Tying on a new fly to your leader isn’t tricky or anything, unless of course your eyesight is beginning to betray you, but it can suck just a little bit sometimes. If it’s windy, it’s getting dark, there’s a seriously good hatch coming off the water, or you’ve just had one sip too many of that river-cooled brewski, well then it can get a little more complicated. Instead of cursing the fly fishing gods, learn to make your life a little easier with the tips below.
Create Slack In Your Fly Line
The biggest frustration for new fly anglers is trying to tie on a new fly while the river is pulling on your line. It might be funny to watch your buddy the first time, but after a few mishaps like losing their knot, dropping their fly, or straight up yelling at you, it can get old.
Instead of letting the river put pressure on your fly line, creating tension on the leader in your hand, create slack in the line by holding it. I’ve seen some anglers tuck a section of line in their armpit, some wrap some line around the rod butt and others wrap the line around their own butt (and legs). Just be sure to be careful when wrapping yourself in line, because tripping over your line and falling into the river is not only dangerous, it’s also seriously embarrassing.
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
Basically, don’t fish 7x.
If you really have to fish the small flies…like, I mean you absolutely have to…then take your time, forget about that hatch that’s peeling off in front of your eyes, become one with the leader and the fly and just let it happen. Get Zen with it.
The more frustrated you get, the more you’ll mess up your knot and either not be able to tie it at all, or will be forced to retie it. If you relax a little, feel at the water running through your legs, listen to the wind through the trees and just chill. When you’re mind is ready to tie the knot to the fly, the fly will tie itself to the knot.
Or say screw it and just chuck a meaty streamer on 1x.
Know It’s The Right Fly
The worst part about tying on a fly sometimes is that you’re not even sure if it’s going to work. What is the point of tying on a fly you’re going to cast twice and then tie on something else? There is no point. From now on, just tie what’s actually going to work.
We take the guess work out of fly fishing here at Postfly. Just open your latest box of flies, pull out what you think looks good and start hooking up. Not a Tribe Member? Sign up now and we’ll start sending you the right flies, stickers and gear every month.
