I demonstrate how to tie a Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear in todays fly tying video. The Guide’s Choice is widely considered one of the best all around nymph patterns.
No secret why, as it blends just about all of the finest trout materials you can think of. See the materials list below.
Click Here to watch the video on the Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear:
Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear Fly Tying Materials
Hook: Daiichii #1710 Size #12
Bead: 1/8″ Brass Bead
Thread: Black size 70 Ultra thread
Tail: Pheasant tail mixed with dark hare’s ear
Rib: Medium Gold Tinsel
Abdomen: Dark Hare’s Ear Dubbing
Thorax: Peacock
Wing case: Pearl Flashabou
Hackle: Partridge
If you have any other questions please send me an email and I’ll get right back to you. What’s your biggest struggle with fly tying right now? Leave a comment below.
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Are you totally new to fly fishing and wondering how someone could cast a fly line 100’s of feet? Maybe you’ve been out on the river only to “snap” off a bunch of flies? Or you just have no idea how to cast a fly rod and need a little help?
Follow along below and I’ll provide some quick tips and links to awesome resources on this topic.
Sound good? If you have a little experience and need a little more advanced content on fly casting take a look at this link: 9 tips on Increased Fly Casting.
How to Cast a Fly Rod – 7 Steps
1. Fly Fishing Gear
The first step to the fly cast is making sure you have a balanced outfit. Take a look here to see a few resources to make sure you find the right gear.
The Reel weight, line weight and rod weight should all be balanced in order to make an effective fly cast. Start with a balanced outfit and your life will be much easier as you get into this.
2. Where to Practice Casting
The best place to practice casting is on the water so if you can find a nice calm stream or lake nearby go there.
If you only have a grassy yard, you can still practice there. You can tie a small piece of yarn in place of a fly on the end of your leader to help simulate the fly. The yarn will stick to the grass a bit and help to load the rod.
There are a few basic knots you should learn for fly fishing but the yarn knot can just be as basic as you need to get it done.
3. How to hold the fly rod
There are numerous ways to hold a fly rod and at the end of the day it comes down to what feels comfortable for you. The most common grib for average length casts is the thumb on top of the cork.
One important point that Pete makes in the video below is, regardless of the grip you choose, to use a relaxed grip and don’d grip the rod too hard.
When starting out casting a fly rod I recommend that you start with a very short amount of line (20′ range) and keep all of the extra line on your real to remove distractions.
If you are right handed, go ahead and pinch the line with your index finger down onto the cork of the handle. This will assure that no line zips off while casting.
Eventually you’ll be stripping out line, double-hauling and doing all sorts of extra stuff but we don’t have to think about that now.
Just strip out 20 feet or so of line and start practicing.
5. How to pickup and load the rod
One of the most important things to remember when you start your back cast is to make sure your line is straight out in front of you and does not have a lot of slack or bends on the water.
The less slack (bends and squiglies) you have when your line is on the water the more effective your cast will be.
When you pick up the rod the most important piece is that you are using a smooth excelleration on the pickup. The herky jerkey pickup will not transfer the energy effectively to load the rod.
Episode 233 will probably go down as one of the best podcast episodes on fly casting.
Loading the rod essentially means transferring energy from the pickup into the back cast. A good analogy to use for the pickup of the backcast is that of a paint brush. Imagine you dust dipped the brush into a bucket of paint. Now, pull it out without dripping and execrate back until you get to the pause. Try to throw that paint brush off without loosing any.
Note: Draw a straight line between your back and forward cast. In oder to efficiency transfer the energy, the line should be on the same plane and 180 degrees opposite on the back vs. forward cast.
6. How to stop the rod
Once you pick up the rod and line with a smooth excelleration you will need to stop (pause) the rod when you come to the point where you transition back into a forward cast.
This is the 2′ o’clock of 10 and 2. But, it might be more like stopping at 12 O’clock in many situations. (Just think of the hands on an old clock).
If you don’t pause for a second and let the line load up, you’ll here a snap on the forward cast. That’s your leader and fly snapping.
If you wait too long on the backcast your line will drop behind you and may hit the ground. Fly casting is all about timing and a 1/2 second can make all the difference.
Once your line loads on the back cast with your pause, you can then transfer that energy to the forward cast.
Note: It’s a good idea when starting out to look at your backcast and make sure the line is loading up correctly. You’ll know it is when the line is straight out behind you. (So, take time and look back at your cast to see if it’s loading straight behind you)l
7. The Forward Cast
After you have made that quick pause and loaded up the rod, you can now make a forward cast. On the forward cast bring the line forward 180 degrees from the backcast around eye level.
Stop the forward motion around 10 O’clock and shoot the line out. Don’t be afraid to really shoot the line out and excentuate the motion if needed early on. After the line shoots out in front of you, drop your rod tip down to the water to finish up the cast.
Once the line hits the water you are fishing and can follow your fly.
8. Other Casts
There are a bunch of other casts you will learn eventually like the roll cast, side cast, spey cast and the list goes on and on.
I did want to share the reach cast which can be very helpful in certain situations. Here’s a video link for the reach cast.
This cast can be very effective especially when fishing dry flies. You are able to give your fly a little extra drag free drift with the reach cast.
The double haul is another advanced method that will help getting more distance for your cast. If you want to take a sneak peak Simon shares a few tips below:
Tips and Tricks
The most important thing you can do when getting started fly casting is to practice and practice.
I always love that clip. But regardless of Allen’s take on it, practice is super important.
Another important thing you can do is to find a mentor to help with your casting. Set a goal to find one person who has some skills to critique your cast.
I was listening to a podcast recently where Steve Rajef describes how a mentor at the San Francisco casting club helped give him a big start to his casting career. Although you might not have a casting club nearby, there are plenty of other resources out there.
Fly casting is one of those pieces to the fly fishing puzzle that is necessary, but you don’t have to be a master fly caster to catch fish. In fact, many of the fish we catch are within a few feet of the bank.
So, the next part of the equation after getting your gear and casting down is to read water in the areas where you plan on fishing. We will talk about this in an upcomming post.
Conclusion
The fly cast is all about nice fluid motion and timing. You will only get this nailed with practice and time. Remember to pick up and start your backcast with a nice constant acceleration.
Use a soft grip but squeeze the grip when you stop to help load up the rod. Now, transfer the energy back into your forward cast and stop when you are around 10 O’clock or when your line is around eye height.
Don’t be afraid to put some power into your cast. One of the great thing you have going for you is that most of the gear on the market
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When was the last time you listened to a podcast or interview that really moved you to do something? Maybe it was a video that convinced you to actually get out and take action? How about something as simple as Spey Casting Tips?
I am obviously a little weird and extreme when it comes to fly fishing but that happened to me today listening to Anchored where April was talking to Pete Humphries on spey casting and life.
If you are in the midwest and need a steelhead guide you can connect with Pete at the link above. Tell him I sent you so we can have a good laugh!
Pete did a really amazing job describing the spey cast using analogies and tips that made it almost like you were watching him fish.
I had to post a short article so I didn’t forget these awesome analogies! Much of this applies to shorter belly lines so keep that in mind if you are going old school spey.
I’m just going to provide my short summary for future reference (don’t hate me for the choppyness of this post).
If you click on this link: Spey Casting with Pete I link to the podcast I mention above and start it right where April “Gets Nerdy” which you gotta love.
The Lift
All spey casts begin with a lift!! (Not with a drag)
You need to get your line off the water to begin your cast.
Circle C
If you use a good lift at the start then you can use a Circle C (instead of snap T) and avoid doing a roll cast downstream before each cast. This will mean your fly is in the water longer.
The Tear
On setting up your anchor, drop your line directly under your rod tip. This will create less slack and better tear (You will have a better white mouse).
This is different from dropping the line close to your body as happens a lot on a snap T. I always struggle with this one.
The Sweep
The sweep is the same as the backcast with the single hand rod.
You need to sweep up to the home position (not down). Never dip. You can tap the water before starting your sweep to force yourself to always sweep up.
Smoothness is the key! Slack is your enemy.
The White mouse – He talks to you so listen to him. The white mouse is the tear you hear as you are sweeping over to 90 degrees with your rod in front of you then up to the home position. The white mouse also gives you the timing (when he stops you are ready for next step).
Drift
At 90 degress (your rod is pointing directly to other side on sweep) you have to slow down so you don’t pop your anchor. Then slowly decelerate until you are at the fireing position.
Note: The great spey casters can hold their D-loop for a long time.
Smoothness in the entire spey cast is the secret
Forward Stroke and Awesome Analogies
The Telephone Analogy – That’s where Pete likes to start his forward stroke. He’s tells his students 10:30 and 1:30 on the clock.
The Baseball Analogy – I really love this one since I was a centerfileder. This applies to the trajectory of your forward stroke. If you are throwing a ball towards home plate from outfield you aren’t going to release the ball parallel to the ground. You are going to release it at a higher trajectory so the ball goes a little upwards.
Same with the spey cast. We are not shooting this thing into the water.
The Dining Room Table Analogy – Imagine that there is a dining room table in the river out in front of you where you’re casting. Dry to land the fly right on that table. Not on the surface of the water.
Look at your elbow to see if you have a good forward stroke. There should be a bend in your elbow.
The 2 Handed Sledge Hammer Analogy – When finishing the final part of the forward stroke imagine that you have a two handed sledge hammer and you’re driving a nail into the way. That’s how you want to finish the forward stroke. (You can’t use your wrist here so don’t use it on your cast).
Grip – Use a light grip on your upper hand. Try taking your thumb off the cork on the top hand and use your lower hand for the power.
Conclusion
So there you have it. Kind of random but I think totally worth writing down and sharing. What was your favorite analogy? Share it in the comments below.
I wanted to give a big thanks to April Vokey for the podcast and Pete Humphries for the great info. Take a look at the links below if you have additional questions.
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If you need any additional help you can reach out to me anytime with your questions. Please click the green button and subscribe if you want the next post delivered to your inbox.
I love my kids more than anything, there’s no question about that.
But, there are times when I just suck at dadhood. My kids are 3 and 5 now and have more beauty and passion than I could have ever imagined.
It’s amazing.
So why do I let work get in the way of getting outdoors with my kids? Maybe it’s because I dream of a better life in the future for them. A time when I will be in a situation where I will have that lifestyle business so we can travel more.
So I can do more fishing trips with them. I just don’t have the resources todo everything I would like to right now.
I don’t think I will ever have all of the resources which is part of the reason I’m writing this.
Don’t wait until everything is perfect to get out there.
Get out today
Go do something or make sure you have a trip setup with your kids to go fishing.
There are lot’s of other tips out there to get you thinking about how you can do a better job as an outdoors father.
I’m going to try and dig in a little today to show you what changed for me. I hope you can dig into your stuff as well so you can understand it’s ok to struggle as long as you continue to work.
Here’s what changed for me……..
First Steelhead Trip with my 5 Year Old
I took my 5 year old on her first steelhead trip recently. She’s been on the river and floated through some stuff before but it’s never been the daddy daughter one on one all steelhead trip.
Maybe I was pushing it a little bit chasing one species that can require a crazy amount of patience, but It was F’n great!
I kept the fishing short and didn’t stand out there for hours. We jumped in and made some casts then I let her go back to her toys in the dirt on the river bank for mini breaks.
I remember an old friend of mine, Charlie who mentioned that he burnt his kids out on steelhead fishing early because he would have them out all day on a drift boat in the cold.
Maybe a little extreme. I never forgot that.
At the end of this trip she was casting well enough to hook into a fish. The next step is to just find a run that’s easy for her to land one.
Now, I can’t wait to get out this weekend and do a little trout fishing. Work on the back cast a little and talk about bugs.
Bugs! They frickin love bugs. I’m a proud daddy.
Your Call to Action
If you don’t have a trip planned right now get one on the books.
Don’t wait for the perfect trip and instead just get out and do it.
Give up something you don’t need in your life to make more room for them.
Here’s just a few things I have given up that were time wasters for me —> TV. Sports. Partying. alcohol, etc. Ok, maybe a little weed every once in a while is still ok.
If you are new to fly fishing and would like some help getting started click here to see what gear you’ll need.
Or, just take a look here and some of my other fly fishing 101 posts.
Conclusion
My kids are going to come out of this year dominating the river. I just need to make sure their swimming gets up to par and we get that cast nailed so it looks sweet.
I am looking into the future now and seeing two bad ass adult fisherwoman. Waste deep in a steelhead run that’s a little on the edge.
Trying to get one more swing in there before having to drop out of the run.
Meeting back at camp to tell the story of that subtle hookup that turned out to be a story for the year.
And preparing for the next morning for another chance.
Girls, if you are reading this now at some future point please leave a comment and tell me that I was on the right track here and you have some fish stories to share.
Help the next generation keep up the passion and the love.
Who’s with me?
If you have a story about your last amazing fish leave a comment below.
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In todays video I demonstrate how to tie one of the easiest and most effective flies for any fish species, the Teeny Nymph. I tie a trout fly style nymph on a size #12 hook with natural pheasant tail for the material.
This has got to be one of the most basic flies to tie when it comes to materials. Grab a little pheasant tail and you are good to go!
Hook: Daichii #1710 Size #12
Thread: Uni thread
Body: Pheasant Tail
The beauty of this fly is the simplicity of it. It’s also buggy and sparse, two of the features I love in most of my flies. You can reach Jim at JimTeeny.com for any questions or to pick up some flies.
There are a bunch of other variations of the teeny nymph so feel free to expirment with different sizes and clors.
If you have any questions or need additional help check out the FlyTyingMentor.com fore more personalized instruction.
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I show you how to tie a blood knot in today’s fly fishing 101 video tutorial series. The blood knot without question is one the the greatest fly fishing knots of all time.
A knot that may be a little harder than some up front but is actually pretty easy once you practice a bit.
It is used to tie leaders together and works really well when using different size diameter leaders. Take a look at the video below and leave a comment if you can!
Click Here to watch the video on Tying the Blood Knot:
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I demonstrate how to tie a flashback hares ear in todays fly tying video. This is a little variation from the original because of the brass bead and flashabou wing case but works pretty perfect.
Click here to watch the video on Tying the Flashback Hares Ear:
Hook: Daichii #1710 Size #12
Bead: 1/8″ Brass Bead
Thread: Size 70 Ultra thread
Tail: Pheasant Tail
Rib: Gold oval tinsel
Body: Hare’s Ear Dubbing
Wing Case: Pearl Flashabou
If you have any questions or need additional help check out the FlyTyingMentor.com fore more personalized instruction.
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It’s kind of crazy I haven’t written this blog post yet. After creating The Fly Tying Mentor which is essentially Fly Tying Instructions for Beginners, I didn’t really explain fully to the world how it is valuable to someone who is new to fly tying.
I’ll do this today so you understand why you might want to get involved in the Fly Tying Mentor.
I created this course because I believe that everyone should tie their own flies. Jay Nicholas made this point in a recent interview I did with him on fly tying and steelhead fishing.
Jay made the point that it’s not too different than the caveman sitting around the night before the hunt, sharpening his tools and preparing for the hunt.
We are sharpening our tools and doing the same thing with fly tying.
It’s really that visceral connection with nature. There’s nothing more powerful than catching your own prey on a weapon you creating.
Ok, that may be a little extreme but gives you something to think about.
-A little fish food for thought-
Before I get into the details of why the Fly Tying Mentor is useful for you, especially given the fact that there are more fly tying videos online than porn (not true by the way), I want to tell a little bit about my story.
I won’t go into detail on my story here but want to note that I have been tying flies since really before I can remember. My dad owned a fly shop back in the day and I spent a good part of my childhood there.
You could find me at the sportsman show tying flies in front of the passers by. It was fun and something I never fully got away from.
I bring this knowledge to you in the Fly Tying Mentor.
Fun Fact: I love old country. Give me a little Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard on a road trip to go fishing and I’m pretty much good.
Fun Fact 2: I just got a new camper trailer and is something I would have never thought I would have purchased. But now with small kids, a cold winter and fishing to be had I see the benefit of one.
You’ll hopefully see me tucked into the side of a remote steelhead river this year tying a few flies before heading out to swing a few flies.
(Am I a weeny for buying a trailer – let me know)
Fly Tying Instructions for Beginners (The Fly Tying Mentor)
(aka – the mentor)
As I said before, I believe all fly fisherman should learn to tie flies. I believe that this connects us with fly fishing more and keeps you more connected to nature (remember the caveman thing above?)
So, here are the basic value pieces you get with the Fly Tying Mentor:
1. Fly Tying Courses
The first and most basic piece of the mentor are a series of step x step guided fly tying courses to walk you through tying flies from beginning to end. These include basic tools and techniques and types of flies, along with other bonuses.
The first course is very basic and will take a person who has never tied a fly through the process of tying their first 6 fly pattern types. Your will get videos and action items throughout to keep you going strong.
Why is this helpful given that there are 1000’s of tying videos on line? We believe that some people like to have things set up in a step by step fashion. Although you can find it all on you tube, you won’t find the step x step instruction and group coaching we provide in the mentor.
{There is no replacement for step x step guided instruction}
2. Fly Tying Materials and Tools
If you are a beginner we will deliver fly tying tools and materials to your doorstep. I have accounts with some of the best fly material manufactures in the country and can offer these materials to you at a discount.
You will get a vise, bobbin, scissors, thread and a hair stacker to get you started.
Each fly that we learn will come with the materials to tie 12 of each pattern. This is just the right amount to get you started on your way.
Of course, if you ever need more I will be there to serve you. You will have a open door to me any time you have questions.
3. Group Coaching
When you join the group you will be connected to a new and growing community of fly tyers who are at similar and different stages as you. So you can connect with the community if you have questions.
There is this concept of a mastermind group which is essentially a small group of people coming together with similar goals.
The idea is that you will grow more and have a support group which will help you succeed.
Of course, I will be in there as well moderating and answering questions as we go. At the beginning, the beta group will be small, so although there won’t be a huge amount of students.
You will get the benefit of having a more personal connection with me.
4. Local Meetups
I will be coordinating monthly meetups around the world so you can meet in person if interested in making a connection with others in the mentor group.
Although the online world is super amazing and useful there is no replacement for meeting up in person to tie a few flies. I am super excited about continuing to build these local meetups.
Click here if you are interested in starting a local meet up in your area. (add “local tying meetup” in the subject line of your email).
5. One on One Coaching
For a select few who are interested I’ll be offering one on one coaching. This is a chance to scale up your discovery process as I’ll add extra tips and tricks as we go.
You will be able to send me photos of your flies and I can provide feedback as well as the potential to do an online skype video so I can walk you through some of the stages.
If interested in this just click here and let me know.
6. New Courses
I will continue adding courses as we go so you can get more specialized in your tying. Maybe you are interested in steelhead flies, or dry flies or bass flies.
I’ll have you covered.
As I connect with more of you during the beginner course I will be able to provide more specific information tailored to your specific needs.
I need to hear back from you so please respond as you have time!
7. Guest Tyers
I will be providing a connection to guest tyers who will be helping to create new course content as we verify where the biggest needs are.
All of our tyers will bring a new spin to the vise and provide tips and tricks that you wouldn’t have though of.
Subscription Cost
We offer three basic options to get started. click here to see more details.
Option 1: $9.99 per month – You get all of the video course work, group coaching, one on one coaching and local meetup information. You will also be grandfathered in after the beta release for all new material that I release.
Option 2: $19.99 per month – You get everything in option 1 plus you get fly tying materials for each pattern delivered to your doorstep once per month. This will include a new pattern we are working on for the month.
Option 3: $29.99 one time fee (then $19.99 per month) – You get everything in option 1 and 2 plus you get the basic tools for fly tying. This includes a vise, scissors, bobbin and thread plus a bonus each month (this is a surprise!).
If you aren’t interested in a monthly fly tying box or step x step course work you can always check out my free videos here.
If you have any questions about the mentor you can send me an email anytime. Unless I’m on the river I’ll respond within 24 hours or less.
Conclusion
If you’re interested in detailed step by step Fly Tying Instructions for Beginners and fly tying materials delivered to your door then the Fly Tying Mentor is what you need. I offer everything listed above plus a boat load of passion that I know will rub off on you.
Did I tell you I hope to support my kiddos with this product:
There’s no reason to do this alone. Lean on me and the group to discover fly tying together.
All great people throughout history have been a part of a mastermind group. The mentor is that group for your fly tying discovery journey.
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