Fly Fishing
A Beginner's Guide
Fly fishing can be hard to crack into. That’s too bad because it’s a great pastime and a wonderful sport to learn. I’m asked a lot how to start and I appreciate that it can be overwhelming. Here are some thoughts that hopefully make it easier.
1/ Find a Partner in Crime. Whether it’s a good friend or your brother or whoever, it’s easier to learn (and to defray costs) if you’ve got somebody in your corner. It’s smart (and just more fun) to go through the paces together.
2/ Aim Close to Home. If you’re in a position to fly to Montana then by all means book your ticket to Bozeman. But it’s hard to commit to a week when you’ve never done this before. Nearly every part of America has trout fishing a few hours away. So try to find a fly shop in the Catskills or Vermont or the Driftless region of Wisconsin or on the South Holston in Tennessee and embrace your home water.
3/ Hire a Guide. If you can afford a guide then hire one. It will make the learning curve much less steep. When I was starting out I didn’t hire a guide (and they were much cheaper back then). But I could have gained years of knowledge with somebody who knew what they were doing. When you book a guide make sure to tell them up front that you’re starting out. They should hear that all the time and be eager to help.
4/ Hire the Gear. Any outfitter will have rods, reels and waders for rent. If you’re staying at a lodge they’ll probably just loan you what you need. You do not need to buy gear ahead of time. That will just confuse you and cost a lot of money. There will be plenty of time to obsess over that later.
5/ Embrace the Path. I know that sounds sentimental. But this sport takes time—that’s part of what makes it great. If it was easy it wouldn’t be worth doing. If you’ve read The Optimist or The Believer you know I’ve made plenty of mistakes and lost many fish and still am devoted to the sport. The difficulty bonds anglers together and makes the rare triumphs even better. Don’t fight the hard side of fishing.