> If I do not have a friend who's into fly fishing, or if I need an answer quickly, am I...just out of luck?

Consider the ways this actually would happen but a mere 3-5 years ago.

You would Google search for information about fly-fishing and find:

* Enthusiast websites & blogs * Enthusiast forums * Enthusiast YouTube & other social media

The source might not literally be your dad or your friend, but you would still connect with real people.