howtoflyfish

So you’ve decided you want to learn how to fly fish, or at least look into taking it up – this will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. Fly Fishing is, without doubt, one of the most rewarding sports I’ve been involved in. It’s not just about catching fish, in fact far from it. Fly fishing has taken me to some of the most beautiful places in the world, just me, my rod and nature. It will take you to places that very few people in the world will ever get to experience and it will only cost you the gas for your car to get there!

So what is so great about fly fishing and why should you learn how to fly fish? Picture this, a crisp morning, you’re sitting beside a mountain fed river that has been there for thousands of years longer than you. The sun has not yet come up; you’re waiting for it to get light enough so you can see you’re line on the water. While sitting there you are contemplating what will be the result of your first cast of they day. Last night you spent hours tying flies, setting up your rod in front of the fire while having a beer with mates, talking through the prospects of the next day. The sky begins to brighten, you decide it’s time!

Standing in gin clear water you strip out line, preparing for your first cast of the day. You lift the line off the water, elevating the two flies you selected as you’re killer flies for the first part of the morning. You’ve got plenty of line in the air; you decide it’s time to throw the first cast onto the water, the line loops out on itself, softly cutting the water. You see the flies present themselves to the water, you’re now fishing…

You follow your line as it makes its way through its drift, waiting for the first chance of a strike. The sun is slowly starting to come up, you know it’s breakfast time for the rainbow trout you’re about to fool. You see an indication of your line going under the water, STRIKE and then the greatest feeling you can get on the water – tap, tap, tap on the end of your rod; the fish is on! You’ve successfully fooled your first fish of the day into swallowing the fly you tied last night using natural materials, a bit of thread and a hook. Adrenaline sets in; did I hook it well, where will I land it, how big is it, are thoughts that rush through your mind. You softly play the fish, it takes you back into the main flow, runs down stream and then runs toward you, it’s more of a challenge landing the thing! Eventually the fish tires and gives up, you’re able to net it, get your mate to take a quick picture then return the fish to the river to allow it to fight another day!

And as I say, catching fish isn’t just what it’s all about. Fly fishingoffers so much on so many levels - I’ve taken dozens of first timers out on the water and every single one of them have loved it, fish or no fish, they’ve all appreciated the skill of the sport, the environment in which we’re lucky enough to practice it and the sense of accomplishment at even just getting the flies on the water.

In two minds about whether to Learn to Fly Fish? Didn’t think so; see you on the water…

There are a number of types of fly lines, one of the common differentiators of these is fly line density. Fly lines have different densities, each density is used for a different method of fly fishing. At the highest level, fly lines either float or sink. When we break it down a bit further we discover that there are more than two types of fly line densities. Here we’re going to cover off four common types: floating, sink-tip, sinking and intermediate. Each of these lines are used in different ways, so if you want to learn to fly fish or try a different method, understanding fly line density is important.

Floating Fly Lines
Floating fly lines are easy to understand, because they simply do what their name suggests, they float on top of the water (or sit in the water film). Floating fly lines are hugely popular for fishing dry flies or nymphs; they can also be used to fish streamers or wet flies. Floating lines are made with small air bubbles in their coating, making the line less dense than the water; this allows the line to float on top. You connect a leader to the floating line, to enable your flies to get down to the fish that is waiting. If you’re learning how to fly fish then this would be the best place to start.

Sink-Tip Lines
The sink-tip line is a variation of the floating line; again, as the name suggests, it is a floating line with a sinking tip. A sinking tip means that the density of the tip, or end of the line, is heavier than water and therefore the tip sinks into the water. So part of the line is floating on the water, but the end (the tip closest to your flies) is sunk in the water. This type of line helps to get flies down in the water quickly, but does not require the entire line to sink in the water. This can often be a great line for smaller, shallower rivers when you want to fish with your line in the river, but not too deeply – to prevent it will snagging on the bottom.

Sinking Lines
Sinking lines, when cast onto water, are designed to sink into the water. They have a greater density than water, so they fall into the water column. A key feature of the sinking line is its sink rate; sinking lines will sink at different rates depending on how dense they are. Understandably, a heavier (higher density) sinking line will sink faster than a lighter (less dense) line. This is a key consideration when looking at sinking lines as you want a line that is going to sink at the correct rate for the type of water you fish. A fast sinking line will be ideal for deep rivers and pools; however this line will be a struggle to fish with in shallow rivers and streams. The method of fishing that uses sinking lines is commonly referred to as ‘wet lining’.

Intermediate Lines Intermediate lines are sinking lines, but they don’t sink as fast as true ‘sinking line’. These lines vary in their sink rates, so it is important to understand the differences in brands of intermediate lines and their sink rates. Intermediate lines are ideal for fishing lake edges and shallower rivers as the line will have time to get down to the right depth, however it won’t snag on the bottom like full sinking lines do. The retrieve (pulling in the line by hand) speed will determine at what depth the intermediate line sits. The above lines densities are the four key types you will encounter, as you would have guessed there are variations of each type. If you are just starting to learn to fly fish then you’ll need to understand what fly line density is going to suit the water you’ll be fishing most of the time.

It seems that preparing during the week, for a weekend of fly fishing, heightens the anticipation and excitement of what lies ahead on the river come Saturday morning. It must be the ritual that I look forward to most, because it signals the start to another trip to the river. Even though the tasks may seem mundane, they hold promise for fly fishing. 

It normally starts on a Wednesday night, over halfway through the week, when the weekend seems so much closer. Over the next few nights I’ll ensure that I prepare the following things:

Indicators
If you use strike indicators, then you’ll know how important it is that they float. Getting your indicators ready is an important task that can easily be overlooked. Combing out the indicator fibers will separate them and get rid of any loose fibers. Once separated, I spray the indicators with a floatant, this will help to keep the water out of the fibres and keep the indicator sitting high in the water.

Leaders
Tying up a couple of leaders can save you time on the water. I tie tapered leaders of varying length to ensure that I am completely prepared for all types of water that I may encounter on the trip. Gather each leader I tie in a looped bundle and put them into pockets in my vest, so when the time calls I can pull them out and tie them straight on.

Flies
This part of the preparation really starts to get the mind thinking of all things fishing. Trying to anticipate what fly will work on the river is always a hard task, so I ensure that I tie up a few loyal favourites and then a couple of patterns which have worked well before on the water I intend to fish. Often I’ll tie an experimental fly to try out when the fishing is a bit slow.

Plan of Attack
A plan of attack will ensure that you get maximum fishing time and minimal travel/downtime. I usually look at maps of the area I’m going to fish, photos, if I’ve fished it before, or articles on the area, if it’s new to me. The plan of attack isn’t exactly down to 15 minute blocks, but it gives me a general guide and ensures I’m ready to fish the water when I arrive.

By the time Friday night rolls around I’m in full fishing mode, little else occupies the mind and the anticipation levels are at an all time high. Through preparation I’ve just turned my two day fishing trip into a five day journey.