Fly casting makes it possible to
catch fish with an artificial lure that can’t be presented by any other
method. It means you can successfully fool trout that feed upon tiny insects
measuring less than an eighth of an inch long - or lure a 150 lb. tarpon
into striking a six inch feathered fly.
Artificial flies are used to catch
sunfish, bass, trout, pike, bluefish, shark, bonefish, sailfish, salmon,
walleye and even catfish. Any fish that eats insects, minnows or crustaceans
can be caught with an artificial fly.
Fly fishing is most commonly associated
with trout and salmon in streams; in fact, in most Atlantic salmon rivers
in North America, fly fishing gear is the only kind allowed by law. However,
saltwater fly fishing is now approaching equal popularity.
Fly Fishing in Mountain
Stream & Ocean Flats and many places in between
The fly-fishers objective is the
same as those with a spinning rod, but his or her presentation is quite
different. The fly-fisher relies upon a weighted line to deliver the fly.
The line may float or sink once it hits the water. Whether a floating
or sinking line, it has to have the proper weight to deliver the fly over
a hundred feet, though the average cast is more like 30 feet. The thick
fly line is separated from the fly by a leader of tapered nylon
filament. The leader provides a flexible relatively invisible connection
between the fly line and the fly. Properly presented, the leader allows
the fly to settle gently on the waters surface and with a life like appearance.
At first glance, it seems the fly-fisher
has gone through a lot of effort for a single cast. The spin fisherman
simply delivers the lure with a flick of the tip of his rod while the
fly-fisher has to move his rod a few times before the fly reaches an effective
fishing distance. But, fly fishing has it’s advantages. For example, if
the fly-fisher suddenly sees a feeding fish, they can pick up all 40 feet
of their line, change the direction of the cast in midair and present
the fly in front of the rising fish.
It would be superficial to describe
fly fishing merely as a very successful method of catching fish. To 'read
the waters' and 'match the hatch' one simply returns to nature and takes
a real good look around. These tactics involve a reunion of man with nature
which gives the sport a spirit-like quality
WHAT
FOLLOWS IS A DETAILED GUIDE TO FLY FISHING
WHICH INCLUDES BUT,
IS NOT LIMITED TO:
THE FLY
- THE HATCH - FLY CASTING
- FLY FISHING TACTICS
EQUIPMENT AND HOW TO SELECT IT - FISH ANATOMY AND BEHAVIOR
A STUDY OF STREAMS - ONSHORE
SALTWATER FLY FISHING
HOOKING, PLAYING, LANDING & CLEANING
YOUR CATCH
This site is dedicated
to the sport of fly fishing ...
It
hasbeen
created for all levels of fishing experience. The
beginner will find all that they need to get
"hooked" (so to speak) on fly fishing.
The seasoned fly-fisher will hopefully learn a little more
... maybe find a fly pattern or a bit of information that will result in an additional tight line or two.
Our approach to fly fishing will be concise and straight forward. When properly presented, the basic techniques and tactics are no harder to learn than any other method of fishing. You will find inside our site, everything you need to know to begin
successfully fly fishing. We know that once we get you hooked, an inevitable insatiable appetite for fly fishing knowledge will follow... and we will be here to satisfy that appetite
One point we
need to clarify in the beginning is that fly fishing is
not a complicated, expensive or an exclusive sport.
Now, with that out of the way let's talk about what fly
fishing is!
