Line Control: Taming the Spaghetti Monster! Today I am going to cover a topic that I see many beginner and even intermediate fly fisherman struggle with, and that is “line control”. As you are learning to cast a fly rod, or learning to fly fish, one of the items that you may be struggling with is how to control the extra line in your hands. When you make a cast the rest of the line slips out of your hands, or it’s on the ground and you step on it, or it gets caught on the gra

Fly Fishing Gift Ideas: Because “Just Get Me Anything” Is a Trap. I thought I would help out the new fisherman, Spouse, or significant other, and give you a little things to consider as to “fly fishing Gift ideas.” If you are new to the world of fly fishing and are still discovering all of the amazing gadgets and gizmos available to the fly fisherperson, congratulations—you have entered the department store of confusion. Every time you walk into a fly shop or click on a fly f

Fly line vs. Rod weight: Why Does This Feel Like an Algebra test? I'm going to talk about, Fly line vs. Rod weight, which can be a very confusing topic. I just read a post on Facebook from a beginner fly fisherman, that rings true over and over again. He stated that he was learning to cast, and he was having trouble getting the line to advance forward. I was able to start a chat with him and discovered that he was using the wrong weight line for the rod, AKA, the importance

Fly Rod Starter kits, the "Costco sample tray" of fly fishing Fly rod starter kits are perfect for beginners who want to dive into the art of fly fishing, or learn to cast a fly rod, without breaking the bank. At the shop we have several models that start around the two hundred dollar mark, and they are aimed at the person who wants to “dip” their toes into the fly fishing world without breaking the bank, similar to the "Costco sample tray", where you can sample the goods. Th

Fly Fishing with Dry Flies, why are they called Dry, If it’s in the water isn’t it going to get wet?. I thought today I would spend a few minutes talking about fly fishing with dry flies. If you are new to the fly fishing game you may have questions about dry flies. By now even the beginner fly fisherman should know that dry flies are flies that are designed to float and be fished on the surface of the water. Today we are going to go over some of the different designs and sty

What exactly is dry fly floatant, and what does it do? If you are new to fly fishing and are just learning some of the ins-and-outs of how to do things. By now you have watched about 12,357 “You tube” videos about dry fly floatant and have more questions now than before you began. Today I’m going to try to answer a question that I get in the shop several times a week and that is “What’s the deal about Fly Floatant”?. Let’s take a step back and define exactly what Fly Floatant

“Hopper Dropper? Sounds Like a Dance Move, But It’ll Catch Fish.” As many of you are currently learning to fly fish, and are learning new things about this sport, you will hear many terms that may sound very foreign to you. For example, you might have read or heard of the term “Hopper Dropper”?. What the heck is this, some sort of term for a dance, or laundry, no it is simple a way of mixing both dry fly fishing and nymph fishing at the same time. Many years ago, I was approa

A quick way to learn about "Matching the Hatch" and what does it mean to the Fly Fisherman

How a Fly rod works: You Don't throw the Fly, the Fancy Stick does the work for you. Sitting here writing articles about learning how to fly fish and understanding all the difficulties and struggles that new fly fishermen face, I take for granite that not everyone knows “How a fly rod works”. This makes me sit back and reflect on the time when I started my journey into fly fishing. But before we begin, let me tell you about a six-year-old boy. Who went to a pay-to-play tr

Fly Fishing Terms: Decoding the Strange Language of Fly Fishing In the previous article I talked about overviews of fly fishing and learning to fly fish for the first time. Today I’m going to focus on a few of the pillars of basic knowledge in reference to “Fly Fishing Terms” so we can learn the fly-fishing basics and speak the same language. Many times, I watch people that are new to the sport trying to follow a conversation when a more experienced fisherman is talking. Yo

Hiring Fly Fishing Guides, Because "You Tube" can only get you so far. I frequently have people ask me if they should hire a Fly Fishing Guide to learn how to fly fish. This is a very delicate question to answer, one that has several sides to it. You will need to ask yourself a few questions before you decide to hire a guide for an upcoming fishing trip, but honestly they will be very important questions. First and foremost a Fly Fishing Guide is a different individual all to

Practice your Fly Casting at home, Where the Fish are Imaginary, but the Tangles are real Over the last several weeks I have read an increasing number of comments from people talking about “how to practice fly casting at home”?. Whether you are totally new and just learning to cast, or a seasoned veteran, practicing fly casting makes your time on the water more enjoyable and productive. As you are learning how to fly fish or you are just learning how to cast a fly rod, pr

Heated Socks for Winter Fly Fishing, Because my feet are done Fishing before I was. If you are new to fly fishing, or a seasoned veteran of fishing, heated socks for Winter fly fishing is a real thing. If you are living in a State that has a mild year round climate I might be speaking to deaf ears, but if you are from the North, or here in Colorado, we have this thing called Winter. Rivers and lakes freeze, but if you are one those hard core individuals like yours truly, then

Learning to Nymph, Nymphing is not a dirty word, but H.R. has been informed. As many of you are traveling on this marathon of learning we call “how to fly-fish”, by now you have heard or read the word “Nymphing”. Today let's talk about "learning to Nymph". Contrary to popular belief, nymphing is not a dirty word it refers to the Zoological terminology used for aquatic insects. A forward from Gary A. Borger I think will help shed light on this: “Quote, Nymphs are the underwat

Lets talk about how to teach your kids how to fly fish.

Fly Fishing Reels, What is the real deal In prior post I briefly talked about a fly reel and how in the beginning you need not be too concerned about a performance reel unless your target species is Salmon, or Saltwater game fish. Today I will spent a few more minutes giving you some detailed information about fly fishing reels. If you are just learning to fly fish and have purchased a starter package , from Cabela’s, Walmart, or Orvis set up. The reel that is provided with

I want to learn how to fly fish and cast a fly rod. First off, I want to commend you for saying “I want to learn to Fly Fish” Fly fishing is both an artful and captivating fishing method that has captivated enthusiasts for centuries, personally speaking it is one of the most amazing ways to be outside and catch fish. With its roots traced back to ancient times, this serene sport has evolved into a cherished tradition enjoyed by countless individuals worldwide. Fly fishing p

Let’s talk about your tools for Fly Fishing, what you really need Today I thought that we would talk about tools for Fly Fishing, you might call it “Tool Time for Fly Fishing”. Today more than ever the person learning how to fly fish is constantly being bombarded with ads, articles, stuff that’s constantly popping up on our phones, in a never-ending stream of “things”! Things of every shape size color, or configuration. things we need, things we might need someday, and thing

Fly Rod Actions For Fly Fishing and How it Affects You Fly rod actions and how it can affect your casting as you are learning to fly fish. As you are learning to fly fish, the words “Fly rod action” will be something you will hear very frequently. Fly rod action refers to the degree of flexibility and bending characteristics of a fly rod during casting. It plays a crucial role in determining the casting performance and the behavior of the fly line. There are generally three t

Strike indicators for Fly Fishing, what heck are they and Why So Many? As you are learning how to fly fish and have read my prior articles on the different types of fly fishing that are available to you as a fly fisherman, in this article we are going to talk about Strike Indicators for Fly Fishing. If you recall Nymphing is sub-surface fishing technique that uses an imitation of a small invertebrate form of aquatic insects as the fly. Since you are fishing this pattern unde