Tip of the Week // What To Do With Tangled Set-Ups

What To Do When Your Fly Fishing Rig Turns Into a Mess

Every angler gets tangled. The difference between a productive day and a frustrating one often comes down to how you handle the mess.

At Red’s Fly Shop, we teach anglers to approach tangles the same way we approach fishing: slow down, assess, and make an intentional decision.

Step 1: Figure Out Why It Happened

Before touching the tangle, pause and diagnose the cause.

Common reasons include:

• Rushing the cast

• Overpowering the forward stroke

• Poor timing on the stop

• Excess slack in the system

• Wind interacting with weight or fly spacing

Understanding the why helps prevent the same issue from happening again—especially important when fishing longer or more technical rigs.

Step 2: Decide Quickly—Untangle or Rebuild

Time matters on the water.

If you can untangle the mess in less than a minute, go for it.
If not, it’s time to rebuild efficiently.

Start at the bottom of the rig:

• Snip the fly off

• Untangle the section cleanly

• If needed, continue working your way up the rig, one piece at a time

Fighting a tangle rarely saves time. Controlled rebuilding usually does.

Step 3: Get Fast at Tying Knots

A tangled rig is always unpredictable.
Your knots should be automatic.

This is why we emphasize knot proficiency in our fly fishing classes. When tying knots is second nature, cutting and re-tying becomes the fastest, cleanest solution—not a setback.

Good habits here reduce frustration, protect your leader system, and keep you fishing longer.

The Takeaway

Tangles aren’t failures—they’re feedback.

Diagnose the cause.
Make a fast decision.
Rebuild with confidence.

That mindset keeps you calm, efficient, and focused—exactly how we want anglers thinking on the water.

Stay tuned for more fly fishing insights, and get ready for some exciting fall dry-fly fishing days ahead!

We teach these techniques and more through our various courses in our University of Fly Fishing.

UPCOMING COURSES TO HIGHLIGHT 

Winter classes to focus on include, Yakima River Fishalong, Trout Spey and Euro nymphing courses.  For those anglers who are wanting to put newly acquired skills to practice, we offer our Trout Taxi that puts you on the water for 6 hours.  You can view the course calendar anytime to find a class that works for you. 

• Sunday, January 18th, Fly Fishing 201, 12pm
• Monday, January 19th, Trout Taxi, 10am (Canyon)
  
• Tuesday, January 20th, Yakima River Fishalong, 12pm
• Wednesday, January 21th, Euro Nymphing Fishalong, 10am 
• Thursday, January 22nd, Boat Rowing Course, 10am
• Sunday, January 25th, Yakima River Fishalong, 12pm
• Monday, January 26th, Trout Taxi, 10am (Canyon)

ENTIRE COURSE CALENDAR HERE 

Our University of Fly Fishing is the most unique, comprehensive fly fishing education available.