The World's Number 1 Fly Fishing Destination

 
 
 

 

Why Most Fly Fishermen Don't Catch More Trout Despite all the Improvement in Equipment, Flies, Books, and Videos?

by

Eugene P. Macri Jr.

You may use these articles. You can store them. You can read them. You may not change, republish, sell or redistribute these articles in anyway for any monetary gain. You may not add them to your collection and sell them etc. These articles are copyrighted and we will strictly enforce the copyright.

© 2017 E. P. Macri Jr. 

I knew that one day I would write this piece. Unfortunately, it says more about where fly fishing is going and that's in the wrong direction. The sad part of the equation is that we have better rods, reels, lines, flies, leaders than we ever had and cheaper too and yet most fly anglers catch fewer fish than they ever did!

Why? How could this be so?  There are a number of reasons for this that I have observed in the last 25 years.  They are seldom talked about in the fly fishing shows you see on television or in videos, books, and magazines that you buy. Here's what I'm talking about:

  • Majority of fly fisherman coming into the sport today did not spin or bait fish. So they don't have the basic instincts of someone who has learned something about streams and fish before they get into fly fishing.
  • They are overwhelmed by the amount of equipment, websites, information, books, magazines etc that's thrown at them.
  • Television programs make it appear that trout and especially large trout are easy to catch.  What they don't tell the viewer is that it may have taken them a week of fishing to get 20 minutes of video show the experts catching fish.
  • The approach most of these neophytes use shows no idea that the trout can be spooked. They lack any ideas of stealth on a stream
  • They think that new equipment of some type will solve their many weaknesses as a fly fisherman
  • They may fish in private water or some setting where the fish are relatively easy to catch but when they fish a hard fished stream none of their techniques and methods work.
  • Most lack accuracy in casting which is crucial on many streams including spring creeks.
  • Most cannot read water well enough to know where to fish.
  • The fish in many streams are hardier to catch today because of the decline in hatches and fishing pressure.

What's really bad about all of this is that people are not learning how to fly fish. Many anglers have fly fished for 5 or more years yet still do not know the basics.  The complaints I get is that the some guides won't really show them anything. They often spend a king's ransom on all types of stuff most of it they don't need and use improperly.  One of the main reasons for this is the internet.  Many fly shops have folded. They couldn't compete with the discounting done on the internet because the mark up on fly fishing is so low to begin with.  The basic mark up is around 40%.  Now deduct shipping, the cost to run the store, rent, utilities, etc. and the actual profit on selling fly fishing equipment in a shop comes out to less than 8 or 9 percent on most items. 

Because of this there isn't a lot of guidance in the buying of equipment and there isn't anyone to show these folks the ropes, if you know what I mean.  What about all the great forums and info on the net?  Give me break!  There is more nonsense by would-be experts on these forums that the average person coming into this avocation is confused almost immediately. Furthermore, much of the information on the net would allow you to believe that just about everywhere you fish, a 10 pound trout is waiting to greet you with a rise that will allow you to hook him.  Just look at the nonsense that goes on about these spring creeks in the Cumberland Valley!

 

So in the interest of helping the neophyte I'm going to put on a number of articles, videos, and podcasts on flyfisher.com to aid them in getting started. It will start with the basics. Also, there is so much conflicting stuff on the internet that most people are lost with the decision they make. Like the world today, if you can't separate the disinformation, misinformation and perhaps bad information you'll never find out what the truth is.

 

tight lines,

Gene Macri

Updated!

Through October 2018

Limestone Stream Report and Pod Casts 
Just Click To Get The Latest Info

 

Note: You Must Have Latest Adobe Flash Player for the Podcasts.




Falling Spring Run

 

Letort Spring Run

 

==============
Yellow Breeches

 

Big Spring

  Green Spring

 

=============

 Eastern USA Freestone Stream Report

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 All Money Goes For Stream Research and Pro Bono Work

  

  

Free Fly Fishing Tips, Newsletters and Journals
Just send us your email and you'll receive our free fly fishing tips, newsletters and journals. We will not spam you or sell your name.

   Domain Names for Sale

www.webflyshop.com

www.esportswoman.com

www.flyfisherman.co

www.flyfishinginfo.com

www.flyfishinfo.com

www.piratescoast.com

www.piratesreef.com

www.southpacificbay.com

www.fishhog.com

    

• Home
• A Look At Bamboo Rod Tapers
• Muddler Minnow and Black Ghost
• The Secret to Buying Flies
• How To buy From Sierra Trading Post and Get the Best Deal
• Wild Trout: Do Fly Fishermen Really Want Them?
• How to Use Weight in Fly Fishing
• Outdoor and Underwater Cameras for Fly Fishing
• Bath County Virginia Property for Sale Brook Trout Steam
• Montana Grayling Final Push for ESA Listing by George Wuerthner
• Spinner Fishing: The Imago Stage and Lack Of It on Eastern Trout Streams
• The Light Cahill: Stenacron and Stenonema
• How to Protect Your Fly Line
• Modern Fly Lines for Fly Fishing
• How To Attach A Leader to a Fly Line Loop
• Why Fly Anglers Buy The Wrong Fly Rods
• Winter Fly Fishing: Methods, Techniques and Patterns
• Terrestrials for Late Summer and Fall Fishing
• Brown Trout and Summer and Fall Rains
• Ed Shenk's The Letort Hopper
• Booking for Private Fly Fishing and Spring Creek Fishing for the Fall
• The Hare's Ear G.R. Wet Fly: Why You Should Have It in Your Fly Box
• Fly Fishing Debauchery
• Catching Big Trout
• Montana Stream Access: Trout Rustling in Montana
• Fly Size For Summer Trout Fishing
• Yellowstone River Hit by Oil from Broken Pipeline
• Fly Fishing Hatches Where Are They In 2016
• Fly Fishing Radio And Podcasts
• Fish Farming and Aquaculture
• Sustainable Living Library
• Steelhead Fishing And Patterns for Eastern Streams
• Wild Brook Trout Booking Reservations for thisYear
• Free Download Page
• Conewago Fly Fisherman
• Conewago Creek Present Conditions
• Conewago Fly Fishers Host Healing Waters
• Conewago Fly Hatches: Early Season
• Conewago Fly Fisher's Newsletter
• Conewago Fly Fishers: Shad Fishing Notes
• Tips For Successful Early Season Fly Fishing
• Fly Patterns: Why Trout Hit Them
• Tips For Successful Early Season Fly Fishing: Part 2
• Early Season Killer Wet Fly Patterns
• Wet Flies For Trout: The Ones You Should Always Carry
• The Wet Fly
• Best Wet Fly Patterns
• Deadly Dozen Dry Flies
• The Prince Nymph by Gene Macri
• The One Fly Method for Late Summer and Early Fall Trout Fishing
• Secrets to Late Summer Trout Fly Fishing
• Fly Fishing Methods: Using the Best Strategies
• Fly Boxes: The Best Fly Box for One Dollar
• Fishing Big Spring by Ron Krista
• Streamers Fishing: Winter Patterns and Techniques
• Trout Hitting A Variety of Patterns this time of Year
• One Hundred Dollar Fly Lines: Are They Worth It.
• Fly Fishing and Guides
• Trophy Fish Smaller Than Years Ago
• Fly Fishing Reels
• Fly Fishing Rods
• Fly Fishing Flies
• Why Most Fly Fishermen Don't Catch More Fish
• Fly Fisher's Free Screensavers
• The Truth About Fly Fishing Guiding And Instruction
• Charlie Fox
• Charlie Fox Page 2
• Stream Entomology
• Gary Borger Interview Part 1
• The Poacher's Rule
• Fly Fishing Small Streams with Charlie Meck
• Fly Fishing Hatch Chart For Small Streams
• Ernie Schwiebert: In Memoriam
• Autumn Mayfly and Caddis Hatches
• The Traveling Fly Fisherman
• Big Spring Stream Surveys
• Stream Temperatures and Trout
• Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Spring Creeks: Guiding and Instruction
• Fly Fishing: Spring Creek Fly Box
• Fly Fishing Pennsylvania Freestone Streams Autumn Fly Selection
• Fly Fishing: Dry Flies: The Adams
• Fly Fishing: Fur Ants
• Fly Line Cleaning
• Fly Fishing Spring Creek Tackle
• Fly Fishing Midges and Small Flies
• About Fly Fisher.com
• Contact Fly Fisher.com
• Resources
• Privacy
• Site Map