Beginner's guide to fly fishing: your first successful approach
Course pack: First-trip checklist and casting practice card. Coach Willy, our virtual AI coach, can explain each step, set you a practice task and check your understanding.
Who it's for
New to this? Perfect — no experience needed.
Where and when
Done on the bank. Best in: all.
What you'll work through
- 1Choose a suitable first water
- 2Buy or borrow only the essential equipment
- 3Practise a controlled basic cast
- 4Choose a fly and cover the water
- 5Land responsibly and review the first session
Step 1: Choose a suitable first water
Alright mate, let's get stuck into beginner's guide to fly fishing: your first successful approach. I'll walk you through what to look for, what to try and how to tell whether it helped. We'll start with choose a suitable first water, then work through a proper practice job at each step. Take it at your own pace and keep a few notes so you've got a useful plan for next time.
By the end of this step
Have a go at: choose a suitable first water.
Check first
Anyone 13 or over fishing for freshwater fish in England and Wales needs a rod licence , plus permission from whoever controls the water. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems.
Willy’s take
For a first go, I'd pick permitted water with an open bank, space behind me and nobody within hook range. Check overhead cables and trees before getting the rod out.
Think about the wind across your casting arm: wind blowing from that side can push the fly towards your body, so move to a safe bank or stop if you can't keep it away from you. A headwind mainly makes casting harder; it doesn't make all the other dangers disappear.
Start with short casts in a gentle breeze, wear glasses and practise with wool instead of a hook first. Before every cast, look behind and beside you. If people arrive in range, stop rather than trying to squeeze a cast past them.
Kit I'd start with
- I'd start with a 9ft #5 or #6 rod and a weight-forward floating line recommended for it, with a reel that balances comfortably and holds backing plus the line. Line numbers are a useful starting match, but some lines are deliberately overweight; check the actual model before blaming your cast.
- A 9ft tapered leader ending around 4-6lb is one trout example, adjusted for fly size, venue fish and snags. Add a few size 12-16 wet flies and dries, spare tippet, nippers and forceps. Take a suitable landing net too and follow the water's fish-care rules. Wear proper eye protection before casting.
- Spend on sound line and safe fish-care kit before fancy reels: a budget outfit can teach well if it fits, but secondhand line may be cracked. Don't assume your first fish will be small enough to excuse weak or missing gear.
On the bank
Worked example
Imagine this: You've got two local options: a small day-ticket lake with open banks, and a pretty river stretch lined with willows and only a narrow gap behind you to cast into.
Your turn: Choose a suitable first water
- 1
Check backcast space behind you
- 2
Check for day ticket or permission
That's the free sample — this is where it stops
The full step keeps going with the rest of the practice job, common mistakes and fixes, a check-your-understanding quiz and your First-trip checklist and casting practice card. Then 4 more steps, each with its own task, and Coach Willy on hand to talk it through.
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