This Is the HARDEST Part About Fly Fishing | Ep. 82 

I started fly fishing a few months ago. I kicked around the idea of learning for years because of the nature aspect and really learning to read your surroundings. So I watched a bunch of RU-vid tutorials and went out and bought some gear. Finding areas to fish is tough, but thankfully I have some world class areas to fish that are within a few hours drive. So not knowing anything, never practiced how to cast and only knowing a couple knots I drove to an area determined to catch my first fish. When I got there I almost packed up and went home immediately because there were other people fishing and I didn’t need an audience while I made myself look like a fool. But I stayed. I stood there on the shore watching some RU-vid vids trying to get the courage together to make my first cast. So the rod and the line started to “fly” back and forth through the air. I was so hyper focused on my cast, I was counting the rhythm in my head trying to get the perfect cadence. More and more line came out. “Holy shit I’m doing it!” As soon as I said that out loud my fly got stuck in a tree behind me. I wrestled with it only to have my tippet break and leave my brand new streamer in the tree. I looked around feeling pretty defeated. Another angler walked by and gave a thumbs up and a smile. So I tied up another fly and tried again. I started throwing some really nice casts and really focusing on all the techniques. I was skunked but wow what a day. Standing there on the river all day , absolute beautiful weather, nature on top of exploring this entire new hobby was enough to get me addicted. Long story short in a few months I have only caught one fish on my fly rod. It was just a small little shiner who was overly ambitious. I tried going back to a regular rod and reel and I can’t do it. It’s just not the same. Forcing myself that day to get over my hesitancy was the best thing I did. Now I’m travelling all over and booking fishing trips whenever I can. Including a week long trip coming up that’s going to be amazing. Hardest part about fly fishing is not being addicted. Catching a fish is only part of the experience. Mastering a craft is amazing. But being out in nature away from the noise of daily life is the real prize.

I always tell people, fly fishing is an art and you must learn on your own, nobody can do it for you. It takes years to learn and master just the basics. Then you move into casts like the slingshot or bow and arrow casts when fishing under overhanging trees and brush, your overhauls, parachute casts and so on. Then I always discuss understanding learning to read the water, read weather patterns and forecasts, learning your local bugs and aquatics and how to choose your bugs based on these parameters. I always remind folks that ask, it's not easy, nor is it rewarding some days, you'll want to toss your gear in the water and go home, but being persistent will make you successful. Otherwise, I have all my gear in the back of the truck, you just never know when you have a unique opportunity to toss some bugs. I keep mine in the truck year round. Just this past Monday I was out on a drive to clear my mind, thinking of how I can get back to work, and I found myself driving along some smaller streams, said hell with it, pulled the truck right over, identified the land as public before I did anything, got out and ended up slaying a ton of tiny browns and completely forgetting about my stresses of not having work.

I got to go fly fishing seriously for the first time today (before, my wife and kids were there). I caught a whitefish, a cut-brown hybrid, and a brown. I've had a few teachers along the way, but I consider both of you my teachers as well. Thanks for helping make the experience memorable! 👍

There is no one on the Internet, putting out content the way that you guys do. I especially compliment the fact that you put up graphics and PowerPoint slides and easily comprehensible information laid out in a format that is easy to absorb and assimilate and put into real world, practice and implementation. How are you guys not having over 100,000 views is beyond me, but who cares because the people that are viewing in my opinion are benefiting like no other.

As a newbie to fly fishing. I stop at the local fly shop which is over a hour away from me and buy recommended flies and ask questions and the shop is a big help. But my technique must still sucks because I’m not catching like other guys I see And I don’t feel that’s something I can manage on my own, my brother in law got me started but a year after he starting teaching me he suddenly passed away 😢. And I’m not able to pay for guides so I watch everything you guys put out here and try to apply it Thanks you, you guys are the ones that keep me trying

Video at the perfect time! Just got back from a day of fishing. Fish, large fish!, just swimming right by me! Nothing I put on my rod mattered to them! One came out from under a tree branch, looked at my fly, turned around and swam back under the branch! But I still love it, learning, it was a beautiful day, a deer joined me in the stream and stood behind me for about 20 minutes not afraid of me at all. I struggle with picking the right fly. Thanks for the video.

I went to a nearby reservoir that was packed with people. Took my fly rod and the whole point of me bringing it was just to practice my casting. (Mind you, I also had a catfish setup already out there) not even 30 seconds of practicing my casting on my fly rod I ended up catching my first fish on a fly I tied. (My grandpa gave me all his fly tying things and that's what initially got me into fly fishing) it was a nice little 10-inch rainbow trout.

most of the dudes I've introduced to fly fishing had no clue that aquatic insects existed. "bugs, under the water?"

So happy I went back and try'd again after two years. I absolutely love it and fishing is a passion again.

I'd argue a net shouldn't be a "bare minimum". ONLY because I believe your first few trips should be to a bluegill pond, where you teach yourself your basics. Get a net before chasing bass/trout/whatever after you get used to casting (not necessarily good, just good enough), retrieving line/fish and other basic skills 10-20 bluegills minimum. Hemostats, or whatever you prefer to remove hooks are far more important (especially with bluegills that can get aggressive on those (precious, especially when you are new) flies. Bonus hemostats are generally cheaper than a net anyways.

What a timely Video…. I used to do a lot of Bait fishing for trout and caught fairly good at it. That was years ago. I have always been intrigued by fly fishing but thought it was to complicated to learn. Well fast forward. I have watched all the master class training videos at least once and have been practicing in my Pool lol… I am also fortunate enough to have had 4 half day guided lessons out on the Truckee river in CA. I also am fortunate enough to have fought some fish about 6 or time. All of this was to get ready for a trip to the Smith River in Northern CA where I used to bait fish as a kid with my Mom. Dad, and Brother. The last time I fished there was in 1981. I did the 4 guided trips to keep from getting frustrated during my trip to the Smith River July 1st - 3rd. I was suppose to be there longer but It was a struggle. The first day the Rangers told me there wasn’t any thought in the river anymore. So Day one I did not fish. Day 2 I went to Oregon and tried to fish the Rogue River in Oregon but I could not find anywhere to fish from. Day 3 I just went out on the Smith In the Camp ground I was staying in and I caught 2 6” trout but by 8 am people were out on the river getting ready to swim and party. Day 4 I tried to find another spot on The Smith once I finally found a spot it was so windy I count cast and then when the wind died down the crowds started coming in to swim we headed home. Back to my first sentence timely episode. Thanks for all you guys do. I really enjoy watching and learning…

You guys! This episode hit home for me. Just today I went to a spot I was scoping out in the off season, and I caught my PB cutty there! I was totally secluded from the other anglers. After hiking out, I talked to some on my way out that were fishing by a bridge(local hotspot). They weren't catching anything besides parrs. Just made the hike in that much more worth it. Being completely self taught(with the help of RU-vid and you guys[thank you]), it has been one of the most rewarding experience in my fishing journey, if not the most. Love your guy's channel and the podcast. Looking forward to your future videos/lessons, thanks from Canada!

Shoutout to you guys for making fly fishing so accessible. My brother in law took me out for the first time last year in Colorado (he’s a guide out there) and I enjoyed it so much I wanted to start doing it back home in Minnesota, but didn’t know where to start. After finding your channel, watching the entire masterclass, and buying your starter kit I was ready to tackle the streams back home. Because of you guys, I went from completely clueless, to getting all of my friends involved and now planning fly fishing trips all over the US. I cannot thank you guys enough.

I’ve been fly fishing for over 2 decades. One of the greatest things I’ve joked about is it’s probably the most quit type of fishing. Guys will go all out investing in it then put it all up for sale… which is when I scoop their stuff up. You wouldn’t believe the deals I’ve gotten on market place and the story was “it just wasn’t for me” “I got into it and never really kept with it” 😂

I'm new to fly fishing. Only half a year experience. However I am an avid fisherman for salt and fresh since I could walk. I understand reading the environment, so that's never been an issue. I can see that if you are absolutely new to fishing and you want to start fly fishing, yeah the environment is the hardest thing. As for me it's the casting. Doing further research, it depends on the rod and your casting skill. The casting is the most critical component in my opinion. I fish saltwater, freshwater, and also the Amazon (on occasion). What I've noticed is to learn the double haul is incredibly hard but absolutely necessary to launch the fly long distances. Where I fish is if you can't launch it beyond 30 feet, your experience is going to be more difficult due to close proximity to fish in shallow water or quiet areas. It's definitely the casting in my case

What a great video! I do things "on my own" I am largely "self taught" in casting, fly fishing and recently fly tying. It's been a frustrating, fun, crazy few years but I'm glad to see small successes in casting, landing, tying, losing and landing! ugh...what should be "therapy" on the creek/stream can some days be SO absolutely maddening. But, I stick thru it for the mountains, trees, the birds, the fish and the sound of running water!!

New to Fly Fishing. I'm using Okuma rods and reels (SLV-B, Sierra X reels and Chrisium rods)and they're pretty decent for the price.

I enjoy the way you guys are down to earth in your approach to teaching the ways of fly fishing, Thanks

I love fly fishing, and I suck at it. My dad is from Alaska and grew up flying, fishing pretty much exclusively. I watched him fish so often growing up, and I remember when I was 12, i started. I would fish the kern River and Lake issabella in california. I would always do ok. I recently moved to wyoming to get onto some of the best rivers in the country. And I can not catch a fish on a fly. I've tried nymphs and streamers and can't seem to figure it out. I feel terrible because I moved here 3 years ago and have like 10 trout to show for 3 years of fishing almost every weekend. Sometimes, I'll take out a spinner and kill it, then take out my fly rod to the same spot and get skunked time and time again. I'm always so frustrated I stop and then try to get back into it, then try spin fishing one day, kill it, and then the cycle continues. This has been my unfortunate experience 😂 I still keep trying, however.

Took me ages to catch my first fish on the fly but when the seal breaks it gets a lot better fast.

I bought a starter kit from cabelas it was white water I think came with rod reel leader flies fanny pack fly box nippers and small pliers I bought net tipper stickers and weight and I caught fish in Montana with brother in law help first time fly fishing paid 130 for the kit

As a fly fisherman I have some strong opinions on this topic. My biggest gripe is let’s stop acting like fly fishing is reinventing the wheel. It’s not. In a lot of cases it’s bobber fishing with a fancy name. If you can catch bluegills in a farm pond you can cover about almost everything as it pertains to trout fishing except fishing to rising fish. Two is casting. It is some Finite circumstances where having world class casting ability comes in handy. One would be fishing bonefish on a flat with a 20mph wind. The other casting to a rising trout on a giant river. In almost any other scenario you just need to get the fly in the water. Actually! Euro nymphing which may be the most effective trout method of them all requires no fly casting at all. In fact your fly line never touches the water at all. We as a fly fishing community do more to deter people then to bring them into the fold. It’s not that hard people. It’s just not.

This was yet another excellent discussion of great value for beginning anglers. I am not a beginner. But not that far removed from that time and I remember the challenges. My best advice is to just enjoy learning and be patient. You'll get there. And when you start realizing that you have at least a modicum of competence, it feels great. AND you'll catch some fish. Sometimes because you did things right and sometimes because fish are weird and you get lucky. The segment about the Costco kit really resonated with me. But in a tangential way. I am a lifelong amateur astronomer and space science educator. I have had SO many experiences where someone bought a telescope for their child or husband and asked me how to use it. I find out they bought it at a place like Costco. It's a piece of crap. Like fly rods, you can spend a lot of money to get good optics. But there are also decent telescopes for under 500.00 that will give you fun and satisfaction. Like Alex said, it's kind of heartbreaking to see someone's interest in the stars dampened when they get frustrated with a piece of junk that winds up in the closet. None of my fly rods cost over 1k. But they aren't 100 dollar rods either. They are in the sweet spot for me performance and budget wise. Just like I tell folks about scopes, go find an astronomy club and ask those folks for some recommendations or read reviews in Sky and Telescope. Same with fly fishing gear. Based on my experience with your fly collections, I am quite certain that your fly rods will get the job done and lead to fun!!!!

That Costco setup isn’t ready to fish but it still seems like a decent place to start at a decent price

This is the best fly fishing channel !

Thanks for all the help. I watched all the beginner master class and have had some decent luck. I do have a question about dry flies. The dry dropper rig is what I have been trying lately with some success. But I feel like I still need to use a strike indicator (bobber)to tell where and what's going on. Am I doing something or is that just a experience thing and I'll get better at seeing my dry fly. Thanks again.

I started fly fishing for bluegill and bass as a kid. You only need minimum gear. Fly rod, reel, backing, fly line, leader, tippet, and small poppers or sponge spiders. Excellent fun and places to fish everywhere. Plus the fish are easy to catch and get you hooked😃.

Great show as usual guys. One of the things I struggle with is recognizing the strike when I'm fishing anything below water. I've fished with guides a couple times and they're always saying 'SET THE HOOK!!'. Have you done any videos on this subject? If not it may be a good subject for the future. Thanks!

This morning - two hours of action ; this afternoon - nothing. Ebb and flow of life reaches all aspects 😬

Hey, I just started flyfishing in the past couple months in Pennsylvania and I find that having shorter leaders is helping me with like 4 feet is that non-typical or should I go longer?

Well one thing I tell myself is set my expectations low and my hopes high! sometimes the pressures can be off or casting or the areas have been hit hard and fish are just spooked. Also, know you are going to make mistakes! snag in trees jumble up the reel or if using a tenkara rod you might lose big fish just at the point of netting because its a fixed line etc and tricky. Get outside and just be in the moment and keep learning.

getting into fly fishing and i dont wanna spend a lot on waders, how frowned upon/bad is it to go out in some swim shorts and crocs?

Glasses should be on the necessity list. I’m in UK. You’re lucky in the US we have to pay to go fish on most places. Good fly fish banter

Great show.

I’d say waders are a must have

Took me awhile to catch my first trout on a fly rod and felt like braking my rod over my leg. Than I finally caught one and apologized to my fly rod right then😂once u hook into one and see it come together it becomes much easier.

What I’ve learned my three months of fly fishing mostly tips for beginners: first off EQUIPMENT you really only need rod reel Line bugs and a pair of snippers/foreceps. In terms of gear you really don’t have to stress. I recommend a 9 foot five weight for anyone first getting started. I got set up with a orvis encounter combo runs about 200 dollars, I have been able to fish nymphs, drys and streamers it does it all. Waders are incredible if you can afford them if not most rivers in the summer months they won’t be necessary. Boots if you have them great if not I wear dusty tennis shoes and they work great. SECOND BUG SELECTION AND RICER CHOICE- if you are lucky enough to have a fly shop by you GO TO IT they will tell you everything you need to know in terms of hatches and typical insects that would be found in the river. I recommend a double nymph rig over dry flies to start as a beginner. When you become more confident switch to dried if you like. If you get a good drift and presentation with your nymphs regardless of matching the hatch you should get a strike slot of the time it’s just putting your line in the right place. PRO TIP a zebra midge as a bottom fly is usually always a good choice. If you get tired of tying in double fly rigs and get pissed off with the tangles that come with nymph rigs like I do switch to a streamer. I recommend streamers more than anything else. All you gotta do is buy a 9 foot 3x leader and tie on your streamer. The great part about a streamer is that you are bypassing the whole fly selection piece because the fish is striking out of pure aggression I recommend a size 10 8 or 12 olive or black wooly bugger. In terms of location and where to fish google is your friend trout routes and especially fly shops. When in doubt ask for access points to your local trout stream that will give you a good guess on where to start and then you can find your own spots. Speaking of finding fish in the river look for seems if you are anything like me you probably don’t know what a seem is. Look for two different speed of current in the river a slow lane and a fast lane fish are going to be sitting in the middle or bottom of the water column picking stuff off in between. If there is bubbles or foam in the current even better more likely to have fish. Most important . You will need to have patience it will feel like you are ramming your head against the wall. I lost my whole fly box trying to learn this challenging garbage but it was worth it. These RU-vid videos help exponentially if you really feel frustrated and want to hurry the learning process hire a guide on your local river you will learn how to find fish flies and techniques that work for those flies and why you are here how to catch fish. Don’t give up you will get it if you want it!

Its annoying. I've been river fishing on my own twice now. I'm new to the sport this summer. No luck with trout yet, plenty of bass and blue gill on the lakes. I'm not giving up tho. Plenty of snags lol.

Hello, listened to this pod. Out of curiosity I looked up that starter pack. I wish I would of found that setup years ago. Very affordable and how are you making any profit on that deal?! If I didn't already have multiple rods and reels and etc I would do get that starter pack. But honestly after fly fishing for about five years. My gear isn't as setup as that starter set.

Could you just give me the old tying kit?

Alex, please pass on buying Spencer a couple plates of wing, (let him buy his own), and pay to market some VFC coozies, for Spencer and I to put our Diet Coke cans in. I loves me some can coozies.

What? Fish won't grab the end of your bare leader?

You know you may be confusing the new beginner not mentioning right of the bat you are talking about trout. Not bass, etc....

If you’re easy to give up on things fly fishing isn’t for you. Fishing in general

AS FRUSTRATING AS FISHING CAN BE REMEMBER THE IDEA IS TO HAVE FUN RELAX AND ENJOY IT DON'T THINK OF IT AS WORK AS..THERE'S SO MUCH PLEASURE IN FISHING EVEN IF YOU DON'T CATCH A FISH ON A GIVEN DAY TAKE PLEASURE IN YOUR SURROUNDINGS TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCES