22 January 2008
Fly fishing can be a lifelong learning experience
Posted by admin under: fishing tips
A lifetime isn’t long enough to learn everything there is to know about fly fishing. But anglers can start with a good instructional book or, better yet, a hands-on class or a day on the water with a guide.
Area fly shops, sporting goods stores and trout fishing clubs offer a plethora of classes for fly casting, fly tying and entomology, the study of insects — in this case, aquatic bugs that make up a trout’s main food supply.
While steelhead fishing in the Great Lakes tributaries can be excellent during the winter, now is also the time for beginners to take up fly fishing and for novices to enhance their skills so they can be ready for the spring season on New York’s inland waters. When it comes to gear, knots, casting, etiquette, stream reading, fly tying and fly selection, there is much to know.
Fly fishing History
Macedonia fishermen used artificial flies made of wool and feathers to catch fish, while modern fly fishing was perfected in Scotland and England. In the United States, the craft has deep roots in New York’s Catskill Mountain region.
Fly fishing Principles
In fly fishing, a fly and leader are attached to a heavy line (usually coated with plastic). The line is what’s actually cast, not the lure as in other forms of fishing.
Casting
Fly rods are long and light and made of bamboo, cane, fiberglass or graphite. Reels come in a variety of styles. With practice, the angler can propel artificial bait a great distance so that it washes downstream naturally to the fish.
Flies
Studying the insect world and figuring out what nature’s menu is for that particular day separates fly fishing from other forms of fishing. Flies imitate a bug in size, shape and color at various stages of its life cycle (larvae, pupa, nymph, adult). Nymph flies represent insects in the nymph stage and are fished under the surface; a dry fly imitates a bug that has surfaced to take flight and mate. Streamers, such as a Woolly Bugger, mimic live bait such as minnows and leeches and are used in deep water.
Other stuff
An angler will need waders with anti-slip water shoes, a fishing vest, a good hat and pliers.
One Comment so far...
Chris Says:
31 January 2008 at 9:18 am.
Nice site. I am considering taking up fly fishing for the first time in my life (I’m 35). I look forward to reading your posts on this site. I’ll need all the help I can get.