Techy Thursday - It's The Little Things

It’s that time again with the season in full swing. You may have a few trout to your name already or maybe preparing for your big outing of the year. Regardless, we all focus on the bigger stuff whereas it’s the smaller things that often get us in a pickle. Here are a few common pitfalls that cost fish, and happen more often than you may think.

• Practice getting the fly off the rod and onto the water with line out of the rod tip without tangling, excessive movement and quick smart. Many opportunities are missed due to the angler fluffing about with the leader or rod tip when they should already be casting. Likewise, practise reattaching the fly to the rod quickly and tangle free when you’re ready to move on.
• Relax your rod hand when winding. Holding the rod in a tightened grip while retrieving loose line will result in a series of wraps around the rod tip, costing often precious moments to reset - avoid rod wrap
• Before casting, check our back cast space, for snags in the water and that the line around your feet is not tangled. Know your surrounds and those nearby in case a quick change of angle is called for.
• Treat every movement of the rod tip as you would a cast. Even when simply flipping your fly onto the water. Your line will follow the directive of your rod tip so if you’re not crisp, or it’s a half-hearted movement, you will tangle.
• And most importantly, after everything above has been attended to, please, please watch where you drop fly while you’re preparing for the cast. That wayward branch, or sitting a heavy nymph in the shallows guarantees delays, a probable retie, and most likely, a missed shot.

Get out there this summer and make the most of your time on the water, without all the crap.