That's a good question for someone starting out or someone fishing for 50 plus years.

Yes, techniques and flies do make a difference but many times for skilled anglers, location is the key. Finding the fish before wetting the line is more than half of the battle.

Do you have a local TU or FFF chapter? Trout Unlimited or Federation of Fly Fishers. If so the joy and answers that you will find there will be something that carries on for many years. Books and videos are a nice approach but there is nothing like one on one instruction. Guides earn their money by sharing great locations and the better guides are teachers more than someone that just leads a horse to water and lets them drink.

It's not a simple answer. If you want some more specifics please tell us what species and types of water you are currently fishing. Trout and bass or saltwater approaches can differ greatly. I wish I could say: Put this fly on and fish these types of water" but that is just too simplistic.

You might not have seen this part of the board before but there is a nice fly fishing basics section here: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/ Part 11 is a short section on finding the fish.

Good luck,

Rick