Wanting To Learn To Fly Fish?
May 23rd, 2009 | How To Fly Fish | 2 Comments »how hard is it to learn to fly fish? is their places that teach you, or classes?
Some people pick it up quite quickly, others take a bit longer. The basics aren’t that tough as long as you’re a willing student. Learning the fundamentals of the cast is what intimidates/frustrates some. But fly fishing is a constant learning process; you’ll never know it all. Thus, we are all students to some degree.
There are a variety of ways to learn, whether it be by classes, texts, online, or personal instruction. Casting fundamentals is best learned by personal instruction from someone that is a talented caster AND a skilled instructor. You might find classes offered by a local shop, club, or municipal recreation department. If you can get referred to such an instructor, all the better. You don’t want your earliest casting instruction to form bad casting habits. Unfortunately, there are some self-proclaimed casting gurus that have no business teaching.
Once you learn the basics, you can build on that on your own. Lots of practice with the rod, whether on the water or on your back lawn, will help you develop a strong feel for the casting stroke and develop muscle memory. And at some point, you’ll no longer need to look over your shoulder to see what your backcast is doing; you’ll feel it.
If you live near a stream frequented by fly anglers, make a point to watch them. Just sit and observe. When they reel in or make their way to leave, mention your interest in taking up the sport. Most fly anglers are pretty friendly and are more than happy to help. And you never know; you might meet up with an experienced angler that would enjoy mentoring your start in fly fishing.
And if there’s a fly shop near you, be sure to visit and express your interest. Ask what beginner classes they offer and who the instructor(s) will be. Maybe they offer personal casting instruction. Go and find out what you can.
There’s much more to fly fishing than casting: tackle, knots, flies, entomology, fish behavior, ethics & etiquette, fly tying, rod building, blah-blah-blah. I only focused on casting as that’s the biggest hangup for most newbies. You’ll learn the rest without issue.
It’s not as difficult as people think. It takes practice and patience but its just a matter of learning to cast the line and not the lure. The one thing I will say is that you will need to start from scratch as far as tackle is concerned ( flies, etc.)
Heres a link to a nice starter outfit that I sell on my site..It includes a 2 in 1 dvd on fly fishing and is reasonably priced.
http://www.kmdtackle.com/scientific-anglers-bass-fly-fishing-outfit.html
I’d be happy to answer any questions you have as you learn this beautiful sport.
References :
Some people pick it up quite quickly, others take a bit longer. The basics aren’t that tough as long as you’re a willing student. Learning the fundamentals of the cast is what intimidates/frustrates some. But fly fishing is a constant learning process; you’ll never know it all. Thus, we are all students to some degree.
There are a variety of ways to learn, whether it be by classes, texts, online, or personal instruction. Casting fundamentals is best learned by personal instruction from someone that is a talented caster AND a skilled instructor. You might find classes offered by a local shop, club, or municipal recreation department. If you can get referred to such an instructor, all the better. You don’t want your earliest casting instruction to form bad casting habits. Unfortunately, there are some self-proclaimed casting gurus that have no business teaching.
Once you learn the basics, you can build on that on your own. Lots of practice with the rod, whether on the water or on your back lawn, will help you develop a strong feel for the casting stroke and develop muscle memory. And at some point, you’ll no longer need to look over your shoulder to see what your backcast is doing; you’ll feel it.
If you live near a stream frequented by fly anglers, make a point to watch them. Just sit and observe. When they reel in or make their way to leave, mention your interest in taking up the sport. Most fly anglers are pretty friendly and are more than happy to help. And you never know; you might meet up with an experienced angler that would enjoy mentoring your start in fly fishing.
And if there’s a fly shop near you, be sure to visit and express your interest. Ask what beginner classes they offer and who the instructor(s) will be. Maybe they offer personal casting instruction. Go and find out what you can.
There’s much more to fly fishing than casting: tackle, knots, flies, entomology, fish behavior, ethics & etiquette, fly tying, rod building, blah-blah-blah. I only focused on casting as that’s the biggest hangup for most newbies. You’ll learn the rest without issue.
References :