Honing your 'skills'...

I know it's hard to do, but if you want to get 'better' at catching bass with certain techniques, you have to actually USE those techniques.

AND, you should do this when the fishing is 'good', NOT when your 'normal' techniques aren't working.

What happens all too often, we get into a rut. We are catching fish on whatever we 'usually' use, so we keep doing it, precisely because it's working. Once we are no longer catchng fish, THAT is when we are willing to try something new...usually won't work.

It takes discipline, or 'commitment', or a real desire to actually learn something. It's hard to stop fishing during a good bite, and 'change' to something you aren't confident in. But, if you don't, then you'll never become confident with it (at least not without some help).

This is where you may have some options. If there are bass fly fishing guides in your area, see if they are willing to 'teach' a technique, rather than just 'put you on fish'. Often, if you request it, a good guide can tell you when a certain technique is most likely to be effective on your local waters, and can set up a 'lesson' for that time frame.

Another option is 'private water'. If you have access to one of those heavenly places where the water is under lock and key and only a priveledged few can fish it, THIS is the place to try out new stuff. Unpressured fish tend to be more forgiving as you get the nuances of a new technique down, and nothing builds confidence like sucess.

Of course, if you can find another fisherman that knows a certain technique and you can get him/her to take you fishing, that's also a good way to pick something up. Being in the boat or on the bank next to someone that is catching fish on a technique is the next best thing to catching them yourself as far as building confidence goes.

Good Luck!

Buddy