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Jesse's Hunting > Fishing Articles > Articles > Getting Started Flyfishing
Getting Started Flyfishing
Dave Blake - JHO ProStaff
- Los Angeles, CA
July 03, 2007
Having the right gear is half the battle. The other half is finding the fish, selecting the right fly and making the presentation. Experienced fly fishers make this look easy. By taking their time and doing their homework a beginner can get the hang of it pretty fast as well.
Fish feeding on the surface are easy to find. Their rising splashes can readily be seen throughout the length of a pool, or along a medium fast run. Rising fish can be caught with a dry fly. Dry flies are made to float and imitate the adult forms of mayflies, caddis flies, and other winged insects found around streams, lakes and rivers.
Common names like Pale Morning Dun, Green Drake, Sulfur, Blue Winged Olive and March Brown all refer to different varieties of mayflies which hatch throughout the spring and summer months on streams and ponds around the world. All fly shops carry dry flies to imitate these trout morsels and can tell you which ones will work for which body of water. Caddis Flies, the “other white meat” for trout can usually be imitated with various colors of a fly called the Elk Hair Caddis.
While you are at the flyshop, pick up a couple of 9 foot 4x tapered leaders and a spool of 4x and 5x tippet. Attach the leader to the fly line with a nail knot and tie a couple of feet of tippet to the end of the leader so you don't shorten the leader as you tie on and change flies.
You are now ready to head to the stream. If you can afford it, the best way to leap up the learning curve is to go out with a guide the first time. You can accelerate your flyfishing experience by having them teach you how to find fish, stalk fish, cast to fish and land fish. If you want to do it yourself, there are a few basic things to keep in mind.
When using dry flies locating rising fish is key. If trout are not actively rising to a hatch it can be difficult to get them to rise. Once the rising fish have been located you need to know what type of insect they are rising to. This can be anything from a size 10 green drake to a size 24 midge. It is key to use a fly that “matches the hatch.”
With the correct fly tied on and the rising fish located it is time to stalk the fish. If the trout is close to the bank there is usually no need to step in the water. Staying out of the water eliminates the risk of bumping against rocks and spooking the fish. If the fish is further out, be careful to plant your foot firmly on the stream bottom before shifting your weight to it. Felt soled wading boots are a must here.
Remember that the stalk should start DOWNSTREAM from the fish and approach slowly putting you in a position about 25 feet behind and 15 feet to the side of the fish. This makes for the optimum casting angle. Let enough line out behind you to only need one, or two false casts and put the fly into the fish's feeding lane about 10 to 15 feet ahead of where it is rising. If everything comes together, you will see the trout rise under your fly and eat it. You might want to set the hook at this point.
It is assumed that you have spent some time practicing a good abrupt backcast and a smooth forward cast with a rigid wrist. If not, here is how it works.
Imagine that the rod is attached to your arm not by your hand, but at the elbow and that your forearm is part of the rod. In your yard, or at a casting pool let out about 15 feet of line and quickly pull the rod backward stopping abruptly at the 2 o'clock position. You should see the line shoot out straight behind you.
When it is almost straight, push the rod smoothly forward and stop abruptly at the 10 o'clock position. The line should shoot straight out ahead of you. The idea is to keep the loop in the line tight and cast the line on a level plane above your head. As you become comfortable with this, lengthen the line and develop a longer cast. A 10 to 40 foot cast will be all you need for most trout fishing situations.
Although it seems like a big hastle and a lot to keep up with, learning to flyfish isn't as hard as most people think. With the proper gear and good basic casting skills, anyone can learn this exciting method and collect a lot of great memories along the way.
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