Fly Fishing Tips

By keeping your tackle-book neat and tidy, you will always have your silks, hooks, lines, flies, etc. in their proper places.

When the twine that holds your two-piece Rod together has been thoroughly wet, then when dry, and before using it again, wax well. If any portion of a Rod of three or more pieces is so fast at the joints that you cannot draw, then hold over the flame of a candle or by the fire, and then try, the result is generally satisfactory.

Let your gut soften in the water before you commence fishing. Examine old stintings of gut and hair to see there are no flaws by wear and tear, if there are, repair, or discard altogether, carelessness in such matters always brings disappointment in the long run.

See that the points of your hooks are sharp, and that the hooks are all right, as broken or crooked hooks are of course useless. Make it a rule to examine closely any place where you have had your book out dressing flies, etc., so that you leave nothing behind.

If your flies or hooks are fast to any impediment which you cannot reach, don't pull like a savage, but go tenderly and cautiously to work; a release is often effected by a little time and patience; when the case is utterly hopeless, and a breakage becomes inevitable, then try to save as much of your tackle as possible.

Never loose your temper because you loose your fish. When you have hooked a fish, don't let him run if you can possibly help it, so as to slacken your line, if you do, you stand a chance of loosing him, as the sudden cessation of a strain upon the line frequently disengages the hold.

If you want to discover what fish are feeding upon, open the first you catch, and then you will be able to judge correctly. Never strike a fish hard with the fly, either on gut or hair, if the latter, a breakage is almost sure to follow a violent jerk.

Stormy, showery days in summer and sometimes in spring, are days on which you will generally take the best fish with the fly. After a flood, with a rising barometer, and not too much wind, expect good fishing.

If the fish do not like the worm after you have tried a few likely places, change for the fly, and if you do not succeed with that, wait twenty minutes or so, and probably you may then find them disposed to feed.

Whenever you find fish shy in taking the worm, I mean when they will neither take it nor let it alone, pulling at it but not attempting to gorge it, strike either very quickly, as soon in fact as you perceive they have touched it, or what will generally answer much better, exchange for the fly.

Sometimes, however, fish will take worm very well, although they may be seen rising freely at the fly.

Cold dark days are not favourable for worm fishing, and in low water the worm is entirely useless on such days. Put your Minnows for trolling in tin cases, with partitions for each Minnow with a little bran in each, this method keeps them nice and fresh.

Never hype yourself up with the hope of having any luck, either at top or bottom in an easterly wind. Also after a frosty night followed by a bright day, fly fishing need not be attempted with any chance of success.

Put your worms when you are going to use them in a woollen bag in Spring, canvas in Summer. In May-fly season, if there comes a flood, go at the rising of the water and secure as many as possible, you will find them scarce afterwards.

If, when fishing up water you meet an angler coming down, you had better wait twenty minutes before you try the stream recently fished.

Guard against your shadow falling upon the water, at least as much as possible. If you purpose wading, be careful not to over-heat yourself during your walk to the water side.

If, when the morning has been cloudy, and the fish have risen tolerably at the fly, should the sun appear about noon, coming out strong and likely to continue, you will find the fish cease to rise, and it is very probable that they will feed no more until evening.

After a white frost, either in the Spring, or further on in the season, fish rarely feed until the afternoon of that day, and not always then. When a thick mist rises from the water early on a Summer morning, fish will not feed until the vapour rising from the water has passed away. On stormy days try mostly that part of the water where there is the best shelter to be had.

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