28/04/2025 - A beginners-First Day At Fly Fishing

Recently I got a call from one of my syndicate members, who said “Could spend some time teaching his dad Alan Gibney to cast a fly”. Alan told me, “his Dad was due to go in hospital for a serious operation, he wanted to go fishing before he did so”. I was already booked, but said “I will see what I can do”. Thankfully the person who I should be teaching, was more than happy to come the next day. It was around 0930 hrs when we arrived on the river, the first thing was to sort out the tackle, the reel was over loaded with loops of loose line, the backing joining to the line was in a mess, as was the line to leader. Twenty minutes later I’d got it all sorted out, including a new leader. As Alan got into his waders ,I was able to offer him a wading staff, though I didn’t think he would get to the stage, being able to wade or cast a fly.

At the water’s edge I explained that I was going to make a roll cast, then lift the line off the water, by using a false cast, to extend the line to thirty feet, as that’s what you need to do in getting the correct loading for the rod, I also told him the line rating should match the rod rating, showing him where that information was on the rod butt.

I then pulled off thirty feet of line, then made a mark with a felt pen, before making a roll cast, putting the line on the water, I demonstrated what I was doing, how it’s all timing, not muscle as so many use. As I lifted off the line from the water, allowing it to come behind me, saying “Just note the small kick back of the rod tip” also how the line has a small loop, I then push the rod forward using the thumb and arm movement. All the time explaining what I was doing, how the thumb needs to be at the top of the handle, As the line landed quietly on the water, in a straight line, I lifted off again, Extending the line behind me then putting the line back on the water. After half a dozen casts, I said “I want you to lift the line off the water, stopping the rod between twelve and one o’ o’clock”. Then move the rod forward as I have been doing.

The first few casts didn’t work out, I wasn’t surprised, Alan had never had a fishing rod in his hand before. Not even for coarse fishing. By quietly coaching Alan, I had him making a good cast in ten, an hour later he was making a decent cast in four. It was time to replace the piece of wool, with a fly on the leader, I chose a Black and Peacock spider. I then decided, I would leave him in his sons hands, for an hour and see how he progressed. I then said “lunch at 1300 hrs”. When they returned to the cabin they were all smiles. Dad had caught two small trout. He had a grin a mile wide, I could see by the look in his eyes and the grin on his face, he was now an angler for life. He ended the day with five trout. What more could a beginner ask for.

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