OVERHEARD

September 6, 2010

Being the publisher of a fly fishing magazine I spend plenty of time around others who are involved with fly fishing in one way or another. I also hear bits and pieces of conversations. They aren’t always relevant as a whole, but little comments come back which just might help you in your fly fishing.

“Casting isn’t fishing. We are turning out casters who can cast, but who don’t have a clue as how to make the cast catch fish.” 

“Accuracy casting should be taught and practiced on moving water.”

“It doesn’t matter how smart you are unless you actually think.”

“We don’t ‘see’ - we’re constantly being entertained and we don’t really ‘see’ anything for what it really is. We don’t see beauty or light or life. What a shame to have lost the mystery of it all.”

“The most important thing in fly fishing is observation.”

“Casting in the wind changes the end point (where the fly lands) so you need to change where you aim so you can use the wind to your advantage.”

“Are you always able to see your fly? Work on presenting the fly so you can see it, use flies with bright posts or parachutes until you can easily see your flies. The fish won’t care and you can watch where your cast goes.”

“If you’re fishing with a guide listen to him. If you don’t know or understand what he is telling you to do don’t fake it. Be honest and ask!”

“The second most important thing in fly fishing is observation.”

“Learn how to fish nymphs. They may not be as sexy as dry flies to you, but the fish think they are.”

You will catch more fish using a dropper from a dry fly than just with a dry.

“Under most circumstances you can catch more fish using a dropper from a wet fly or another nymph too.”

“The most popular nymph selling at Umpqua is a Copper John.” (The 24 Greatest Flies You Don’t Leave Home Without, 2010)

“When fishing in moving water, eliminate all drag so the fly moves at the same rate as the water flows - use an indicator so you can see the flow rate.”

“Fish all drifts completely out, don’t pick up the fly until it is past you. And then, fish it out in retrieves. A fish following the drift will likely strike as the fly rises. This is why so many anglers catch fish on the rise and not on the drift.”

“Learn line control. Fish will often mouth your nymph imperceptibly during the drift and if you don’t have good line control you won’t know it. If you can’t see or feel the hit you can’t set the hook.”

“A new fly rod or fly line will not help you catch more fish. It’s not the equipment, it’s how you use the equipment.”

“Learn to recognize seams. Big fish tend to align along seams on the outside of swift moving water.”

“Realize there are myths in fly fishing. Discard them. You don’t have to hide behind a bush to fool a fish. Fish have to eat to live. In today’s world they have seen people.  You probably don’t want to jump up and down and wave your arms, but the so-called stealth is unnecessary - a myth.”

“Use common sense. It too seems to have become rare.”

Finally, “The most important thing in fly fishing is observation.”

Best of all - have fun! It’s not brain surgery. Aren’t we lucky?

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