But can wave the wand. I started in mandurah and got some tips from a very good old bloke under the bridge. He pointed me in the right direction.

It is very important that you have a stiff wrist, and not to high stick the want at all in the cast motion. Dont let the rod go back past 90degrees on the reverse cast (backward) motion.

To begin with watch the line back so you get the feel for the time to do the casting motion (forward). Wear good sunnies for vision and to protect your eyes from a stray cast, and I also started with a Arafat Type hat to protect my ears etc from strays. A Fly hanging from your ear might look cool in trendy womans magazines but is not cool for blokes IMO.

An 8 wt, wt forward sinking tip is probably the easiest to learn on, and versatile enough for a lot of options. 6wt and 4wt lighter but finesse, and heaviers dent to tire you before you have practiced enough.

I started in the front garden/park and had no hook on, just a leader and practiced until I felt I could do it semi-correct. Then added the fly and then progressed to fishing for hezza's and Tailor under the new traffic bribge in mandurah. Bream would be harder to master IMO because you will need very accurate and precise casts, or just let the fly sink into the water, without a cast next to a jetty, and strip the fly. If you hook a bream this way it would still be fun with a fly rod.

Up here in Kcity on the boat I dont cast, just let the fly drift out in the current, then strip back.

Crazy Charlies are to best simple goto fly IMO for beginners.

Hope this helps a little.

Neels

EDIT: Best catch so far on a fly, GT about 5kg on 8wt. Was alot more awesome than it sounds, and this was after I donated my pices of a previous 8wt to the rubbishbin after a touchup from a much bigger GT.

 thanks heaps for the info :)

Hi channy, I started a couple years ago and taught myself, ( thats why i'm not very good lol ) .

Best to get good advice on what weight rod you will need for your target species.

I recomend Fly World in Bayswater, good gear and advice plus he gives lesson's.

http://www.flyworld.com.au/view/home/about-flyworld/

Here is a short video of some trout from last season. The one i get on the fly rod was 1kg. Ive got a few like that but no pic's sorry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boNwp6aOERU

Cheers Grant..

when you get your set up..try to get something light like a 6-7wt..and practice with a leader and tiny piece of cotton at the end of the leader to stop the leader from cracking(whipping)and from getting wind knots...i was hopless at first but one day you will get the feel of it and progress really quickly..its awsome to be able to do.practice is the go. you may look stupid standing in a park or field flapping a fishing rod around but the practice will pay off..theres heaps of videos and website on how to cast on youtube and stuff. when uve mastered that then you can learn how to tie flys and catch fish on them..thats the best part:) all the best and good luck lol..hope you get the hang of it

I know you posted this thread under flyfishing, but have you had a look at the actual flyfishing forum.  It has a lot of info you might find helpful.  Forums under Strike Zone on the left.  Apologies if I'm stating the obvious  :-)

 Yeh thanks. I was just seeing if anyone on here had any tips :)

It might just be that the wand waivers are all out fishing.

In my last post I didnt mention to start pretty cheap with the line especially, because you can damage a fly line. I started with a Heartland and cheap line with braid backing. Once I got the "kinks" out changed up to a better fly line. This is probably the most common mistake we make as the rod and reel is considered the VIP things, but I do believe that the fly line is the VIP here.

I cant remember my reel but I think it is an Okuma Graphite and I still have it.

Also you may not like it, so why blast big $$$ when you arent sure (trust me, its addictive though). Most of my fly rods/reels are mid to bottom range (no low range crap though) but my fly lines are premium.

Also dont get bogged down watching trout fly vids etc, IMO this just frustrate a beginner because its just OTT. The knots, leaders, tippets etc just seem to make it all to hard. For Saltwater its pretty basic and thats a leader to a bite tippet. The only reason I have not gone to just a pure leader is retying after a bustoff etc. The flyline to leader is the most important knot and I am to lazy to keep retying it, hence the bite tippet, which unlike my normal fishing is rated lower than the line and leader??

I am OK with knots, but fly knot books will drive you nuts. I keep it plainly simple/stupid, ie the KISS principle. This though IMO is where the Bimini twist comes into fishing in a big way. The leader to tippet knot is back to back Bimini's with a catspaw connection, but nothing stops you from doing a double Uni etc. Ie still keep it simple. If I have a terminal failure out at sea I keep the loop in the leader, and simply reconnect the bite tippet with a simple knot to the loop. I use a mini modified Uni for this, just with more wraps through the loop in the Bimini to try and unload a stressed point.

I am sure others will add some advise.

Cheers

Neels

Thanks for that :) now i just have to buy a rod and take some lessons. Somone on another fourm is selling a fly rod and he said its good for beginners so i might grab that :D

You might be better getting a new one. It only takes one "ding" to weaken the blank and always think "caveat emptor" when you are buying anything.

Neels

Heres the description the guy gave......

Composite Developments graphite III 5/6 weight flyrod, 8' 6" 2pce in moderate action. I did my apprenticeship on this rod, it has lots of bream to it's name (mojo at no extra charge) and would be a nice easy casting rod for someone new to it. Excellent condition and comes with sock and aluminium tube, $150.

What do you think?

The graphite III is a really old CD blank. Ive owened a couple of CD rods and they are pretty goood fishing tools, however rod technology has come a long way since this blank. for that kind of money you can get a good new rod or a excellent used one. If you got it for half that price it would be a good beginners rod.

A 6wt is really what you would be looking for. I sent you a message about a 2nd hand sage this is the kind of 4 piece rod $150 should buy.

There is a few newly certified casting instructors in perth so you shouldnt have much of a problem finding someone competent to show the right way of doing things.

For a beginner that is a little light, go 8wt, and a little pricy. You still need line and a reel? 8wt will cover most uses for the average fly fisher and easiest to use to learn on.

JMO.

Neels

 Thanks Aaron i got the link, ill have a look after a register to the fourm =P

I have an old reel with line that I could send you for practice if you want. The line is around a 9wt (still go ok on an 8). Good for practising in the park so your no scuffing your new gear.

 That would be awesome :D ... if i had a rod to put it on to practise haha oh well.

 http://breammaster.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38284   heres the link to the rod for sale i was looking at... the guy said hes got some flyline and he'll have a look around for a reel.

Think i could get better for the price?

hey channy there are 2 great clubs in perth .

saltwater flyrodders and watfaa good bunch of guys and a few girls  in both clubs.

i joined watfaa first and have since joined saltwater flyrodders .

great way to learn from others

cheers