I’m deeply entrenched in the busy season of guiding beginner
to novice fly anglers and the same minor problems of casting, presentation, and
fighting fish just to name a few, become apparent. These are easily fixed by
actually getting out and experiencing different fishing situations. Fly fishing
is a perishable skill, and the more you practice (fish), the more proficient
one becomes to achieving a higher level of mastery. As a long time guide (going
on 23 years to be exact), I have learned to break down problems into smaller
fragments for my guests, and to also imagine what it’s like to be a rookie all
over again to help them understand more easily. Explaining the concept or a
solution to the problem as simply as you can, often results in a quicker
progression rate of learning. Telling your client “Oh, that’s easy” is not the
answer.
There is a lot going on at the same time for a beginning fly
angler to comprehend. Just the process of catching a fish has many detailed
steps to see success. First you must select the right fly, make the needed
proper presentation, achieve a solid hook set, playing the fish without breaking
it off, and lastly landing the fish in the net. I’ve made a list of the
problems I see that leads to failure in many different ways. I know other
guides will probably disagree with me with this post and to be honest, I could
care less. My sole purpose in life is to share my 46 years of knowledge with
all things fly fishing, instruct, and carry on my Dad’s legacy of helping
others and fisheries conservation. Posing with large fish is great for social
media satisfaction or your guide business, but learning and teaching the proper
ways to fly fish is more important in the long run as these skills will carry
you through a lifetime of enjoyment and success.
1) Casting Indicators – Bobber rigs have many hinge points
in the system starting with the fly line/leader junction, added split shot, the
first fly, and the second dropper fly. An off shoulder “Lob” cast is best with
an open loop, and your rig should be elongated and stretched out through the
lob while in the air. If an angler fails to keep the rig stretched out and
taunt, and allows the indicator rig to collapse upon itself, will lead to a
major bird’s nest of tangles. This is no place for false casting tight sexy
loops.
2) Mending – Some of my students pick this up quicker than
others, and the principal of placing the fly line/leader upstream of the
indicator, or dry fly, for a drag free drift is critical for success. Most
importantly, the first upstream mend sets the tone for the entire drift. When
making the first mend, keeping the rod tip higher will result in lifting all
the line off the water, while sweeping the rod upstream to achieve the most
efficient motion. A drag free drift of 10 feet beats a 30 foot drift that is
compromised by constantly moving the bobber or dry fly through insufficient
mends.
3) Line Control – Is everything! A constant awareness of
your fly line and what it is doing (or going to do) while making presentations
is critical. Having too much slack line between the rod tip and the fly will
result in missed hook sets. Not having enough slack between the rod tip and the
fly will result in drag, and your fly will look unnatural and be refused. Line
control also involves your hand that is in direct contact with the line whether
you are stripping in line, feeding line out, or micro managing it at your feet.
4) Setting the Hook – While drifting indos, or tight line
nymphing, a sweeping downstream and to the side 45 degree angle motion is the
preferred way to set the hook, by doing so you’re setting the hook into the
side of the trout’s mouth as it is facing upstream in the current. For dry
flies, it all depends on whether the presentation is upstream or a fly first
down and across. The key here is to evaluate the take in a millisecond, which
only comes with more time on the water. The smaller the fish the quicker the
reaction time, the bigger the fish requires a slight pause to allow them to eat
your offering. Day in and day out, I see my guests pull the fly right out of
the mouth of an 18 inch or larger fish.
5) Fighting Fish – Many different topics here to discuss
that must all be executed properly to see your prize find the landing net.
First off, don’t horse the fish in if your using 5 or 6X tippet, take your
time. The biggest problem I see when losing fish is not keeping a tight line
down to the fish and allowing slack. A size 18 fly that is barbless will
quickly come out of a trout’s mouth once a slack line is employed. Keep
Tension! Allowing the fish to take line when it is aggressively swimming
upstream or downstream is a must. I’ve seen far too many nice fish lost due to
the “Death Grip” of pinching off the fly line on the handle of the rod, or
simply holding on to the line for dear life. Your line control hand must use
different levels of pressure on the fly line to achieve the fine balance of
keeping a taunt line yet enabling the fish to take line without any slack.
Lastly, once you have control of the situation and the fish is tiring, bring
the rod over to the side of the river you are on and gently steer it into
calmer water for a successful landing.
6) Landing a Fish – As a client you can help your guide out
immensely by lifting your rod and getting the fish near the surface so the net
operator can make the “scoop”. It helps even more if you can plane the fish on
its side at the surface (where it has little power or control) and slide it
into the net. Often times a fish will seem tired just before the net job, and as
the net operator goes for the scoop, the fish makes one final burst of speed to
get away from the net. Be prepared for this, and allow the fish to take line
out while keeping tension, yet not too much as it will result in a dreaded
break off.
7) Tangles – Beginner to expert, it makes no difference;
when you see a tangle develop, stop everything you are doing. Continuing to
cast will make it worse, or flipping/bouncing the tip around like it will
magically make it better will always make it worse. If your tangle takes a
minute or longer to unravel, clip the flies off. It is much quicker to do so
and tying clinch knots are faster than unthreading twists and other monofilament
nightmares. Some of the tangles I see defy the laws of physics with what seems
an origin of the twilight zone.
8) Rod Control – Being smooth is everything while handling a
fly rod. Unnecessary movements will be transmitted to the tip of the rod down
to your presentation, or if you’re trying to string up your rod for travel to
the next destination. Slow down, and be aware of your rod handling movements.
9) Clean Flies Matter – On tail water and most freestone fisheries
there is an abundance of organic material. Moss, algae, rock snot, salad, or
whatever you want to call it will prevent a trout from taking your fly if it is
coated with it. Not all algae will come from the bottom of a river. There are
also situations where it is free flowing in the current. Depending on the river,
I will check my flies about every 3 to 12 presentations to make sure they are
free of any accumulation of foreign material. A technique I learned decades ago
on the San Juan River and aptly named “The San Juan Slap” is to swing your rig
in a circular motion downstream and raking your flies and split shot across the
surface of the water in a quick motion while it is coming back upstream. Your
rig must be extended and taunt during this maneuver or it will collapse upon
itself and result in a bird’s nest. If you cannot master this, simply lift your
flies out of the water and manually remove the algae with your hands. Before
you make your presentation, do not let go and allow your flies to drop into the
idle water you are standing in. They will plummet to the bottom of the river
due to a non-existing current, and instantly become “Goo’d Up” with crap. Hold
your clean flies in your line control hand and as you make your initial cast,
let go and watch them enter your intended target area of your next presentation
area.
10) Mind Set - The vibe you give off and your mental state has a lot to do with how successful you are. If you have a shitty and pissed off state of mind, you will most likely be unsuccessful in the catching department. But if you feel the stoke and have a calm peace of mind, yet are totally focused at the task at hand, you will be more successful. Woman fly anglers both novices to pros are so good with this positive state of mind. Countless times I have witnessed them out fish their male fishing buddies. Women possess the ultimate Mojo in fly fishing aura.
