10 Traits of the Best Fly Fishing Guides for Your Next Great Adventure
Fly fishing is not like your average recreational activity. If you want to be a successful angler, you will want the guidance of the best fly fishing guides.
Here are 10 Traits that Set Apart the Best Bly Fishing Guides
1. They Help you Organize Your Fly Fishing Gear
This one is a complete no-brainer. An amazing angler is one who is well-organized and knows which piece of gear and equipment is stored where. They will help ensure don’t hit the rivers without the essential gear, making sure you are well-stocked for a successful outing. The best guides always carry spares of the equipment they think might be needed during the course of the outing.
2. Double-check the Knots
Before making your first cast, the best fly fishing guides will give you a short DIY lesson on how to tie a knot; after all, that is a part and parcel of them being a guide. However, it does not end just there. After the lesson is over, they will go to each person individually and give the knots a good tug to ensure it is tight, strong, and placed correctly. This will ensure that no matter how big a catch you manage to attract, the knot stays intact and your efforts are rewarded.
3. Make Sure the Hooks are Sharp
Hooks play an important role in the fly fishing activity. They should be sharp enough to securely hold the fly and prevent the fish from breaking it away, as well as have the ability to latch onto the fish and reel it in. The experienced guides at Stillwater Anglers know the importance of having a sharp hook and if they find that your hook is not sharp enough, they will sharpen or completely replace it.
4. Hold a Practice Session to Help You Master the Art of Casting
Among other things, a professional outfitter will find great joy in helping you learn all there is to become an effective fly fisher. Our seasoned, Stillwater Anglers guides, will give you tips about casting a line and how you should go about it. The best guides are so committed to fly fishing that they often practice casting all alone by themselves, trying different combinations of fly rods, reels, knots and flies to determine the winning formula to snag a catch in different environments.
5. Start Fly Fishing from the Water Near the Banks
Experienced fly fishing guides know how to pace the day, starting the day off with minimal effort as to not exert themselves too early. Stillwater Anglers team of guides will often direct you to make shorter casts at first, those that land near the banks. If you are lucky, which is the case most of the time, you will be able to secure a catch easily and without getting water on yourself.
6. Tell You to Let Fish Eat Before Setting the Hook
An experienced guide is familiar with the waters you are in and can read the waters to predict good fish activity. If your guide recommend you take your time hooking a fish, it’s always a good idea to listen. By giving the little creatures more time, it increases their probability of getting hooked, resulting in a successful catch rather than a failed attempt.
7. Limit the Occurrence of Re-casts and Improper Casts
This is the “not-so-fun” aspect of fly fishing. With the instances of lines getting tangled, fingers being cut, and hooks mistaking body parts for fish, it’s no wonder people shy away from fly fishing. However, our experienced guides will watch your casts and help you eliminate unnecessary re-casts, false casts, and improper casts. Often a cast you considered flawed will be just right – and your guide will help you limit your re-casts.
8. Are Avid Observers and Learners
The best fly fishing guides see every trip as a learning opportunity and adventure. They are very observant and will help even the most seasoned anglers improve their craft in order to result in more catches.
9. Do Not Let Negativity Seep In
An experienced guide goes with the flow. Your Stillwater Anglers guides knows that every trip won’t lead to catches but they aim to make every trip memorable nonetheless. They don’t let the negativity of no bites cause them trouble. Instead, this fuels their motivation to turn the odds in your favor.
10. Are Always Happy with their Catch
Success comes from failure; a fact well-known to successful outfitters who have been in the business for a long time. They are well-aware that a turn of events, such as the water and weather conditions, may change the outlook of the trip, including the number of fish they catch.
The truth is that most guides enjoy providing you an experience that you’ll never forget. The opportunity to experience nature and build relationships with the people around you makes fly fishing something that can be a successful adventure every time.
