Getting Started Fly Fishing

There’s something incredibly beautiful in the way a well-cast fly line unfurls in the air, gently delivering a hook adorned with a few twists of thread and some feathers to a distant target. Romantic images of fly fishing have drawn many newcomers to the sport in recent years and caught the attention of many more who would like to learn the art of catching fish on a fly.

If you’ve been thinking about getting started fly fishing, you may wonder, how does one begin? Where can you learn the proper methods of casting? What equipment do you need? How do you choose from the hundreds of fly patterns available?

“The best way to start off fly fishing is to find a mentor,” says Anthony Acerrano, an ardent fly fisherman and field editor for Sports Afield magazine. “This might be a friend or acquaintance who is a competent fly fisherman, or perhaps an instructor at a fly fishing school or an expert who does seminars. Hands-on instruction from such people will allow you to learn the basics quickly. But if you can’t find someone to help, try the video store. There are many instructional fly-casting and fly-fishing videos on the market that can help beginners get started on the right track.”

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