Fly Fishing for Beginners || 5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started!
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Published 2023-04-26
Before we get started my intent with this video is to have something that new fly anglers can use for years to come. So if you’re someone who’s been fly fishing for a while leave a comment and let people know what’s something you wish you knew when you started fly fishing… and then like a few comments that you think were interesting / important. That way new anglers can read through the comments and learn things even beyond this video.
1. There are 3 types of flies… streamers, dry flies, and nymphs. Jig streamers and wooly buggers you can work exactly how you’d work a jig for any other species of fish and are easy to pick up as a beginner. If you have a stimulator, caddis, and a parachute Adams you’re set for dry flies (at least out east). And for out west having a Griffith’s gnat is always handy. There are a few basic nymphs, pheasant tail, hares ear, prince nymph, and rainbow warrior, that catch fish anywhere in the world. Fly sizes are simple, the smaller the number the bigger the fly. For example a size 12 fly is much bigger than a size 18, and so on. The most “normal” sizes for flies range from around six 12 to size 20, with any number lower than 12 being really big, and any number higher than 20 being really small.
2. Fly selection isn’t that important. Everybody talks about fly choice but its such a small piece of the equation. It is far more important for you to get your fly down in front of the fish than it is for you to have exactly matched what they’re eating. For example, if you don’t see any fish rising don’t throw a dry fly and expect to have a killer day on the water. There are obviously exceptions to everything, but generally if you have the flies I mentioned in the flies section in the beginning of the video, you can and will catch fish almost anywhere, regardless of what is hatching and what isn’t. And if you’re struggling and feel like you did need to match the hatch, flip over a rock and match your flies with what you see crawling around, or stand for a second and look at what bugs are flying around the river.
3. Trash flies aren’t trash, people just don’t like how well they work. “Trash flies” are flies like a squirmy worm, mop fly, greenie weenie, or an egg. If you don’t have trash flies in your box then you’re missing out on some of the best fishing you can have on the water. These flies just flat out catch fish, and when you’re knew that’s important. The lesson for section 3 is just have fun and catch some fish. There is no right or wrong way to fly fish and catching fish as a new fly fisherman is the most important thing you need to learn if you’re ever going to stick with it.
4. If you’re new, use an indicator rig or a jig streamer. Indicators are just a fancy way of saying bobber, and if you drop a squirmy below an indicator you’re essentially bobber fishing with a worm. If you drop another fly down there then you’ll have double the chance of hooking up. This isn’t the coolest way to catch a trout, BUT it’s a great way to Catch a few fish and get the hang of casting out, fighting a fish, and landing it. Jig streamers are another great way to get started just because they’re so similar to jigging for any other species of fish. Once you’ve caught some fish and get the hang of fly fishing you can start trying new rigs and getting more particular with how you catch fish (if you want to).
5. What you should and shouldn’t spend money one… for example Tippet is just thinner diameter fishing line and It’s slightly overrated. Let me explain: Tippet is theoretically designed so that you can throw higher pound test on smaller diameter line and spook less fish. The sizing looks complicated but it’s not that bad, I’ll throw up a general tippet to pound test conversion on the screen. Generally when you’re fly fishing you will use 3x to 6x depending on the day, with the most common being 4x-5x. But if you’re throwing a streamer you have no reason to use tippet, and honestly in a lot of nymphing / dry fly fishing scenarios tippet isn’t needed. For years, I used regular florocarbin fishing line for streamers and had 4 pound test monofiliment in my bag for nymphing and dry fly fishing. It’s so much cheaper to use regular fishing line and in most areas it doesn’t make a difference
SO that’s my 5 things I wish I knew when I started fly fishing. These are fly fishing specific, in other words I didn’t go into the ins and outs of how to catch trout because when I started fly fishing I already had been trout fishing for years. If you want more specific videos like this one, let me know in the comments below. Thanks for watching!
#trout #troutfishing #outdoors #flyfishing
All Comments (21)
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My family was dirt poor. I was given a battered flyrod as a young man and I grew up tying my own flies. I used chicken feathers, deer hair, yarn, and whatever I could muster up. I did not copy the patterns of others, because I had none to copy, although some of my flies turned out looking like the old standards. Getting strikes on my own flies and designing new ones to reflect what I saw in the stream, was and still is, as exciting as the catch. Tying flies is a vicarious way of enjoying the sport when you just can't get out there. I have been tying for 70 years. My first ones looked like wind blown sparrows but they caught fish. I have given thousands of my better flies away and accepted hundreds as gifts. When using those flies I feel as if I am fishing with the friend who gave them to me. Years from now, you will remember the idyllic little streams, lovely rivers, and serene lakes, and the flies you caught fish on, as much as you remember the fish you caught. When Its time to fish, take a few of the flies you feel will be appropriate for the water and leave the rest in the truck. No need to look like an Orvis representative, fish don't read labels.
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Not specifically a rule, but I wish the disappointment of fly fishing was talked about more. You can have some awesome days but you’ll have some days where you feel like you’re just learning again or things just don’t go right no matter what. The payoff is huge sometimes even just for that one fish you’ve been after, but get used to the other times as well and learn to be content with just being out there.
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As a previous Fly shop owner, it always was interesting to me when peoples gear and the amount of gear they had outweigh their ability to make a simple cast! Make sure that you are proficient casting and targeting where you wanna cast before you worry about $700 rod or $500 reel, get your basics down with your $50 or $25 Walmart Rod and then move forward with gear that will allow you to improve better than having a truckload of stuff and a wheelbarrow load of experience!
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Another thing I found out is that learning to tie your own flies also teaches you a lot about fly fishing in general
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So true. Rod and line are everything. Reel is far less important unless you need drag. Tried to learn for 8 years until finally a club took me in that wasnt a bunch of snobs. Two years later I was nearly at their level in casting proficiency but always finding new things to learn. Now fishing Northern Michigan and gold medal rivers in Colorado. So rewarding! We need to teach the next generation and not be witholding.
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My tip was I struggled with being overwhelmed with knots and not tying them correctly and lost a number of the first real good fish I hooked into. You don’t need to know how to tie more than 1-3 knots and tie them well and you’ll have much better success early on!
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A tip from another fly fishing channel - use tippet rings. Every time you tie a knot you lose a bit of line. Tying a ring in your leader and tying a tippet to that means no more shortening of the leader.
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Glad you mentioned wet hands. There's so many vids on fishing out there that never talk about this. I've seen fish with the imprint of a hand effectively burned into their bodies because of poor handling. This is a great vid for beginners and also more experienced fishers who may have become a bit lazy. Hello from Scotland.
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I have been fly fishing since I was around 5, I'm 48 now. A life long obsession. I have guided and taught many. I will say, the most common issues I run into are people not fishing the fly like what it is. If you are throwing an ant fly, it moves very slow. If you are using a crayfish, make sure it acts like one. Same goes for all flies. Beyond that, fish every cast, even bad casts. Do not recast for the extra 5ft. Just work the fly back and recast. You will scare less fish and even pick up a few extras.
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1. Learn your knots (practice) 2. Practice your casting (parks with open area are good) 3.Learn a little bit on insects in your area and find what times to use them. 4. Check spider webs or foam under rocks to see what the fish are probably eating. 5. Get on the internet to see the different setups for using dries or nymphs.
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As someone brand new to fly fishing, I can honestly say out of the dozens and dozens of videos I’ve watched trying to learn, this is the best by far. Thank you for this video!
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Glad to know it’s not the flies just the fisherman, feeling humbled
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I just bought my first rod and some flies and I'm stoked to get to the water! I was completely overwhelmed looking at all the different flies and wondering how I would ever pick the right one for the right spot. Thanks for imparting your knowledge, it is greatly appreciated!
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I only have 1 tidbit of advice- wish I had started this journey when I was a teenager. Such a great hobby and sport. You will discover that even when people aren’t catching fish around you, it possible to have a blast catching small aggressive panfish. Enjoy the minimalist hobby- throw a box of flies in your pocket and a flyrod and walk the lake, pond or river. Tough to beat.
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Couple thing I would have added are, when casting keep your fly in or on the water more than false casting. The more you false cast, the less time you have at catching a fish. Spot on with the reel info. For the rod and line, don’t skimp out on the line. Personally that is the most important piece of the fly rod. For instance, I can take a great fly line and put it on an ok fly rod. By doing so, I made that ok fly rod so much better. Take a great fly rod and put ok fly line on it, now that fly rod is a good fly rod now. Hope it made sense.
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I like this guy, You DONT need an expensive reel. I use Medalists, old etc most all the time. I have Gunisson and all sorts of reels. For salt water you need a decent reel. For fresh water, you use it only to spool the line. Line is a great item to spend decent money on. Take care of em and they last a long time. Tippet is good for small fish, stream, and precise presentation. Mostly enjoy yourself, and forget the expensive but unnecessary things. There are a lot of thing which catch a lot of Fisherman. Al Brewster's quote.
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I took up fly fishing in 1996. I have always been a Bass fisherman since I was 3 years old. It took me 39 outings to finally hook up with a trout on a hares ear! Once netted, I never looked back and not only enjoy the sport. I enjoy the river, water, nature, wildlife and more. It soothes my soul and takes me away from the work and home stresses in life. I now teach my son-in-law on the rivers and watch his frustration while snagged in an overhead branch or tangled rigs from poor cadence! He finally caught his first rainbow on a fly rod and it did not take him 39 outings. Great video and tips. Thank you....
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Great job breaking down fly fishing for folks new to the sport! Biggest challenge for me when starting out was being overwhelmed by all the terms, options and gear. No replacement for getting out there and trying different flies and techniques to see what works and what doesn't! A big game changer for me was knowing when to use some split shot to help get those wet flies down in the strike zone quicker. Thanks again for another great video!
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Great little video. Thank you. New guy here. Been spin fish over 40 years. Fly fishing about ten times, and really starting to get hooked on it. The tippet explanation was excellent. I'm going with patience being high on the learning curve list for me. Seems the same for a pair of buddies that are on the same journey with me. Slow your roll has become the mantra. 🤘🏼😆🤘🏼
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Bro I love all your videos. Even though some of this may seem so obvious and easy to you, it helps me out big time. I’m just starting out fly fishing, and honestly watching and listening to you is all I have to go off. It’s such a huge help for me. And your a big inspiration for me. Love these videos 🖤
