u/JRPGFisher

I'm looking at a pivot from our summer plans to take an outdoorsy vacation on the US west coast in the first week of July, as I want to get some fishing in (fly fishing, specifically) and I'm hearing Ontario has had a pretty good wet year compared a lot of my go-tos in the PNW.

I'm really looking for a an area that offers good proximity to fishing areas (where I can book a guide since I'm not familiar with the area), scenic hikes, and kayaking opportunities. I've looked at Alongquin Provincial Park and the Elora Gorge area so far, but Alongquin seems a bit lean on satisfying hikes (you get way better views on the water, it sounds like) and might be a little more backcountry than I want for a first trip. Elora gorge sounds good, but i'm not sure there's enough to keep us busy for 6-7 nights and a most of the VRBOs around there have been bought up (we can camp, but I'd like to get a cabin/lodge over tent if possible).

Are there any other areas folks could recommend that might fit what i'm looking for as well, or any other considerations for the time of year?

I recently went on an outing at small nearby lake/pond with a good variety of fish in it and am trying to figure out what I need to change in my approach, as I was getting a TON of hits/bites on my line but nothing was actually grabbing the hook. I should add I've only owned a rod for a few months and have yet to actually catch a fish on it. I think there a couple of basics I still don't quite have down or just haven't thought about:

-How do I actually 'set' the hook, when I detect a hit on the line? I just kind of kept stripping the line in thinking there would be a stronger 'bite' but instead it felt more like someone was lightly pulling on the other end of the line and then suddenly letting it go. Happened constantly.

-I think the fish going around were pretty small when I got a look at them: 2-3 inches or less. I'm not quite sure, but I think my flies (I was using all streamers) were in the size 10-14 range. Is that too big? Should I try nymphs instead?

-Speaking of streamers, since there's no current they just drop straight down unless I'm stripping line in. The water is pretty deep, probably at least ten feet around where my cast can reach but it goes even deeper. Would a dry dropper be any use here, or could I tie a smaller nymph on the streamer? Wondering about the benefits/drawbacks of doing that vs pure nymph.

Anything else in particular regarding fishing stillwater vs streams or resources for such and I'm all ears.