Teaching fly fishing to a novice? Remember these 6 essential tips

When you love fly fishing, you want to share your passion with friends and loved ones, and convert them to the way of the long rod. But that can be tricky. Although fly fishing isn’t as hard as most people think, it’s not exactly easy, either. I know of many conventional anglers who tried fly fishing once or twice, only to give up in frustration. And as difficult as it can be to learn to fly fish, it can be even harder to teach someone—unless you go about it the right way. Here are a few tips…

#1  UNDERSTAND YOUR STUDENT

Before starting, it’s wise to consider your student or students. What’s their tolerance for frustration? Do they prefer theoretical or hands-on learning? Do they want lots of suggestions, or would they rather figure things out on their own? By the same token, assess your own teaching ability. For example, were you patient enough to teach your kids to drive a car? Teaching is a skill, and not everyone possesses it. If you don’t think you can do it, save everyone some tears and refer your fly-fishing Padawan to a different Jedi Master.

#2  KEEP IT SIMPLE

Resist using jargon about entomology, rod physics, leader design and other fly-fishing arcana. Just hand your student an easy-to-cast rod, a simple leader and a single, unweighted fly. Avoid weighted flies, which are harder to cast, and don’t even think about rigs with split shot or strike indicators. And other than sunglasses, which are essential for eye safety, don’t festoon your student—or yourself—with tools and gadgets; they just get in the way. All you truly need are nippers, forceps and a couple of flies.

#3  TEACH CASTING FIRST

Before hitting the water, a beginner should be able to lay out 25 feet of line, with both the basic overhand cast and the roll cast. Teaching this might take five minutes, an hour or a few days, depending on the student. This is another time to assess your instructing ability. If your student can’t get the hang of it, press pause and sign up him or her for a lesson at your local fly shop or fishing club. Even better, go along with your beginner to tune-up your own casting, and get a few pointers on teaching.