Your first fish on the fly

[Rich Morrison]

I was thinking about my first (truly unassisted) fish on a fly rod. I, as I'm sure many of you do, recall it like it was yesterday. I'd really enjoy reading the details of a few other NorCal first fish...

Place: Scotts John Creek above Butte Meadows/Jonesville
Fish: an 8"ish Rainbow
Rod and reel: Yellow glass Daiwa rod and Pfleuger Medalist
Fly: Royal Wulff
Age: 10 (in 1980)

Its amazing how adrenaline and joy can etch things in your memory.
Rich

[johnsquires]

Great subject matter for a thread!

The best I can remember, it was approximately 1961, on an Explorer Scout trip to Dusy Basin in the Sierras. Could have been a rainbow or a golden, but at least it was a "real" trout. Not positive, but it was probably could on a mail-order wooly worm or royal coachman. And the rod I remember was an Eagle Claw fiberglass. Reel was a Medalist.

[Scott V]

Wild rainbow trout on the Sliver Fork on a dry fly. My wife actually caught it on film and I didn't even know it. All thanks to advice from Mr. Joe Shirshac to whom I will always be grateful for. He told me where to go and what to do.

[John Sv]

I think it was probably a pumpkinseed on Cattail Creek on a glass fenwick with a medalist reel.
First trout I do remember exactly: Foot long Brown on Yellow Breeches in Boiling Springs PA, on a 5 wt fenwick eagle, same medalist reel, and a #12 White Miller with a red tail. It was at dusk on Haloween. For the trout I was 12 so 1986?

[Mike O]

Musta been somewhere around 2000 give or take a couple years. Barber Park, Boise ID. Rainbow trout on a dry of some kind. WW Grigg $20 WalMart Rod, with $20 Daiwa Walmart reel.

Makes me wonder why I have more expensive stuff...

[Darian]

Mine was a Green Sunfish on a tiny popper out of a tiny creek in Orangevale about 1951. The outfit was a spinning rod and reel. Was staying with an uncle on his farm. Now, you wouldn't know that creek was ever there. That area is covered by a High School and housing.

[PatrickM]

Summer of 1987. Truckee River.
I had just moved to the States from Scotland. My brother announced one day that he was going to start fly fishing. He got a cheap outfit from Big 5 Sports and started fishing. A week later I bought an Orvis Green Mountain setup from the Reno Fly Shop. We'd go out to Mayberry Park just west of town and fish for stockers. He'd swing hare's ears and I'd throw elk hair caddis. We didn't know what the hell we were doing, but every now and then we'd land a fish. Good times.

[k9mark]

I think it was probably a pumpkinseed on Cattail Creek on a glass fenwick with a medalist reel.
First trout I do remember exactly: Foot long Brown on Yellow Breeches in Boiling Springs PA, on a 5 wt fenwick eagle, same medalist reel, and a #12 White Miller with a red tail. It was at dusk on Haloween. For the trout I was 12 so 1986?

Ah yes, the yellow breeches....last fished it over 28 yrs ago...

[FISHEYE]

Probably a stocked rainbow from Darby Creek in southeast PA. Caught on an Eagle Claw rod and reel combo. I was probably wading in my sneakers because I did not have waders. It was about 1968 when I was 13. I used to ride my bike down to the creek.

[JasonB]

Would have been in 1984 (I was 12), on the Mckenzie river in Oregon, fishing with my Dad. He had scoffed (to put it mildly) at me "wasting" my hard earned $20 on a fly rod/reel/line combo kit at the G.I. Joe's sporting goods store. The Caddisfly shop in town was where I had to go to buy some flies, and WOW were they expensive! The guy at the counter was very nice, and helped me pick out a bunch of good flies, and made sure I had some tippet, and some floatant (who knew!?). I think he knew why I had put most of the flies back, and was kind enough to toss in a few extras for free. I think I had another $20 when I went in that fly shop, and I remember thinking how expensive this fly fishing is when I left the shop with a small baggie and an empty wallet. If I only knew!!!

I hounded my Dad incessantly to take the boat out for a float, and later that week I was finally able to get out and test out all my new stuff. My Dad did his best to hide his obvious amusement (and complete lack of confidence) as I tied on a size 12 "Mckenzie Special" and make my first few awkward casts. In no time I had a missed strike, and shortly afterwards another. Finally I hooked one, and then proceeded have an absolute field day! I was having so much fun I even convinced my Dad to give it a whirl ... eventually, and with some grumbling he put his spinning rod down and proceeded to hack and flog at the water. I believe that they were mostly planted rainbows, and none would have been more than 10" or so. It honestly didn't matter, it was such a blast seeing them come right up to the surface and attack my fly like that! I couldn't believe I was catching fish on a fly rod and getting to watch the action unfold too. I think my Dad was even more surprised than I was. I'm pretty sure he didn't think I stood any chance at getting one bite on some silly (and cheap) fly rod! I think it was just over a year later when he dropped almost $400 on a fly rod (his third I believe)...

I think it's worth noting, that I got the interest all because of some 20 minute fly casting class during an "elective activity day" in middle school. I wish I could remember that teacher (a guest), and let him know just what a massive impact that 20 minutes would have on both my life and my Fathers life. Just goes to show, you never know...
JB