Fly fishing Tips You Can Use:
Fly fishing advice from one of the top Grand River fly fishing guides in Ontario. Fly fishing tricks and fly fishing tips which you will use, not only on the Grand River in Ontario, but across Canada. This is the original fly fishing Tips and Tricks Page on the Internet. Don't be fooled by imitations.

Here Are the Fishing Tips:
Archive #6: February, 2002.

Taken from some of the e-mail questions I receive, here is a mixed bag of tips and tricks, on the subject of fly fishing a new water for the first time.

Don't Panic.
Fishing new water is not as daunting as many anglers think. There are often a few clues kicking about which will help you locate fish, or find fishing spots. The key thing is to get there early. By arriving at a reasonable time, you won't feel rushed into gearing up and tackling the river like a rabid animal. I like to pick up a coffee just before I get there, and then finish the coffee while I watch the river. Standing on a bridge and watching what is going on, will set you up for the day. Keep an eye out for fish rising - they just told you where they are hiding so you can plan your approach. Take a small note book with you and jot down the fish rising locations before you get into the river. If the fish should happen to quit rising, you still have the locations of where the were hanging out.

Watch Other Anglers.
If 20 guys and girls are fishing in one spot ... it might lead you to suspect there are some fish holding in that area. (Or, there might be something going on which you probably don't want to know anything about.) Now, you might not want to muscle in and start fishing with the pack, but at least you know where the location is for the next time you are there. Also, take a look at the techniques they are using. Are they using floating lines, sink tips, nymphing, fishing dries, making long casts, short casts, using strike indicators or bobbers etc. If they are getting hits ... do the same, if they are getting skunked ... you now know what NOT to try. I carry a small, but very powerful, pair of waterproof - there is a key word - binoculars which help me keep 'an eye' on other anglers. Binoculars are also handy for roughly identifying insects the fish are taking.
I try to scan the water surface near where the fish are rising. Quite often I can pick up the insect type - and also the general size and color - without having to get my waders wet.

Find Deeper Pockets and Pools.
If in doubt . . . fish deeper water. If you can't find deeper water from looking over a bridge, get one of your LEAST favorite fishing buddies to wade the river, while you are still on the bank 'gearing up.' Go with something like, "You go ahead, I am just going to check my drag and then tie up a few new leaders." Obviously, when he starts to float, he will have located the deeper pockets.

Take Your Favorite Equipment.
This sounds silly, but . . . it is a huge pain in the butt, trying to figure out how to cast a new rod and line on a 'never before' fished river. Take the well worn, familiar gear - which you can cast in your sleep - so all you need to worry about is finding fish. If you spend less time faffing about, you will get more fish, especially on a new river or stream.
Keep this in mind if you are planning on taking one of those 'trips of a lifetime.' If you are going to buy new equipment - rods, waders, lines, vests, reels - try them out a few times before you head out on the trip. Again, this sounds silly, but you would be surprised at how may clients I get, who show up with new equipment only to lament they wish they had brought their old gear with them instead.

Flies and Leaders.
Take a look at the T.Y.F.E. section directly above this one. Keep flies and leaders as familiar and as comfortable as you can. If your favorite leader is 10 feet of 6 pound fluorocarbon, don't change it. As for flies, the Hare's Ear Nymph or the Pheasant tail Nymph are very hard to beat searching patterns. For dries, a Klinkhammer Special is worth its weight in gold. I know, I have said this a hundred times. These patterns work for brown trout, speckled trout, steelhead, redhorse, smallmoth bass, grayling, mooneye, carp, drum, and on, and on and on.

Take a Break.
Don't fish like a mad man. Come up for air once in a while. Sitting on the bank and 'taking a look' now and again will help get you into more fish than changing flies a million times.