Basic Tips
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In the next few paragraphs, we will provide you with a few basic fly fishing tips that can be used here in the Colorado Rocky Mountain region or on just about any small stream/river. There are literally hundreds of thousands of pages dedicated to assist you in the pursuit of "catching" trout with a fly rod. Here are just a couple of ideas that we see commonly affect an anglers success on many of the rivers here in Summit County.
First, be sure to double check that you have packed all of your gear, & then check it again. There is nothing worse than driving to your special spot on the Blue or Colorado River, only to find that you a missing a wader shoe, vest, rain jacket, or even worse your rod & reel. If you are going to fish on an unfamiliar river, a BIG mistake would be, not stopping in the local fly-fishing shop to get the latest conditions and fly selection.
Approaching the water....Walk slowly and softly, so that you don't spook the fish before you even get a fly wet. We recommend that you wait to set up your rod until you are down next to the water. We find that you get a better shot at catching fish if you take your time, inspect the air, water, rocks, & spider webs for the "daily special". Something to always remember is that fish have VERY acute sensory organs and can feel just about anything that is in or around the water space they occupy. If you spook the trout, you will get some great casting practice in...Most rivers in Colorado during the summer and fall are running very clear. This is great for sight fishing but remember that if you can see the fish it can probably see you so hang out, watch them to see what their movement patterns are and what they might be feeding on. This will give you a much better chance at presenting them something they just might gulp down..Another reason to move in slowly is to observe the rivers surroundings so that you can prevent the unintentional "Tree Trout" hook-up that can have you retying your set up instead of casting to rising trout.
Rules; we don't find too many that you can't break when it comes to fly fishing, but one we know for sure is that you cannot catch a fish if you fly is not on or in the water. Too much false casting is something we see all too often. The more time your fly and line are in the air the more likely you are to stick a"Trophy Pine tree, willow or log. Another bummer is to have a wind gusts tangle up your leader and fly into such a mess that you have to retie again. If you need to dry your fly, use a dry shake or other floatant instead of constantly false casting. If you are false casting with a nymph on... give Summit Fly Fishing a call for a lesson.
During the prime dry fly fishing season, March- October, be sure that your fly remains DRY! One of the most common statements to us is,"I never catch anything on dry flies!!!!" We watch a lot of people " dry fly fish" and we never once see the fly on the surface. Have you ever seen a bug fly under water? We haven't either. So, Keep 'em DRY and on the surface. There are a few more techniques that help in the fish taking your dry fly but that will cost ya....... Happy Fishing!!!!!
