Everyone makes mistakes. However, in fly-fishing, success belongs to the angler who commits the fewest errors, ultimately reeling in the most fish.
Great fly-fishers learn by experience, but there are several common mistakes that novices run into. In this article, we run through some common yet easily correctible problems encountered by beginner anglers, sharing tactics to avoid them.
1. Getting In
For inexperienced fly-fishers, it can be tempting to slip on a new pair of waders and stride out into the water. However, many experienced anglers regard getting into the water as a big no-no unless necessary.
The reason is that wading into the water makes the angler more conspicuous, elevating the potential for alarming the fish to a greater extent compared to fishing from the riverbank or shore. Entering the water not only makes the angler more visible, but their underwater footsteps can also disturb fish. Additionally, the wake created by wading through the water is another signal to fish that danger is close. While there are instances where entering the water is unavoidable, seasoned anglers tend to minimize this approach whenever they can.
2. Excessive False Casting
Considering that each cast could potentially signal the fish to the angler’s presence, it’s important to note that excessive false casting, though a common mistake among anglers, is best avoided. It is far better to limit casts to one or two tries to avoid spooking the fish.
Fly-fishers should hone their skills until they have an accurate, far-reaching cast, helping them to get their fly in front of a hungry fish faster. The key to minimizing false casts is to allow the rod to fully load on the back cast, which increases line speed and shoots the fly forward.
3. Using the Wrong Sized Fly
Another common mistake made by fledgling fly-fishers is selecting big, clumsy-patterned flies that are nothing like the prey of their target species. Fish go for flies much smaller and subtler than we think. Inexperienced flyers may try tying on a size 10 or 12 fly when a size 16 to 20 would likely be a much better match.
Fly-fishers need to invest in a variety of different fly sizes, ensuring that they always carry with them some smaller, sparser variations.
4. Casting Too Quickly
One of the most challenging aspects for novice anglers is gauging the proper timing of a good cast. Often, beginners neglect to allocate sufficient time for their line to load effectively, resulting in rushed timing between their back cast and forward cast. When this happens, the angler will either end up with a weak cast, with the line piling up on the water about 3 feet in front of them, or a nasty tangle.
Learning to become a good caster takes time, patience, and practice. This includes allowing the back cast ample time to load before initiating the forward cast.
5. Tying Poor Knots
Most fishers have lost a fish at some point due to a poorly tied knot. Few experiences are as exasperating as losing a fish and assuming the tippet snapped, only to discover a coiled line end upon retrieval. Although a relatively common mistake, it can be avoided with practice and patience. Anglers should use good terminal knots such as the uni knot or improved clinch knot; the surgeon’s loop knot is ideal for all other monofilament connections.
6. Not Reading the Water
Anglers do not need an in-depth understanding of the geographic features of a particular stretch of water to find fish, although this information certainly can be advantageous and can be acquired in time as their experience of the location grows.
In terms of tracking down trout, beginner anglers can go a long way by just keeping in mind one simple premise. In any river or stream, trout behavior is driven by two basic factors: a consistent source of food that requires minimal energy expenditure, and protection from predators.
Rocks and seams found in merging pools or currents serve as inviting spots for trout to position themselves in the calmer waters, providing them the opportunity to seize food from swifter currents as it flows past. In addition, undercut banks, rocks, and overhanging trees protect from birds and other predators waiting above the surface.
7. Missing Subtle Takes
Nymphing, which is drifting the fly in patterns that imitate nymphs, plays a pivotal role in the realm of fly-fishing, serving as a technique that teaches anglers how to detect subtle takes. Although a strike indicator moving 5 feet upstream may easily indicate a take, it’s important to note that most fish do not respond to a fly in this manner.
Many beginner anglers fail to recognize a tiny twitch of the indicator as a sign of a fish taking a bite. Fly-fishers should take even the slightest dip, dive, dodge, or duck of the strike indicator as their cue to set the hook.