Fly Fishing Misconceptions

It’s never a good idea to be a slave to the “Conventional Wisdom.” But that’s especially true when what “everybody knows” is, in fact, not true. Here are a few of the most common mistaken notions about our sport.

A right-handed fly fisher should always reel with the left hand. Or, more properly, an angler should turn the reel handle with the off-dominant hand. This is not by any means a given. The advantage of reeling with the off-dominant hand is that the rod does not have to be transferred from the casting hand in order to put line back on the reel, either for routine line management purposes or when playing a fish from the reel. However, there are advantages to reeling with the dominant hand. Among other considerations, most people can crank much faster with the dominant hand, and have significantly greater dexterity with it. That can be a major factor when playing a hard-running fish, in terms of getting on and off the reel handle and palming or feathering the spool rim if necessary during the fight.

Some will argue that while playing a large fish you should naturally want to hold the rod in your stronger hand. But when both hands are needed for a complex task, most of us will instinctively use our dominant hand for the portion of the task requiring greater dexterity and the off-dominant hand for the portion of the task that merely requires strength. For example, if you need to carry a heavy bag inside your house, which hand do you tend to put the bag in and which hand do you use to open the door?

You need to add tippet to a new leader before fishing with it. Not usually. A new knotless tapered leader (the most common kind) already has a tippet built into it, typically about 1-1/2 to 2 ft. You shouldn’t add more until you’ve lost about half that amount due to fly changes, etc. Experienced fly fishers will tune the length of tippet so that it performs correctly, and may choose to use a much longer tippet. But for beginner to low-intermediate level fly fishers, too much tippet will only increase the likelihood of turn-over problems and tangles.

The leader can not be longer than the fly rod. I suppose that the logic here is that if the leader is the length of the rod or less, you won’t have to bring the line-leader connection up into the guides. But while this is nice, as it keeps the connection from jamming in the guides, it’s not essential. And it’s also rather limiting in terms of presentation, particularly in low water conditions. Few trout anglers fish 12 ft. rods, but 12 ft. leaders are awfully nice to use when fishing over spooky trout in thin, clear water. If you’re having problems with your line-leader connection hanging up in the guides, consult your local fly shop about alternative connections that will slide through the guides with greater ease. 

If fussy fish refuse your dry fly, you need to use a lighter tippet. Not necessarily. Assuming you have selected an appropriate fly, refusals are most often the result of micro-drag. This is not the very obvious drag that occurs at the end of the drift, where the fly skims across the current like a water skier. It just means that your fly is not quite drifting naturally with the current. Although a lighter tippet can alleviate this problem a longer tippet will often do the same thing. First, be sure that your tippet size is correct for the size fly you’re using. Then if you are using a foot and a half of 5X and getting refusals, try using three feet of 5X instead of dropping down to 6X. You will get an increased amount of slack in the tippet, resulting in a better drag-free presentation. Also, by using a longer instead of lighter tippet you will reduce the chance of fish breaking off, and you’ll be able to land them more quickly, reducing stress and thus increasing their chances of survival.

Always use very thin tippets for big, smart trout. Not a good idea unless absolutely necessary, which it rarely is. Same reasoning as above.

As a beginner, I need a list of “essential” flies to use to stock up my fly box before I go fishing. Go carefully here. No two experienced anglers will have the same “must have” list. Flies are expensive enough these days that you don’t want to waste money buying a lot of patterns you will never use. It’s better in most cases to amass your fly collection slowly and gradually—don’t buy more than a few of a pattern until you have a chance to use it and be sure it’s something you like fishing and that works for you. It won’t take more than a few trips and outings for you to start having your own favorites. 

So, there is some food for thought as we approach the 2005 fishing season. Tight lines to all, and never be afraid to question what “everybody knows.” 

--Mary S. Kuss--

Spring 2005 Issue