A Lesson In Catching Trout

Having fished all my life, I wanted to try something different, so a few years ago I took up fly fishing. Never the most patient person in the world, I wanted a version of fishing where I didn't have to sit and wait for hours on end!

Fly fishing had always interested me, but I (wrongly) considered that it was a rich man's game and that I couldn't afford it. However, on visiting a local trout fishery which consists of two lakes, I found this was not the case.

The place is also teeming with wildlife, ducks, kingfishers and deer roam the fishery, so even if you don't catch anything, it's a beautiful place to be. So this is my first tip:

1. Fish somewhere pleasant.

You see, there will be times when you don't find the fish and catch nothing. However, if you are in a beautiful location it matters a lot less if you're not catching. Also, whether you catch or not, it's great casting practice!

It was also a time of learning to cast properly and this is my second tip:

Tip 2. Have some fly casting lessons.

Just a couple of hours of tuition are sufficient to show you how casting should be done - and even if you don't master it properly in those two hours, at least you know what you should be doing!

I had some lessons, (2) and they were invaluable, so even though it took me some time to catch my first trout, all the time my casting was improving, which added to my confidence. I also recommend my third tip:

Tip 3. Ask and listen!

Most fly fishers are friendly sorts. If you see someone catching a fish, go and talk to them and ask them what sort of fly they are using and at what depth they caught the fish. People are only too happy to talk about their success!

Catching fish often depends on us just listening to others.

One thing you must never do though is:

Tip 4. Admit defeat and pack up fishing altogether.

Perseverance is probably the single most important quality you need. Fish are fickle creatures. One day they will go mad for a certain type of fly, and the next day they are just not interested!

Finally, there is no right or wrong way to fly fish for trout, and this takes me to my final tip:

Tip 5. Try something different.

What I mean is this, by doing things differently you can reap big rewards. For example, most people think they have to cast out as far as possible to reach the fish, and a long cast is definitely an advantage for that reason. However, the opposite is also true. Instead of casting out to where everyone else casts, try fishing close in along the bank. This has paid dividends for me in the past as very few people fish close in.

One of the biggest trout I have caught was caught when I was fishing close into the bank. I was also going against conventional wisdom in using a bright orange fly on a very dark and overcast day.

So there you have it, a few tips - tight lines!