Here are some fishing tips to help anglers hopefully catch more fish.
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1.
Most fish (with the exception of salmon) are quite leader shy and will refuse any offering that is attached to a leader they can see. And they can see tippet that we can't, either because it casts a shadow on the water, or it sets up micro drag. Go as small as possible.
2.
The most important element of fishing the grass flats is understanding the TIDES! The incoming tide (not high tide)
is by far the best tide in almost every fishing situation for wade fishing Redfish and Seatrout.
3.
When fishing nymphs an effective tactic is to use a bushy dry fly attractor pattern on a short dropper above a nymph instead of one of those patent fluorescent indicators..
4.
Shake soggy flies in a desiccant powder like Loon's Dry Kote. Never put oil or paste on a soggy fly. . . you'll only seal in the wetness.
5.
Wet your knots with saliva before drawing them up. Slippery knots will cinch up harder and won't produce line damaging heat.
6.
Revive fish by facing it into gentle current or gently swish it to and fro to force water through gills.
7.
Check your leader and your fly regularly to insure that the knot is strong and that there are no nicks on the line.If you find any wind knots, nicks, or anything else that could cause a trout to weaken the leader and break off, change the leader. Check your fly to make sure the hook tip is not broken and that the fly is still fishable.
8.
Wearing polarized sunglasses on bright days can really help your fishing.They cut down on the glare but they allow you to see fish and fish structure.
9.
Thinking like a trout means putting yourself in the trout’s ‘shoes’. Trout like to move into spots were the food is easy picking and the temperature is comfortable. They don’t like to chase after a morsel if it means wasting a lot of energy.
10.
Fish detect your presence as much or more by hearing than by seeing you, so walk or wade slowly and softly, and wear soles that don't emit harsh sounds against gravel and rock bottoms if possible.
11.
To discourage biting insects avoid wearing clothing that is black, navy blue, yellow, red or white because these colors can attract mosquitoes, black flies, deerflies and gnats.
12.
A new subsurface fly will catch more fish if the human and chemical smells are deodorized by rubbing it with underwater plants or muck.
13.
The weight-forward floating flyline is the most practical and versatile choice for your first flyline and a weight-forward sinking tip flyline is the second line.
14.
At the end of a natural drift with a nymph, soft hackle or dry fly, allow your fly to swing around and hang in the current for 30 seconds … this often brings a bonus strike.
15.
When carrying a fly rod, hold it "backwards": i.e., with the butt end in your hand and the tip facing the opposite direction of travel.
16.
Before fishing in cold weather, spray any non-stick cooking spray on the rod's guides. While fishing, put a little Vaseline on the guides. Neither will harm the fly line or the rod. At the close of fishing, clean line with a line cleaner.
17.
A tip to keeping your dry flies floating longer and higher on the water is to waterproof them. Take Scotch-guard (yes the stain preventer for your furniture) and spray all you the flies you will be using on you next fishing trip( let dry for a few hours). The Scotch-guard spray creates a waterproof barrier around your flies so that they will not become waterlogged as quickly as they normally would with regular floatants.
18.
When fishing nymph patterns try and keep your rod tip as high as possible. Holding the rod tip as high as you can will help to keep most of the slack line out of the fast flowing current. Keeping your line out of this current will allow the fly pattern to sink deeper and drift with a more natural feel to it. When casting these nymph patterns try and use an across and upstream approach so that the fly will drift past the fish before the fly line does.
19.
Double over your fly line about a foot behind the leader connection and push this "U" through the guides. This way, if the line slips out of your hands it won't snake all the way back to the ground.
20.
The lower the rod, the greater the power on the pickup. More power means more line speed which means greater line control. Always start your pickup with the rod tip as low as your belt. For longer casts, it is advisable to have the tip almost touch the water.
21.
Car doors are a great breaker of rods. Always put your rod on the hood of the car, away from the doors. In fact, put any equipment you're taking off on the hood so you don't drive off with it sitting on the roof.
22.
Before or while fishing stretch the line, stretching it removes temporarily the loops in the line.
23.
When handling fish, always wet your hands first in order to protect the delicate layer of "slime" covering the fish's body. This layer of "slime" is vital to the fish's immune system. Also be sure to avoid any contact with the gills. These delicate organs are easily damaged. By keeping a fish out of water any longer than 30 seconds, you may risk causing the tiny membranes in the gills to dry out and not function properly.
24.
Don't just concern yourself with how you cast. Also be aware of the shadow that you cast. If it crosses over the water that you want to cast to, you'll most likely spook the fish.
25.
Always use a sturdy walking stick for added stability when crossing a river. Use a permanent marker to mark the height of your waders on the stick so that you can check the depth of the water before stepping into water deeper than your waders.