How to fly fish

Fly fishing is all about rhythm. Finding the right rhythm and movement is the key to casting a fly rod. The mechanics of casting can be broken down into several steps.

An easy way to learn how to cast a fly rod is to picture the movements of your arm on a clock. When your arm is in the neutral position (when it’s up and directly in line with your body), it’s at 12 o’clock. When your arm is forward during your cast, it should be at 10 o’clock. During your back cast, your arm should be at 2 o’clock. By keeping you arm in this small window of movement, you’ll be able to have both control and power in your casts.

To start your cast, let out about one rod length of the colored fly line. You only need to hold the rod with one hand - keep the other hand free to help manage your line. Start your cast by slowly swinging the rod behind you, in the 2 o’clock position. Keep the rod tip up, and once the rod tip gets just past your shoulder, at 10 o’clock, make your forward cast in one smooth, continuous motion letting the line rest on top of the water

Be careful not to use the rod like a whip - any casts that are too sudden and sharp will cause the fly to snap off from the leader, or scare away any potential catches.

When you’re casting you can let more line out. This will help get your fly further out onto the water and closer to the fish. To make your line longer during a cast, pull some line from the fly fishing reel in between casts.

When you make your cast, bring the rod forward and backward several times like you would normally cast, but don’t let the fly hit the water. This is called false casting. Practice your false cast several times to find the right rhythm. Once you have a rhythm, get ready to let more line out. To let more line out, hold the excess line in your other hand and keep some tension on it. As you make your forward cast, let go of some excess line. The momentum of the cast will bring the line out and make the line go further out. Repeat this process until your line is as long as you want it.

If a fish bites your fly, be ready to set the hook! Setting the hook when a fish bites helps keep the fish on your line. There are two ways to set the hook when fly fishing - a convex (rod) set or a strip set. A convex set means you pull back on the rod in a sudden, hard motion once the fish takes your fly. A strip set is when you pull on the line with your free hand once a fish bites your fly. The strip set is done with a single, hard tug on the line while keeping the rod motionless.

As you set out to learn how to fly fish, you’ll want to look for an ideal location. Most people think of fly fishing as a sport best enjoyed in mountain streams. Though these types of waters are great places to fly fish, you can also enjoy amazing fishing in the warm waters of ponds and lakes, and in salt water - and catch a broad array of fish. There's probably a body of water you can use for fly fishing not too far from where you live, especially if you are just learning how to fish.