Fly Fishing Tips

''1001 Fly Fishing Tips'' - Book by Jay Nichols
Price: $19.95
Reading, 1001 Fly Fishing Tips , is like taking a guided fishing trip across the country with over twenty-five of the worlds best fly fisherman. Editor, Jay Nichols, put together over 1,001 important fly fishing tips that will help fly fishers from beginners to experts catch more fish anywhere they cast a line . 1001 Fly Fishing Tips has over 200 illustrations from renowned artist Dave Hill, and encyclopedic coverage of almost everything that's essential to know about fresh and saltwater fly fishing like: advise on fly casting from Lefty Kreh, matching the hatch with Charlie Meck, taking amazing fish photos with Barry and Cathy Beck, mastering mayflies with John Barr, catching selective trout with Mike Lawson, West Coast stripers with Dan Blanton, steelhead secrets with Lani Waller and spey casting with Simon Gawesworth. Papeback; 224 pages.

 

All fishermen have little secret strategies that they believe give them the advantage over all others on the water. Most of these are nothing more than the fly fishing tips listed here. The secret to successful fishing is remembering the basics.

Fly fishing tips to keep your cast on target

Fly fishing is casting. If you cannot cast, you will not catch fish. Fly fishing tips that help improve your cast are well worth following.

Practice, practice, practice is the secret to a good cast. This is the way you will develop a smooth and accurate presentation. Go find a park and throw a line at a target.

If your line is landing at a heap in front of you, you are not stopping your cast early enough. Your rod should stop at the 11 o'clock position. You can lower the rod after the line has lain out smoothly on the water.

Most casting mistakes are caused by one or more of the following: your wrist is bending as you cast, you have not developed a relaxed rhythm to your cast, or you are letting your rod go beyond the 1 o'clock 11 o'clock positions.

Remember it is the line that carries the fly into position. You need to have the line flowing smoothly to present the fly right in the zone.

Short and accurate casting is preferable to long casts to empty water.

Approaching the water: the vital fly fishing tip

You can have all the skills in the world but if you lose the fish before you get to the water, you'll be a disenchanted fisherman. The most important fly fishing tip I can give you to prevent this is to stop, look, and think.

Stop before you get to the stream, several yards back from the bank in fact. Lay down your rod and check out the water. Where are the fish likely to be holding and how can you fish those areas the most effectively?

Fly fishing is a thinking sport. Jumping into the water and casting haphazardly will not fill your creel, or please any other fishers nearby. Experienced fishermen and women can spend as much as twenty minutes assessing the waters before making their first cast.

Fly fishing tips: a knotty problem

If a knot is not seated properly it will fail. Too many turns around a standing line will not allow the knot to draw down properly. Too few turns and the knot will slip.

Lubricating the knot as you pull it tight will secure it better. Saliva works just great.

Learn to tie the most commonly used knots with your eyes shut. When the light is poor out on the river, or you forgot your glasses, you'll still be able to manage.

A fly fishing tip for understanding how fish hold

We often hear that fish face upstream but this is not necessarily so. The fly fishing tip to learn here is that fish lie into the current. Eddies and other factors turn the currents around. Fish holding in these waters could well be facing downstream.

Check out the stream so that your approach is from the right direction.

Fish often lie under banks for cover. If you spook one of these it is likely to spread panic throughout the rest of the waters. Look before you step.

Approach the river from shade if possible; you'll be less visible to the fish. Wearing muted color clothes will also help camouflage you.

Fly fishing tips for waders

Using a wading staff will keep you stable in fast currents and let you know what's going on underneath where you can't see.

Slowly does it. Take all the time you need to get into position when wading. In quiet water you should be so slow that the water barely shows your presence. If you are creating waves, you are wading too fast.

General fly fishing tips

When you are in a tight spot and need to make a short cast, hold your rod up by the butt guide. This will have the effect of shortening your rod and make the cast easier.

A small hand movement can create a lot of movement at the end of your rod. Remembering this will help you control your casting.

Presentation is more important than food types. Many fish will rise to any tasty looking morsel if it is presented properly. A poorly presented fly will likely be ignored.

Trout are not smart, but they can be easily spooked.

There are many fly fishing tips to be learned. Talking to local fishermen and knowledgeable salespeople at fishing stores can provide you with an arsenal of fishing advice. Look it over, try it out, and use the tips that work for you.