For those who enjoy spending time in nature, fly-fishing is an fantastic activity to fish, take a break, mentally reset and get out in nature.
For the uninitiated, getting started in fly-fishing can seem like an intimidating prospect. Even the most seasoned angler had to start somewhere and continues to have to work and practice on their skills.
Here’s some help on to get going and develop the passion:
GET OUTSIDE
Pretty simple. Just get outside and embrace what’s there. This isn’t happening in an office or gym. You need to get outside, practice and then get back outside and embrace what is there.
FIND SOME WATER
Pretty simple. Ideally find a place away from others so you can practice calmly and reflectively.
WATCH SOME YOU TUBE VIDEOS
There are many great videos which provide both introductions to fly fishing and casting techniques. You will find short and long versions. After watching introduction videos, watch a few showing techniques or stories of different fisheries. This will help you gain both confidence and goals.
GET A LIGHT GEAR SET UP
You only need a 5-6 weight rod/reel set up to target a multiple of fish, so I’d suggest starting here. There are many online providers to buy a pre-set and fully rigged setup at very reasonable prices. My suggestion is to buy a decent, low-price package from an online provider like Orvis or Cabellas. Redington has basic, very reasonable models which can get you going at not only a reasonable price but also target a wide range of fish species.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
You won’t get past first base unless you practice. Make the time for it. You don’t need a lake, river, or sea to practice. Go to a large grass field and just practice casting on grass without a hook. It’s just the practice of the cast, stripping, and different methods that you need to do. Keep it simple at first but put the time in.
When you’ve gotten the basic cast down, practice in windy conditions. Practice your precision and distance.
I find one of the best ways to practice is to put a fly (where I have taken off the barb) on the line and cast to a frisbee at different distances.
You also need to be able to present the fly to different scenarios so as you move along with your confidence, practice a side and back caste as you will eventually do this when targeting species in hard-to-reach places like under mangroves, rocks or when the target is behind you.
GET OUTSIDE AND ON THE WATER
Get outside! Put down your pen, computer mouse, video controller and let the pressure of life slide away. Move into the meditative mode of fly fishing. Stop thought and just enjoy the motion but mainly GET OUTSIDE and GET OUT ON THE WATER.