There are many factors that go into determining when and where one should fly fish lily pads. Find out which fishes frequent the area near a lily pad, and when the particular fish you are interested in goes in these areas (i.e. in which season do they appear?) Also, remember to consider at what time of day that the fish you want to catch appears, such as morning, afternoon, evening, or night.
Make sure that the lily pads in which you are fly fishing near are at a depth at about two or three feet, because this is generally the depth that schools of fish normally frequent. There may be exceptions, but for the novice fly fisher, this depth would be a good place to start and gain experience.
For beginners, many experts recommend starting with a weedless hook so that the line doesn’t get snagged, as this can be 
frustrating. Also, beginners could use a “popper”, which is a floating fishing lure that makes a popping sound when tugged on. A good technique to work on is to cast the popper farther out by two or three feet, then to slowly reel the popper back until it nearly touches the edge of the lily pads. Then, get ready for a fish to bite, and to start reeling!
As lures, some people may use plastic crickets, worms, or other such creatures, as they definitely cost less than an actual, live lure, and also because they are reusable if the fish gets away. Other people use mice, frogs, and even lizards! Of course, most of these lures are again, made of plastic.
