I chose this video for my wife to watch, then went into the kitchen to make dinner. Then I heard a voice I recognized, lol. Sure enough, Chris Niccolls! We have more than one thing in common. 👍🏼📷🎣
I have watched your camera videos for years. So fun to see you in this space. Great video!! Self taught here and there were a few good nuggets in there for me.
Great video ! I am a 25+ year bass fisherman and moved to Idaho which has some great bass fishing but now expanding to fly fishing as well. So many great rivers and creeks around here and very excited to add this to my fishing adventures. Thank you for this video and look forward to more from you.
Woman here- a new one to fly fishing: thank you! I started my fishing with a “zero” rod as some call it with no drag and boy.. that was a hassle but a good lesson. I love your advice & plan to implement as soon as my husband and I hit the CO rivers in April for those trout. Sty blessed & hook em’!
Hey I'm glad you found the video useful, and are continuing your fly fishing journey. Fishing Colorado would be a dream come true for most of us. Even though we have amazing rivers here in Alberta, most of the fly fishing literature we grew up with talk about rivers in Colorado, and Montana and there is a mystique built up that is worth exploring.
This may sound a little crazy but I fish my favorite lake and fish for cutthroat. Late fall, early winter. To many other things to do, less people to contend with so it’s a once a year thing. Enjoyed your tips, much easier to review before going out then have a huge learning curve at the water.
I am just starting this wonderful hobby. I grew up along the Gulf Coast of Texas where sand trout and redfish abound. Now, I am landlocked with access to rivers and streams. So, thanks for your useful advice. I will be looking around a bit on your and other YT sites.
Wow! I had to do a double take. I'm in my mid 30's and recently I have been trying to get into different hobbies other than photography. Who other than Chris frikken Niccolls to provide the guidance I trust and need for my next adventure. This was a true gem to stumble upon! Algorithms folks! You rock Chris!
The biggest thing I wish I understood when I started fly fishing was rod loading. I started as a *really* young kid in the 90s when no such resources existed. All you had were a few books, A River Runs Through It and your own wits…so I didn’t understand why my casting was so inconsistent, inelegant and tangly. Until one day when I was about 12…for whatever reason, I slowly accelerated the rod back, slowly accelerated it forward and BOOM. All of the sudden, my casting improved about 500% in the span of 10 seconds. I wouldn’t know what “loading” was for another 10-15 years but it didn’t even matter. Rod loading and using the correct leader for any given weight of fly. If I could go back in time and talk to 1994 fly fisherman me, those would be the first two things I’d cover. Immediately followed by “brook trout are goofy…just get their attention with something, don’t spook them and be gentle”.
I have only still water fly fished so far, but just a week ago I had this same huge revelation of rod loading. I slowed my cast by just a half second or so. Just till I felt the weight of the line unfurling in the back cast and slowly accelerated to a forward stop….bam had a perfect cast. It’s teaching me to slow down all of my movements. I think I finally understand after 2 years of trying.
Great video and thank you Chris. I also watch your photography reviews and this is just as interesting and informative. I have just started fly fishing and found this most helpful. Thank you.
I'm currently learning to fly fish after a long time purely carp fishing. This is all amazing advice. This guy is brilliant, im gonna be watching all of his videos on youtube ❤❤❤
Something that helps when shooting line, is looking for the taper in the beginning of the fly line. The line will be much thicker in the beginning (and heavier) and get lighter and thinner towards the end. If you false cast with the thicker section once or twice and have maybe 10 or 15 feet of thinner line behind, you can get those 10 or 15 feet to shoot out all the way if you load the rod properly of course. Quite satisfying when it all shoots out at once. Make sure there are no tangles though -- that will rip guides off the rod if you're not careful.
What a surprise to see my favorite camera review guy, Chris, here!!! Is Jordan recording the video? As a beginner of fly fishing, subscribed to learn from a master.
Hey Mark! Thanks for subscribing to the channel. Jordan is not filming because he isn't into the whole outdoors thing. We have our own team here at the shop to make our own content though. Thanks for supporting us!
Definitely! You can see me casting quite high with my elbow towards the end of the video because just out of frame are a wall of tall grasses. Learning to roll cast effectively is very important. Especially on our waters here.
I’m totally new to fly fishing. I’ve been an angler for over 20 years now, but I moved to the West coast, and fly fishing for trout is all the rage here. I’m trying to learn, so your channel is an excellent resource. I’m a fishing instructor at a trout hatchery, and I get a lot of questions about fly fishing that I’m not able to answer. Do you have any tips on what gear would be appropriate for beginners?
It's always a good idea to hit banks or just random stuff like logs or poles that stick out of the water for any kind of fishing. If minnows are hiding there, the big fish are circling around that area waiting for a snack to swim into their mouth.
Funny how times change as years go by. Was in a Bass Pro today trying to learn how so much has changed buying a new rod/reel and even line of complex. I've always been intrigued by fly fishing, but always afraid to try. The alternative? ultra/micro L stuff. But, not the same. What to do? hit YT and bam~start here I guess! and good intro, I picked up a lot of small things you probably have no idea were meaningful. I grew up with Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and fly fishing was in a category of the elite it seemed, or the impression it left on a 7/8 yr old kid thirsty for knowledge. So special, terminology akin to a foreign language. Fly fishing was always glamorized in movies, the private country club of fishing~ In anything new where we screw up is buying shit twice, at least I do. I see you've got a lot of vids, I like your flow on info. And yes, so true I've seen posted in comments. 99% of the cats on the banks with you are generally awesome. I've had lots of great chats passing the time with total strangers like, any time people are around.
Hey I appreciate the kind words. If you have any questions please ask and we will be happy to help you out. I would say that fly fishing has become far less elitist than it may have once been and you'll find the vast majority of the community very accommodating and eager to share knowledge. It's not too late to start today!
Its me! Photos and fishing can sometimes go hand in hand, but I find I need to choose one or the other. I only seem to catch big fish when there is no photo evidence possible.
😂 the comment at the end about the ball of yarn-I’m an ER nurse, so every time I find myself untangling monitoring cables, I make a joke about “practicing for fishing.”
"if you have been re using the same set of christmas lights for more than 1 season fly fishing might be for you..."😊 Hey, just wanted to say thank you so much. I've been fishing conventional for 30+years and finally decided to dip a toe in😂...no but seriously you solidified several things I was second guessing about....like staying in shore for a bit and feeling stuff out....I thought I was being weird...thx man✌️
Dunno, usual fly cast is tuck a copy of the Angling Times under your elbow. So when you raise the rod with a fairly stiff wrist, the rod goes to vertical, not behind the shoulder, the cast goes behind and loads the rod, you 'knock' forwards to maybe 45° like a hammer blow, and let the rod cast the line out. To shoot line, pull the line to load the rod more. A couple of false casts and you may well shoot all the fly line and half the backing. It should be effortless, it's more about accuracy anyway. To shoot WF to distance it should be one number higher than the rod rating. Depends on size of the water, a stream rarely needs line to be shot far and DT for better presentation.
Dunno Jeff. When you're casting with a ton of tall shore grass right behind you, you have to get that rod higher and steeple cast. Not very pretty, but you do what you got to do. Book under the elbow is a throwback to old school casting and it sounds romantic and mysterious but in truth fly casting takes on so many forms. Side casts, reach casts, steeples, belgian style, pile casts, single hand spey casts, etc. The real rule is the fly line does what the rod tip does. Shooting line does not have to be done with an additional pull on the line, which for those that may not know, is called hauling. Hauling is only done when one needs to get further distance as you also suggested, but is not neccessary for regular fishing situations. And the entire flyline plus half the backing is fantastical.
At 5:11 you said to always wear your glasses when you fish and let me tell you, the first time I went fishing the wind took someone’s cast and threw it right into their own eye ball. And then the wind started blowing again pulling the line and that dude screamed like he was going to die, he had a whole fish hook Imbedded in his eye with a line hanging off it. Crazy shit I’ve ever seen the chances
Hi I begged my father to teach me but he was too busy enjoying himself fishing. Then I inherited his gear. Now I'm really struggling to know what to do with all this stuff, how to put it all together and actually catch a fish... He passed in 2012, 11 yrs later I still haven't caught a fish... Now I see some things I was doing wrong...thanks.
@@BowRiverTroutfittersCalgary thanks, you already have in a small way with the video here. I went to Toorongo River Falls on the long weekend just past Noojee and finally got a chance to pull out the rods and get some river time. You mention in the video that trout love the structure in the water and you also said to look for the insects in the area and match the fly and not to spook them but cast to the edge from a few metres back before getting to the river. So I did all three things, match the fly, cast from 2 metres back from the edge and let the fly drift into the structure in the slow deeper water eddy's. The result was I saw one flash up to take to fly but he saw me and retreated. Even though I didn't get him it was an encouraging 'win' for me. Thanks fellas I'm now subscribed to your stream.
I was given the grace of the fishing Gods in finding a fly rod and reel on the shore, its case was absolutely wrecked but the inside was perfect, it was covered in bird poop
Thanks for providing some great content. Different too from other reputable shops. One suggestion...the pace of your video is fairly fast. Space out the cadence a bit? That's the old man in me talkin.
Now that's is good value of content I have a question me and my partner want to get into fresh water fishing I like the look of fly fishing since it looks interesting but just wondering If it's better to get a spin rod or should I just start out fly fishing
I live in an area (Southeast NC) where there is no fly fishing at all. I bass fish once in a while but mostly panfish. It's usually out of a boat in over grown areas in the miles and miles of river that's available. I do not fish in the ocean. There are some bank fishing opportunities but not too many. I still see fly fishing as another way to potentially catch fish and it does intrigue me. I sometimes use a popping bug on a bream buster or cane pole and they are highly effective so I know fly fishing will produce better results. The only way I can learn is either by books, video or travel to western NC to take lessons. When I do commit myself to fly fishing I suppose it will be a slow drawn out affair but I think it will be worth it. Bow River Troutfitters what do you think would be the best course of action for me to learn to fly fish in the most efficient way with my circumstances?
We can only dream of Panfish and Bass where we live, but you are in a prime spot for fly fishing. Getting the gear shouldn't be too difficult, get yourself a good 5 or 6 weight rod, and start practicing on panfish. Little poppers, nymphs, and streamers will deliver for you. The hard part is going to be teaching yourself how to cast properly, without the benefit of a lot of locals to show you the way. Let us know if you have any questions, but I think you can make a good go of it.
Amazing video, one question.... Can I maybe use a freshwater inline spinner as a lure when fly fishing? Or would it defeat the whole fly fishing purpose?
You can, with the caveat being that lures tend to be fairly heavy and thus you would need a fairly stout fly rod to cast the lures properly. But then why not just fish a well tied streamer and catch fish the same way.
Useful tip for beginners : try to find a spot with no bushes behind you . ! Until you learn reverse cast . Also , he was dead right about fishing close to edge / bank . Don't try to start with a 70 yard cast ! Yes , it looks and feels impressive but scares off any fish lying close in..
I’m left handed and I hold my fly rod like a right handed person because I’m used to using left handed fishing rods sure I can use right handed rods to me I have a preference to hold it with my right hand and fight a fish that way
Thanks Chris! Great tips and video! I liked how quickly you got to the points and kept us watching and not bored. I’m fairly new to fly fishing and I am still inpatient, I rush my retrieves and hook settings along with how quickly I want to just fish lol!!!! Having Patience, relax and study the waters are super important for sure. Thanks bud!!! 🤛🏼
I'd like to say that the patience improves over time, but some days are better than others. But you are right, the more calm and relaxed you can be on the water, the better the fishing and fun goes.
Great advice for casting. Do you have any videos for line management once its on the water? Like line mending to maintain the good drift. I know the basics but the finesse is what I'm lacking.
We should definitely make a video about mending, reach casts, and angles. It generally still requires lots of time on the water, and hard won experience to really get it down pat.
Fly fishing is great. I am self taught myself with the help of TH-cam. What is funny is yes false casting with beginners is hilarious to watch but that is how I learned to shoot line. I was false casting like a jackass and missed grabbing my fly line and it shot out like crazy. I was like ok let's do that on purpose next time. I am going on seven years or so fly fishing and I am constantly stepping on my line though. Haha
Do you have any hacks on efficiency to grab a fly, spool up your slack and connecting your fly to a fly eyelet in order to move on to a different spot?
A great question. So generally speaking we like to hook the fly to one of our middle guides on our rod. Then you let out enough slack to be able to pull taut the line from the fly, go around the cage of your reel, and then reel up the slack until it's tight. Some people like to put the line around their reel handle, but this does not hold well, and you cant reel up the slack. Go around the cage and your good. When you get to your next location just pool the line off of your reel cage, and unhook the fly from your rod guide, and fish!
I'm a beginner and self taught for the most part. I have a 9ft 6wt rod and reel. I feel like I have a hard time getting the fly out where I need it to. If ya got a video or tips for better casting please let me know
Its definitely a challenge that we all deal with at the start. The key to getting more distance is really gonna be timing, keeping the rod tip tracking in a flat plane, and setting up with a good backcast. Once that starts to happen then you can add in hauling to add even more line speed for distance. You need a good solid backcast, you have to wait for the line to straighten before initiating your forward cast. Your loops have to tighten up, which means keeping the rod tip on a level plane as you cast. Remember that the line always does what your rod tip does. If your rod tip is bouncing up and down or travelling in a curve instead of a straight line, your line will do that too, and you'll lose distance. Lastly, smooth acceleration to a hard and distinct stop is key. Never try to add more power for distance.
It depends on the situation. When we use specific sub surface flies called nymphs, we generally use weight on the line, or heavy beadhead flies to really get them to sink to the target zone in the water. Generally we will use a bobber or indicator to help detect strikes and suspend the flies at the right depth. Sometimes instead of a bobber, we will suspend the nymphs by using our rod tip and raise and lower them with our arm. This is more akin to Euro style nymphing, or high stick nymphing techniques. However if we are streamer fishing we use weighted lines but we don't use indicators, and we are swinging the streamers through the water, not suspending them. And when we use dry flies we are putting flies up on the surface of the water to flaot, and therefore do not use any weight at all.
Definitely taking a class from an experienced teacher, or even a paid guided trip is a great way to accelerate your learning curve. You can avoid a lot of bad habits if you get good instruction out of the way at the start.
The fact I went from a Petapixel video and then decided to watch some fly fishing stuff only to find the Chris again is hilarious.
I chose this video for my wife to watch, then went into the kitchen to make dinner. Then I heard a voice I recognized, lol. Sure enough, Chris Niccolls! We have more than one thing in common. 👍🏼📷🎣
Glad I found this. Ive never been a big fan of traditional fishing but something about fly fishing just has me wanting to give it a shot. Thank you!
I have watched your camera videos for years. So fun to see you in this space. Great video!! Self taught here and there were a few good nuggets in there for me.
Im self taught myself and listening to what you’re saying reminds me of all the problems I had to go through and learn from
I suspect most of us fly flingers are self taught, nowadays we do have learning videos on TH-cam to help however.
I’ve been fishing for 40 yrs, and just taking up fly fishing. Great tips and presentation. Thank you
Respect to this guy for still replying to comments years later!
Of course! I appreciate all your questions and want to be as helpful as possible.
Your videos transport me to a place of tranquility. 🌾
Glad to hear that! Thanks for saying so.
1:20
Man oh man, what a simple concept to understand, yet one I've never personally heard of. Will keep this in mind
Great video ! I am a 25+ year bass fisherman and moved to Idaho which has some great bass fishing but now expanding to fly fishing as well. So many great rivers and creeks around here and very excited to add this to my fishing adventures. Thank you for this video and look forward to more from you.
Woman here- a new one to fly fishing: thank you! I started my fishing with a “zero” rod as some call it with no drag and boy.. that was a hassle but a good lesson.
I love your advice & plan to implement as soon as my husband and I hit the CO rivers in April for those trout. Sty blessed & hook em’!
Hey I'm glad you found the video useful, and are continuing your fly fishing journey. Fishing Colorado would be a dream come true for most of us. Even though we have amazing rivers here in Alberta, most of the fly fishing literature we grew up with talk about rivers in Colorado, and Montana and there is a mystique built up that is worth exploring.
Iv'e been catching some brown trout on dry flys here in CO last week. Have you been out fishing yet this year?
I live in England and recently got together with an American woman who fly fishes . This really helped . Thanks .
This may sound a little crazy but I fish my favorite lake and fish for cutthroat. Late fall, early winter. To many other things to do, less people to contend with so it’s a once a year thing. Enjoyed your tips, much easier to review before going out then have a huge learning curve at the water.
I am just starting this wonderful hobby. I grew up along the Gulf Coast of Texas where sand trout and redfish abound. Now, I am landlocked with access to rivers and streams. So, thanks for your useful advice. I will be looking around a bit on your and other YT sites.
Wow! I had to do a double take. I'm in my mid 30's and recently I have been trying to get into different hobbies other than photography. Who other than Chris frikken Niccolls to provide the guidance I trust and need for my next adventure. This was a true gem to stumble upon! Algorithms folks! You rock Chris!
Congrats on starting your fly fishing journey. I think you'll find it immensely rewarding! Thanks for watching.
Wait, isnt he the camera guy?
Thank you for the tips! My wife and daughter just got me my first fly rod this year, and your advice has helped!
My sincerest thanks!!!
“Put your fly away until your ready for the next session” truer words have never been spoken
The biggest thing I wish I understood when I started fly fishing was rod loading. I started as a *really* young kid in the 90s when no such resources existed. All you had were a few books, A River Runs Through It and your own wits…so I didn’t understand why my casting was so inconsistent, inelegant and tangly. Until one day when I was about 12…for whatever reason, I slowly accelerated the rod back, slowly accelerated it forward and BOOM. All of the sudden, my casting improved about 500% in the span of 10 seconds. I wouldn’t know what “loading” was for another 10-15 years but it didn’t even matter. Rod loading and using the correct leader for any given weight of fly. If I could go back in time and talk to 1994 fly fisherman me, those would be the first two things I’d cover. Immediately followed by “brook trout are goofy…just get their attention with something, don’t spook them and be gentle”.
I have only still water fly fished so far, but just a week ago I had this same huge revelation of rod loading. I slowed my cast by just a half second or so. Just till I felt the weight of the line unfurling in the back cast and slowly accelerated to a forward stop….bam had a perfect cast. It’s teaching me to slow down all of my movements. I think I finally understand after 2 years of trying.
Beginner here. Great info for best practices and habits to avoid. Thank you. -e🐾
You are so welcome! Good luck with your fly fishing journey!
About to buy my first set up today!! So excited. Just moved out to Oregon and I need me my first steelhead ASAP.
Great video and thank you Chris. I also watch your photography reviews and this is just as interesting and informative. I have just started fly fishing and found this most helpful. Thank you.
Chris sucks n so do you
Super guilty of having a fly on the line before I even see water. Such a bad habit, thank you for the lesson!
I'm currently learning to fly fish after a long time purely carp fishing. This is all amazing advice. This guy is brilliant, im gonna be watching all of his videos on youtube ❤❤❤
I appreciate that very much! let me know if you have any questions.
@BowRiverTroutfittersCalgary thank you, I will definitely be intouch to ask you lots of questions as I go along😁😁🐟🐠🥰
Thanks for the tips, I’m new and excited to catch fish and learn how to figure out to fish wherever I am
I’m moving from Texas to Colorado and very interested in learning. Your video is informative and not intimidating.
Thank you!
Something that helps when shooting line, is looking for the taper in the beginning of the fly line. The line will be much thicker in the beginning (and heavier) and get lighter and thinner towards the end. If you false cast with the thicker section once or twice and have maybe 10 or 15 feet of thinner line behind, you can get those 10 or 15 feet to shoot out all the way if you load the rod properly of course. Quite satisfying when it all shoots out at once. Make sure there are no tangles though -- that will rip guides off the rod if you're not careful.
As someone who's never fly fish but wanting to try nice video keep it in mind
Wow I didn’t expect to see my favorite camera reviewer in a fly fishing video!
I’m still new, I haven’t even gotten a rod yet. But I love all of these videos ❤ thank you
Appreciate that! Let us know when you are ready or if you have any questions.
Pearce Estate Park???? Miss this river,awesome tutorial!!!!!
Thank you very much! As a fly fishing beginner the false cast is killing me. I will pay attention from now on 😊
Nice! Camera gear to fishing gear! Nice to see you in this space too. Thanks for the information.
What a surprise to see my favorite camera review guy, Chris, here!!! Is Jordan recording the video? As a beginner of fly fishing, subscribed to learn from a master.
Hey Mark! Thanks for subscribing to the channel. Jordan is not filming because he isn't into the whole outdoors thing. We have our own team here at the shop to make our own content though. Thanks for supporting us!
Great video. It's difficult though to cast coming to water. Often where I go there isn't room for me to throw a fly until I'm in the water.
Definitely! You can see me casting quite high with my elbow towards the end of the video because just out of frame are a wall of tall grasses. Learning to roll cast effectively is very important. Especially on our waters here.
I’m totally new to fly fishing. I’ve been an angler for over 20 years now, but I moved to the West coast, and fly fishing for trout is all the rage here. I’m trying to learn, so your channel is an excellent resource. I’m a fishing instructor at a trout hatchery, and I get a lot of questions about fly fishing that I’m not able to answer. Do you have any tips on what gear would be appropriate for beginners?
Thanks man first timer here loved the casting tips I was doing nearly everything you said not to do 😅😅 Aweaome
We all started there too. Glad to be of service!
It's always a good idea to hit banks or just random stuff like logs or poles that stick out of the water for any kind of fishing.
If minnows are hiding there, the big fish are circling around that area waiting for a snack to swim into their mouth.
Those are some really great tips. Thanks for sharing and a great presentation with clear explanations.
Funny how times change as years go by. Was in a Bass Pro today trying to learn how so much has changed buying a new rod/reel and even line of complex. I've always been intrigued by fly fishing, but always afraid to try. The alternative? ultra/micro L stuff. But, not the same. What to do? hit YT and bam~start here I guess! and good intro, I picked up a lot of small things you probably have no idea were meaningful.
I grew up with Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and fly fishing was in a category of the elite it seemed, or the impression it left on a 7/8 yr old kid thirsty for knowledge. So special, terminology akin to a foreign language. Fly fishing was always glamorized in movies, the private country club of fishing~
In anything new where we screw up is buying shit twice, at least I do. I see you've got a lot of vids, I like your flow on info. And yes, so true I've seen posted in comments. 99% of the cats on the banks with you are generally awesome. I've had lots of great chats passing the time with total strangers like, any time people are around.
Hey I appreciate the kind words. If you have any questions please ask and we will be happy to help you out. I would say that fly fishing has become far less elitist than it may have once been and you'll find the vast majority of the community very accommodating and eager to share knowledge. It's not too late to start today!
hey this is the dude from DP review! imagine my surprise to find he likes BOTH of my hobbies too!
Its me! Photos and fishing can sometimes go hand in hand, but I find I need to choose one or the other. I only seem to catch big fish when there is no photo evidence possible.
@@BowRiverTroutfittersCalgary lol! I hear you Chris... I have similar and enduring luck, if that's the word ;)
Thank you for the video, I still sometimes get to excited to throw a line in as soon as I get to the water. :)
great info, me and wife just getting into
Holy! You're a legend. Thanks for these amazing tips
😂 the comment at the end about the ball of yarn-I’m an ER nurse, so every time I find myself untangling monitoring cables, I make a joke about “practicing for fishing.”
Thank you for the tips. I am just getting started
Wait what?!!!! You do camera reviews !!!! Nice love your reviews
thanks for tips ! nice to se you on fishing, only se and love you camera reviwes!
Wow wasn’t expecting the camera dude here . Great video
Glad you enjoyed!
"if you have been re using the same set of christmas lights for more than 1 season fly fishing might be for you..."😊
Hey, just wanted to say thank you so much. I've been fishing conventional for 30+years and finally decided to dip a toe in😂...no but seriously you solidified several things I was second guessing about....like staying in shore for a bit and feeling stuff out....I thought I was being weird...thx man✌️
Thanks, I guess I need to adjust the drag.
Dunno, usual fly cast is tuck a copy of the Angling Times under your elbow. So when you raise the rod with a fairly stiff wrist, the rod goes to vertical, not behind the shoulder, the cast goes behind and loads the rod, you 'knock' forwards to maybe 45° like a hammer blow, and let the rod cast the line out.
To shoot line, pull the line to load the rod more. A couple of false casts and you may well shoot all the fly line and half the backing. It should be effortless, it's more about accuracy anyway. To shoot WF to distance it should be one number higher than the rod rating. Depends on size of the water, a stream rarely needs line to be shot far and DT for better presentation.
Dunno Jeff. When you're casting with a ton of tall shore grass right behind you, you have to get that rod higher and steeple cast. Not very pretty, but you do what you got to do. Book under the elbow is a throwback to old school casting and it sounds romantic and mysterious but in truth fly casting takes on so many forms. Side casts, reach casts, steeples, belgian style, pile casts, single hand spey casts, etc. The real rule is the fly line does what the rod tip does. Shooting line does not have to be done with an additional pull on the line, which for those that may not know, is called hauling. Hauling is only done when one needs to get further distance as you also suggested, but is not neccessary for regular fishing situations. And the entire flyline plus half the backing is fantastical.
that last tip was great. thanks!
I'm coming from fishing with an open face spinning reel. My dad's gotten into fly fishing and I'm trying to wrap my head around it lol.
It’s a worthwhile pursuit. Stick with it and it will get easier and more enjoyable.
At 5:11 you said to always wear your glasses when you fish and let me tell you, the first time I went fishing the wind took someone’s cast and threw it right into their own eye ball. And then the wind started blowing again pulling the line and that dude screamed like he was going to die, he had a whole fish hook Imbedded in his eye with a line hanging off it. Crazy shit I’ve ever seen the chances
You don't see it often, but you hear about it often enough to know that glasses are a necessity.
@@BowRiverTroutfittersCalgary yea it was crazy when it happend, he’s half blind now
Feel like i just learned some fly tips from Al on home improvement
I do like the plad. I also like the old school reference!
Thank you for this, as a self taught (in progress) I’ve done every single one of these! (The bad ones) lol
Excellent job with this video.
i like the yarn suggestion at the end lol
Hi I begged my father to teach me but he was too busy enjoying himself fishing. Then I inherited his gear. Now I'm really struggling to know what to do with all this stuff, how to put it all together and actually catch a fish... He passed in 2012, 11 yrs later I still haven't caught a fish... Now I see some things I was doing wrong...thanks.
If we can help in some small way to you having success on the water and at the same time reconnecting with his memory, than we are happy to do so.
@@BowRiverTroutfittersCalgary thanks, you already have in a small way with the video here. I went to Toorongo River Falls on the long weekend just past Noojee and finally got a chance to pull out the rods and get some river time. You mention in the video that trout love the structure in the water and you also said to look for the insects in the area and match the fly and not to spook them but cast to the edge from a few metres back before getting to the river. So I did all three things, match the fly, cast from 2 metres back from the edge and let the fly drift into the structure in the slow deeper water eddy's. The result was I saw one flash up to take to fly but he saw me and retreated. Even though I didn't get him it was an encouraging 'win' for me. Thanks fellas I'm now subscribed to your stream.
I was given the grace of the fishing Gods in finding a fly rod and reel on the shore, its case was absolutely wrecked but the inside was perfect, it was covered in bird poop
Nice find! What's a little bird poop anyways.
Thanks for providing some great content. Different too from other reputable shops. One suggestion...the pace of your video is fairly fast. Space out the cadence a bit? That's the old man in me talkin.
been fishing for a while and this was some great tips. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it! We will keep the educational content coming.
Very good tips!!! Thank you for sharing those
You are so welcome!
great info,thank you very much
good wisdom zen and the art..
Great video
Now that's is good value of content I have a question me and my partner want to get into fresh water fishing I like the look of fly fishing since it looks interesting but just wondering If it's better to get a spin rod or should I just start out fly fishing
Good stuff brother thanks
Really liked this video, very informative
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching our video.
Good video. Great tips. Make a better presentation if you would number the tips in the description and the video.
I love your camera reviews!! hahahahaha
I live in an area (Southeast NC) where there is no fly fishing at all. I bass fish once in a while but mostly panfish. It's usually out of a boat in over grown areas in the miles and miles of river that's available. I do not fish in the ocean. There are some bank fishing opportunities but not too many. I still see fly fishing as another way to potentially catch fish and it does intrigue me. I sometimes use a popping bug on a bream buster or cane pole and they are highly effective so I know fly fishing will produce better results. The only way I can learn is either by books, video or travel to western NC to take lessons. When I do commit myself to fly fishing I suppose it will be a slow drawn out affair but I think it will be worth it. Bow River Troutfitters what do you think would be the best course of action for me to learn to fly fish in the most efficient way with my circumstances?
We can only dream of Panfish and Bass where we live, but you are in a prime spot for fly fishing. Getting the gear shouldn't be too difficult, get yourself a good 5 or 6 weight rod, and start practicing on panfish. Little poppers, nymphs, and streamers will deliver for you. The hard part is going to be teaching yourself how to cast properly, without the benefit of a lot of locals to show you the way. Let us know if you have any questions, but I think you can make a good go of it.
thank you very much appreciate it!!!!
Amazing video, one question.... Can I maybe use a freshwater inline spinner as a lure when fly fishing? Or would it defeat the whole fly fishing purpose?
You can, with the caveat being that lures tend to be fairly heavy and thus you would need a fairly stout fly rod to cast the lures properly. But then why not just fish a well tied streamer and catch fish the same way.
Useful tip for beginners : try to find a spot with no bushes
behind you . ! Until you learn reverse cast . Also , he was dead right about fishing close to edge / bank . Don't try to
start with a 70 yard cast ! Yes , it looks and feels impressive
but scares off any fish lying close in..
I’m left handed and I hold my fly rod like a right handed person because I’m used to using left handed fishing rods sure I can use right handed rods to me I have a preference to hold it with my right hand and fight a fish that way
Good job. We can all take a tip or two here.
Good tips!ty
Good advice
Glad it was helpful!
Bassnicky
Rose
Thanks Chris! Great tips and video! I liked how quickly you got to the points and kept us watching and not bored. I’m fairly new to fly fishing and I am still inpatient, I rush my retrieves and hook settings along with how quickly I want to just fish lol!!!! Having Patience, relax and study the waters are super important for sure. Thanks bud!!! 🤛🏼
I'd like to say that the patience improves over time, but some days are better than others. But you are right, the more calm and relaxed you can be on the water, the better the fishing and fun goes.
The DP Review dude fly fishes too? 😂. Heck yeah so do I. We need a photographers fly fishing channel 🤣
That would be cool, except we find one can only fish, or take photos. Trying to focus on both well is impossible for us.
I’m new at fly fishing
Great advice for casting. Do you have any videos for line management once its on the water? Like line mending to maintain the good drift. I know the basics but the finesse is what I'm lacking.
We should definitely make a video about mending, reach casts, and angles. It generally still requires lots of time on the water, and hard won experience to really get it down pat.
Woah it’s Chris from the camera channel! Lol can’t think of the name
Chris the photographer is a flyfisherman? Let me know if you come out to Vancouver Island...
Thanx bro...that helped alot
You're welcome!
Valuable lessons
Fly fishing is great. I am self taught myself with the help of TH-cam. What is funny is yes false casting with beginners is hilarious to watch but that is how I learned to shoot line. I was false casting like a jackass and missed grabbing my fly line and it shot out like crazy. I was like ok let's do that on purpose next time. I am going on seven years or so fly fishing and I am constantly stepping on my line though. Haha
Thanks man!
Do you have any hacks on efficiency to grab a fly, spool up your slack and connecting your fly to a fly eyelet in order to move on to a different spot?
A great question. So generally speaking we like to hook the fly to one of our middle guides on our rod. Then you let out enough slack to be able to pull taut the line from the fly, go around the cage of your reel, and then reel up the slack until it's tight. Some people like to put the line around their reel handle, but this does not hold well, and you cant reel up the slack. Go around the cage and your good. When you get to your next location just pool the line off of your reel cage, and unhook the fly from your rod guide, and fish!
That’s the camera guy!!!
I'm a beginner and self taught for the most part. I have a 9ft 6wt rod and reel. I feel like I have a hard time getting the fly out where I need it to. If ya got a video or tips for better casting please let me know
Its definitely a challenge that we all deal with at the start. The key to getting more distance is really gonna be timing, keeping the rod tip tracking in a flat plane, and setting up with a good backcast. Once that starts to happen then you can add in hauling to add even more line speed for distance. You need a good solid backcast, you have to wait for the line to straighten before initiating your forward cast. Your loops have to tighten up, which means keeping the rod tip on a level plane as you cast. Remember that the line always does what your rod tip does. If your rod tip is bouncing up and down or travelling in a curve instead of a straight line, your line will do that too, and you'll lose distance. Lastly, smooth acceleration to a hard and distinct stop is key. Never try to add more power for distance.
@@BowRiverTroutfittersCalgary thank you very much. If the weather permits it I'll definitely give it a shot
Bro, you’re from my camera channel!
Thanks for checking out both our channels!
As a photographer who is just getting into fly fishing, I was so confused when I clicked this video.
You're home now! :)
Hi! Very understandable videos! I have questions- do I need to use weight and bobber with fly fishing? Thank you be very much!
It depends on the situation. When we use specific sub surface flies called nymphs, we generally use weight on the line, or heavy beadhead flies to really get them to sink to the target zone in the water. Generally we will use a bobber or indicator to help detect strikes and suspend the flies at the right depth. Sometimes instead of a bobber, we will suspend the nymphs by using our rod tip and raise and lower them with our arm. This is more akin to Euro style nymphing, or high stick nymphing techniques.
However if we are streamer fishing we use weighted lines but we don't use indicators, and we are swinging the streamers through the water, not suspending them. And when we use dry flies we are putting flies up on the surface of the water to flaot, and therefore do not use any weight at all.
Thank you
What is the best way to learn fly fishing for a beginner?
Definitely taking a class from an experienced teacher, or even a paid guided trip is a great way to accelerate your learning curve. You can avoid a lot of bad habits if you get good instruction out of the way at the start.
Hoooly fuuuu... I heard that voice and thought it will be a camera review!
Wasn't this guy the kid in the movie the sixth sense?
Wait I thought this was A River Runs Through It.. wrong link..