Hello All,

The only type of fishing I have NOT done in the BWCA is fly fishing. Every year when I am sitting in whatever camp site we got, I always say "Next year I'm bringing my Fly Rod!" But it seems like every time next year rolls around, I don't bring it.

A little bit about my fly-fishing experience
1) I am fine on the small ponds in my area catching Bluegill, Crappie, Bass, and twice Catfish.... yes it is true.

2) I haven't taking my stuff to BWCA because well... I frankly don't know what the heck I am doing. If "A True Honest-to-Goodness Fly Fishermen" saw me they would probably take my equipment from me, slap my hands, make me write "I will never try fly fishing again!" 200 times and put me in a time out. LOL.

3) I also know that there is no such thing as a stupid AND successful fly fisherman. I don’t want to waste the time I have in the BWCA because I am pretty sure I fall into the stupid category.

4) Using the proper line, with the correct weighted... well everything. Tying on tippets, selecting the right fly, fish with teeth. All of these things together make me think to myself, "Put the fly rod down and walk away slowly."

Can anybody talk me off or maybe better yet push me off the ledge?

I would never go without a fly rod; my first trip was in 81. A 7wt is what I would bring but take whatever you have (5 wt or larger). A couple of leaders, some tippet material (I bring some fluorocarbon to help pike bite offs), poppers, hairbugs, clousers, and murdich minnows and you are set.

1) that's probably decent enough practice. Maybe sit and cast from a camp chair if you don't have many opportunities to practice casting from a canoe. And work on your strip set for the smallies.

2) you're most likely to run into bass and pike fly guys... you'll probably get advice that's more useful than anything I post in here.

3) just remember that if it's stupid, but it works, then it isn't stupid.

4) poppers, hairbugs, clousers, and murdich minnows as posted above is is a super solid starting point to fill your box and covers most of the forage available. I like gurglers for topwater (they're a quick tie if you do that and expense out at about $.25 each with cheap hooks or about $.60 with brand name ones) and bunny leeches or other zonker strip based patterns as well.

What sizes of flies you're able to cast effectively is gonna be determined by your rod/line weight. Once you have your box filled, use this tippet chart from orvis to figure out what leader and tippet sizes you need. Then go fishing and make sure it all works together.

I'd never go without a fly rod as well. You'll need a few leads, some tippet. For example, I bring some fluorocarbon to aid pike bite offs, poppers, hairbugs, clousers, and murdich minnows.

Thanks for all the feedback

If any of you have pictures of the flies you are referring to and if you are willing to share that would be awesome

Here are two topwater that have worked well for me. Tied in size 1, 2, 4 or 6. Cheap and easy to tie. Foam, marabou, rubber legs. Throw near the bank, near down trees. Just pop the fly back to you, pause, pop, pause (let the legs and marabou move in the water).

A gurgler, size 2. Bucktail for the tail, gold ripple fiber for flash, craft fur loop wrapped on the body. I did a folded back head instead of the original method of just trimming it a little way past the eye of the hook.

The top row are all poppers (or sliders), bottom left are dear hair bugs or divers, bottom right are Murdoch Minnows, middle right are Clouser Minnows. I tie all of the flies here and the foam diver but buy the hard poppers.

Thank you very much

Thanks that is awesome