So, you want to learn how to fly-fish? This article should give you some basic instruction and pointers to help you on your way. Remember this is a skill that takes time to develop so patience is a key to success. We will be covering some basic equipment set-up, beginner technique, and fly selection. To learn this art, it will require some time put in on the water from you. You can’t read an article and become a fly-fisherman.
A word about fish habits. Fish, in general, are ambush type predators. They lay in wait to attack prey that comes near. This prey includes smaller fish, leeches, crayfish, crabs and almost every type of insect you can imagine. Basically, a fish will bite for two reasons. First, they think it is food and are in feeding mode. The second is a reaction or aggression strike stemming from territorial issues or being surprised. With fly-fishing, it is almost always the first case. You are trying to imitate insects in various forms which make up a huge part of a fish’s diet. There are no reaction or aggression strikes here. You are trying to convince the fish that your fly is food.
The first thing we need to do is divide fly-fishing into its two main aspects: wet fly-fishing, that is, subsurface and dry fly-fishing, as in floating on top of the water. This article is going to cover the first aspect; subsurface fishing.
Now it’s time to buy stuff! You will need to pick up a rod and reel. There are a few decent rod/reel combos out there geared towards beginners. I won’t get into all the brands because there are many that are suitable. You can also pick your own rod and match a reel of your liking to it. The advantage of the beginner sets is they’re a little cheaper and include backer and fly line. Either way, you should be able to get a rod/reel combo for somewhere between $60 and $90. When picking out your gear, ask the employees at the store for help. They can usually help you find what you’re looking for. I would offer these pointers. Make sure your rod, reel, and line are all the same weight. Fly-fishing gear is made up in weight classes. This helps achieve balance and optimal performance. For example: the most common weights are 3-10, 3 being very light and 10 being very heavy. For starting out, I would recommend a 5 or 6 weight. Let’s simplify and say get a 5 weight rod. About 8 1/2 or 9 feet long. A two piece rod is nice as it breaks down for transporting. The matching reel will likely be a 5 or 6 weight reel. It may simply be marked “56″. This means it will work for either 5 or 6 weight rods. Then you need to get 5 weight line. Line comes in different types also but for starting out, you want to get Weight-Forward, Floating. The weight forward line will be much easier to cast.
One of my favorite set-ups. A 9 ft., 2-piece, 5 wt rod with “56″ reel, 5 wt, weight forward floating line, and a 9ft tapered leader.
Once you have your rod and reel, you need to put backing and flyline on your reel. Most sporting goods/fishing stores will do this for you for free. The backing is just thread to take up space on your reel. This will also help you with casting. The flyline ties to the backer. Once that is wound on your reel, you’re ready to get a leader and tie it on.
Your leader is just a piece of monofilament line. Usually 7 to 9 ft makes a good leader length. You can use any type of monofilament to make your own leader or you can buy premade leaders. These are custom tailored to fly-fishing so they work a little better. They are tapered from thick to thin. The thick end ties to your flyline, the thin end is where you tie your fly on.
I like tapered leaders like these. They are 9 ft. long. I clip the loop off the end so I can tie a nail knot to my flyline.
There are a couple different ways to attach your leader to your flyline. Again, the store can usually do this for you. I think the easiest and most trouble-free way is to tie the leader directly to your flyline using a nail knot.
Here’s my leader-to-flyline connection with a nice nail knot.
Once your leader is on, get a strike indicator. This a basically a float that works just like a bobber that allows you to see when you have a bite. Again, there are many different kinds. I like to use self-adhesive pinch on types of indicators. They’re cheap, they come in lots of colors, there’s a lot of them in a pack, and you just fold them over your line wherever you want them and pinch them together.
Pinch-on self-adhesive strike indicators.
Here’s my strike indicator. I like to use two different colors for better visibility.
Now you’ve got your rod and reel, you have backer and flyline on your reel, and you’ve tied on a leader. Attach your strike indicator on about 3 feet above the thin end of your leader. The only thing left to put on is your fly. But first, casting!
You will need to learn and practice casting techniques before you will have much success on the water. I don’t have the proper avenues in print to give you a full rundown on casting. I will offer some basic principles and you’ll have to take it from there. Take your rod and reel and set it up with about a 9 ft. leader and tie on a big easy to see dry fly. Clip the hook off so you can practice without hooking yourself or anything else. You don’t have to practice casting on the water. A nice backyard works well. You can use the front yard too but I recommend the back. This way, you’ll be free of the heckling and laughter from your neighbor when he sees how ridiculous you look. It also prevents passing motorists from attempting to stop and rescue you from the swarm of bees your evidently flailing away at. Don’t worry. It happens to all of us and within the first hour, you’ll be noticeably better. If you have the spare cash and time, go to a local fly-shop and take some lessons. Lessons aren’t required though. I got some basics from my grandpa and dad but learned a majority of my casting by myself on the water. There is no substitute for real, on the water experience. Here are some very basic casting pointers:
Hold the rod comfortably, not too tight. Try to keep your arm and shoulder loose and don’t be too stiff.
- Use the 10 and 2 method. Imagine the face of a clock. If holding the rod tip straight up in the air points at 12 O’clock, then don’t cast the rod tip forward any farther than 10 O’ clock and backward any farther than 2 O’clock.
- Be gentle! This is very important. It’s the spring of the rod and the weight of the line that does all the work. The harder you whip the rod and try to force more line out, the more problems you’re going to have. It’s nice and easy, back and forth, 10 and 2, 10 and 2, nice and easy.
- Start short. Don’t go out and think you have to make 50 foot casts. You’re far better being able to sneak close and make a 15 foot cast. Distance will come with experience.
- Give your line time. In front of you but especially behind you, you MUST give your line a chance to straighten out on your backcast. When you cast back, there has to be a mandatory and deliberate pause of a second or two before you bring the rod forward again. If you don’t do this, you’ll spend all your time picking out tangles at your feet and no time fishing.
- Use your Elbow. You want to move mostly just your forearm. You need to try to keep your rod in a straight line with your wrist and elbow. Mostly move at the elbow and a little bit in the shoulder. You’re not using your wrist. Don’t let your wrist move when you cast.
So you have to practice casting. Like I said, get some lessons or maybe ask someone you know but also don’t be afraid to just get out there and try it yourself. If you’re having trouble, ask yourself these two questions: Am I casting too hard? Am I letting the line completely straighten out on my backcast? These two issues account for 90% of the problems for beginning casters.
You’ve got your gear set up. You’ve practiced your casting. Now you’re ready to learn about the flies. In this article we’re talking about subsurface fishing. This is also called nymph-fishing or nymphing. A nymph is simply a stage in a bugs life where the bug lives underwater among the rocks and stones on the bottom. This stage is immediately prior to the bug emerging from the water, growing wings, and becoming an adult fly. The nymph stage is a very important one in a fish’s diet and are part of the food chain all year long.
A stonefly nymph.
A mayfly nymph.
You find these nymphs if you spend just a little time around the water’s edge flipping stones over. Look for areas of shallow, slower water with rocks on the bottom. In a short amount of time, you should be able to find and observe many nymphs. When nymphs are ready to turn into flies, they gather in large groups very close to the edge of the water.
I turned this rock over. Look closely. All the red arrows point to stonefly nymphs.
It’s a pretty safe bet that if you find some nymphs, they play a role in the diet of the fish that inhabit that water. Your next step is to go to a fly shop or a sporting goods store and begin your fly selection. You can take pictures of the nymphs you find or actually gather some in a clear container to take with you. The idea is to match the shape, color, and size of the real thing.
Not all bugs are native to all parts of the country so there will be variations in the type of nymphs. Size, shape, and color are less important with nymphs than it is with dry flies. The fact is, many bugs in the nymph stage are similarly colored and sized. It is not that important with nymphing to identify the species of the live nymph unless you are trying to match a specific type that represents a major event in your region. It is more important to choose nymphs that at least look like a bug of some sort. I find that natural dark colors work best. Black, brown and olive. Many of the nymphs I find are black or dark brown. It’s okay to have something that has a bit of flash or sparkle incorporated into it. Don’t be afraid to go really small. Even down to size #16 or #18. Often times, larger fish really key on those small nymphs. You won’t be able to see them in the water but the fish will. You’re going to be watching your strike indicator to see if you get a bite.
Some of my favorite shapes and colors.
There are some nymphs that I can recommend right now that are pretty standard nation-wide and work in a variety of conditions and waters. These include pheasant tails, prince nymphs, stone fly nymphs, copper johns, and san jaun worms. I have used all of these across the country in different times of the year and different bodies of water. They are all good choices to produce fish and have permanent homes in my flybox.
Clockwise from the top: 1. Copper Johns, 2. Prince Nymphs, 3. Stoneflies, 4. San Juan Worms, 5. Pheasant Tails.
Finally! You have your flies selected and you’re ready to hit the water. Find yourself a nice quiet piece of water. When you get there, it never hurts to watch the water for a while. Spend a few minutes flipping over stones on the edge of the stream and see if you can find some nymphs. Tie on one that matches what you find. If you can’t find any, start with a #16 pheasant tail. That’s as good a place to start as any. Make gentle casts to the head of a run or riffle and let the current drift your indicator and nymph through the riffles and into the pool below. This is normally where fish will be waiting for food. Let the current do the work. It is not necessary to impart any movement to the nymph. When the real ones float through, they have lost their footing and drift in the current basically helpless. You want to do the same thing. Cast upstream and let the current drift your nymph naturally to the fish. Watch your strike indicator. When it goes under, set the hook gently and its game on!
Two of my recent catches on very small nymphs.
Remember the patience thing we talked about at the beginning. Fly-fishing will teach you patience but don’t give up. It is truly one of life’s most enjoyable past-times. See you on the water.
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