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

#5  Live in terror o-f the wind

Wind makes fly casting harder, but do you really want to stay home on an otherwise beautiful day? There are also great fly-fishing waters where, if you wait for a calm day, you’ll never take your rod out of the case. Once you’ve got the fly-fishing basics down, there are ways to adapt to high winds. You can focus on areas protected by natural windbreaks, for example. Or you can position yourself so the wind is at your back, or blowing on your non-casting side, pushing the line (and hook) away from you.

Working on your casting also pays off on windy days. You might try casting sidearm, keeping the line low where it’s less affected by wind. Or use the double-haul casting technique to increase your line sped, so it cuts through the wind. A final bonus is that braving the wind gives you more room to fish, since other anglers will be cowering at home.