Want to look cool while fly fishing? It’s about presence, poise and just a hint or flair

Come summer, there’s no shortage of tips on how to stay cool while fly fishing. But where’s the advice on how to look cool? Summer is when we’re most likely to share the outdoors with others, and let’s face it, we fly anglers stand out. As a minority on most Canadian waters, we draw attention with our fly casting from both conventional anglers and passersby. So, caring how we appear isn’t about vanity—it’s about representing with a little dignity. And maybe not looking like a total doofus.

Very few of us are blessed with the timeless, effortless cool of a James Dean, Miles Davis or David Bowie—or, for the younger set, think Zendaya or Timothée Chalamet. I surely don’t have it myself (and even if I did, telling people how cool I am would be the single least cool thing I could do). The cool factor I’m talking about is hard to define, but it’s generally thought of as a mix of aesthetics, attitude and behaviour. Here’s how that can apply to fly fishing…