5 Simple Fly Fishing Resolutions
I’ve never been a big New Year’s resolutions guy. I don’t need a calendar flip to tell me I should fish more, fish better, or finally stop doing dumb things on the water.
That said, there are a handful of habits I want to be more intentional about this year. Nothing drastic. No complete overhaul of how I fish. Just a few simple changes that, over time, should make a more consistent angler- and probably save me from a few self-inflicted mistakes along the way.
These aren’t rules, and they’re definitely not meant to suck the fun out of fly fishing. They’re just a short list of things I know I should already be doing… and plan to actually stick to this year.
I Will Check the Weather and Water Levels Before Fishing
Man, I cannot tell you how inconsistent I am with checking fishing conditions. I get so excited about the potential for a monster fish that sometimes, I just flat out forget to check the water and weather before leaving. I’ve been caught in mid-day rain storms, high winds, and un-fishably high water. One time, I made a 2 hour trip only to arrive at a completely frozen river. Yeah, that happened.
This year, I will be diligent about checking the water levels and the weather forecasts before each and every fishing trip. I will better understand how conditions change and the impacts of those weather changes.
This resolution will be simple, but it will take diligence and consistency. It’s just a matter of checking my weather app and making note of any forecasts (rain, wind, etc) that might impact fishing. Additionally, it will take a quick look at the appropriate USGS sites and consider the water levels- are they high, low, or normal- and determine the potential impacts.
By checking the fishing conditions before each trip, I will become a better angler and learn more about my local waters. Plus, it will prevent me from driving up on rock solid frozen rivers…
I Will Make Sure My Knots are Strong
The reality is that knots sometimes break, fish get away, and your stomach crumbles inside itself. But there’s a simple thing we can do to make sure this doesn’t happen often.
A quick, focused check on the strength of your knots only takes two seconds to do yet goes a long, long way. I can get lazy with this, assuming that every knot I tie is done properly and will not fail. But more times than I’m willing to admit, I’ve hooked a fish and lost it with the fly mysteriously gone. The curly-cued end of my tippet is basically the fishing world’s “middle finger,” a harsh reminder that I didn’t take the time to ensure that my knot was tied properly.
I will be better at making sure my knots are strong with a quick yank for quality. This double-checking will also be vital when fishing over structure that can fray tippet. Dragging flies over rocks, wood, or any other debris can chip away at your line, weakening it along the way.
All it will take to make sure I don’t lose fish is a 2 second check of my knots and tippet. If they’re strong, let it rock- if there’s any sign of weakness, take the time to retie. It’s as simple as that.
I Will False Cast Less
There’s no doubt about it- watching your fly line unfold from a tight loop and land softly on the water feels good. It’s one of the most satisfying parts of fly fishing. Like striping a 7-iron straight down the fairway, it’s hard not to admire it for a second longer than necessary.
The problem is that fish don’t admire it with you. Too much false casting sends fly line whipping back and forth over their heads, and that’s a great way to scare the $hit out of them. I’ve watched fish happily feeding in skinny water only to vanish after one too many neon fly lines buzzed overhead.
False casting has a purpose: to get enough line out to cast properly. Anything beyond that is usually just for me, not the fish. If I want to watch perfect loops roll out in slow motion, I can do that in an open field. If I want to catch more fish, I need to get the fly in the water faster and quieter.
More often than I realize, I throw in an extra false cast (or three) just because it feels good. In reality, all I’m doing is increasing the odds I spook the fish. By false casting less, I’ll still put the fly where it needs to go—just with fewer chances of blowing the whole thing up.
I Will Not Crowd the Eye When Tying Flies
If I had a nickel for every time I had to use my bobbin to burn a hole through the hook eye because I crowded it so badly, I’d probably have enough saved up for a new rod. Seriously, I’m that bad at it.
But not anymore. I will leave plenty of space on my flies when tying flies so there’s room to actually tie them on and fish them. I have a bad habit of adding more material than necessary- extra hair, extra chenille, extra hackle- until the front of the fly turns into a mess.
The fish probably don’t care about a mangled hook eye, but I do. Leaving a small gap and finishing the fly just short of the hook eye makes the fly cleaner, more durable, and way less frustrating to use. Plus, it means I can finally retire the lighter.
I Will Experiment More
Like many anglers out there, I am a creature of habit. I spend some time figuring out what works on my local waters and have a tough time straying away from proven flies and techniques. Case in point, I fish olive and black Wooly Buggers more than all other flies combined because they flat out catch fish.
Obviously, the Wooly Bugger is a fantastic choice in any and all scenarios. At times I do wonder what I could be missing. Is there a different fly or technique that would be even more effective?
While the Wooly Bugger and other favorite flies will always have a place in my box, I want to broaden my horizons.
Experimenting might lead to short-term skunking, but it will be worth it. I may only bring a handful of flies on a given day so I’m forced to use those and only those. I might see a fly and say “I’ve got to catch a fish on this fly today.” There might even be a time where I leave my box of Buggers in the car.
Well, maybe not. Let’s not go that far…