9 proven ways to make sure you stay a mediocre fly angler

As a fly fisherman, I came out of the gates pretty hot, landing a bunch of brown and rainbow trout my first time on the water. It was June of 1985, and I was 15 years old. The biggest was about eight inches long, but they were fish, caught on flies I tied myself. Over the next few seasons, I went on to land a few more trout, lots of panfish in ponds and respectable bass on family camping trips. I could cast 25 feet with a mere two false casts, and well over half of my casts landed on the water. Plus, I hardly ever hooked myself. And that’s about where I stalled for the next 20 years.

Then one spring, some fly-fishing acquaintances invited me to fish a serious river. This led to three life-changing revelations. First, although I loved fly fishing, I clearly wasn’t very good at it. Second, it would be a lot more enjoyable if I got better. And finally, I realized this would take some work. So, I took lessons, found mentors and slowly got better. It wasn’t work, either. There were setbacks and frustrations, but my ongoing journey to competence has been hugely rewarding.

I’ve now fly fished in many interesting places, and learned from highly skilled guides and experts. I’ve met many folks who are where I was 20 years ago—they’d like to get better, but aren’t sure how. I’ve also fished with some pretty hapless fly anglers, and learned from them, too. In fact, those lessons may be the most vivid of all—if you would also like to spend your life as a chuck-and-duck fly flinger, falling far short of your potential, here’s how to do it…