FLy Fishing For Beginners|Getting Started On The Fly

Getting started on something is always the hardest part, even for the beginning fly fisherman. Before you run out and purchase all kinds of expensive gear you need to ask yourself "why exactly do you want to learn fly fishing?” For me it was a natural progression from bass fishing in streams as a young boy with my father. Nothing can beat the feeling you get from spending an early morning or late afternoon fishing your favorite stream surrounded by all that nature has to offer. Except of course, that sudden burst of adrenaline you get when you spot that big trout raising to your fly. So take a minute to reflect on why you want to learn to fly fish and what you expect to gain from it.

Now that you’re in the right frame of mind there are several things to consider before getting started. Before you can start you need to have the proper gear. There are many different rod types, reels, flies, lines, and waders to choose from, so where do you start. If your like me you don’t want to spend tons of money and countless hours deciding on the perfect fly fishing equipment, you just want to get out there and do it. I suggest hitting up your local big box retailer and purchasing one of the rod and reel combos they offer. These usually are under $50.00; include a basic rod, reel, line and sometimes a selection of flies to get you started. In addition, they usually have some basic casting; knot tying and fishing tips to help you get started. My first fly rod was bought for $5.00 at a local garage sale. Expensive gear doesn’t make you a good fly fisherman, practice does.

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to practice, once you have your basic gear in hand. Spend some time in the back yard practicing casting. Stick with the basics and soon you will be casting like a pro. The worst things you can do are rush out to a stream, strip out some line and fling it around like some crazy man swatting at bugs. You'll just end up spending your afternoon getting fly caught in trees, brush and maybe even your buddy’s ear. I suggest starting at a local farm pond with plenty of clear bank. It is a good way to get used to the how the line and fly react on the water without getting all snagged in bushes. Heck you might even catch a few gills or a small bass to break in your new rod.

As a beginner at fly fishing if you take the time to practice, read a few books on fly fishing, understand the basic mechanics you'll be well on your way to being hooked for life like me. I know this article wasn’t exactly the how to manual on fly-fishing, but hopefully it will nudge you in the right direction. I'll get into more detail on specifics as I continue this series of tips for the beginning fly fisherman.