Five Tips to Becoming a Better Fly Fisherman

© 2021 Tim Tipton

Fly fishing is supposed to be relaxing; A way to unwind, enjoy the outdoors, take in beautiful scenery and escape from the real world. Unfortunately for those new to the sport, that is not always the case. Things frequently go wrong. Oftentimes when they do, simply slowing down and putting your knowledge to work can save an otherwise slow, frustrating day.

These five tips can help those new to the sport catch more fish. They can also help experienced anglers who are having a tough time on the water.

 

Read the Water

Studying the water is a key to make sure you are putting your fly in front of fish. Obviously, the more fish that see your fly, the better odds they will eat it.

In moving water, such as streams, rivers or even most lakes, there is current present. Current is what will position the fish when they are feeding. In a moving body of water, fish will use slow current next to faster water to rest while feeding. Fish have no desire to fight the fast current and they will use the slower current to rest as they pick off food that washes down the current. This is important for the fish to not burn as many calories while feeding. Look for edges of riffles, backwater eddies, large rocks, gravel bars submerged stumps or fallen trees.

Do not ignore pocket water. Pocket water is the slack water in a stream that lies directly behind a large obstruction. The object upsets the flow and the water immediately in front and behind forms a pocket for fish to lounge and feed.

 

Presentation is Key

Presenting a fly properly is perhaps the most critical aspect to catching fish. Without properly presenting your fly, the odds of enticing a fish to bite are dramatically decreased. This is what makes a drag-free drift important.

   

Drag is when your fly appears to impersonate a skier pulled behind a boat. This occurs when the fly moves at a speed other than the current’s speed. Trout quickly notice when the fly does not ride in the current like the natural insects.

Mending line is probably the most effective way to make sure your fly is drifting naturally. Mending line means you want to maneuver the line in such a way to put it upstream of the fly. By the time the faster current moves the line past the fly, the fly has had a chance to naturally drift through the zone. You can make the mend after the cast has landed by using the rod to flip the belly of the line upstream. For a longer drift, you can make multiple meds as the fly floats downstream.

 

Learn a Variety of Cast

There are a variety of cast to learn to help the angler adjust to varying stream conditions. Small streams in particular offer various obstructions to making a basic cast. Sometimes, there simply is not enough space behind you to accommodate for a long backcast. At times like these, you need to cast in a different style – one where the line does not shoot out behind you. Learning a variety of casts gives an angler the flexibility needed to fish in various conditions.

A roll cast is exactly like it sounds. Instead of making a backcast, you simply roll your fly line, leader, tippet, and fly to your target. When correctly done the roll cast can be a stealthy and accurate cast and a quick way to get a fly up and back into the water without making false casts. The roll cast can also be used for lifting heavy sink-tip lines and shooting heads, and for throwing larger flies.

To execute the roll cast you must get some fly line out on the water surface. Once you have your line out and have picked out your target, simply lift your rod slowly until it is even with your ear. Make sure your line is forming a D-loop behind you, then begin your forward rod movement with a flick of the wrist. You then stop the forward rod stroke when it gets to about eye level and the fly line will roll out in front of you finishing the cast.

Another cast to have in your arsenal is a bow and arrow cast. It is an excellent way to pinpoint small targets that have overhanging brush or tree limbs. The bow and arrow cast involves the same physics as a basic cast. It is just the very last part of a normal cast, set up manually and held in position until release. The path of the rod tip determines the loop shape and size, while the amount of load determines line speed and distance. By adjusting the shape of the curve in the rod you can affect the way the line lays out. Use a tight loop for better speed and a tighter loop. Use an open curve to form an open loop and gentle landing,

 

Leader and Tippet Length

One rule to live by is that it is always better to use too much tippet than too little. When you have less than 20 inches of tippet, you have little room left for changing flies and it also affects drag reduction and the gracefulness of your presentation.

Try to use around three to four feet of tippet material on a standard 9-12-foot leader. This will give you plenty of length to tie on new flies, help with drag in the water and help with your presentation. If you are increasing your leader length beyond 12 feet, increase your tippet length as well.

 

Fly Selection

Most veteran anglers carry many more flies than are needed for a typical day on the stream. When you begin to inspect their fly choices, you will notice one connection, it is usually a combination of 10-12 patterns.  Sure, they have every size, color and variation imaginable, but they rarely have more patterns to cover all the insects in the water. You can bet your fly box on the fact that those guides have tried hundreds of fly patterns over the years and they all end up with the same few patterns for their local waters.

The new angler can catch more fish if he can learn some basic etymology and identify what type of aquatic insects reside in the stream and when they hatch. Many anglers will try and match the insect perfectly, but this is not necessary.

Basic attractor-style flies can be used to imitate a variety of insects. Dry flies like a Parachute Adams or a Royal Wulff can be substituted for a variety of aquatic bugs. You can substitute a Hare’s Ear or Pheasant Tail nymph to imitate any number of sub-surface mayflies or Stoneflies. Focus on patterns that imitate multiple insects and keep a variety of sizes and colors of that pattern in your box.