Fly fishing guide services can be found in all 50 states and across the globe, for good reason!
It’s a fairly big commitment to spend hundreds of dollars to enlist a professional guide for the day, and anglers want to be sure that their investment is worthwhile. Fishing with a guide means more than just fish in the net, although that’s certainly part of it. Here are four reasons why hiring a guide is the best money a fly fisher can spend!
Knowledge of Local Waters
It’s hard to beat a guide’s knowledge of local waters, regardless of what fish you’re after. Their livelihood depends on the ability to put clients on fish and show them a great day. This can come in handy when trying to learn all about the fishing close to home. A day with a guide can yield a plethora of spots that can be fished after the trip and enjoyed for years to come!
Time Maximization
For anglers with some experience, new waters can be learned eventually. Trout streams are trout streams whether they are in Colorado or New York, and folks can spend time learning all about a new location and catching fish...with enough time! Guides can eliminate the time it takes to learn spots and flies and speed things up a bit. This is especially important if you’re traveling through an area for a brief period of time. If you have five days to fish an area, you don’t want to spend the first three just learning where to go. Hire a guide on day one and enjoy the benefits for the rest of your trip!
Catch Fish!
Catching fish isn’t the only thing that matters on a guide trip, but it’s pretty important! Guides don’t stay in business very long by having clients get skunked, so they typically know where the fish are and how to catch them. There are extraneous factors at play, such as weather and stream levels, but fly fishing guides are in the business of getting their clients on fish!
Rigging Expertise
Each guide has their own way of doing things, from weight placement on a nymph rig to spacing between a dry and a dropper. This is really where anglers of all skill levels can take advantage of their time with a guide. Pay close attention to how the guide is rigging, and ask what the thought process is behind doing it that way. Taking those little tips and strategies back to your own waters will often result in a more efficient and productive way of fishing.
Deciding to book a guide for a morning or full-day is a true investment. There is much to be gained from having access to a professional fly fishing guide and using your time on the water wisely! Pay close attention to how they do things and ask plenty of questions. Not only will it result in fish caught that day, but plenty of fish on trips to come.
The buzz of a million hoppers coming from the roadside meadow overtakes the truck’s powering down engine.
A warm breeze wipes away the single bead of sweat rolling down the angler’s face as 4X leaders are topped off with 5X tippet. Waders have been stowed away for a month as the less cumbersome wet wading shoes take center stage. One fly box is all that is needed today. As rows of ants, beetles, and inchworms lie ready and waiting, the angler reaches for the granddaddy of them all: the fabled grasshopper pattern.
Go into any fly shop during mid-late summer and the talk will undoubtedly revolve around these beloved terrestrials. Our desire to catch trout on huge dry flies haunts our dreams during winter months and drives us to fish constantly during the warmth of summer. Fishing one of these bugs effectively requires a few specific tactics, though.
One of the most important factors to consider is exactly where we are fishing our hoppers. Anglers are creatures of habit, and April-June can yield some of the most electric dry fly fishing of the year, but most of it revolves around caddis, mayfly, and stonefly hatches. Typically these patterns will be fished in the middle of runs or in the creases of riffles dumping into larger holes.
With hoppers, our fly location needs to change entirely.
Think of where a grasshopper would naturally exist, and more specifically where it might fall into the stream, and the trout waiting patiently for a protein-packed dinner. Tight to the bank is often the name of the game. It’s more than just right on the bank; fishers also have to consider what a hopper would do if it haphazardly fell into the water.
Fish the banks!
Strip hoppers back towards the shore, perfectly imitating what this insect would do.
Focus efforts on stream sections with vegetation that runs right up to the water.
Add as much movement as possible to flies skittering on the water.
Imagine a favorite stretch of water, and how we typically fish it. What are the odds it’s fished going upstream with casts venturing into the middle or opposite half of the stream? Since the odds are good, that related to hopper fishing by being somewhat incorrect. A hopper that falls into the water will be frantically trying to make its way back to shore, by the quickest route possible.
To imitate this, sneak up to a nice undercut bank or deeper pool on your hands and knees. From a kneeling or crouching position cast a hopper about ten feet from shore and strip it back towards you in two or three-inch bursts. This can mimic almost exactly what a live bug would do in this scenario.
Fishing our flies in this manner will result in more fish and bigger fish. Many a large brown trout lies in wait under the overhang of vegetation just waiting for supper to fall from the sky in a fish’s version of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
That thought brings us to another hopper tactic, which is focusing our efforts on stream areas that feature higher densities of stream-side brush. By focusing on spots that harbor more hoppers, we are more inclined to encounter fish accustomed to feeding on them, thus resulting in more fish caught.
As the weather warms and our heavy nymphs are packed away in favor of more appealing terrestrials, remember to fish them in a way that mirrors the natural bugs. Find those stream sections featuring plenty of bushes, and after creeping towards the water make casts that get our hoppers into the correct zone. If that is all accomplished, get ready for some of the most exciting and anticipated action of the season!
There are always tactics and techniques to catching fish in nearly every situation, and fly fishing high, muddy streams after a rain is no different. In these high water conditions fish will seek refuge in slack water and along the banks. Don’t expect to catch fish by casting into the class 6 white water rapids that developed mid-stream. Fish along the banks, behind large structure, and flooded areas deep enough to hold fish. I’ve caught many decent fish from following these tips.
Fish won’t be looking up to dry flies and can almost guarantee few insects will be hatching. Your best bet is to dead drift your flies down to the fish with weighted flies like nymphs and streamers.
Another perk to fishing in these undesirable conditions is that people will avoid fishing during these times and you will have the whole stream to yourself.
Just don’t go out wading into the water. Stay safe, be careful, and fish from the bank.
Beaded Dry Flies
It’s totally natural for insects to get churned under the surface. These drowned insects are easy meals and fish aren’t afraid to snack on them. This happens frequently during and after a spinner fall. Dead spinners get pushed down, and rather than feed off the top trout take the easy meals drifting on by. You’ll know that this is happening when you see disturbances on the water but nothing breaking the surface. Using dry flies with small beads will place your fly just a few inches below the surface and right into the mouths of feeding trout.
Double Dry Fly Rig
Think of a double dry fly rig as using a strike indicator for your dry flies. It’s not that you’ll see your second fly drop below the surface like when nymphing, it’s that you will use that second fly as a sighter to spot your other dry fly. This can be advantageous when fishing tiny dry flies or emergers. Tiny flies are tough to see over the glare and are just hard to see in general. By using a larger or more visible fly in the double rig with help you focus in on the other.
Tiny Dry Fly In Your Nymphing Rig
A good friend of mine absolutely loves to put a tiny size #22 - #24 dry fly into his nymphing rigs, and for whatever reason it works. Having the tiny dry fly pulled down into the feeding lanes drives trout nuts. I guess they could see it as a drowned insect or even an emerging larva, but it just plain works.
Skating Your Dry Fly
Have you ever watched caddis flies or stoneflies depositing their eggs across the surface of the water? They flap their wings to purpell them across the water like they’re skating. What better way to imitate their natural behavior than to skate your dry fly across the water than an orthodox dead drift. In some cases, picky trout almost prefer chasing the skating fly over a natural drift. The great thing is, is that the skate is easy to incorporate into your fishing. What I’ve seen skilled anglers do is complete their dead drift with the dry fly, like usual, and then raise their rod to skate it while directing the fly across the pool with the rod.
Loose The Indicator
Indicators are a gift and a curse. Sometimes they can put a little drag on your flies -- just enough to put off a fish, especially in slow water. What we love to do is take off the indicator and either sight fish or long-distance tightline nymph the flies. What that means is we had little to no slack in the line at all. You can cast upstream, cross stream, or downstream just make sure you have total control over the line and can feel every rock or twitch.
Dead Drift Streamers
Dead minnows and little baitfish are a common sight in the streams. This makes it only natural to dead drift your streamers like a nymph. Trout are always up for an easy meal and often feed opportunistically.
Add Two Split Shots
If you haven’t tried adding split shots into your nymphing rigs, here’s why. Now, here’s why you should be adding two split shots. One split shot is prone to a tremendous number of snags in rocky streams. Adding just one more split shot a few inches above the other gives the two weights a rolling action. So instead of just one split shot getting wedged in between rocks, two split shots push and pull each other out of snags and around obstacles. Now the trick is to add the right amount of weight. Rather than one big split shot, split the difference equally into two.
Multiple Non-Weighted Nymphs
Trout commonly feed right below the surface. Getting to those depths is easy, but having your flies remain in that water column is more difficult. One of the best ways to fish a consistent depth in the water column is to use non-weighted nymphs. Non-weighted nymphs require a bit of technique, though. You’ll have to cast further upstream and give the flies more time to sink to your desired depth before they reach the area you wanted to fish.
The intense buzzing can be heard from the truck as rods are hastily rigged with giant globs of foam with spider-looking legs dangling from all directions.
It’s hopper season, and there are few things in angling that rival the excitement of watching a trout attack a #10 dry fly! Here’s a crash course on how, when, and where to fish these terrestrials from summer far into fall to wrangle up trout from waters all over the country.
Constant Motion
Fishing a hopper differs greatly from more traditional dry flies. The gentle cast, landing, and drift can be shelved for more rugged splashes and jerking strips on the retrieve. For a perfect example of how to fish a hopper, try to track a live one down and toss it in the water. Observe how it swims continuously back towards shore with all of its legs moving at once.
This should be the model for which to strive in our hopper fishing as we cast out and bring the fly back to us with short, constant stripping motions. An added layer of imitation can involve fluttering the rod tip left and right rapidly to give the fly a skittering motion across the top of the water.
Hopper Season
Hoppers are so fun to fish in part because of the time of year in which they shine! Summer, complete with wet wading and warm breezes, is the best time to start focusing on terrestrials. What most don’t realize, however, is that hoppers could (and should!) be fished far into fall.
These bugs will exist in grassy fields and stream banks until the first freeze, which typically doesn’t happen until late October or November in the East. Even once this happens, trout still remember what they are and more importantly they instinctively understand the boost of protein that is to be had by inhaling these buzzing bugs! That’s why “hopper season” usually starts in early June and doesn’t stop until early November. What’s not to love about a six month season casting big dry flies?
Grass is King
Grass, grass, and more grass! Much like trout, mayflies, tricos, crayfish, and anything else in the riparian ecosystem, grasshoppers look for and prefer certain areas. In most cases, this means meadow stream sections with taller grasses. These are the locations where most grasshoppers will call home and by extension, are where trout will also feed.
The intersection of trout/hopper habitat is the place to start, so wherever streamside vegetation is thickest is the best place to start our fishing. Casting tight to the bank is preferred as the closer to the grasses we are, the more grasshoppers will naturally fall into the water.
Hopper fishing can bring big trout to the surface, and it happens to coincide with warm weather and wet wading bliss. Knowing where to fish, how to fish the flies, and when to go out can go a long way in turning our hopper fishing dreams into a reality!
Stepping foot into a new trout stream can be exciting, with opportunities aplenty for a day to remember!
The problem is that new water means unfamiliar spots, hatches different than our usual streams, and trout that are foreign to us. In situations like these, prospecting for fish is the name of the game, and here are a few tips to help make the process go a bit smoother.
Pay Attention
Clues abound for the alert trout prospector if one only knows where to look. Let’s say you’re heading for a juicy-looking deep run and spook a fish or two in the tail out on your approach. Then that happens again at the next spot, and you notice the pattern. For the rest of the day, throw a few prospecting casts in the tail outs since you noticed fish holding there. It’s all about paying special attention and focusing efforts where the fish are.
Pay close attention to those "fishy" spots and look for shadows, ledges, or structure within the water that might give trout shelter.
Deep runs
Branches
Undercut banks
Overhanging brush
Seam lines
Riffles
Large rocks
Aquatic Vegetation
Don't shy away from tossing your fly into those areas a few times. If nothing results from your efforts, keep moving forward and cover more water.
Don’t Be Too Specific
When prospecting for trout in unfamiliar streams, avoid specific “match the hatch” patterns unless you are sure what bugs are coming off. At certain times of the year, BWO’s might be the main trout snack on one stream, but water just a few miles away might be totally devoid of them. Prospecting missions should focus on attractor patterns that could imitate a number of different bugs until we can hone in on what’s hatching, and more importantly, what the fish are eating.
Change Flies Early and Often
If a fly isn’t working, cycle it out for something different. On home waters, we become accustomed to a set of patterns that consistently work and produce fish, but that’s not the case when prospecting a new stream. Even if a fly is a favorite, it’s only as good as the fish it’s catching! Have a very short leash on fly choices when you’re prospecting and keep changing until you find one that works.
Fish Fast
At the start of a day of prospecting for trout, tell yourself over and over to fish fast. Pick out the likely spots, throw half a dozen casts, then move on if the fish aren’t cooperating. The whole point of prospecting is to probe spots and try to find where the trout might be. In these situations, more water covered means more data used to determine where the fish are. Make a cast, take a step, make a cast, take a step, and do this over and over again until plenty of water is covered!
Prospecting for trout can be very rewarding and is a great way to fish a new stretch of water. When you’re out there trying to find some unsuspecting fish, fish fast, change flies often, don't be too specific in fly choice, and keep alert to ensure a great day trying out a new stream!
Of all the aspects of fly fishing that intimidate anglers, choosing the right line and knowing when to use it perhaps stands above all others.
What is tippet?
Tippet is a type of fly fishing line that is consistently the same weight, poundage, and diameter throughout the entire line with the purpose of being used in snippets. Every time you change a fly and snip the excess off, you are losing more length on your line - simple concept. After a load of snagging trees, catching fish, and changing flies, your line becomes rather short. An easy way to add more length is to attach a section of fly fishing tippet.
What is a leader?
Fly fishing leaders are a tapered section of line that is directly attached to your thick, colored fly line by either a loop-to-loop connection or knot for the use of tying on fly fishing flies. Fly leaders can be hand-woven or mechanically made but are always tapered having one end thicker than the other. Usually, you’ll find leaders in lengths of 7.5-ft, 9-ft, or 12-ft for anglers who fish in varying conditions with 9-ft as the standard.
How to use tippet.
Leaders wear down after extended periods of use and become ineffectively short, thick, and stubby. More often than not, you’ll find your leader too thick to tie a solid knot with. The genius thought, “if only I could add a more thin line right onto this”, may cross your mind. Rather than unpackaging a new leader and taking the time to replace the old one, it may be easier to cut off a section of thinner tippet from the spool and tie it onto your existing leader. Within just a few minutes you can tie on a few feet of tippet and manually craft your own tapered leader.
Different types of tippet and leader.
There are 2 main types of tippet that are categorized by the material used in each. The first is Monofilament, which is generalized by lower poundage, lower prices, and a diverse range of uses for most species. The second is Fuolorcarbon, which is typically stronger, more expensive, and is reserved for occasions that require a more durable line.
Monofilament is the most commonly used in fly rigs. Think of it as the “go-to”, the fly line you use in every situation.
Take care not to leave monofilament out in direct sunlight as UV rays will deteriorate it. I would suggest that before each fishing trip, take a few moments to inspect your line for any kinks, knots, and cuts that seem to compromise the strength of the line. Even more surprisingly, much like humans tippet can even become bruised. This is usually when it takes a beating against rocks and turns the areas a foggy white.
Monofilament
Fuolorcarbon
Knowing when to use 6X tippet instead of 4X or a 7.5 ft leader rather than a 9 ft confounds anglers of all skill levels, and unfortunately, some of our catching woes can be attributed to the line we are using. Here are a few things to consider when deciding what size tippet and leader you should be using.
What Type of Fish
For the catch and release angler, making responsible decisions starts with the size of the line used. Sure, big fish can be landed on 6X and 7X tippet, but at a cost to be sure. A lighter line means longer fights and more stressed out fish, so the size of tippet and leader should be determined somewhat by the fish being sought after.
You’ll hook more steelhead using 6X tippet in low and clear water, but the fight needed to land a fish will undoubtedly raise the mortality rate of a caught fish. For trout less than 20 inches, leader and tippet sizes don’t matter as much for fish safety as they do landing rate of hooked fish. Therein lies the difference in fish targeted to line size to be used. Bigger fish means heavier tippet in the name of conservation!
What Type of Flies
In a typical day of trout fishing, anglers might cycle from streamers to dries to nymphs, all in the same spot! Now, we know things like adjusting weight and indicator depth to match the difference in flies, but our line size should be adjusted as well. A streamer on 6X is just asking for break-offs when even a modest fish crushes a wooly bugger and results in a firm strip-set.
The flip side of this is tossing tiny dry flies that need to land with hardly a ripple so as to not spook any unsuspecting feeding trout. In this situation, lighter is needed not only for the delicate presentation but also to properly thread through the hook eye. A #24 Trico is physically unable to accommodate 4X line because of how small the eye is, and even if it does thread through, the knot will be just as large as the fly itself, threatening to screw up our drift!
What Type of Water
The iconic Montana spring creeks that constantly adorn fly fishing magazines are as iconic as they are challenging. Part of what makes them such a challenge is the incredibly slow current that requires long casts and creeping approaches. It’s in these waters that 7X tippet is the name of the game if one wants to have even the slightest chance at a fish! Drive just a few minutes away and the tumbling mountain freestone streams that feature pocket water havens allow for a thicker line.
General Rule of Thumb
The smaller the number, the thicker the leader. Thicker leaders are designed to cast heavier flies and catch bigger fish. Pair all sizes with 2-7 weight rods for optimal performance.
1x - 3x: Great for large predator fish like bass, large trout, carp, and steelhead. These weights are meant to fight bigger fish and cast larger, heavier flies such as articulated streamers or weighted nymphs with ease.
4x - 6x: Perfect for casting smaller streamers, wet flies, nymphs, and dry flies. These are lighter weight lines for more delicate and precise presentations.
Faster water where trout have less time to inspect our line and flies, allow for a thicker line that won't hurt our hookup chances while increasing our landing rate. It’s the same thought process that allows us to use a size #10 stonefly instead of the #14 that more properly imitates the natural bugs in the waterway.
That’s the name of the game when deciding on line sizes: figuring out the equation of what can responsibly land fish based on the type of flies being used, and in what kind of water. This will eventually become second nature and not only keep the fish safe but result in dripping wet nets and happy fishers!
Pennsylvania is home to some of the most outstanding trout water in all the country.
Anglers from far and wide flock to the Keystone State in search of trout, and for good reason! Our waters abound with brooks, browns, and rainbows as the commonwealth boasts more miles of trout stream than any other state except Alaska. It’s no shock that Pennsylvania is truly a destination fishery for many.
The thing is, most anglers associate the famous spring and limestone waters of central PA with these great fishing opportunities. Here are four spots in the western part of the state that can rival anything else Pennsylvania has to offer!
Located in Lawrence County, a bit north of Pittsburgh, sits Neshannock. Over two and a half miles of delayed harvest water bring anglers in, but it’s the quality of trout that keeps them coming back. A very active TU chapter, along with a Keystone Select designation, makes for tremendous fishing opportunities. Stopping in to Neshannock Creek Fly Shop can get folks up-to-date info on everything that’s hatching and which flies are fishing best!
Tucked in the heart of the Laurel Highlands is Meadow Run. This mountain freestone stream has a 2.2-mile section of delayed harvest, artificial lures only that features some outstanding summer fishing. Cool tributaries and excellent hatches make Meadow a can’t-miss fishing destination for anglers throughout summer. As an added bonus, private trout clubs that own property in headwater streams flowing into Meadow stock gigantic fish that sometimes wash into the main stem.
If wide streams with plenty of bug life and few things to obstruct a back cast appeal to you, then venture to Oil Creek in Venango County. A well-maintained bike trail parallels this gem, making it extremely accessible. Large browns haunt the deep pools of this Keystone Select stream and the summer caddis hatches are intense enough to bring them up to the surface to feed. Wildwood Outfitters, near the town of Franklin, provides guiding opportunities as well as updated information on stream flow and fishing reports.
While 4.4-miles of fly fishing only designated stream are the main attraction, excellent fishing abounds in this second Laurel Highlands stream. The French and Indian War started in the headwaters of Dunbar, and now native brook trout teem in the shadows of these historic glens and hills. In the project water, stream improvement devices have created superb habitat that holds fish all year!
Fly fishers looking to get their summer fix need not focus solely on the famous waters that litter the central corridor of the state. Western Pennsylvania holds its own and then some with terrific fishing!
Not everyone can afford name brand fly fishing gear at the full price tag. I certainly didn’t when I started out. So you’ve got to work with what you got. Start out with the absolute essentials and add to your collection month after month. Grab yourself a nice affordable fly rod, reel, line, and flies that fit within your budget.
Purchase state fishing license
Don’t leave home without a registered state fishing license within the state that you are fishing. The Fish and Boat Commission don’t typically let people off easy for forgetting one’s license on the kitchen counter. Fines are at least double the cost of the license and can be over a couple hundred dollars. I probably don’t have to say this but fish legally and get a state fishing license. Your purchase will support conservation and the active management of your local streams.
Select a fishing destination
When you’re going to spend a few hours fishing a local stream, river, pond, or lake it’s a good idea to scout it out and get to know the area. Even if it’s a quick Google search, see if it people in the past have done well there or if it has sufficient casting room. Take some time and look at the weather, water level, and temperatures to see if it’s in good condition to fish. You can find this online simply by searching the name of the water and then add “water level” into your search such as, “Little Lehigh River Water Level.”
Another reason why this consideration is important is that where you choose to fish will influence what type of gear you need. If I go to a small mountain stream in search of 9-inch brook trout I won’t be needing a 10 ½ foot Spey casting rod. Bringing that monster of a fly rod would be overkill. The stream is much too small and much better suited for an 8-foot 3 weight fly rod.
Find out whether you need permission from the land owner’s to fish
Worst thing to do is illegally trespass onto someone’s land to access some water. Avoid any streams with “no trespassing” or “no fishing” posted signs. That being said, many streams have public access points that the land owners or state have made available to all anglers.
Research public access points to the water
You’ve picked out a trout stream and know you can fish it but where can you actually go in there and access the water. Best bet is to call a local fly shop or fishing shop to get some intel. Even a quick search online could reveal some detailed directions to fishing the water.
Find public parking areas and driving directions
Without any prior research finding a place to park that is often a struggle in the moment. Before heading out in the family car have a place in mind you know you can publicly park. Having your car towed because you parked on private property is a worst case scenario. Fortunately, there is usually a public parking zone near the access points and are sometimes marked by fishing authorities. Other times you’ll need to ask around at local shops and see where other anglers go.
Decide what fish species you will be fishing
Will you be fishing for bass, trout, pike, panfish, tarpon, etc.? Knowing what fish you are targeting decides your equipment and what fly fishing supplies you need. Once you focus on, say, fly fishing for trout then you can move on to selecting the proper gear you’ll need to catch them. Fly fishing for different fish may require totally different gear. If I were to go fly fishing for bass I would prefer a heavier weight rod, like a 6-7 weight 10-foot fly rod, and some bigger streamers or popper flies. On the other hand, if I were to go fly fishing for trout I would prefer a 4-5 weight 9 ½ foot fly rod.
Choose the right fly rod and reel
Each fly rod and reel are made a particular purpose in mind which makes them better suited in specific conditions than other fly rods and reels. The different set of fly rod weights and combinations of length do matter. Here’s a helpful basic guide to choosing the right rod.
Fly Fishing for Bass -- 5 to 8 weight fly rod to help cast heavy bass bugs or streamers great distances. Choose a fly rod that’s at least 8 ½ feet long.
Fly Fishing for Trout -- 2 to 7 weight fly rod. Lighter weight rods for lighter patterns and heavier fly rods for bigger fish and heavier flies. Depending on the stream width you may need a long rod. Fly rods for trout are commonly at least 8 ½ feet.
Large heavy flies -- Heavy flies are more difficult to cast on light weight rods (1 to 4 weight) and are controlled much better on rods with weights of 5 or more. Think heavily streamers and big popper flies as ‘large heavy flies’.
Small light flies -- Typical ‘small light’ flies are nymphs, streamers, and dry flies that weigh very little. Think an Adams Parachute or Prince Nymph or Woolly Bugger. These flies are cast accurately and controlled well on fly rods from a 2 weight or more.
Small streams/rivers -- Small streams don’t often require longer rods. But nothing’s going to stop you from using a longer fly rod. It’s really up to you. However, if spaces are cramped and there is brush along your back, having a longer rod might make it more difficult for you to present your flies. With a shorter length you can still reach the trout pools and worry less about getting tangled in trees. Shorter rods make fly fishing a little more manageable with small streams.
Large streams/rivers -- Longer fly rods are a necessity on large rivers and streams. That extra few inches or feet will make a noticeable distance in how much water you can cover. You’ll be able to cast farther and get the reach you need to nymph large pools effectively.
With all that being said, you don’t have to have a different rod for every little thing. Many fly anglers have but one rod and use it in all situations. It’s really up to you and your budget. Having the proper equipment only makes it easier. Personally, I only had one fly rod for years until I began to fly fish larger rivers and required a longer rod. I went from using an 8 ½ foot 4 weight to a 10 ½ foot 4 weight. Why the change? Those extra two feet of rod length help me cast farther and reach pools when nymphing that I couldn’t otherwise get to with the 8 ½ foot.
Decide whether you’ll need waders or not
This is a simple question of will you need to enter the water at any point and do you mind getting wet? In the heat of the summer it might be enjoyable to dip your toes in the cool water. On the other hand, wet-wading during the winter is absolutely crazy. In other cases, you will only be casting from the bank or from a boat so waders wouldn’t be necessary.
Familiarize yourself with the state fishing regulations and limitations for that water
States and specific sections of streams have varying rules and regulations. Many times, streams will have a designated “Artificial Lures” only section that prohibits the use of baitfish or fishbait. Regulations often post of a “Delayed Harvest” or “Catch And Release Only” for sections of water that are carefully managed by the state. They may even have limitations on how long your fly leader can be or how many flies you can have tied to your line. Some states allow up to 3-flies while others restrict any more than 2-flies. Knowing all this can be the difference of a couple of hundred dollars in fines and a bad headache. Read up on the local regulations before leaving so you can prepare properly.
Fly Fishing Gear For Beginners:
Fly Leaders
Fly fishing leaders are a tapered section of line that is attached to your main colored fly line. Whether you hand-make your leader or buy a pre-tapered one from a fly shop, these are absolutely necessary. The tapering of this line from a stiff butt section to a thin front end helps carry the energy from your cast into the presentation of your fly. Without the tapering, your line would be a limp noodle and your presentations would fall short.
There are many different sizes of leaders from 0x, 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, and 7x. The lower the number the thicker and more stiff the line is. For example, the 0x would be ideal for large fish and heavy flies while the 6x would excel in presenting light dry fly patterns.
Fly Box
Fly boxes are there to make it easier for you to carry your collection of fly fishing flies and keep you organized enough to find the flies you need. Having a decent fly box keeps you organized and your investment of flies safe.
Fishing Pliers
Fishing pliers are a necessary tool that gives fly anglers extra reach and a better grip to unhook tricky fish and get us out of sticky situations. For more ‘idealist’ fishermen fishing pliers are used to pinch hook barbs.
Line Nippers
Line nippler are a necessary tool for all fly anglers. They are used to snip the excess line off when attaching flies, new tippet, or leader onto your line. Simple nail clippers from the dollar store can do the trick, or if you prefer to get the Rollex of fishing equipment you can purchase hundred dollar clippers from large brands.
Strike Indicators
Strike indicators are the fly fishing communities version of a conventional fishing bobber. Wool yarn, dense foam, and dry flies are common fly fishing strike indicators. Fly anglers use these in what’s called ‘suspension rigs’ where flies are placed below the indicator. When the indicator makes an abnormal movement or twitch, the hook is set on what can be a fish or structures in the water. In most cases, people who are fly fishing nymphs, or the act of ‘nymphing’, use strike indicators.
Polarized Sunglasses
Polarized sunglasses are sunglasses that remove the reflective glare and polarized light from the water which will allow you to see more vividly into the water and see water depth, rocks, fish, and more. This is an edge you can have when fly fishing that helps you catch more fish.
Split Shots
When you are fly fishing nymphs or streamers, split shots are additional weights that can be added to your fly line to help your flies punch through the currents, dive faster, and sink deeper into the water. For experienced fly anglers, split shots are a fundamental tool in their arsenal for giving the best presentation possible.
Hat
Hats are a simple piece of equipment that requires very little effort. For sunny days, having a good hat that covers your face and or neck from sunburn is something you don’t leave at home. It can also keep you cold, warm, and protected from the weather and insects.
Rubber Fishing Net
Rubber nets not only look awesome in photographs, they are the most fish-friendly type of net available. The rubber net doesn’t get stuck or tears apart delicate fish gills. Traditionally, conventional fishing nets with knotted netting tears through fish gills like a saw and ends up fatally injuring the fish that is already under a lot of stress.
Snacks
Snacks for long days on the water are a must. Nothing is worse than having to cut your day short for a hungry stomach. Bring a few protein bars, fruit, sandwiches, and a few hard candies.
Bottled Water
Your body always needs plenty of water so pack one into your travel pack and leave a few extras in your vehicle for emergencies.
Sunscreen
For those blue skies and sunny days sunscreen is a simple solution to not showing up to the office on Monday with silly tan lines and a sore neck. Wear environmentally friendly sunscreen to help prevent the leaching of more harmful chemicals into the water. Aquatic ecosystems are incredibly fragile and already have enough pollution to fight as is.
Tippet
Fly fishing tippet is transparent line that you connect to your fly leader from your colored fly line to your fly. As compared to fly fishing leader, tippet is not tapered and is consistently the same thickness all the way through. When your leader wears down nearing the thick end attach some tippet to continue tying your flies on.
First Aid Kit
Be prepared for the worst or even the simplest of injuries. You don’t have to pack it in with you, but it’s always recommended to have one in the vehicle. Throw in a few rolls of toilet paper, too. When nature calls there isn’t always a public bathroom around for quick access.
Dry Flies
Have a solid selection of dry flies, flies that float on the surface, for when trout are keying in on insects on top, such as midges, mayfly duns or spinners, adult caddis, stoneflies, beetles, frogs, mice, cicadas, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and ants. Just have a few patterns of each insect hatch that are expected during the time you are fishing. Makes sense right? Don’t waste space and pack grasshoppers in the winter -- bring flies that imitate insects that are actively present.
Nymph Flies
Nymph larvae and pupae are the number one source of food for trout. Generally, trout aren’t always feeding off the top, either. They lay low right along the bottom and lazily pick up insects drifting by in the water. Since they won’t come to your dry flies on top, bring your flies to them by fishing nymphs. Target deep pools, runs, riffles, seams, and troughs.
Streamer Flies
Streamers are meaty patterns that imitate protein-rich baitfish, minnows, leeches, and other large underwater prey. This flies are incredibly effective when stripped or swung through deep pools, runs, riffles, and along shelves. Larger fish love to take distressed minnows and lonely baitfish whenever they get the chance at an easy meal. They didn’t get that big by eating just tiny insects.
Nobody wants to talk about it because we just want to let the good times roll, but the truth is high summer is fast approaching.
It’s true: every week the temperatures creep upwards of 70, and then 80 degrees. With each marginal increase in air temp, the water trout live in warms as well. While that might not be an issue now, it will soon become one. Trout don’t wait until the dog days to find their summer relief spots, however. They start now, so adjust fishing locations accordingly!
Find The Sweet Relief!
Trout are constantly adjusting their holding zones. In some cases it might only be moving a few feet to account for difference in current speed and water depth, but other times it can mean moving hundreds of yards up or down stream. Sometimes, that move is done in order to find the sweet relief of cooler springs. This is probably the first thing to focus on when trout shift to their warm water lies.
Not all springs, or stream tributaries, are created equal, however. Spend some time taking stream temperature readings from multiple locations to find where the coolest water flows enter your favorite trout stream. Odds are fish will congregate at or near these locations to take in the refreshing coolness.
Trout Like Shade Just Like We Do!
Imagine if you will: it’s a hot summer day and you’re out cutting the grass. You decide to let your dog out to enjoy the nice weather. Where does your dog decide to lie down? Odds are it isn’t in front of the tractor or in the middle of the yard subject to the most direct sun. Your dog is smart (feel free to let him/her them know I said that) and goes straight for the shade. Trout are no different!
Even a modest degree or two decrease in the shade will be a great benefit to trout. They will find, and hold, in areas of shade that provide this reprieve from the heat. It also doesn’t hurt that shade is often found near the banks, and there’s plenty of food on the banks that makes shaded runs the total package!
Go Down Deep
Rays of the sun can only penetrate so far into water. Unless your favorite trout stream has deep holes measuring 15 feet or more, odds are even the stream bottom won’t be immune to warming from the sun. Despite this, the deeper you go the cooler it will be!
How do you tell if the water is deep?
Is there a color change? Gravel that's six inches from the surface is much easier to see than gravel six feet from the surface. Varying depths with result in different color tones visible to the angler. Learn which ones signify deep water and focus on them.
Does the water suddenly go from fast to slow? If yes, it could signal an underwater drop-off!
Is your nymph rig all of a sudden never getting snagged or bouncing on the bottom? If so, odds are you've found a deep pocket or hole. Adjust your rig a little deeper and get ready for some action!
This is probably the adjustment that fish make before anything else. When the steady rains of spring cease and water recedes, trout will instinctively look for the safety of deeper water. This provides some semblance of safety from birds of prey, but it also gets them in cooler water when shallow riffles and runs heat up. Find the deepest of holes, and you’ll find trout.
Don’t wait until the dog days of summer to adjust fishing techniques. Water begins to warm long before that, and trout react accordingly. It’s best if anglers do the same!
Trout fishing can be a tough business! It’s why books have been written about it, guides focus on educating anglers, and fly shops make their money on helping make folks better fishers. Some of our mistakes are correctable, though! Here’s a list of seven common mistakes made by anglers and some help to correct them.
Just Cut It!
Tangle ups happen, and some days they happen often. It’s not your fault! The snarl of tippet, weights, flies, branches, and who knows what else happens to us all. Where anglers error is in the handling of said tangle. Don’t sit there and waste time gently threading wrapped tippet through tiny gaps in leader. Just cut the whole thing and re-tie! It’s almost always faster this way.
Keep Moving
Imagine, if you would: you’re fishing upstream and a particularly juicy spot comes into view. You continue casting as you inch closer and closer to the honey hole. Once there, it’s everything you dreamed of! For the first ten minutes fish come easy. A half hour later and the catching is a bit more sporadic, and an hour later the fish are all put down. Keep moving! Too often do we fall into the trap of catching fish at a great spot and anchoring down there for too long. Catch the fish that are there to be caught, and then go find some more.
Adjust
Flies, weights, indicator, tippet size, and sometimes even fishing locations need tinkered with on the fly. In the name of laziness anglers will fish flies too long or refuse to change their depth and weight, and to their own detriment. If something isn’t working, change it! If a stream is off that day, drive somewhere else! Otherwise angling efforts are tantamount to beating your head against the wall.
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Ah yes, the Internet. Read any message board or Facebook group and you’ll get hundreds of conflicting opinions. Stream X is blown out, Stream Y doesn’t have any fish, Stream Z has drakes hatching all day every day! Trust your gut, and stick to your plan. Watch weather patterns and stream gauges to make decisions on when and where to fish. Don’t make the mistake of taking Internet information as gospel truth, because remember it’s hard to accurately report on fishing conditions from behind a keyboard!
Watch Where You Stand
Perhaps the most common mistake made by trout fishers is their position in the stream itself. Fish hold in all sorts of water, so standing in knee-high riffles to fish an opposite bank might seem like a good idea, but in reality, fish are being spooked. Fish everything that looks even somewhat promising before walking through it. You’ll be shocked at how many more fish you hook into.
Bring A Net
Before my guiding days I was often guilty of leaving the net at home except for steelhead trips. “Trout are hardly ever big enough to justify a net!” On the surface this is a true statement, but the truth is a net is a tremendous help when unhooking and handling fish. Having the fish rest safely in the rubber basket of a net while we get out cameras, phones, or unhook the fish is a great help to both us and the fish. Don’t make the mistake of leaving home without it!
Leave The Gills Alone!
Join any fly fishing-centric Facebook group and you’ll see plenty of fish pictures, both good and bad. It’s fun to marvel at other people’s catches and see some beautiful fish, but what sometimes isn’t so good is the handling of trout. A very common mistake made is in the way we handle a caught trout. Hands should always be wet before touching a fish and never under any circumstance should our fingers find their way into the fish’s gills.
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Be Aware Of Your Shadow
No matter what side or angle you approach the hole you're looking to fish, be wary of where your shadow is cast. A passing shadow is an early warning sign to fish and will predictably cause alarm. Make an attempt to position yourself in a way where your profile is low and your shadow is cast away from any areas you are going to fish.
Mend Your Line
Indicators and dry flies are subject to an incredible amount of pushing and pulling from water currents. As a result, your rig is presented in an unnatural way and discourages strikes. In these cases, you'll need to mend your line (which is nearly every cast).
Mending is, in its simplest form, the act of adjusting your fly so that it drifts through the water in a natural way. You make little adjustments to your line and fly that help it look more natural in the water. That means that your fly isn’t being pulled through the water by your fly line or skating across the water.
To do a basic mend, all you’re really doing is lifting up your rod (and your fly line) and moving the line against the current (upstream or downstream), in order to eliminate drag.
Location, Location, Location
In this context, location isn't about finding a stream packed full of fish, while not a bad thing to consider. The location, the position, you choose to cast from is what we mean and it's a strategic decision. Where you cast from impacts the currents you must mend against and fighting the brush over your shoulder. Wouldn't it be simpler to reposition yourself so that the current works in your favor and the brush concern is neutralized?
In many cases, wading in a few feet can give you the perfect angle to use the current to expertly deliver your rig of flies right to the fish or, at least, minimize the need to constantly mend. Just take in the current and your surroundings to judge where you should stand for the easiest and best possible presentation.
