Fly fishing hooks are baited with artificial flies instead of live bait. Being a good fly fisherman requires patience, precision and extensive knowledge of the fish you are looking for. It is a sport that can be enjoyed at any age. You can learn the basics in an afternoon, but it will take you a lifetime to perfect the art.
The gear and techniques you use for fly fishing should be chosen carefully based on the type of fish you’re looking for, the type of water you’re fishing in, and even the time of day.
Sport fishing, done only for trout, salmon or char, is a purist favorite and for many years was considered the only “real” fly fishing. But the so-called freshwater fishing for other species, such as grayling, carp, bream, pike and others, has its own pleasures.
Whatever your goal, you’ll need a rod and line. Fly rods, traditionally made from split cane, are now made from a variety of materials, including fiberglass, carbon fiber, or graphite. Bamboo canes still have a traditional appeal, but are brittle compared to canes made from modern materials. Today most fly fishermen prefer carbon fiber or graphite. Heavier rods are necessary for fishing in fast water, wave or salt water.
Creating your own flies, or fly tying, can be a hobby in itself, requiring a few specialized tools, a sharp eye, and a steady hand. Flies can be made from feathers, fur, string, wire, bits of metal or glass, cork, rubber, plastic, whatever works to create the perfect lure.
There are hundreds of fly designs or patterns, some of which even date back to Izaak Walton who published ‘Compleat Angler’ back in 1653. Patterns are available in books, magazines and the internet. Or you can always make up your own!
Regardless of whether you tie them or buy them, flies come in a variety of general classes.
A dry fly is meant to float on the surface of the water, perhaps like an insect that has just landed.
A wet fly, on the other hand, is bound to sink underwater; either floating to a certain depth or constantly sinking until it recovers, depending on the type of fly.
Dry fly fishing is generally preferred in the south of England, while anglers in the north of England and Scotland, often dealing with faster waters and tighter spaces, opt for the wet fly style.
Flies are also classified as imitative or attractive.
Imitative flies are tied to resemble a certain type of creature that fish feed on: adult insects, insect larvae or nymphs, worms, smaller fish or crustaceans, or even land animals that have fallen into the water.
Attractive flies do not necessarily look like prey, but rather work by eliciting the fish’s instinctive attack reaction through bright, shiny colors, long twisting fibers (streamers), or by creating turbulence in the water as they are pulled along. through her.
Once you’ve equipped yourself with your fly fishing tackle, you’ll need to learn how to cast. The goal is to land the fly as gently as possible, so it looks natural and doesn’t startle the fish, so the fly moves naturally with the water.
The basic flycast involves lifting the rod gently above your head to almost vertical and then pushing it forward a short distance, but there are dozens of variations. For wet flies, you’ll want to use a cast like the tuck cast, which puts the weight of the line on top of the fly, so it sinks quickly.
There are also specialized casts, such as the roll, sidearm, and Spey, which are intended for conditions that don’t offer enough room for a normal cast, such as streams with high walls, overhanging trees, or crowded areas.