A Beginner’s Beginner’s Guide

By Deigo “Yaigz” Olea

Some beginner guides are written by professionals with years in the industry, and it can be pretty intimidating thinking that you have to have the same level of knowledge to catch a fish. I promise you’ll get none of that from me. Instead, you’ll get the potentially unjustified ramblings of some dude in Yellowstone who can still barely cast. When I say “beginners'', I mean it. Having only been fly fishing for a month now I am a novice at best. But I’ve been surrounded by pretty great teachers and believe that my novice experience can be useful to those who are interested in trying the craft themselves. With that said, here’s everything I know about fly fishing. 

Tying Your Knots

There are two types of knots I’ve had to use and they’re not super complicated. To tie your leader (usually translucent line that connects to the floating line) to tippet (the actual fishing line that ties to the fly), use a surgeon's knot. Look it up. 

To tie your tippet onto your fly (it’s a fly) use your favorite knot to tie a line onto a hook. I’ve usually used the improved fisherman’s knot. 

Size and Length Of Your Tippet

Here in Yellowstone, I’ve mostly used tippet sizes 3X-5X. Connor tells me that he always uses 5X but sometimes a guy likes to play it safe and use a 3X tippet for the smallest brown trout you’ve ever seen. The smaller the number, the thicker the line is. Be careful using thicker lines though, the fish can see it and will laugh at you. Don’t let a fish laugh at you. 

When deciding the length of your tippet you have to consider what level of the water column you’re fishing. Are you casting dry flies (those that sit on top of the water) or streamers (flies that sink and are streamy)? If your fly sinks how deep is the water? Keep in mind that some fish won’t rise to strike and will wait until the fly is parallel to them in the water column. Conditions dictate how much you need but on the higher end, I’ll use approximately 3-4 feet, and on the low 1-2. 

Choosing Your Fly

Don’t worry so much yet about the names of flies, instead focus on what types of flies you see or, just as important, don’t see. If you see a fish smoke a giant salmon fly (I know I just said not to worry about the names yet but learn your bugs) then it’s kinda obvious what you should try. Most rises are extremely difficult to spot so if you don’t see the before mentioned smoking of the fly that’s ok. Look for what’s flying above or out of the water. Shake a tree limb. Look at the grass on the water line. Get used to tying your improved fisherman’s knot cause you will have to change flies occasionally. If you’re not seeing activity, maybe start with a streamer or a nymph (a small, usually beaded fly that imitates an early stage of the insect life cycle). 

Types of Casting

There are three types of casting that I’ve generally used here in the park. Casting, roll casting, and bow-and-arrow casting. For all of these, try not to scare the fish with either your cast or retrieval. Also, the key is to have the fly land as the line straightens 

Casting: Watch that tree behind you. And that bush. Yeah, this one takes a little practice but my main tips are to keep the rod tip between 11-1 O’clock, watch and FEEL the fly whip past your line loop, and wait a little longer than you think before pushing forward. When casting forward remember the word “push” which is what the cast should feel like. 

Roll casting: Use this method when you need to readjust your fly in short distances. Usually, this happens in moving water to reposition upstream. Lift your rod tip up until your line forms a J, from here use a whip-like motion to make your line roll into the direction you point. 

Bow-and-arrow casting: There are few situations I’ve found myself actually needing to use this method. Usually, it’s when I need to get my fly into a tight spot such as under a log. Often used to goof around to great effect. Grab your hook and pull back, aim with your rod tip, and release. It feels more like a slingshot than a bow-and-arrow but it fits. You will hook yourself eventually doing this. 

Still-water VS Moving-water

Generally, still-water and moving-water fly fishing functions the same as in spin fishing, in that still-water is more about getting your fly out there and having the fish find you (unless you see them rise or know exactly where they are) and moving-water is about targeting certain spots such as deep pockets and eddies. 

Still-water: In these conditions, I’m a big fan of at least starting at a spot where the ripples are headed (food collects there and whatnot). Here in Yellowstone, to get far enough out (with the exception of a boat) you’ll often have to be in the water. Either get waders or get tough. As someone who doesn’t yet own waders, I’ve had to get tough. Sometimes it sucks and you just have to embrace that. When fishing on the water surface try different strip patterns (when you pull the extended fly line at various speeds and lengths. When fishing under the water try to keep the fly in the water as long as possible, letting the subtle movement of the water do most of the work - be conservative with your jigs/strips. 

Moving Water: As I said earlier, the objective here is usually targeting specific pockets where fish may be waiting for something to float by that it can eat. With that said, don’t insult your fish by trying the same spot over and over with the exact same presentation. Switch it up. Apart from pockets, target areas where the water is flowing slower, recirculating, or making bubbles. These are often more likely to have fish sitting in wait. 

With both types, it’s important to study the water and study the fish. It’s ok to not have lines in the water and to simply watch. Practice spotting the fish rise and even try finding them on the water bed if possible.

**Keep in mind that there will be situations where something that I said will be proven to be the absolute opposite of what you actually want to be doing. 

Fish On!

Unbelievably you did something right and a fish bit your fly. What do you do now? SET THAT HOOK! Don’t freak out when it finally happens, act like you’ve been here before and lift your rod tip. Use your forefinger as your drag, if the fish is trying to run and you feel like it’ll come off the hook then let it run. Let it take line but don’t take pressure off the fish. Keep the rod tip up. If you can, reel in your excess line if you have any, and keep raising your rod tip. If you’ve got a good buddy like Connor, have them net your fish so you don’t have to do so many things at once on your first time. If you don’t have a good buddy with you, you have to handle the fish with one hand and net it in the other. The length of fly rods makes this difficult, but god you’ll feel good about it. Try to circle the fish to where you are positioned downstream of it, this makes the netting process easier as it will naturally be pushed into your net. Keep those sunnies on folks! An orange-beaded nymph to the eye is nothing to scoff at. If all goes well then congratulations, go take that picture and start calling yourself a flyfisher. As a spin fishing guide in Yellowstone National Park where barbed hooks are prohibited, I tell my guests that you can do everything right and the fish may still come off. The same holds true here barb or no barb. If you lose the fish or aren’t fast enough on the set, or it spits the hook and flips you off don’t let it get to you. Keep fishing and eventually, you’ll get that net.

The most important thing about flyfishing is that you won’t catch anything if you don’t get after it. 

Step 1: Be there. 

Goodl Luck!