Let’s face it, fly fishing has a steep learning curve, and some of us tumble down it headfirst with a tangled leader and a bruised ego. While there’s no shame in the struggle, there are a few telltale signs that you might not be the river ninja you think you are. If you’ve ever tried to fish a streamer during a mayfly hatch or argued that sling packs are the pinnacle of human innovation, this list might hit a little too close to home. Here are ten signs you just might suck at fly fishing—and hey, we’ve all been there.
1. You fish streamers during a hatch
There’s a hatch going off, trout are rising like popcorn, and what do you do? Tie on a streamer the size of a chipmunk. While everyone else is matching the hatch and hooking up, you’re ripping meat through a dry fly buffet like it’s October. Bold move—but maybe not your best.
2. You put your wading boots on before your waders
You proudly lace up your wading boots, feeling ready to hit the water—until you realize your waders are still sitting in the truck. Now you’re doing the awkward reverse boot dance in the parking lot while your buddies are already rigged up and laughing. Rookie mistake, but hey, we’ve all been there. Once.
3. You let your strike indicator do it’s thing because you think its bottom, so you don’t set
Your indicator twitches, pauses, maybe even takes a dive—and you just stare at it like it’s doing performance art. “Just ticking bottom,” you mumble confidently, as yet another fish spits the hook and swims off. Pro tip: when in doubt, set the hook. Worst case, you look overly enthusiastic. Best case, you actually catch a trout.
4. You wiggle your rod tip to try and get your fouled line untangled
Your line’s a knotted mess, wrapped around itself like spaghetti, and instead of actually fixing it, you go for the ol’ rod-tip shimmy, waving it around like a broken car antenna. Shockingly, the tangle doesn’t fix itself. Who knew? Sometimes, you just have to accept that it’s time to stop dancing and start detangling. (Pro tip: point the rod tip down and tap on the first section of the rod, your line sometimes magically unwraps)
5. You make hero casts in a small stream, but all you really need is a simple roll cast
You’re standing in a stream barely wider than a sidewalk, but you’re hauling back like you’re trying out for a saltwater distance comp. Trees are snagged, your line’s in a bush, and the trout are now somewhere in the next county. Meanwhile, a simple roll cast would’ve done the job—quiet, clean, and effective. But hey, at least you looked cool for a second!
6. You break off three fish and a row and blame it on bad knots
You hook up—snap. Again—snap. Third time’s the charm? Nope—snap. By now, you’re loudly blaming your knots, your tippet, the humidity, and probably your horoscope. But deep down, you know the truth: maybe it wasn’t the knot. Maybe it was you. Or maybe next time…re-tie between fish.
7. Every fish you catch you need a grip and grin
You finally land a fish, nice! But instead of a quick release, it’s lights, camera, ego. You stage the shot, adjust your hat, maybe even pull out a second rod for “aesthetic.” Meanwhile, your buddy just caught three more and moved upstream. Look, we get it, pics or it didn’t happen—but not every trout needs to star in your personal highlight reel.
8. You think a thousand dollar rod will fix your cast
You’ve convinced yourself that your tailing loops, wind knots, and limp deliveries are all the rod’s fault, so you drop a grand on a high-end stick. But surprise: the new rod didn’t come with a new cast. Turns out, no matter how fancy the gear, you still have to put in the practice. A thousand-dollar rod won’t fix a ten-dollar cast.
9. You argue that sling packs are the best pack option
You swear by your sling pack like it’s the ultimate fishing accessory, even though half your gear’s spilling out every time you turn around. Meanwhile, the rest of us are rocking chest packs, hip packs, and backpacks that actually hold everything without the constant struggle. Sure, sling packs look cool, until you’re chasing a fish and it’s bouncing off your shoulder like a rogue cannonball.
10. You swear euronymphing is the only effective way to catch trout
You’re convinced euro-nymphing is the one true path to trout-catching enlightenment, and everything else is just hobby fishing. Dry flies? Waste of time. Streamers? Cute, but why bother? While euro-nymphing is powerful, believing it’s the only way makes you miss out on the full fly-fishing experience, and maybe a few good fish too. Variety is the spice of fishing, after all.
So, if you found yourself nodding (or wincing) at more than a few of these, don’t worry, you’re in good company. Fly fishing isn’t about perfection; it’s about the pursuit, the screw-ups, and the stories that come with them. Besides, for every bad knot, missed hookset, or overhyped gear purchase, there’s a lesson waiting on the next cast. Just remember, it’s not about sucking forever, it’s about sucking a little less each time you hit the water. Tight lines, and may your indicator actually not be just the bottom next time.