Fly Fishing For Beginners
By Joe Jester
Fly is a very popular activity that can be equally restful and exhilarating. This article will help you get started as a fly fisherman. When starting out, you’ll want all the help and advice that you can get from the veterans.

Practice Your Casting

The veterans stress that you need to develop good casting technique. In order to develop good technique, you need to practice often. Practice will lead to proficiency in casting, which will be critical in determining whether you are a successful fly fisherman or a unhappy one.

You don’t need to be near water to practice casting. In fact it will be easier if you can find a spot near a wall outside your house. Just imagine that there is a clock hanging on the wall that is at the same level as your shoulder. Place markers with black electrical tape, at the 11:00 and 1:00 clock positions. Practice casting using these markers as a guide to improve your accuracy and style.

Selection of a Fly Rod

There are several important factors to consider when choosing the right fly rod. Obviously price matters. As is true with most things you get what you pay for. It's difficult when starting out to know what you are paying for. It's also difficult to know what you really need. I will discuss rods in great detail in a subsequent article. In this introduction, however, I want you to think about comfort. For example, will you be comfortable holding the fly rod for an extended period of time. If you aren’t comfortable, you probably will not find fly enjoyable. Choose a rod length that is easy for you to hold and cast for a few hours at a time.

Most of the rods on the market today are designed to allow you to feel the fish as it strikes your lure. The shaft of the rod is called a "blank". Modern rod blanks are normally constructed of either fibreglass or graphite, although other materials can be used. Each blank has an action that is

either: light, medium, medium/heavy, or heavy. The upper portion will also have an action that is either: extra light, light, or regular.

Both ends of the blank are assembled into a rod, complete with handle and guides. The action of the rod will affect the way the rod casts, as well as the type of that you can do with the rod.

Holding your Rod

It’s important that you learn to hold your rod comfortably under any conditions. You want to make sure to maintain good control without gripping too hard. If your grip is too tight you will probably become fatigued prematurely. With practice it is possible to adjust the strength of your grip in the middle of your cast. With just a bit of practice you’ll be able to increase the tightness at the same time as you learn to relax your grip.

Conclusion

In this article I have provided some general information to help those curious about fly get started. Fly is a wonderful activity. What are you waiting for?

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Joe JesterWebmaster and Fly Enthusiast www.woodsidesupply.comA Fly Tying Supply and Fly Resource site.