Get Started Fly Fishing

Remembering the past

I remember, when I was 16, fly fishing and wading in the cold water of Idaho's St. Maries river with some cheap $20 water shoes, my fishing vest, and my shorts. The beautiful, wide and open, river moved slowly in the midday sun and I caught my first trout on a questionable mosquito fly. Back then, my dad had informed me to "just use whatever you think looks good," when choosing a fly. Only problem was that I wasn't a fish, so I was never really sure which fly to use.

Twenty seven years later, I decided to get back into fly fishing. It has been quite interesting. When I was a kid, my dad just gave me all the gear I needed and all I had to do was put on my vest, carry my rod with me, go outside, and start having fun. The Palouse river was a 10 minute walk from where he lived. Looking back, I have a lot of gratitude for those days. As an adult, you have to research, buy, and plan everything. It's all so much more tedious. My friends and I never worried about stepping on rusty metal nails or using boots and waders. We didn't have expensive gear.

Starting again as an adult

Taking up a new hobby as an adult can definitely feel like just added responsibility to an already busy and stressful life. As an adult, after spending hours researching gear, flies and bugs, water-ways, access points, pollution data, knots, and fish species, at some point, you may begin to wonder: "when does the fun start?"

So before you start your journey, or even if you're already on it, think about how you want to approach learning to fly fish. You can justify it as a great prep, and as a real world survival skill, but also let yourself have fun and remember what it was like to be a kid again. You can experience a really great sense of flow and peace out in nature. It's also a great excuse to go out scouting, or hiking, for new spots and get some added exercise. What do you want to get out of it? How do you want it to add to your life?

You'll learn something new every time you go fishing. It's a good idea to keep a log, or journal, of your experiences. Writing down your notes ensures that you can remember all the different details of your trips. Also, keep an eye out for new fishing or hiking spots, strange people, or anything else worth writing down later.

Water quality maps and data

We also never thought much about pollution. Now you can check water monitoring maps and see monitoring and assessment data, mercury levels, toxin levels, underground storage tanks, leaking underground storage tanks, general remediation sites, super-fund sites, historical and current mining zones, hazardous waste sites, sewage runoff, farm related chemical and fertilizer runoff, and more.

Water flow

It's very important to know the current stream flow in Cubic Feet per Second (CFS) for the water-way you're fishing. This is a measurement of the volume of water flowing past a specific point in a river, or stream, each second. It can mean the difference between a safe level of flow and a dangerous level. For reference:

Important: On the USGS monitoring page for your water-way, the default chart may not display the most recent spike in discharge (CFS) immediately. This can occur due to slight delays in data processing or chart updates. You may need to look at the "Latest value" data point.

Land designations & access

Then you have land designations and access. It's important to understand what kind of land you're on. For example, Idaho has a patchwork of land ownership and special designations beyond the usual land categories. Click here to view all the different land ownership designations in Idaho.

Some parts of a river are not allowed to have outfitter guides. Fish may face greater pressure in areas where guides are allowed.





Books

Get some books about your state and the different water ways you can explore. They will include access points and data about what bugs are appropriate to use as flies for each month.

Licensing, laws & ethical fishing

Then you have all the licensing requirements and local fishing laws. For fishing, the licensing requirements mostly involves just a simple registration and a yearly fee, but if you want to get a combined license, that includes hunting and trapping as well, then you will have to take special classes.

The downside to the lack of classes for fishermen is that there is no mandatory emphasis on ethical fishing. Go to a popular fishing spot and you're sure to see trash, beer cans, fly line, dead fish, hooks, and dog poop all within a 50ft diameter! Consider bringing a thick 4mm trash bag and a trash grabber tool. That way you can clean up your local spot without having to touch the trash and risk disease.

Wet your hands before holding a fish to prevent your hands from removing the protective slime layer. Hold your fish by the tail. Don't get your fingers in gills. If you're catching just for pictures, make sure you take a very quick photo. Proper handling will ensure a high (95%) survival rate for fish. Improper handling including long air exposure, warm water, deep hooking, and extended fighting can raise mortality to 35% or more.

Gear

Then there is all the stuff you need to purchase and all the time it takes to research what products are literally toxic (contain PFAs), bad, just ok, good, great, and excellent. How much do you want to spend? Fly fishing is a more expensive hobby than just regular old fishing with a spinning rod. You can easily drop $5k getting set up. Do you have a set budget?

All the gear you need to get started fly fishing. [link to everything-you-need-to-get-started-fly-fishing.php]

Then you want to know what kind of line, leader, and tippet to use. Do you want a sinking line and leader for a lake? For 90% of Boise-area fishing, a floating line and fluorocarbon tippet and smart weighting is all you need. Fluorocarbon tippet is much less reflective than nylon, so the fish are less likely to see it. Use nylon for dry flies, super shallow water, and cold winter fishing.

Waders, boots & cleats

Only about 2 months out of the year is it warm enough to wade in the water with your shorts on. That means the other 85% of the time you're going to want to wear waders. You can easily drop $1,100 on Patagonia Swift-current waders and SIMMs Freestone boots. You'll want to try on waders and boots in person to test out the fit. Otherwise you may be shipping back a lot of items. And you'll want to try them on both feet too. One boot may feel wonderful while the other painfully digs into your foot! I had that happen to me with the Orvis Pro boots.

You may want to pick up some kevlar and steel boot insoles as well, as an insurance policy against any rusty metal objects you might accidentally step on. At $10 each, it makes a lot of sense.

Some waders contain PFAs (forever chemicals). Even some filet knives, such as Rapala brand, are also coated with these chemicals. So you'll want to look out for that. If you're not sure, you can always call the company and inquire.

Most people admit that waders will eventually leak. For the cost, this is quite disturbing. Patagonia offers a lifetime warranty.

You will want to also look into cleats, such as SIMMs Alumibite or Hardbite star cleats. You can also put studs on your boots.

Rods & reels

What kind of fish do you want to catch? At some point you will want to get more than one rod. But figure out where you want to start. Most people start with a 9ft, 5wt, medium-fast action rod, which is an all-around good, beginner friendly, rod that can catch many different fish and work in a variety of environments.

There are many rod and reel choices and many price points. What's your budget? Some rods that were previously produced in the US with good quality controls are now produced in China and reviews will reflect that. What kind of warranty support do you want? Do you want a lifetime, no questions asked, warranty or a difficult company and a cumbersome warranty process? Expect to pay more for the former. And be sure to read the one star reviews to get a sense of these points; they will reveal a lot.

Got money to spend? Consider a Winston Air 2 and a Bauer RVR reel. On a budget? Consider a used Redington Path. Check craigslist or ebay for good deals. You may also want to check your local garage and estate sales. Look for ads that clearly have fly fishing rods and reels, but the poster refers to them as "poles." They may be mis-priced very low.

Your reel doesn't just bring the fish to you, it also acts as a drag system so that when the fish pulls on your line, and the reel goes the opposite way, there is a level of drag or resistance that makes it difficult for the fish to swim. You can feel and adjust the level of drag on your reel.

Decades older reels will be heavier, have a poorer drag system, and smaller arbors (the middle section) requiring you to make more turns of the reel to bring your fish in.

Rod action types

Fast: Long cast, fights wind, large fish, only the tip of the rod flexes.

Medium: Best beginner rod; more forgiving. Versatile. Upper 1/3rd of the rod flexes.

Slow: Little power, ideal for casting short distances in small creeks. Dry flies and delicate presentation.





Backing, line, leader & tippet

Backing: Your backing connects directly to your reel/spool. It's your insurance policy for staying connected to the fish and decreasing the "slinkyness" or wound memory of your line.

Line: Most line is about 90ft long. Your line connects to your backing on one end and your leader on the other. There is weight forward line (WF) and double taper (DT). 90% of fishermen use WF line. If you're looking at the box of line in the store, you'll see WF5 for a line appropriate for a 5wt rod. Weight forward refers to the first 40 or so feet of the line, that is connected to your fly. This ~40ft portion of your line is actually weighted with tungsten and tiny air bubbles. This gives the line weight which allows you to cast it much further. This ~40ft portion of your line is tapered.

Important: When you connect your WF line to your backing, it's important that you connect the non-tapered end to the backing, otherwise you will defeat the purpose of having the weighted 40ft section! Look at your line carefully before you do anything; each end will be labeled with a sticker.

Line maintenance: Just like everything else in life, you have to maintain and clean it.

  1. Wash taught line with soapy paper towel. Rinse and dry the line.
  2. Apply a line wax solution, also referred to as "fly line dressing."

Tips: Fishing dirty water? Clean your line every 2-3 trips. Wash before storing your line long term.

Sinking line: On sinking line, use a short (3-5 ft) leader made of fluorocarbon, to reduce visibility and help your fly sink properly.

Leader: Your leader connects to your line on one end and tippet on the other. Sinking leader will always be dark colored; the darker the line the faster it sinks. Type 3 sinking line sinks 3" per second.

Tippet: Your tippet connects to your leader and your fly. The purpose of tippet is to have some line that you can cut repeatedly without cutting down your leader. Tipper has no taper. Use 7X or so tippet for clearer water or spooky fish. For deeper water, use stronger tippet.

Self defense gear

If you're going into the wilderness you should be educated about appropriate defense from ticks, bears, and even the sun.

Knots

Then you want to learn your knots. All of these knots are very simple and easy to remember.

Technically, the Palomar knot is the strongest, but the problem is that for smaller flies you're not going to be able to double over your tippet to actually fit it through the eyelet of the fly. Another issue is that you'll want to either use a Rapala knot or Improved Clinch knot depending on which type of fly you're using. Some flies, like streamers and leeches, need an open loop knot (Rapala) to be able to move naturally, while nymphs need better strike feedback and more control when dead drifting (Improved Clinch). Open loop knots can also add weight and cause small flies to sink prematurely.

Entomology

Entomology is the scientific study of insects, including their behavior, life cycles, and roles in ecosystems. It's especially important in fields like agriculture, medicine, and fly fishing.

Bugs are hatching, flying, and landing on the top of the water only about 10% of the time. That means 90% of the time you want to be using nymphs, emergers, or streamers. Learn about the life cycles of different bugs to understand what fish are looking for.

Fish identification

Chances are you will catch fish you didn't intend to catch. You'll catch fish that look similar to your intended catch, but are not quite the same or not even legal to take home. While this may seem tedious, it's important to study and understand the characteristics of different fish. Those characteristics and distinctions may be harder to identify for smaller fish.













Reading the water

Then you want to learn about where to target your fish

Riffles, seams, pools, etc., and the environment. Understand what structures fish like and how the fish prefer to move, and what environments allow them the least resistance to the water. Do you see bugs on the water? Use dry flies. No bugs? Deep water? Use streamers. 2ft of water or less? Use nymphs.

Fish metabolism

What is the temperature of the water? For example, a lake will be warm on top, cold on the bottom, and ideal for fish in the middle. The temperature will affect the fishes metabolism and how active they are. Temperatures also affect bugs. You will need to be more patient during the winter.

[Metabolism chart]

Habitat

Other significant environmental factors include:

Tip: Crayfish are more sensitive to environmental pollution than regular fish. So, as a general rule of thumb, you could limit your fishing to areas that support crayfish if you're worried about pollutants.

No one is going to tell you that despite knowing all the features of the water, if you go to a spot that is heavily pressured with campers, dogs, swimmers, and fishermen, your chances of catching a fish drop down to 20%. Any water with an easily accessible parking spot will be pressured. So, if you only have a car, you'll want to first find this easy parking location, then walk upstream 300-500 yards to a spot that is accessible by foot, but not by vehicle, and fish there.

Lessons, outfitters & casting

Fly fishing involves learning quite a lot of information. Consider taking some classes to help learn.

To help get started, I took a 5 hour fly fishing class from Eagle, Idaho, local, Bill Bishop who lives on the Boise river. It was a great introduction and covered quite a lot of material. He told me that he was friends with Tom Morgan, the former owner of Winston Fly Rods, and that he personally took care of Tom in his old age at one point.

Bill's 5 hour class was a great overview of gear, setup, entomology, water-way reading, casting, and real river experience. I also signed up for just a pure one hour casting lesson at the local outfitter shop.

Outfitters

An outfitter is a person or business licensed to provide equipment, guides, and services for outdoor recreational activities — especially in hunting, fishing, rafting, horseback riding, or wilderness trips.

Chances are, there are probably, quite a number of experts in your local area who can help you get started with fly fishing. Call around your local outfitter shops or reach out to outfitter companies online and inquire about casting lessons. Get some prices before you sign up with anyone. And have a real, in person, conversation with the people in the shop to get a sense for how friendly they are. Be careful, because some outfitters will prefer to up-sell you on entire fishing days, or half-days, at prices upwards of $500!

Casting

You'll want to learn and practice your casting. How much time do you want to spend messing around? Many people spend years trying to figure out their casting technique.

You should be able to learn the basics of casting at your local park with an outfitter, or mentor, for a reasonable hourly rate between $45 - $85.

Casting essentials:

  1. Keep slack line at an absolute minimum.
  2. Cast your rod so that the tip travels in a straight line.
  3. Length of pause depends upon the amount of line you're casting.
  4. Apply the right amount of power at the right time.
  5. The length of your casting stroke increases with the amount of line being cast.
  6. Keep rod from 10 to 2 on forward and back cast.
  7. Going too far forward (past 10) will create a ball of leader/tippet/line when it hits the water.
  8. Going forward too fast (even if you stop at 10) will also create a ball of leader/tippet/line. As a beginner, it can be difficult if you don't know this since the result appears the same as the previous error.
  9. Practice, practice, practice.

Missing persons maps

Then there are all of the Missing 411 cases and hot-spots where people go missing in the outdoors. You can buy a map for your state at missing411.com. Personally, paying $25 to have a map of this data for my sate is definitely worth it. It is my estimate, from my own proprietary data and analysis, that only about 20% of the missing person cases in these hot-spots are due to accidents or natural causes like a sprained ankle or the environment (hypothermia, etc.). The other 80% are much more nefarious. It pays to avoid those cluster locations.

David Paulides, creator of the Missing 411 project, says that people with a firearm or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) do go missing, but he has never come across a case where someone went missing who had both items.

Paulides reminds us that the US Government and the national parks maintain a detailed list of every professional film taken in our national parks. But they have actively refused to keep even a basic list of people who have disappeared. That alone should make you take this topic seriously when you are outdoors.

Cleaning

Then you'll want to learn about how to clean and cook the fish you catch.

Rod building tips & resources