I had told my son some time back that I was in the market for a reasonably priced 3wt flyrod setup. I got a text from him saying that he had bought me one and it was on it's way. Well, it arrived yesterday, along with a nice selection of dry flies, nymphs and terrestrial flies.

We spent the day in Galveston today so I was really anxious to get home before dark. Tied on a little bee dry and commensed to casting. 8 deliveries and 5 really nice 7+" male BG later and I am really digging this rig!!

Happy Father's Day everyone!!

Very nice Mike!
I'm a newbie to fly fishing myself, early this spring I bought a 3, 4 and 5wt setup just to see what I may like best.. Definitely an art to fly fishing I'm a LONG ways from being proficient at.
Enjoy the new rod!

I am betting you will grow to like the fishing with your new 3wt. I really like fishing with mine. A pond is a good place to learn how to fly fish or improve your fly fishing skills.

I've been messing with a flyrod since I was a young boy, bass bugging on the calcasieu river, tho I admit I'm not very proficient. I can make a decent cast. Using dry flies isnt exactly what I envisioned because they dont stay dry very long and I'm constantly having to re-dress them. Kind of tries my patience a bit. But the gills sure do seem to like them!!

Think I'll be in the market for some foam bodied hoppers soon. They aught to keep their buoyancy better.

I've been told chapstick is smeared on dry flies for surface tension?? Is this what you mean by "dressing"?

I havent tried chapstick, but yes. I bought a product called Frog's Fanny. It's a powder that is brushed on. It works well the first couple of casts, but then the fly wants to sink. And once its wet, the dressing doesnt work very well.

Mike, sounds like you raised a great young man.

He is a good one!! Think I'll keep him a bir longer...lol!!

Hey Snipe, I didnt have any chapstick, but found a jar of Carmex. Dang, that works pretty good. Flies stay afloat for a long time. And i dont know if it's the smell or theyre just hungry, but they absolutely tore dries up this evening (literally)!

Cool!!
Hope I can try the chapstick some time too.. can't remember where I heard that but makes sense. Sounds like you're having a blast!

Wow, seems your son buy a great gift for you! Envy That so much!

Having a hard time forcing myself not to fish every day!! Gonna have to learn how to tie a nail knot soon. My leader has gotten a couple of knots in it from my awful casting technique...lol.

Mike the best way I have found to not have any knots in my leader is to not have a leader tied on. I will step outside, remove the leader and practice my cast. I want the fly line to lay smoothly on the ground and in a straight line toward my target with my presentation. Practice, practice,practice. Or maybe it's just me that needs all that practice

This is the "STUFF" right here...



AND, for the tilapia fly fisherman...



Seriously, I think the most basic stuff will work...I just couldn't help myself! I'll be here all week.

When the rod arrived it was already loaded with fly line and a tapered leader nail knotted to it. I just went to fishing.

I bought line/backing that has the welded loop on the end and replacement leaders that are also loop ended. I may just change out so itll be easier to replace leaders.

Do you use tippett for BG? If so what weight and how long. I havent seen that these fish care. If the fly lays above it they usually attack it pretty quick.

Mike, I use tippets sometimes or I will just make a leader from something like 6# fluorocarbon when fishing for the hsb. It also works pretty good on the cnbg/lmb. Different lengths at different times also. And sometimes I will just use the flyline without either when practicing different cast. When I practice, if I see the fly line fall out and or make loops when it lands, I know it was a bad cast. And I will use a strike indicator/float most of the time when fishing. Remember, I am not a great fly fisherman but I can catch a few fish lol. Al, (Fireishot) made a comment about the fly and his head. I was fishing for lmb on Caddo lake when I buried a large bass popper in my left arm during a cast when fishing in the wind. I have removed many a hook buried in other people but I needed a third hand at the time to get it out of me. I got it but my point is, I am not all "THAT" when fly fishing

I know just exactly what you mean, Tracy. I've found myself ducking a fly on more than one occassion. Running a hook out so you can cut the barb off ain't no fun. Especially with a tiny hook. At least you can get ahold of a larger hook.