Podcast: 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Learning to Fly Fish, with Phil Monahan and Tom Rosenbauer

[Interview starts at 30:31]

Tom Rosenbauer knows that a lot of his listeners are relatively new to the fly-fishing game, and so he asked MidCurrent Editor-in-Chief Phil Monahan—who also helps people through this sometimes-steep learning curve—to share ten pitfalls you may want to avoid when learning the game. (Phil also has a book for brand-new fly fishers coming out in November.)

Tom says that he’s willing to bet that even the experts out there make some of these mistakes every time you go out. He readily admits that many of these errors creep into his fishing, as well.

In the Fly Box, Tom answers some basic and not-so-basic questions, including:

1. What fly line can I use for fly fishing in the Bahamas and in the Northeast?
2. Is the “chuck and duck” method an ethical way to fish for Great Lakes salmon?
3. Should I replace my old Power Matrix 905 with a newer model, or should I invest in a 904 to have a more diverse quiver?
4. I tie all of my juvenile tarpon flies on a size 2/0 hook. Should I invest in some smaller hooks?
5. How long should I leave my dry fly in the water before pulling it out?
6. How much tippet should I be going through?
7. You say that fish can always see my tippet. So why is it necessary to go to a smaller tippet size?
8. The tube in my New Zealand Strike Indicator always splits when I add yarn. I am using 5X tippet. What am I doing wrong?
9. When fishing with trout Spey, should I concentrate more on my casting or what fly pattern I am using? And what is your favorite fly for trout Spey?
10. Are red and green lights any less impactful when night fishing?
11. Are weighted streamers recommended for night fishing?

Phil with a gorgeous Arctic char caught at Tikchik Narrows. Photo: Charles Hildick-Smith