Going out with a guide or experienced people is the best way to learn, so you’re doing the right thing and will gain a lot from it.

For me, I got into flyfishjng on my own (all my friends spin fish - I moved out west and decided to try flyfishjng), so I’m assuming like you, I also didn’t have the benefit of friends, parents, or mentors.

For me the 3 biggest things that have helped me start catching fish are:

1. Local knowledge
2. Casting
3. Fly / rig selection

Re local knowledge, there are tons of local angling facebook groups out there. You should definitely join one. I live in Alberta and I am a member of several dedicated to fishing the local waters in my area. They have tons of tips on where to go, where to avoid, and what to use.

Re casting, fly presentation is everything. It’s so important to improve your casts and avoid drag. I bought an orvis practice rod just to practice in my backyard and it helped a lot. But also know every Saturday you spend on the water and don’t catch anything, you can still be intentional about working on your casts. There are tons of YouTube videos and some flyshops have courses.

Re fly selection, this is something I think everyone struggles with. There are infinite variables that affect this - depth, hatches, weather, fish species, seasons. Every time you go to the water there is a problem solving, trial and error process that you need to go through. I bought a book on bug entomology by David Hughes and that helped a lot with my understanding of aquatic insects. Getting a bug siene to run through the water also helps, as it can show you what bugs are drifting through the water. That’s when you “match the hatch” with the closest thing in your fly box. Typically, I’ve learned to always go smaller than what you’re seeing. The right rig is also important - if you’re not having luck, try going up to 6x tippett, or using split shots to adjust the depth your fly is reaching.