Over my career as a guide and editor, I’ve had the chance to fish with many novice anglers, and perhaps the most useful piece of advice I am able to offer is “Keep your rod tip down.” And then I usually end up saying “tip down” about 50 more times over the course of the day. It’s a simple concept, but it makes a big difference in your fishing success, as FlyFishDan explains in this short video.
Once your fly is on the water, your tip should also be in the water. And unless you are high-sticking or using the rod tip to keep your line out of a conflicting current, the rod tip should STAY on the water. That way, when you go to pick up to recast or–even better!–to set the hook, you’ll be able to immediately engage the rod so it can load for a backcast or drive the hook home.
If you hold the rod tip above the water, slack forms under the tip. This means that you must first remove that slack from the system before you’re in contact with your fly. If you’re making a backcast, this means that the rod doesn’t begin to load until you’re halfway through the backcast. If a fish has taken your fly, it may quickly spit it out again before you have set the hook.
