Fly fishing is a rather involved sport. The best way to learn how to fly fish is to go with a group of experienced anglers and let them guide you. There are lots of guided fly fishing trips that cater to beginners and will get you off to a good start. However, it's still nice to know some basics before you go. 

1. There are two types of fly fishing.

The two main types are wet fly fishing and dry fly fishing. With wet fly fishing, your fly sinks beneath the water's surface for the fish to catch. With dry fly fishing, the fly floats on top of the water. You can generally catch larger fish with dry fly fishing, but it requires more precise technique. So, most guides will teach newbies how to wet fly fish first and then work on dry techniques later on.

2. Trout and salmon are your key targets.

Usually, when you go fly fishing, you are fishing either for trout or for salmon. The techniques and types of flies you'll use are slightly different for the two types of fish. However, if you learn to fly fish for trout, you can easily transfer those skills and later fish for salmon. Many fly fishing tours do focus on trout fishing simply because they're easier to catch year-round, whereas salmon are only active at certain times of the year.

3. Tying knots is a big part of it.

When you head out on a fly fishing expedition, don't be surprised when you spend a lot of time learning how to tie knots. There are five different types of knots regularly used in fly fishing. You'll need to know how to make each one and when to use various knots. Most guides spend some time focusing on this before they even take you out into the water. So, if your fly fishing experience includes a classroom learning session, you can expect knot tying to be introduced there.

4. Casting a fly line is different from casting an ordinary fishing line.

If you have previous experience fishing, you might assume you're set when it comes to casting your line. But since flies are so much lighter than typical fishing lures, casting a fly line is quite different. Even experienced anglers often need to practice a bit to get it right.

Now that you know a little more about fly fishing, get out there and enjoy yourself!

Reach out to a company that provides fly fishing trips for more information.

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