Left Handed Fly Fishing

kids fishing

 An interesting thing about being left-handed is that when exploring new water I’ll usually choose to walk down the opposite side of a brook or river than my right-handed brethren, to put my casting arm on the water side rather than the brushy side.

So a left-hander tends to cover water that a righty sees from a different angle and may not put a fly through and of course vice-versa.


 I sometimes wonder when I am on a well known salmon stream with historically defined pools if there are overlooked or underrated pools that remain unheralded because they would be hard to fish for a right-handed angler. Actually I always wonder that and now that I am a little older and self secure I do not hesitate to prowl and explore.



The truth is; most of my early experiences with guides on salmon streams were of the sort where the guide takes you, as a novice, to the easiest pool to fish and stands there expectantly.

Newfoundland Salmon Guides and sports

Usually that pesky left-handed/right-handed thing kicks in immediately. The guide stands at your left shoulder and points out the lay and where to aim your cast.

Invariably it’s a spot where a left hander has to struggle to get into a position where he can cast comfortably because his smart arm is on the wrong side for the location. It’s awkward and often embarrassing.





 The good thing though is that we lefty’s face these kinds of situations often enough to usually be able to figure out a way to make it work. What I do now is look the situation over and decide where to fish based upon where I can most accurately and effectively fish - not necessarily where the most fish are.

The theory is simple. I enjoy fishing well even if I’m not the high rod and would rather put a perfect cast over one fish than a clumsy cast over a dozen fish. I also think all else being equal, that a good cast over one fish has a better chance of success than a poor presentation over many fish.

 I like to prowl around looking for likely spots that may hold a fish or two that only a left-hander can cover efficiently. Sometimes I succeed spectacularly. More often I don’t.

Steve with NFL fish on

It took me a while to realize that almost everything that relies on someone demonstrating a technique has a right handed bias. So, of course a right-handed guide’s favourite pool will not necessarily be situated in a way that a left handed sport can work it gracefully.

I can imagine that more than a few left handed beginners never get past their first awkward experiences. Right-hander’s are quite “rightly” oblivious to the situation.

So here is the thing; any of you left-hander’s who have experienced a few frustrating incidents – don’t give up. With experience, the disadvantage becomes a significant advantage.

Think about it. Even though a thousand right-handers have pounded a fishing hole, your unique orientation means you could discover water no one else has disturbed. Fished from the point of view of a lefty, every river is new and untouched, virgin territory with no competition but yourself.