first fish on a fly rod?

[Troutstalker55B]

1972 Kunkle reservoir just a few miles down from the house near Paradise. Bluegill and dry flies, and it took hours to perfect the hook set on those fish.. I had the best teacher though, NCFFF 1999 Hall of Famer Bob Baiocchi. He was so good and a great dad - Miss you buddy! - J.

[midger]

Keep at it and you'll start hooking up more often with your increased abilities. Joining a club is a good start where you can meet fellow flyfishers who probably would be more than willing to take you under their wings and help you get better at hooking up.

Another great way to improve is to hire a guide. They make their livings instructing folks and getting them into fish. You'll learn valuable techniques such as how to rig, how to improve your drifts, and how to read water. The ability to read water and to know how to get the proper drift can't be overemphasized. Fish where they are and with the right drift and a reasonable fly representing something looking edible and you'll start catching fish.

As far as when I caught my first fish on a flyrod it was back in 1974 when I first picked up a flyrod, but I'd already had 15 years of fishing for trout using ultralight rods and bait such as crickets, eggs, worms, etc so the transition to highstick nymphing came very naturally and the transition was pretty easy. Throwing streamers was also easy. Toughest for me was dry fly fishing as I wasn't used to getting drag free drifts on the surface. After fishing with friends (with more experience) and a few different guides, that technique was also learned.