Number 1 - Watch and observe!

To be really successful at fly fishing you need to become part of the fish's world. And if there is one thing fish do well it is see what's going on. Without the ability to see what's happening in their environment they would either quickly starve or be eaten, so poor observers don't last long in the fish world.

So the next time you arrive at the stream or lake shore, don't think about catching fish think about what the fish are seeing and how they might be seeing it. What's flying around? What color is the water? How bright is the sun? What's the dominant food underwater? While these thoughts run through your mind sit and watch the water. Observe the water in the middle of the stream or lake, and observe it along the shore. Observe the air for not only bugs, but also birds. Are there swallows feeding? If so, how high?

Next, collect some insects from the stream or lake bottom. What's most abundant? How big are they? What color are they? Which ones are mature and look ready to emerge? How do they move in the water? (Note: A small white tray with an inch of water in it will help you see the insects well enough to answer these questions.)

Now take all that you have just observed and think about how and where the trout are seeing the food you now know is out there. With this info in hand you can make good decisions about what fly patterns to use and how to fish them.

Number 2 - Size does matter!

We're talking about the size of your fly pattern of course. While your observing the natural insects in that tray of water you started using, put some of your fly patterns in the tray next to them. From our experience 90% of the time one's fly patterns are two or three time larger than the real thing. This is especially true for nymph patterns. While this may make it easier to tie your fly on to your tippet, it does not make it easier for you to catch fish with them.

Size is actually one of the most important aspects of your fly patterns. In fact we believe size is more important than color or even shape, though shape also affects size. For example, a fat fly pattern, even when it is the right length, will appear too large when it is imitating a small slender swimming mayfly.

And don't worry - small flies do catch large fish, lots of them! This tends to go against common sense, as we all know big people eat Big Macs and little people eat tofu. Well fish will eat both Big Macs and tofu, but they tend to concentrate on what's most abundant and available. If that's tiny pieces of tofu they will turn their noses up at a Big Mac every time. Pick a fly pattern that matches the size of what you observed as most abundant in number 1 above.

Number 3 - Practice presentation!

Why do some anglers have all the luck? You've probably had it happen. Your fishing buddy is catching all the fish so you ask him what fly he's using. After much begging, and agreeing to buy all the beer for the next three fishing trips, he finally gives you one. But it doesn't help - he's still out-fishing you, and now you have the added frustration of having to buy the beer. So next you actually trade rods and fishing spots. And whamo - he's into fish again and you're getting ready to toss his rod into the middle of the river.

At this point it would probably be a good idea to stop fishing and watch "how" your fishing buddy is fishing. We'd bet you the beer for our next three fishing trips that he's presenting the fly differently than you. Is he casting further upstream and getting the fly to sink deeper? Is he fishing the fly with some action like a twitch or lift? Is he retrieving it fast or letting it sit without any action?

Presentation is really the biggest hurdle new fly fishers have to clear. Presentation not only requires skill but experience. The goal of course it to present your fly so it looks like a real living insect or other food item the fish are eating. To do this well, however, requires that you can cast effectively (not long, but effective!). There are many subtleties that come into play however. How fast is the current? What direction to the current are you casting? What direction is the wind coming from? How deep are you trying to fish the fly?

Experience plays the most important role in understanding how to cope with these subtleties. In fact an experienced angler may have trouble telling you what he's doing that is different than you (try the beer thing again, that usually works). That's often because his presentation has become almost second nature. Just before drag begins, he mends his line. Just when his fly reaches the bottom he gives it a little twitch. Such little details have probably become more instinctive than conscious thoughts.

So what do you do? First, watch your fishing buddy fish before you offer to buy all the beer for one of his flies. Second, go fishing. Since experience is the best teacher in this department, get out there and fish. And try not to get frustrated. Fishing shouldn't be a contest, and frankly some days the fish Gods simply look the other way. And if things really get bad, you can always visit the Bugwan for a good laugh!

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