So I’ve been asked to bestow some of my fly fishing “knowledge” onto Jen, a relative newcomer to this piscatorial pastime. While a greater honor I’ve never had, I must come clean….she’s asking the wrong person. I may write a fancy blog with a lot of bells and whistles making it look like I’m knowledgeable about something, as far as fly fishing goes…well…you’ve all seen my fishing reports. However since she asked, and asked nicely, here it goes…because I’ll never say “no” to a pretty lady.
Tip #1: Don’t be afraid to lose flies. Actually, it’s a good thing. Fish, such as trout, tend to like cover of some sort. Inside root balls, behind rocks, beneath overhanging branches, etc…are all prime places to find a fish just waiting to ambush your fly. Unfortunately, especially as a beginner, if you’re casting to these places, you’ll likely get snagged and snarled on them too. If you’re not losing flies, you’re missing some prime real-estate…unless of course you’re fishing directly into a hatchery pen. In that case, you don’t even need a fly, a piece of dog food will make do just fine.
Tip #2: (Related to #1) In your first year or so, don’t bother attempting to tie your own flies. Yeah, you’ll read a lot of cool blogs with pictures of beautiful flies tied by magicians of the vise. There’s also a certain bit of satisfaction one takes from catching a fish on a fly they tied. That noted, spend your time on the water refining your skills, not at the vise. Tying flies WILL NOT save you money in the long run, tying flies DOES NOT make you any better than the next guy (or gal), and all those children workers in China, India, & Africa need something to do now that they’re no longer allowed to make basketball shoes and soccer balls.
Tip #3: After missing a hookset or losing a fish during the fight after going considerable time nary a nibble, shouting four-letter expletives at the top of your lungs is not only acceptable, but the sign of a true sportsman. Knowing that you have quality gear including fishing waders is imperative. Consider it the equivalent of yelling “FORE” on the golf course; a fair warning to any nearby anglers to clear out and not ask you in passing “any luck?”
Tip #4: Always carry a little bit of toilet paper or a few baby wipes in a Ziploc bag with you in your fishing pack. Especially when fishing “off the beaten path.”
Tip #5: To close, here’s a few quick blogging tips.
o First, keep up the great work. Your blog makes great use of the medium; a nice mix of words and pictures.
o Second, social media is great, but the best form of networking for a newbie is commenting on other blogger’s posts. Don’t think Tweetbook is the be all and end all.
o Third, don’t get consumed by stats like visitors, hits, etc… You’ll find your audience soon enough. IMHO, a small but active following is 1,000 times more rewarding than a large but quiet one.
o Fourth, if you choose to ignore the previous tip, pictures of scantily clad fisher-women do wonders for traffic numbers. Just thought I’d make that PERFECTLY CLEAR.
o Finally, don’t believe everything those WordPress folks say, Blogger is rad. A few of us do just fine without Plug Ins.
All that sound good? I thought so.
if you’re up for another interesting topic to read, check out this article on solar energy.
