Fly Fishing Techniques

Watch and learn from our expert about preparing the first bucktail in fly tying in this free how-to video on making clouser minnows for fly fishing.

Choosing a fly rod by weight depends upon the weight of the fly line used and the size of the fly used for fly fishing. Learn how to choose a fly rod by weight in this free video on fly fishing.

Fly fishing is one of those sports where you get out what you put in.

If you put in a genuine effort you will get lots of fun and excitement from the sport.

Anyone who takes up fly fishing must have patience, be willing to practice their cast and be willing to learn about their chosen sport.

You must be willing to learn new ideas and practice them, but not keep switching from one to another. Anyone doing this will not perfect anything, always changing one idea for another and not allowing to get anything right. The ones with knowledge about their tackle, the place they are fishing at and the fish they are trying to catch will have much more success than those who just turn up not knowing anything of what they are trying to do.

There are more than 10,000 different types of flies and to find the best one for the job can be trial and error. As a rule you use bright flies on a sunny day and dark coloured flies on a cloudy or overcast day.

The green butt skunk fly is mainly black with a bright green piece of yarn, these flies are used a lot for Salmon but also used around the world with good effect.

The jock scott is one of the best flies for most seasons and waters. This delicate fishing fly can take hours to make with lots of different materials involved.

The thunder and lightening is a deep orange, gold, brown and black, perfect for cloudy or dark days and cloudy waters. This is one of the most popular fishing flies for catching salmon today. These are just a few of the most popular fishing flies used but you do not have to stick with these, if you find a fly that works for you then great.

Dry fly fishing is when you cast your fly to a predetermined spot on the water and try to get the fish to attack the fly, but also trying to strike before the fish spits the fly back out.

Wet fly fishing lets the fly sink just under the surface and pass by the fish causing the fish to strike at the fly. The most common fish to catch with a fly are salmon, trout and most fresh water fish.

Below are some of the terms associated with fly fishing which may help you understand?

Pool an area of water where it is fast flowing and entering a deeper pool of water.

It offers good prospects of a variety of fish in the area where the water flows in.

Riffle an area where the fast flowing water is broken up by some solid object in the water, the area just behind the object in the water is often good as insects will settle here and so will the fish.

Dead water is as the name implies, very still with no current and not usually a good place to fish.

Some of the other places to find fish is where there is a shady area or vegetation growing out of the water.





By: jeff ryall

Every fly fisherman wants to fly cast a perfect loop. Understanding these terms and applying them to your cast. Cast a perfect loop using the fly casting tips in this free video on fly fishing.

Learn about using a bobbin cradle when fly tying and other fly fishing tips in this free how-to video on fly tying tips and techniques.

A fly fishing rod is the most important piece of fly fishing gear that you can buy. Fly Fishing rods are long, thin, flexible fishing rods, combined with heavy line, designed to cast a fly. A fly usually consists of a hook tied with fur, feathers, foam, or other lightweight material.

There are a number of considerations that you should evaluate in selecting a fly rod to meet your individual needs.

You should carefully research the materials that are used to produce fly rods. Manufacturers typically make fly fishing rods out of fiberglass or graphite. First, let’s look at fiberglass. Experts and beginners alike can use popular fiberglass fly rods in most fishing conditions. By contrast, graphite fly rods are generally more expensive than fiberglass. And, lightweight graphite fly rods typically allow more accurate casting.

Let’s examine the actions of different fly rod types. Slow-action rods – you can reel in small lightweight fish with these flexible rods. Slow-action rods have the most bend, making them difficult for beginners to control, but offer great accuracy for short-range casting. Medium-action fly rods – beginners usually find medium-action fly fishing rods easy to handle. Fast-action fly rods – Stiff fast-action rods bend at the end of the rod and do not have a lot of give.

Shorter fly rods generally have less action than longer rods because they generate less torque when casting and reeling. Use short fly rods, measuring less than eight feet, in tight fishing situations where trees, bushes, stream size, or other objects will restrict your movement. Medium-sized fly rods, between eight and nine feet, provide the action, casting control, and strength you may need. You can use medium-sized rods in most fly fishing conditions. Large fly rods measuring more than nine feet – make the ideal choice for longer casting and the pursuit of big-game fish.

Additional Design Details of Fly Fishing Rods:

Fly rods come in a wide variety of line sizes, from size #0 rods for the smallest freshwater trout and panfish up to and including #16 rods for large saltwater gamefish. Fly rods tend to have a single, large-diameter line guide (called a stripping guide), with a number of smaller looped guides (aka snake guides) spaced along the rod to help control the movement of the relatively thick fly lines. Fly fishing rods are long and light and combined with heavy lines that provide the casting weight. Fly fishers use the weight and design of the line to cast the fly quickly and efficiently, without reeling in the line between casts. Fly rods are designed to let you sense a strike, set the hook, and fight and land the fish. Fly fishers speak of a “soul” in a rod, a quality present in all great fly rods.

As indicated earlier, instead of a weighted lure, a fly rod uses the weight of the fly line for casting, and lightweight rods are capable of casting the very smallest and lightest fly. Typically, a monofilament segment called a “leader” is tied to the fly line on one end and the fly on the other.

A rod is usually also classified by the optimal weight of fishing line or in the case of fly rods, fly line the rod should handle.

To prevent interference with casting movements, most fly rods usually have little or no butt section (handle) extending below the fishing reel. However, the spey rod, a fly rod with an elongated rear handle, is often used for fishing either large rivers for salmon and steelhead or saltwater surf casting, using a two-handed casting technique.

Note, that it is important for fishers to experiment with several different types of fly fishing rods to decide exactly what fits their style and ability.

For your comfort level, fly fishing needs to be your supplier’s passion in addition to it being their business. If possible, develop a personal relationship with him/her. They can be immensely helpful to you.

Fly fishing normally happens in the most beautiful natural surroundings where fly fishers often find themselves; a lonely meandering stream in the forest, a peaceful river deep between the valleys, or a tranquil blue lake somewhere up country. What a wonderful sport!





By: Verlyn Ross

Chad Black is a pro fly caster and is happy to show you some of his “tips and techniques” for the spey fly rod. In this segment he explains and shows:

- the rod and reel he chose to use today
- sink tips of different weights
- skeena river spey steelhead flies
- action of the fly in the water
- via demonstration the basic “double spey” cast
- pic of nice steelhead landed today (See video clip #0048 on my website)
- pic of fly box
- ALWAYS wear your “wading belt” for safety. As a bonus it creates a “pouch” to store your fishing tackle.

Stay tuned for more of Chad’s “tips and techniques” coming soon.

Chad is also the operations manager for a major fishing lodge based out of Terrace BC Canada. He is also a fishing guide.

If you wish to learn more about fishing in my area SUBSCRIBE to my WEEKLY FISHING REPORT via e-mail. SIGN UP on my website http://www.noelgyger.ca/subscribers_form.htm

I also I book guided fishing trips for whom I think are the very best fishing guides in British Columbia. I know all of them very well. They do a fabulous job and pride themselves on service and professionalism.

IF YOU ARE EVER INTERESTRED TO BOOK A TRIP WITH ONE OF THEM PLEASE CONTACT ME ANYTIME. My contact info is: Phone 250-635-2568 E-mail: noel@noelgyger.ca Website: www.noelgyger.ca. Hope to hear from you soon. Take care. Best regards, Noel Gyger

Learn how to attach the fly to the tippet or to the leader when you go fly fishing in this free video clip.

Unless you plan on clubbing fish with your rod, you’ll need a line to bring him in.  There are a few things you need to know about choosing fly fishing lines.  This article will give you a few tips.

Taper

One of the first things you need to consider when choosing line is the taper.  You’ll have to decide between weight-forward and double taper.  If you prefer roll casting, then you’ll probably want to use a double taper line.  Weight-forward lines are better suited for use in windy situations.

Floating

When choosing fly fishing lines, you also need to choose between sinking and floating designs.  If you want to use a dry fly, you won’t have a choice as you will be forced to use a floating line that sits atop the water.

Lines that sink are better suited for fishing in deeper water.  However, you’ll probably have to retrieve all of the line if you want to cast again.  This isn’t a problem when the line floats.

Size

Another important consideration is the line’s size or diameter.  Thicker lines will be more durable.  However, they will also be easier for fish to spot.  Lines that are thinner have the benefit of giving certain lures more realistic action.

The diameter will also play a role in the line’s stiffness.  Although stiffer fly fishing lines are more sensitive to fish activity, they’re usually harder for you to cast.  If you’re going after stronger fish, you should consider buying line that stretches more, so that it doesn’t break easily.





By: D Swain

Learn how to cast your line in fly fishing by using this fly fishing casting technique in this free video.