Never Give Up – Catch That Trout!
I took up fly fishing some four years ago. I had always been a keen fisherman, mostly course fishing on rivers, but I wanted a change. I was getting bored for some reason, and as I get older feel less inclined to sit and wait for hours on end!
I visited a trout fishery to take a look. The fishery, near where I lived is a very pretty private fishery with two 2 acre lakes. The water is quite deep, 18 feet in places and the banks have trees and undergrowth making fishing a bit of a challenge.
The place is also teeming with wildlife, ducks, kingfishers and deer roam the fishery, so even if you don’t catch anything, it’s a beautiful place to be. So this is my first tip:
1. Try and find somewhere you actually like to visit anyway.
Starting fly fishing can be frustrating at first as you master casting and the various types of flies etc. It may take a few visits before you make your first catch, but if you actually enjoy the venue it makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable, even if you spend some of your time untangling your line!
You can also get very frustrated if you are finding casting difficult.
Tip 2. Get some casting tuition.
Casting a fly line is completely different to any other type of casting. It’s not hard, but technique is everything. Bad casting can ruin your pleasure and even put you off altogether.
My casting was coming on fine, but I had yet to catch a fish. This brings me to my third tip:
Tip 3. Talk to the other fishermen.
Most fly fishers are friendly sorts. If you see someone catching a fish, go and talk to them and ask them what sort of fly they are using and at what depth they caught the fish. People are only too happy to talk about their success!
This way you can learn what methods they use and try them for yourself.
One thing you must never do though is:
Tip 4. Persevere
Because I enjoyed the natural beauty of the fishery, I kept going which I might not have done if it was just a hole in the ground, which, let’s face it, some fisheries are.
By trying different things, changing fly, fishing depth or presentation, we increase our chances of catching, so:
Tip 5. Change the way you do things.
Never be afraid to do things differently. Buy books and videos, increase your knowledge, then add your own twist if you can.
The perceived wisdom of fly fishing is not always appropriate. This is particularly true when fishing a lake for example, where the fish have probably seen a million flies in their time, and mostly cast out as far as possible – so try fishing the margins, close in where no one else ever fishes!
Doing things a little differently can often pay off big time!
Zac has been a steady fly fisherman for a long time, and enjoys passing on tips and techniques. When taking up fly fishing Zac recommends buying fly fishing combos. The fantasticthing about fly fishing combos is that you buy all the main elements, rod, line and reel at a discounted price.
