How Fly Tying Changed the Way I See the Water

Written by: The Team @ J. Stockard

June 19, 2026

Time to read 3 min

New Jersey fly tyer and angler Kayla Gordon brings a practical, local-water perspective shaped by trout streams, hatches, and the satisfaction of catching fish on flies she tied herself. A Team Norvise and Renomed Pro Member who ties for South Branch Outfitters, she writes from the sweet spot where the bench meets the river. These are her words:

Most people get into fly tying because they want to save money or catch more fish. For me, it became much more than that. Tying flies completely changed the way I look at rivers, fish, and even the smallest details on the water.

When I first started fly fishing, I was only focused on catching fish. I cared more about where the fish were holding or what fly someone told me to use. I never stopped to ask, Why am I using this fly? or What is this actually imitating?

Learning to Ask Why

Once I started tying my own flies, though, I started paying attention to the why behind everything. Fly tying forced me to slow down and take a step away from just trying to catch fish. I began noticing bug activity, paying attention to what insects were present, how they behaved in the current, and what stage of life they were in. I found myself looking closer at things that I used to completely overlook. I found joy in flipping over rocks, watching the current, and trying to understand what the fish were feeding on instead of just guessing.

Slowing Down on the Water

Fly tying taught me to slow down and to pay attention. Suddenly, I was paying more attention to the size of the bug, the color, and what they look like as they flow through the current. Instead of just cycling through random flies hoping something works, I began to make more intentional decisions based on what I was seeing on the river.

Confidence Over Perfection

Tying my own flies also gave me a completely different level of confidence while fishing. There's honestly nothing better than catching a fish on a fly you tied yourself. It's one of those feelings that never really gets old. And the funny part is, the fish don't care if your fly is perfect. Some of my ugliest flies have caught some of my best fish. I think that's one of the biggest lessons fly tying teaches you early on: presentation and confidence matter so much more than perfection.

Where Creativity Comes In

I also think tying makes you much more creative as an angler. Once you understand the basics of certain patterns, you naturally start experimenting. Sometimes it's as simple as changing a dubbing color, adding a little bit of flash, trimming a fly differently, or mixing materials from a few different patterns together. One of my favorite things to do is mix different types and colors of dubbing in a coffee grinder to make my own unique dubbing. Some ideas end up being complete failures, but others turn into confidence flies I never leave home without despite how ridiculous they look.

It's Okay to Tie Ugly Flies

For beginners, fly tying can feel extremely intimidating at first. Social media makes it seem like every fly must look flawless to catch fish. In reality, everyone starts somewhere. My first flies were messy, overdressed, and crowded at the hook eye, but every bad fly taught me something new about tying. That learning process is honestly part of what makes tying so enjoyable to me.

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The Night Before the River

One of the things I appreciate most about fly tying is how much more connected it makes me feel to the entire experience. Fishing doesn't just start when I step into the river anymore. It starts the night before at my vise. I think about what the river conditions are, what bugs are currently hatching, and tying patterns that I genuinely believe in. That preparation builds excitement and makes every fish feel so much more rewarding.

At the end of the day, fly tying isn't just about making flies. It changes the way you see the water, understand insects, approach fish, and appreciate the process behind every catch. Once you start tying your own flies, you stop simply fishing the river and begin understanding it. For me, that's what makes fly tying so rewarding, it turns every trip to the river into an opportunity to learn something new and to teach others.

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