Get Started Fly Fishing- Three Tips to get you Going!

Beginning fly fishing is a fun place to be; it’s like a puzzle has been dumped on a table before you and as you start to delve into the sport hopefully the pieces will start to come together.  Fly fishing is a great gift for the family; often times there is a good bit of tangles, frustration and pretty bad casts before fly fishing gets easy; that’s ok.  Here are a few tips to help you get going in the right direction.

  1. Fly casting has everything to do with your fishing success.  Learn how to handle the rod properly and understand the mechanics of fly casting.  First, things first your gear has to be set up right.  If you have a #5 rod you should have a #5 fly line on it (a #6 would work too) if you are not in the ball park here your starting off on the wrong foot!  Get some good instruction or at least check out some good videos or books on fly casting.  This is an essential building block to fly fishing success.  So often people get started in their back yard with their buddy and they start with bad habits, these over time become very difficult to break and move beyond.
  2. Learn about the bugs-that is after all what you are trying to imitate with your fly fishing presentations.  Trout are eating insects either on the surface or subsurface; how those insects move and live in the water is what you are trying to imitate at the end of your line.  There are piles of great resources out there to help get you starting in the right direction.  Check out Jim Schollmeyers books on Northwest Streams and River or the Deschutes River hatch guides.  These great resources show you exactly what bugs you are likely to encounter, what time of year and what they are doing subsurface as well as after they hatch.
  3. Learn the basic knots- this will save you countless hours of wasted time on the water.  Learn the best knots to use and know when to use them and you will be miles ahead.  Get proficient at these knots:  improved clinch knot and the double surgeons knot for starters.  (Click for Video Tutorial)

Wishing you the best of luck in your fly fishing endeavors!  Visit us again to see fishing reports, tips, videos and more!  We also offer fly fishing classes and instruction.  If you’d like hands on fly fishing help visit us at: Water Time Outfitters Classes

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