Free Video River Fly Fishing Course
20+ instructional videos, shot in 4k. Free to all new and existing newsletter subscribers – Click Here!
I have put together five ideas below of how we could think about improving our fly fishing skills in 2013.
Experiment with leaders.
Leaders can have a big impact on your casting and fly presentation. Trying different leader diameters, lengths and tippets will give you an idea of what suits you best.
Video yourself.
How do you know what your rod is actually doing? The only way you will know for sure is to have a look which is impossible to do properly whilst casting. Try making a video of yourself on your phone or camcorder to check your rod is not creeping too far back.
Try something new!
Anglers are creatures of habit. So often I see the same people fishing in the same spot most likely with the same fly! This is fine f you are enjoying yourself but it can be really beneficial to step out of our comfort zone and try something new. Maybe you have always fancied boat fishing but don’t know where to start or you always fish the same stream. Often the things you learn when trying something new can be applied to your usual fishing environment.
Tie a fly.
You may not be that interested in fly tying but I guarantee learning a bit of fly tying will improve your fishing. This is because when you learn about tying flies you will learn about the insects you are imitating. You will also learn about the times of year when insects hatch and how the trout sees and reacts to a fly. Catching a fish on a fly you have tied yourself is very satisfying!
Practice time for casting.
I am as guilty as anyone with this one. Think of casting like any other sport such as cricket or tennis. It’s only through the repetition of these complex movements we can develop the “muscle memory” so our cast becomes accurate and automatic. Once you stop thinking about casting you can start thinking about the fish you are trying to catch.