The Complete Guide To Fly Fishing

An Overview of Fly Fishing

 What is Fly Fishing

"If fishing is like religion, then fly fishing is high church." -Tom Brokaw

Fly fishing is an extremely popular sport among many anglers, one that takes skill and a lot of practice when first starting out. The difference between fly fishing and other kinds of fishing is that with fly fishing, you use a special kind of lure, an artificial fly, and your line is not weighted, so the fly floats on top of the water. 

The angler casts the line out on the water and pulls it in repeatedly, simulating what a real fly would do, which is land on the water and then fly off again.  The trick to successful fly-fishing is to know how long to let the fly sit on the water and when to pull it away.  The fly must sit on the water long enough for a fish to be able to swim up and grab it, but it must not stay there so long that it seems dead. Fish prefer live flies.

You need to use a special type of fishing pole for fly fishing. The poles are very light, and they use specific types of reels and a different type of fishing line than “regular” fishing poles use. Fly fishing line is heavy, as it is the weight of the line that sends the fly out, and not a regular fishing weight.

The poles, or “rods”, and the line will vary in size and weight, depending on what type of fish you are after. Depending on how much fishing you do or how varied your fishing is, you may need more than one fly rod, and different weights of reels and line.

The technique of casting the artificial fly out and pulling it back in repeatedly is called, appropriately, “fly casting”. Although some veteran fly anglers can make it look easy, fly casting involves a certain technique, and this technique can take a while to learn. Beginning fly anglers need to be patient, and if you are new to the sport, it is usually best to have an experienced fly angler along on your first excursion.

When learning to fly fish, there are some fundamental things to remember.

1 The fly will go in the direction of the cast, but you have to allow for the direction the water is flowing, and cast ahead of where you think the fish will be.

2 You have to consider the size of the fish you are after when you choose your fly. Get help from experienced angler!

3 Perfecting the art of fly fishing takes time, patience, and a good sense of humor. If you lack any of these, you may want to stick to regular fishing.

When many people think of fly fishing, they think of fishing for trout or bass, but fly fishing can even be done out on the ocean, and the fish that can be caught with a fly rod can be quite large. Many angler catch large salmon and tarpon with the fly fishing method. Fly fishing can be done from the shore, or from a boat. It all depends on the angler’s preferences.

Although there are many books and manuals out about fly fishing, most of which are very informative, fly fishing is still something that you need to “learn while doing”.  There is a lot of trial and error involved in learning to fly fish, but the best part about it is that your classroom will be the great outdoors, and your learning sessions will be fun, and hopefully rewarding. Even if you do not get the hang of fly fishing right away, chances are that you will have a good time while you are learning.

Those who learn how to fly fish and are able to practice the sport often say that there is nothing like it. If you love to fish, you should try it at least once...you may find yourself “hooked” for life.

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