, but there are a bunch of large boulders on the dropoff that attract vegetation/bugs/baitfish and basically serve as a 'false bottom'. Those boulders are basically the only place to reliably catch fish along that entire piece of the shoreline. If it's truly 'fjord-style' I'd focus on the upper 5'-20' of the water column.

 

[Bob-WY]

Thanks! You guys rock! found those videos, which link to others and others, now I just have to practice it!

 

[PNWGator]

Simon Gawesworth has some excellent single handed Spey casting videos online. In addition to roll casting, these techniques will serve you well

 

[deer_shooter]

Its also worth it to take a class if theres one local. If you start out with bad habits/technique its very tough to break.

 

[Rzrbck918]

Take a class or hire a teaching guide. Best money you will spend on flyfishing. Its crazy how fast it speeds up the learning curve.

 

[AggieHunter]

Best bet is probably sink tip line as well as indicator fishing the shallows. I mainly fly fish rivers and if you get the stream small mountain stream can be easy for beginners.

 

[denverteacher]

You can also buy sink tips to avoid having to buy a completely new line. https://shop.flyfishsd.com/products...MInNbovabm6QIVmv_jBx2NZgqhEAQYBiABEgKVJPD_BwE

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Go to the Orvis website and look at their fly fishing 101 videos. The roll cast is going to be your friend in this situation.

 

[Bob-WY]

You can learn everything you'll ever need to know from this guy! In all seriousness though, get the roll cast down and find a way to make it work for you. Something you'll find is that everyone's casts vary a little bit. Experiment and make it work for your style!

Ok that was just hilarious.

 

[AggieHunter]

Ok that was just hilarious.

He's great. watch the bait fisherman one.

 

[Dougfirtree]

One more thought since the lake gets deep near shore. You may be able to do a more traditional sidearm cast parallel to the shore and still get your fly into the fish zone. Definitely learn to roll-cast though!