Get Hooked
Why fly fishing? Glad you asked. If you're looking for a sport that is challenging yet relaxing, demanding yet rewarding, you've come to the right spot. Fly fishing is all of those things. Then again, if catching a fish was easy, it wouldn't be fun.
Fly Fishing Is Unique
Fly fishing dates back nearly 2,000 years and is much different from conventional sport fishing. When many newcomers think of fishing, they envision tying bait or a lure to a lightweight fishing line and casting or dropping the line into the water in hopes of a catch. The weight of the lure generates the distance of the cast. In fly fishing, the "fly" is weightless. A weighted fly line delivers the fly to the water during the cast. This casting motion requires rhythm, timing and precision. The weight of the fly line develops the momentum to generate casting distance and accuracy: the key to successful fly fishing.
Here's The Catch
Fly fishing is often associated with only mountain streams and catching trout, but it is much more. By imitating a fish's natural food source (the fly), just about any fish that's in a pond, stream, river, lake or ocean is game. Fish that most fly anglers pursue are: sunfish, bass, trout, pike, bluefish, bonefish, striped bass, salmon, tarpon, walleye and even catfish.
What You Need
Our fly fishing site provides the latest information on all aspects of the sport, with timely articles and helpful links. For example, head into our Gear section and learn all about rods, reels and fly lines and what other accessories you need to get started.
Want to know what landing a fish a means? Look it up in our extensive fly fishing glossary explains the terms you'll need. And check out our etiquette section and learn how to become a responsible angler.
Seeing Is Believing
Take a lesson with our unique animated lessons that combine motion-capture technology with the most up-to-date instruction from the professional teaching staff at the renowned Orvis Fly Fishing School in Manchester, Vermont. You learn at your own pace. Our fly fishing guru is with you every step of the way, offering useful skills drills and troubleshooting tips.
And There's More
Having trouble finding those hot fishing spots? Head to on over to where to play. Here you'll find the contact information for every state's fish and game department and feature articles by the writers of Fly Fish America magazine. The fish and game departments will provide you with all the information you need related to fishing licenses and public fishing areas. And the writers of Fly Fish America come from all over the United States and can introduce you to some of their favorite fishing spots. You can also conduct a search for local contacts for fishing clubs and guides anywhere in the nation. And if safety are a concern, the experts at Professional Team Physicians (PTP) have written articles on how to prevent illnesses and common injuries, and how to treat them.
Get Started
Use this site to become a complete fly fisher. Begin in the gear section and learn what you need to start casting. Begin your casting lesson in the getting ready lesson and learn the various knots used in fly fishing. Our animation shows you step-by-step how to tie the knots and how to assemble your outfit.
- Get comfortable in the basic cast and learn the proper grips.
- Learn the proper stance as it allows you to learn the cast easier.
- Follow the pick up and lay down cast closely. It's the foundation of all fly casting.
- Move on to specialty casts, like the roll cast, and check out more advanced casting techniques, such as the single and double haul casts.
