Here you learn what is different from lure fishing, how to cast, where the fish are, and what to do when one takes. You do not need to know anything already.
How is fly fishing different from lure fishing?
In fly fishing you cast the heavy line, because the fly weighs almost nothing.
Fly fishing is not lure fishing with a different rod, and four things set them apart.
The line is the weight
With a lure, the lure pulls the line out. A fly weighs almost nothing, so it cannot. That is why a fly line is thick and heavy. You cast the line, and the fly goes with it.
The fly looks like food
A fly is feathers and thread on a hook. It looks like an insect, a larva or a small fish. That is what trout and grayling eat every day, and what a lure cannot copy.
You fish close
Most fish on the fly are caught within 10 to 15 metres. You do not need long casts. You need to get close without scaring the fish.
It is easier than its reputation
You learn the basic cast in a couple of evenings on the lawn. The rest you learn at the water. Nobody casts nicely in the first year, and the fish do not care.
How do you cast a fly rod?
The overhead cast is the basic cast, and the rod moves between 1 o’clock behind you and 10 o’clock in front, with a sharp stop at each end.
Picture a clock beside you: straight up is 12 o’clock.
- Pull 6 to 8 metres of line out in front of you. Hold the line against the cork with the index finger of your rod hand, or in your other hand.
- Start with the rod tip down near the water and the line tight. A slack line cannot be cast.
- Lift the rod smoothly, faster and faster, backwards. Stop sharply when it points a little behind you, at about 1 o’clock.
- Wait. The line must straighten out fully behind you before you cast forward. Turn your head and watch it the first few times.
- Bring the rod forward the same way, smoothly and faster. Stop sharply at about 10 o’clock.
- Lower the rod tip slowly as the line rolls out and settles on the water. Now you are fishing.
Practise on the lawn first
Tie a small tuft of wool yarn to the leader instead of a fly. Then you can practise with no hook, and you see where the line lands. Twenty minutes a day for a week is enough to go fishing.
No room behind you? Roll cast
Lift the rod slowly to 1 o’clock, so the line hangs in a curve beside you. Then cast forward and stop sharply. The line rolls out over the water without going behind you.
Four easy ways to fish
A wet fly on the swing in a river is the easiest way to start, because the current keeps the line tight.
Pick one method and stay with it on your first trip.
Wet fly on the swing
RiverCast at an angle down the river. Let the current pull the fly in an arc towards your bank. The line stays tight the whole time, so you feel the take. Take a step downstream and repeat. This is the easiest way to start.
Nymph under an indicator
RiverAn indicator is a small float on the leader. The nymph hangs under it, near the bottom. Cast up the river and let it all drift freely down towards you. If the indicator stops or dips, lift the rod.
Dry fly to a rise
River and lakeIf you see rings on the water, the fish are feeding at the surface. Cast the fly a little upstream of the ring in a river, or right next to it on a lake. Let it drift or sit quite still. Lift the rod when the fly disappears.
Nymph or streamer on the strip
LakeCast out and wait for the fly to sink a little. Pull the line in with your free hand in short, calm pulls. Pause now and then. The take feels like a tug on the line.
Where are the fish?
Fish hold with their heads into the current, in the current seam and by rocks in a river, and by inlets and edges in a lake.
- Fish upstreamFish hold with their heads into the current. If you work upstream, you come from behind, where they cannot see you.
- The current seamWhere fast water meets slow water. The fish rest in the slow water and take the food that passes in the fast.
- Behind and in front of rocksA rock makes a pocket of slow water. Cast the fly so it drifts past the pocket.
- Inlets and edgesIn a lake the fish hold where a stream flows in and where the shallows drop into deep water. In the evening they come in close to the bank.
- Wind at your backStand so the wind comes from behind or from the side of your casting arm. A headwind makes the cast hard, and wind from the wrong side blows the fly into your head.
What do you do when a fish takes?
Lift the rod calmly and firmly without jerking, and keep the line tight all the way to the net.
- Keep the line tight all the time. You can only feel the take and hook the fish if there is no slack between you and the fly.
- Lift the rod calmly and firmly when you see or feel the take. Do not jerk. With a streamer, pull the line in with your other hand instead.
- Keep the rod tip high. If the fish wants to run, let it take line through your fingers. It tires before you do.
- If the fish is big, reel the loose line onto the reel. Then the drag takes over, and both your hands are free.
- Lead the fish into the net head first. Do not chase it with the net.
Common mistakes
Most beginners use too much force, but the cast is about timing and a sharp stop, not strength.
Everybody makes these mistakes. Here is how to fix them.
- Too much forceThe cast is about timing and the stop, not strength. Cast harder and the loop in the line gets bigger and the cast gets shorter. Use half the force and stop more sharply.
- A crack behind youIf it cracks like a whip, you cast forward before the line has straightened out. That is how you lose the fly. Wait half a second longer.
- The line hits the groundYour wrist bends back, and the rod goes too far. Keep your wrist firm and stop at 1 o’clock.
- Too much line outMore line is heavier to cast and harder to keep tight. Start with 6 to 8 metres and add one metre at a time.
- Forgetting to look behindTrees and bushes behind you take the fly before the fish do. Look over your shoulder before the first cast. If there is no room, use a roll cast.
- The fly drags in the currentIf the line lies in faster water than the fly, it pulls the fly unnaturally fast. The fish sees it. Lift the line and lay it upstream of the fly again.
Common questions
Is fly fishing hard to learn?
- The cast is not the hard part. The hard part is getting the fly to drift naturally and seeing the take, and you only learn that at the water. It goes fastest with somebody who knows how beside you. Many local hunting and fishing associations hold casting courses for beginners.
Can I fish a fly without a fly rod?
- Yes, with a fly and a casting float. A clear float that you fill with water gives the weight you need to cast with a spinning rod. The fly hangs on a leader of one and a half to three metres behind the float, and you reel in slowly. It catches fish, but in zones kept for fly fishing it is usually not allowed, so read the rules first. Spinning gear
When in the year is it best to start fly fishing?
- From June to August. The insects hatch then, the fish feed at the surface, and you can see where they are. Grayling are protected around spawning in spring in many places, but July and August are good grayling months. A warm, calm evening by a river is the best first trip. The season month by month