Fly Fishing is about the art of casting a light fly with a special rod and line. You'll learn to set up your gear, tie knots, choose flies, and watch what fish are eating. Catching a fish on a fly you cast yourself is a great feeling.
Why it's worth it
Fly fishing teaches you to read moving water like a map: where trout hold behind a rock, what insects are hatching, and why a fish ignores one fly and takes another. It's a quiet, patient skill that gets you to some of the most beautiful streams, ponds, and coastlines there are. Once you can cast, tie your own rig, and release a fish so it swims away strong, you have a hobby that lasts the rest of your life.
Start this week
- Tie a short piece of bright yarn to the end of a fly line (or ask to borrow a rod) and try a few casts on a lawn. No hook needed.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Fly Fishing counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Look up your state fish and wildlife agency's fishing regulations and write down the season dates, license rules for your age, and any catch-and-release waters.
- Practice the improved clinch knot with old string and a paper clip until you can tie it five times in a row without looking at a picture.
Plan ahead: Requirements 10 and 11 depend on the season, the weather, and the fish cooperating. Check your state's season dates now and plan a fishing outing early, then practice casting (5) and knots (3) before you go.
Stay safe
- Wear sunglasses or safety glasses and a hat whenever anyone nearby is casting.
- Wade only with a buddy and an adult, wear a life jacket in fast or deep water, and follow Safety Afloat if you fish from a boat.
- Use a fillet knife only with an adult showing you, and cut away from your body on a stable surface.
Requirements · 11
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
Note: Follow all local fishing regulations and property laws.
- Requirement 1
Safety and first aid
Tips for this section: Learn how to handle hooks safely and what to do if one sticks someone. Wear glasses or sunglasses when casting and fish with an adult nearby.
Example for this section: Walk through a scenario: your buddy snags a hook in his sleeve on a back cast. Explain why everyone casting wears glasses, how you'd stop and get an adult, and when a hook in skin means a trip to a doctor instead of a do-it-yourself removal.
- Requirement 1a
Tell your counselor the hazards you're most likely to face while fly-fishing and how to anticipate, help prevent, reduce, and respond to them. Name and explain five safety rules to always follow when fly-fishing
- Requirement 1b
Discuss how to prevent and treat these health problems that can happen while fly-fishing: sunburn, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, dehydration, hypothermia, insect bites, puncture wounds, and cuts and scratches
- Requirement 1c
Explain how to take out a hook stuck in someone's arm
- Requirement 2
Show how to pair a fly rod, line, and leader so the setup is balanced. Discuss several kinds of fly lines and how and when to use each. Go over equipment care with your counselor
Tip: Ask a fly shop employee or an experienced fly angler to help you match a rod, line, and leader so they work well together.
For example: Lay out a rod, reel, line, and leader on a table. Show how the line weight number on the reel matches the rod, then explain the difference between a floating line and a sinking line and when you'd use each.
- Requirement 3
Knots for rigging a fly rod
Tips for this section: Practice the knots at home with a spare line until you can tie them without looking at instructions.
- Requirement 3a
Tie backing to the arbor of the reel spool with an arbor knot
- Requirement 3b
Tie backing to the fly line with a nail (tube) knot
- Requirement 3c
Connect a leader to the fly line using either a loop-to-loop connection or a nail (tube) knot
- Requirement 3d
Add tippet to the leader using either a loop-to-loop connection or a surgeon's knot
- Requirement 3e
Tie a fly to the end of the leader with an improved clinch knot
- Requirement 4
Explain how and when to use each fly type and what it imitates: nymphs, wet flies, dry flies, streamers, poppers, bass bugs, and saltwater flies. Tie at least two of these types
Tip: Look at dry flies, nymphs, and streamers side by side and talk with an experienced angler about when each works best.
For example: Make a small chart: dry flies float and imitate adult insects on the surface; nymphs sink and look like young insects on the bottom; streamers look like small fish. Add one situation where you'd pick each.
- Requirement 5
Using both the roll cast and the overhead cast, show you can cast a fly 30 feet accurately and consistently
Tip: Practice casting on a lawn with a piece of yarn instead of a hook. Short, regular practice sessions work best.
- Requirement 6
At a good fishing spot, observe what fish may be eating above and below the surface. Explain why matching the hatch matters
Tip: Turn over a few rocks in a stream or watch the water surface to see what insects are around.
For example: Turn over three rocks in a riffle with an adult and look at what's clinging underneath. Sketch what you find, then pick a fly from a box that's closest in size and color. That's matching the hatch.
- Requirement 7
Outdoor ethics and catch and release
Tips for this section: Pack out all gear and line, and practice wetting your hands and keeping fish in the water when releasing them.
- Requirement 7a
Explain why it matters to practice the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace, and discuss how both benefit fly-fishing resources
- Requirement 7b
Discuss what catch and release means and why it matters. Describe how to return a fish to the water safely
- Requirement 8
Get and read the game fishing regulations where you live or plan to fish. Explain why they were made and what following them achieves
Tip: Check your state's fishing regulations and whether a license is needed before your trip.
- Requirement 9
Explain good outdoor sportsmanship and how it applies to anglers. Tell how Leave No Trace and the Outdoor Code apply to someone who fishes, including litter, trespassing, courtesy, and following fishing rules
Tip: Talk about sharing water with other anglers, giving space, and respecting private property.
For example: Sportsmanship looks like this: you reach a pool where someone is already fishing, so you walk around behind them, move well upstream, and leave the gate the way you found it.
- Requirement 10
Catch a fish on a fly and identify it
Tip: Go with an experienced fly angler who can help you read the water and spot where fish are.
For example: Keep a fishing log for the outing: the water, the time of day, the fly you used, and the fish you caught. Then use a field guide or your state's fish identification page to name the species.
- Requirement 11
If regulations and health concerns allow, clean and cook a fish you caught. If you can't catch one to eat, get a fish another way, then clean and cook it. You don't have to eat it
Tip: Have an adult help you clean the fish safely, then try a simple recipe.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A state or federal fish hatchery
You can see how trout and other fish are raised from eggs to stocking size and why some streams are stocked and others aren't.
How: Have an adult check the hatchery's website for visiting hours. Many have self-guided tours, and some will arrange a short talk for a Scout group.
A fly fishing club or conservation group chapter meeting
Members often teach casting and fly tying to beginners and know which local waters are good for a first trip.
How: Have a parent contact the club and ask whether they run youth casting clinics. Go together, or with your patrol.
Where it can lead
- Fisheries biologistStudies fish populations and stream health for state and federal agencies; usually needs a science degree.
- Fish hatchery technicianRaises and stocks fish, and checks water quality; many start with a two-year degree or on-the-job training.
- Conservation officerEnforces fishing and hunting laws and teaches people about the rules on the water.
- Fishing guideTakes clients fishing and teaches casting; often a seasonal job that starts with a lot of time on the water.
Ask yourself
- What do you already know about fishing, and what feels completely new about doing it with a fly?
- Which cast or knot is giving you the most trouble, and who could watch you and give you one tip?
- What did you notice about the water or the insects that you would have walked right past before?
- How did it feel to release a fish, or to keep one and cook it?
- Where would you like to fish next, and what would you need to learn to get there?
Good questions to ask your counselor or an experienced fly angler
- How did you learn to cast, and what mistake did you make the most at first?
- When you get to a new stream, what do you look at before you start fishing?
- Which three flies would you carry if you could only pick three for our area?
- What's the best way to practice casting at home?
- How has the fishing in our area changed since you started, and why?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Look for a local fly fishing club or Trout Unlimited chapter that can mentor Scouts.
- Set up casting practice with yarn on a field before heading to the water.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Local fly shop or fly fishing club — Help with gear, casting lessons, and local spots.
- Trout Unlimited (opens in a new tab) — Conservation group whose local chapters often help youth anglers.
- Your state fish and wildlife agency — Fishing regulations, licenses, and stream information.
- Take Me Fishing (opens in a new tab) — Beginner how-tos, knot guides, and a place to find license info for your state.
- Fly Fishers International (opens in a new tab) — Casting and fly tying help, and a way to find clubs that teach young anglers.
- National Fish Hatchery System (opens in a new tab) — Find a federal fish hatchery and learn how fish are raised and stocked.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.