Fly Fishing Techniques

Read this sentence.
Fly-fishing takes some careful practice anyone can do it.
This sentence can be best described as a

A.) run-on

B.) comma splice

C.) complete sentence

Most serious anglers have refined their techniques over time and experience in order to improve their catch.  Reading up on new techniques and products are also good ideas, and so is listening to other angler’s stories.  However, it is still good to remember the fly fishing basics.  Anglers have been catching fish with the basic rod and line for centuries, so going back to the fly fishing fundamentals or the ABC’s of the sport will go a long way in improving not only your fly fishing technique but your catch as well.  So, what are those fly fishing basics we have forgotten? 

Getting the Cast Right is Crucial

One of the most important fly fishing basics is the cast.  The cast is probably the most talked about topic among anglers.  A cast that is too forceful will cause the line to hit the water hard which startles the fish.  Even experienced anglers have a hard time switching from a typical cast to a good fly fishing cast.  What usually happens when you fish with a typical rod and reel is that the bait and hook are heavy and they are what pull the line to the designated target.  In fly fishing, it is the opposite.  The fly is almost weightless while the line is heavy.  When casting from a fly fishing rod, the line pulls the fly behind it.  This is why a light and gentle touch is one of the most important fly fishing basics.  Even the most experienced angler forget this technique once in a while so it is important to practice, even when you are not in the water. 

How to Practice Casting

In order to keep the gentle touch, practice in your yard. 

Tie a piece of yarn on where the fly usually is.  Cast your rod back and forth and aim for a distance some 10-20 feet away.  Work on your cast until you hit your target consistently.  Even if you are an experienced angler, working on your cast is a good part of the fly fishing basics.  Just like a good golfer practices his swing all the time, a consistent and accurate cast is just as vital to fly fishermen. Take Time to Study Currents in the Water

Another oft forgotten fly fishing basic is reading the water and using common sense.  When fishing in water where the water runs fast, you may want to toss your line to the edge as most fish prefer this area so as not to be dragged by the swift current.  During hot summer days, fish may want to hide in shaded areas like fallen trees, so look for good cover.  In fly fishing, the distance between you and the fish is smaller, so you will need a lot of patience so you can stand still and not disturb the fish.  These tips may seem obvious but some anglers forget these fly fishing fundamentals in their rush to cast their line into the water!

Don’t Spend Money on Fancy Equipment to Improve your Performance, Spend Time Developing Your Skills for Free

Most of us get caught up in the technology or product or techniques of fly fishing that we forget to concentrate on the fly fishing basics.  We have to remember that by giving attention to the fly fishing basics, we increase the chance of having fun thereby increasing the chances of having a fun filled fishing experience. 

 





By: John Reece

Children have to learn how to walk. Birds have to learn how to fly. But do fish have to learn how to swim.
I have no idea but maybe someone out there does please help me it’s driving me mad.
Many thanks in advance.

In the world of fly fishing there are many words that are important to know. Many of these words are unusual or have a different meaning when used in reference to fly fishing. The following list includes some of the more unusual and double meaning words used by fly fishermen.

Action: a general term often used to try to describe the feel of the rod – such as soft, hard, slow, or fast.

Attractor: usually a bright colored fly that is not usually tied so that it imitates a particular type of food.

Belly: the sagging portion of a fly fishing line.

Blank: a rod without a handle, reel seat, or guides.

Blood Knot: the common name for a barrel knot.

Chalk Stream: a stream, usually found in valleys, that is spring fed and slow moving with a lot of vegetation.

Complex Hatch: the simultaneous hatching of several types of species of insects.

Compound Hatch: the masking, or hiding, of a hatch of smaller insects by a hatch of larger insects that occurs on the same day.

Cutthroat Trout: a true trout that is found mostly in the western part of the United States.

Dapping: a fly fishing technique in which the fly is repeatedly bounced on and off of the surface of the water.

Down Eye Hook: a hook that has the eye bent below the shaft.

Dropper: the secondary fly that is attached to the leader in a cast of flies.

Emerger: a term that is used to describe any insect that moves up towards the water’s surface preparing to hatch into the adult stage.

Feeding Lie: where a trout goes in order to actively feed.

Flat-butt Leader: a fly used in fly fishing where the butt section is formed into a ribbon shape.

Freestone Streams: fast moving, tumbling streams with rock covered bottoms.

French Snap: a small clamp, often used by a fly fisherman to attach his net to his vest.

Holding Lie: where a trout generally remains when not actively feeding.

Leisenring Lift: a technique used in nymph fly fishing where the line is lifted, causing the imitation fly to move upwards, right in front of the trout’s suspected lie.

Midge Rod: a short, light weight rod.

Natural – a living insect, as opposed to an artificial, or man-made, insect or fly.

Nymphing: any oaf the various fishing techniques in which the fly fisherman presents an imitation of the underwater stage of an insect.

Presentation: the method of placing a fly where the fish is most likely to see it; includes the manner in which the cast in completed and the method in which the fly is fished.

Rise: the act of the fish taking an insect from the water’s surface.

Run: a term used to describe a particular stretch of moving water.

Shooting: a casting technique.

Spate: high water.

Stripping: quickly retrieving line or pulling line from the reel.

Terrestrial: of or relating to an insect whose life cycle is completely spent on land or in plants.

Waders staff: a sturdy rod about as high as the armpit of the person fly fishing used for support in heavy water.

There are many words and terms that are unfamiliar to most people but not to those who enjoy fly fishing.





By: Bob Bastian

The modern period has been dominated by the development of new materials, and there is no doubt that without plastics, fly fishing as we know it would be unrecognizable as a sport, although the basic principles would be the same.

Glass-fiber rods first appeared in the late 1940’s, but it took a while for the new material to be adopted. Suppliers showed varying degrees of enthusiasm for the material. Hardy’s first glass fiber rod was built in 1954, and after a period in which glass and cane uneasily coexisted, their first carbon fiber rod followed in 1976. Rod weights plunged, reaching the point where line weight became a consideration in rod handling. A modern fifteen foot carbon fiber rod typically weighs around the pound mark, and a nine-foot rod three and a half ounces.

If anyone wonders why fiberglass did not replace split cane overnight, the answer lies in the table. Glass rods weighed much the same as their split cane equivalents, and offered the fisherman few advantages other than price. Carbon fiber, on the other hand, approaches half the weight of either split cane or glass. Once the technical problems of using the new material had been solved, carbon fiber rods entered mass production and neither of the older materials could offer any contest. Cane was swept away by the mid nineteen eighties, although it is making something of a comeback on aesthetic grounds.

The Fly Line. As with rod development, the post-war period was dominated by the development of new materials. The taper on these lines could be controlled to a precise amount, and the invention of methods of altering the specific gravity of the PVC coating (and hence its buoyancy) gave the product greater flexibility than anyone had ever dreamed of in a fly line.

The Reel. We are very nearly up to date on the subject of gear, but is one small piece of the jigsaw puzzle missing. At the beginning of the modern period, it was unusual to find fly reels with exposed rims. The last twenty years have seen a surge of nostalgia, and it is fascinating to see the designs appearing that imitate reels of a century ago.

The Salmon Fly. In a sign of growing American dominance in the field, hair-winged patterns didn’t take long to make the transfer across the Atlantic. The hair-wing had become a significant influence on British patterns by the 1960s, with many traditional patterns being adapted to allow hair-wing ties. The origins of the tube fly are less certain. We know that North American native people tied lures for salmon on quills as long ago as the nineteenth century, but the idea seems to have entered mainstream salmon fly fishing during the 1940s.

There is an interesting post-script to the development of the hair-wing salmon fly. Fishermen took a long while to give up their affection for the fully-dressed ‘gaudy’ fly, and it was commonly stocked by quite ordinary tackle shops well into the late 70’s and even early 80’s. As it became harder to find fully-dressed flies, collectors moved in, and a substantial market in “specimen-tying” began to emerge.





By: anonymous

Fly fishing is a spectacular hobby. Very few pastimes combine so many interesting features. From physical dexterity to a knowledge of biology to a mastery of area entomology, fly fishers are able to explore so many exciting topics in their quest for those thrilling moments when a fish leaps and takes a fly in his mouth.

As with so many worthwhile pursuits, however, it isn’t always easy. In exchange for the fun, fulfillment and excitement offered by the hobby, one must put forth a genuine effort. Fortunately, much of the work is fun. Any angler would enjoy reading more about the hobby and the game he or she will be pursuing. Anyone with the slightest interest in fly fishing won’t mind practicing his or her cast until the body’s muscles have memorized each element of the motion.

Successful anglers should be role models for all of us. They have combined three powerful traits that can help anyone to live a better and more successful life. Consider the two keys to fly fishing success. While you do, think about how those lessons might apply to anyone’s life and how fly fishing just might be something of a microcosm of life.

Patience is a virtue. That sentiment has been expressed so many times that it has almost lost its meaning. Clearly, the message has been lost by many of us as we move through our hectic lives at warp speed, rarely even stopping to catch our breath. Those who fly fish, however, have acknowledged the importance of patience and have made it part of their lives.

A day of fly fishing may feature scores of struggles with potential trophy fish. A day fraught with that kind of excitement, however, is no more likely than a day spent with only a single nibble. No-catch days are common, yet the fly fishing master will still stand in that unmistakable posture, casting again and again, waiting patiently for his opportunity.

Those who don’t practice patience find themselves switching casts, flies and locations so often that they rarely have a line above the water. The only successful anglers are those who have patience.

Knowledge is power. That’s another old cliche many of us disregard. We jump in headfirst without knowing exactly what we are doing and without the information necessary to successfully confront a challenge. An angler, on the other hand, comes to the stream with knowledge. He or she understands the equipment, the stream, the weather, the fish likely to be swimming about and a host of other factors.

Those who attempt to fly fish without that kind of knowledge are far more likely to have their patience tested than the well-informed, who are able to maximize their chance of success. Those who fish with a box full of tackle and a mind full of data are the ones most likely to leave happily at the end of the session.

Does all of this mean that those who fly fish are somehow superior to those of us who don’t? I am sure a few fly fishing advocates might argue that is the case, but that really isn’t the point. The crucial thing to recognize is that fly fishing encourages both the development and use of a few mental habits from which we all could certainly benefit.

Fly fishing is an object lesson in the value of patience and the power of knowledge. It shows us that taking those two concepts to heart can be the difference between a fulfilling experience and frustration. That’s an important lesson no matter how it is taught.

Imagine how peoples lives might be improved if everyone committed themselves to being knowledgeable and found it within themselves to be a little more patient. It’s hard to argue that the world wouldn’t be a better place. Will fly fishing make you a better person? Not necessarily. Then again, it may remind you and those around you of the value of those two key attributes. Fly fishing is patience and knowledge in action and the result is really quite amazing.





By: John Savage

Koi
Gold fish
spotted Cat fish
etc.

I do not understand the part I capitalized:

We learned early that gifts from mother were never what they appeared to be. A SMALL JEWELLERY BOX WITH THE PROMISE OF A DROP-DEAD DIAMOND ONCE HELD A FISHING FLY.

Thanks

Fly fishing is a lot of fun. If you’re a novice angler, there are many things you will need to learn to be successful. This article will give you a few tips on fly fishing for beginners.

Wading

Wading is a great way to get to areas that are otherwise inaccessible. It’s always important that you do so safely. It’s best only to wade in areas that you’re relatively familiar with. If you plan to wade in the water, you should make sure you have a quality pair of wading boots on. A wading staff also proves to be flexible. The staff you have should be strong yet flexible.

Current

Speaking of water, you’ll also need to be wary of strong currents. You certainly don’t want to get swept downriver. More importantly, fish don’t like strong currents. They prefer to slower water closer to shore.

Tippet

It’s vital that you equip the proper tippet for the situation you’re in. Any fish you’re going after will be spooked if the tippet is too large for the situation. Conversely, you risk losing any catch you make if you use a tippet that’s too small. It should be strong enough to hold, but still allow the fly to maintain a natural drift.

Guide

One of the last tips on fly fishing for beginners is to consider getting a guide. A guide is useful for many reasons. If you’re unfamiliar with the territory, he will help you find the best locations to fish. Since you’re a novice, you can also pick up a few tips from a more experience angler.





By: D Swain

I would like to take my son fishing but need something not too expensive. anyone know where can we fish and where we need to fly into? any tips?