Fly fishing is a satisfying but difficult hobby. There’s always
something new to learn, a new way to improve your fly fishing game.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced angler, you can never stop
learning or honing techniques, meaning you can always push to be better.
From using the right gear, like fishing shirts, to tying your own flies, to going back to a roll cast, these tips and techniques can help you be better at fly fishing.
Check Your Hook Regularly
While this may seem obvious, you should keep your hook sharp as it will help land fish. It’s an easy step to forget, especially once you get into your groove. Check your hook after every 10 to 12 casts. Is it still sharp, or has the hook been dulled? Is the hook still on the line, or was it snagged? Sharpen the hook if needed and be sure the barb is crimped. Otherwise, continue to cast.
Tie Your Leader By Hand
Machine-tapered knotless leaders are convenient, but tying your own has distinct advantages. Knowing how it was tied means you can easily repair or rebuild the leader, or modify it as conditions change. This offers you great versatility at the cost of needing the know-how to tie a blood knot and keeping tippet material with you.
Try a Dead-Drifting Streamer
Need a new technique? Try a dead-drifting streamer along a bank, perpendicular to the current. Just like with a nymph, use your line to control the fly and go with a high-sticking technique. You will find the take is not subtle, eliminating the need for a strike indicator.
Use a Longer Tippet
If you are using a knotless tippet, it’s probably too short. If you have only 20 inches, it’s harder to change flies, and you lose delicacy and drag reduction. For leaders between 9 and 12 feet, use 12 feet of tippet. For a 15-foot leader, use 5 feet of tippet.
Use the Right Gear
The right tools for the right job is an idiom that works well with fishing. You will want the right shirts for fishing that offer a UPF rating and moisture-wicking technology to keep you comfortable for longer. An integrated mask can eliminate buff burn while keeping bugs away. Meanwhile, make sure you have flies that are right for the area and the fish. Like the above tip, if you tie flies yourself, you can customize them to your favorite fly fishing spots.
Remember the Roll Cast
Was the last time you used the roll cast years ago when you first learned fly fishing? Stiff, fast rods and weight-forward lines are popular these days, which don’t make the roll cast easy. However, it’s the perfect cast when you have no room behind you, and goes well with wet flies. A double-taper line on a moderate-action rod can give you good range. Cast in a single, efficient motion, keeping your fly on the water and making false casts unnecessary.
About Gillz®
Since the time Kent Hickman was a boy in his home state of Florida, he would take any opportunity to fish that he could. That’s stayed true since his childhood years, and Kent eventually went on to fish professionally, joining the tournament circuit. Finding fishing clothes for tournaments that ticked the boxes of keeping him comfortable, protected from the elements, and cool in the hot Florida sun was a challenge. In 2009, he took matters into his own hands and founded Gillz® to provide his fellow anglers with stylish performance fishing shirts, fishing masks, and other fishing apparel. Now it’s your turn to join the growing fishing community that loves to wear Gillz® apparel.
Keep yourself protected, comfortable, and cool while fly fishing with Gillz® gear at Gillz.com
 |
| Fishing Shirts |
Check Your Hook Regularly
While this may seem obvious, you should keep your hook sharp as it will help land fish. It’s an easy step to forget, especially once you get into your groove. Check your hook after every 10 to 12 casts. Is it still sharp, or has the hook been dulled? Is the hook still on the line, or was it snagged? Sharpen the hook if needed and be sure the barb is crimped. Otherwise, continue to cast.
Tie Your Leader By Hand
Machine-tapered knotless leaders are convenient, but tying your own has distinct advantages. Knowing how it was tied means you can easily repair or rebuild the leader, or modify it as conditions change. This offers you great versatility at the cost of needing the know-how to tie a blood knot and keeping tippet material with you.
Try a Dead-Drifting Streamer
Need a new technique? Try a dead-drifting streamer along a bank, perpendicular to the current. Just like with a nymph, use your line to control the fly and go with a high-sticking technique. You will find the take is not subtle, eliminating the need for a strike indicator.
Use a Longer Tippet
If you are using a knotless tippet, it’s probably too short. If you have only 20 inches, it’s harder to change flies, and you lose delicacy and drag reduction. For leaders between 9 and 12 feet, use 12 feet of tippet. For a 15-foot leader, use 5 feet of tippet.
Use the Right Gear
The right tools for the right job is an idiom that works well with fishing. You will want the right shirts for fishing that offer a UPF rating and moisture-wicking technology to keep you comfortable for longer. An integrated mask can eliminate buff burn while keeping bugs away. Meanwhile, make sure you have flies that are right for the area and the fish. Like the above tip, if you tie flies yourself, you can customize them to your favorite fly fishing spots.
Remember the Roll Cast
Was the last time you used the roll cast years ago when you first learned fly fishing? Stiff, fast rods and weight-forward lines are popular these days, which don’t make the roll cast easy. However, it’s the perfect cast when you have no room behind you, and goes well with wet flies. A double-taper line on a moderate-action rod can give you good range. Cast in a single, efficient motion, keeping your fly on the water and making false casts unnecessary.
About Gillz®
Since the time Kent Hickman was a boy in his home state of Florida, he would take any opportunity to fish that he could. That’s stayed true since his childhood years, and Kent eventually went on to fish professionally, joining the tournament circuit. Finding fishing clothes for tournaments that ticked the boxes of keeping him comfortable, protected from the elements, and cool in the hot Florida sun was a challenge. In 2009, he took matters into his own hands and founded Gillz® to provide his fellow anglers with stylish performance fishing shirts, fishing masks, and other fishing apparel. Now it’s your turn to join the growing fishing community that loves to wear Gillz® apparel.
Keep yourself protected, comfortable, and cool while fly fishing with Gillz® gear at Gillz.com
Comments
Post a Comment