Fly Fishing Guides
Twelve guides covering the whole arc, from never having held a fly rod to restocking a season's consumables. Every one is written to be acted on rather than admired, and every figure quoted is a published standard or a manufacturer specification rather than folklore.
Starting out
- Fly fishing for beginnersThe whole sport in one page: what the gear does, what the words mean, and what to do on your first morning. Open →
- How to set up a fly rodBacking to spool, line to backing, leader to line, tippet to leader, fly to tippet, in the order it actually happens. Open →
- Fly casting basicsLoading the rod, the stop, timing the backcast, and the three faults that cause almost every tailing loop. Open →
- Fly fishing gear checklistA pre-trip list by function, including every item people leave at home and regret at the water. Open →
Rigging and technique
- How to choose a fly lineTaper, weight class and why so many modern lines run half a size heavy. Open →
- How to rig a nymph setupIndicator depth, shot placement, dropper spacing, and the adjustment that fixes most fishless drifts. Open →
- How to tie fly fishing knotsThe five knots that matter, their typical strength ranges, and why lubrication is not optional. Open →
- How to fish dry fliesReading rise forms, beating drag, drift length, and setting the hook without breaking 6X. Open →
Gear, water and restocking
- Wading safety guideThe most important page on this site. Belts, current force, cold shock, foot placement and self-rescue. Open →
- How to choose waders and bootsBreathable against neoprene, sizing over booties, and why felt is a legal question before it is a grip question. Open →
- Consumables restock guideWhat a season actually consumes in tippet, leaders, flies and floatant, with real per-season numbers. Open →
- How to fly fish for bassThe cheapest expansion for someone who already owns trout gear: a 7 or 8 weight, short stout leaders and poppers. Open →
In what order should you read these?
If you have never fly fished, there is a genuine sequence rather than a pile of articles. It takes about an hour to read and it will save you a season of guessing.
| Step | Guide | What you will be able to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wading safety guide | Get home. Read this before you buy anything |
| 2 | Fly fishing for beginners | Understand what every piece of gear is for |
| 3 | How to set up a fly rod | Assemble a rod, reel and line from the box |
| 4 | How to tie fly fishing knots | Connect every joint in the system without it failing |
| 5 | Fly casting basics | Put a fly where you are looking, at 30 feet |
| 6 | How to rig a nymph setup | Catch fish on the days nothing is rising |
| 7 | How to fish dry flies | Fish the surface without dragging the fly |
| 8 | Consumables restock guide | Stop running out of tippet on a Saturday |
One thing to read before anything else
Wading is the real hazard in fly fishing. The force moving water exerts on your legs scales with the square of the current velocity, so water that looks only slightly faster is dramatically harder to stand in, and moving water at knee depth can take a strong adult off their feet. Cold shock on entry, not hypothermia, is the immediate danger, and fine motor control disappears within minutes. Wear a wading belt cinched snug at the waist every single time, face upstream, move one foot at a time, and if you are unsure of a crossing, do not make it. Felt soles are banned in several states and provinces because they carry invasive organisms between watersheds, so check current local regulations before buying boots.
What to do next
Reading is not buying. If you want a complete kit rather than a category at a time, the complete setups list every item with a running total at three budgets. If you want to check a number against your own rod, the calculators and the reference charts cover line weight, leader formulas, tippet diameters, knot strength and sink rates. If you are choosing between two specific options, the head to head comparisons take the eight questions that come up most.
