Fly fishing is hard. There’s no denying it. It’s one of the hardest forms of fishing to try as a beginner but also one of the most rewarding once you get the hang of it. Because of that, I have made a list of the 8 most common fly fishing mistakes so you can try your best to avoid them yourself.
Before we get started, it’s worth noting that you certainly will not get fair if you don’t have the right equipment. If that sounds like you then head over to my ultimate flight fishing gear checklist for some pointers and recommendations.
If you’re willing to put in the time and learn how to cast, catching a fish with a perfectly delivered fly can be one of the greatest moments you can experience in fishing.
Plus, it gives you a perfect reason to go out and enjoy some of the most beautiful places on the planet!
No matter what tricks you try, the only way to learn how to fly fish is by practicing the cast over and over and over.
There are some common mistakes you can avoid, however, that will make your improvement happen a lot faster.
Through my years of learning how to fly fish, I made all these mistakes again and again. Hopefully, by writing them down, I can help you avoid them!
Too many false casts
The first, and one of the most common fly fishing mistakes that everyone makes when they’re learning to fly fish is false casting way too much.
False casting is the part of the cast where you flick the fly back and forth, using the weight of the line and the spring of the rod to get, or shoot, the required length of line out from the rod to and to deliver the fly where you think a fish is swimming.
This is the part of the cast that beginners tend to get stuck on, and it’s easy to think doing more of it will get more line out there.
You don’t need to whip it back and forth ten times. Two or three false casts should be enough. Even though this doesn’t seem like enough times to get enough line out there, try to shoot more line with each movement. Think about extending the time between each you move your hand forward and back.
The biggest problem with false casting too much is that you will spook the fish. Some of your false casts will touch the water and scare the fish, especially if you haven’t perfected the rest of the cast.
Even the shadow of your rod and line is enough to scare away fish which are always jumpy and on the alert.
There is no limit to how much you can practice your cast. Do it in your backyard, do it in your driveway, do it over and over and over.
Eventually, when you’re actually on the water, all those practice casts will pay off and with one or two false casts, you’ll deliver a fly exactly where you want it without having scared away any fish under the surface.
Spooking the fish by recasting to same area
Another sure way to chase away any fish in the area is to recast your fly to the same place over and over.
One of the best and worst parts of fly fishing is that your highest chance of catching a fish comes with the very first cast.
If you don’t catch one on the first, or maybe the second cast, you might as well aim somewhere else.
Not tying good enough knots
There is nothing worse than the feeling of having a fish on your hook only to have it break away because of a poorly tied knot.
Therefore, it’s worth learning how to properly tie a few of the basic fly fishing knots before you head out on the water. Not only is it disheartening to watch a hooked fish disappear into the dark water, but a fish with a hook in its mouth won’t live that long and it’s a pretty cruel way to kill a fish.
There are lots of books out there on fly fishing knots, but one of the best ways I’ve learned is through watching videos on YouTube.
Then you can follow along a few times until you get the muscle pattern down. Again, practice these plenty of times at home before actually heading out. You don’t want to be getting your phone out while wading a river to remind yourself how to attach a new leader line.
Even if you don’t want to learn the dozens of knots that are out there, there are a handful I would definitely recommend learning. Learn a Clinch or a Davy knot to tie your fly to your line. A Nail knot is good for tying the line to the leader.
A Perfection Loop is useful for tying dry flies onto the line, as the loop allows them to float more freely. If you get those four knots, you should be alright to deal with the basics of fly fishing, though I would recommend learning as many as you can.
Here is a useful video on some handy fly fishing knots.
Not thinking like a fish
When it comes to choosing your fishing spot, you want to keep three fundamental characteristics of the water in mind.
What food is there? What’s the current like? Is there protection? These are the most important clues to determining whether or not you’ll find fish where you’re casting.
It can be easy to find a nice spot and stay there all day. Remember, the best spot for you may not be the best spot for catching fish.
When it comes to choosing your spots, it helps to think like a fish. A fish wants to eat the most food while expending the least amount of energy. Once you wrap your head around that fact, choosing your spot becomes a lot easier.
Selecting the wrong flies
Thi is certainly one of the most common fly fishing mistakes, mainly because there are just millions of flies out there.
When it comes to choosing your fly, you’re hit with a multitude of options with all kinds of different patterns, designs, and materials. Do you want a Zebra Midge, a Bonefish Gotcha, a Frog-Legged Popper or an Egg Sucking Leech?
With all that choice, it can be tricky actually making a decision. It’s worth taking your time and matching the fly to the fish you’re aiming for because the flies mimic that specific fish’s food.
It only takes a second or two online to find the right kind of flies for the water and species your fishing, and it will save so much effort in the long run if you go fishing with the right fly.
There are dry flies and wet flies. Dry flies float and often mimic flying ants or other bugs that are landing on the water to drink.
Wet flies like streamers sink and appear to swim as you reel, or strip, the line back using your free hand. Wet flies are often designed to look like baitfish which the bigger predators eat.
Making a racket
People know you need to be stealthy when you go hunting. Fishing is no different. Fish detect vibrations and can hear you if you’re stomping around, crashing casts, laughing and yelling.
If you’re walking on the shore or wading, it serves to be quiet when you move so as not to scare the fish.
One of the best parts of fly fishing is the fact that you have to slow down and move quietly, with focus and attention.
Being present in the moment helps you see a lot of awesome things in nature that might otherwise pass you by. It also helps you catch fish, which is the goal of this whole operation.
If you would like to read more on whether or not fish can be spooked by loud noises then check out this article.
Not practicing proper line management
Untangling fishing line is all part of the game. The quicker you come to terms with that, the more accepting you will become of this aspect of fly fishing.
Not only is bad line management one of the most common fly fishing mistakes, it is a mistake that is made in all forms of fishing.
Correct line management can help relieve some of the pain of the process, though, by reducing the number of entanglements.
A lot of line management comes from correct casts. You want the fly to be the last thing to touch the water, delivered by an unrolling cast that looks like a horizontal candy cane.
If the fly is the first thing to land, there’s a good chance the heavier line will go past it, which creates potential tangles when you strip the line in.
To improve line management, watch your feet. If your casting twenty or thirty feet of line, when you strip it back in, where is it landing?
Is it tangling around your legs or rocks or branches? All of these obstacles are worth checking out before you start casting.
One great way of managing your line is to use line conditioners.
Getting bad hook sets
Setting the hook is where you embed the hook in the fish’s jaw. A fish can take your hook into its mouth and spit it out again, so setting the hook is perhaps the most important technique when it comes to successfully catching a fish.
To set the hook, bring the rod tip up sharply to take out any slack in the line and leader. If you’re a beginner and plan on keeping the fish, using barbed hooks is a good way to improve your chances of retrieving a fish.
If you want a bit more of a challenge, use pliers to flatten the barb of your hook. Not only will you not harm the fish if you plan on releasing it, but you will be forced to improve your technique as it’s much harder to retrieve a fish without a barb on your hook.
Get Out There
It’s easy to see why fly fishing is one of the most popular forms of fishing, it’s awesome. Part of the reason it’s awesome is because it’s difficult and takes time and practice to get good at.
But catching a fish with a fly you chose and cast makes all that hard work feel like nothing, and there’s nothing else like successfully landing a fish.
One surefire way to increase your chances of catching a fish is to make sure you have the proper equipment. Check out my ultimate fly fishing equipment checklist here if you need some tips.
Hopefully, you’ve found this list of common fly fishing mistakes helpful. Don’t worry if you still make these mistakes when you go fly fishing. Everyone does.
Getting better just means making the mistakes less and less. So get out there.
If you’re fishing for some bass, trout, salmon, pike or walleye then be sure to check out this article!
Good luck and happy fishing!