Fly Fishing Basics
You pile your fly
fishing gear into the
van and head out to a
swiftly moving stream
that you know of. You
park the vehicle and
head across a pasture.
You're glad the owner is
a friend of yours, as
you have blanket
permission to fish on
his land. You walk down
a steep incline to the
crystal clear stream,
slip on your thigh
waders, fill your
fishing vest with
various types of flies
and wade into the
stream.
When you are in
position, the tip of
your rod should be in
the four o' clock
position with 20 feet (6
meters) of line extended
beyond your rod's tip.
Trap the line between
the rod handle and your
index finger. To begin
the back cast, bend your
elbow, raise your
forearm and move the rod
tip from four o'clock to
eleven thirty and lift
the line from the water.
Pause for a moment at
this point to allow the
line to extend behind
you before casting the
rod forward. Allow the
rod to follow through as
the line extends to its
full length in front of
you. Then continue to
work the line in this
manner. Suddenly, as you
work your rod and line,
a fish strikes. The
fight is on and you
successfully land the
fish. You've just
learned the art of fly
casting.
Fly fishing is an
ancient method of
angling. It was
primarily developed to
catch trout and salmon.
Today, it is still used
to fish these species,
but is also used to
catch bass, carp, pike
and a wide range of
saltwater fish. The
difference between
casting and fly fishing
is that in casting you
use the weight of your
bait, sinker and bobber
to propel your cast. In
fly fishing, the weight
of the line propels your
line forward and puts
your fly into position.
The fly cannot do this,
as it is essentially
weightless. The goal in
fly fishing is to
present the fly gently
and to always be in
control of it.
When you fly fish, you
need special fishing
equipment that includes
a fly rod and reel, a
special fly fishing line
and artificial or live
flies. These are tied
onto your hook with
feathers, fur, thread or
other materials in
colors and sizes that
represent natural prey.
The key to successful
fly fishing is balance.
The rod, reel and line,
as well as the tippet
all have to match in
order to have a positive
fly fishing experience.
Rod, Reels and Lines
Fly fishing rods are lightweight
and long. The line provides the casting weight and is
heavy. It can be of differing density, depending on
whether you want the fly to sink or float. Line is
matched to your rod by weight. Look near the fly rod
butt to find out what line weight must be used. Graphite
rods are best because they can produce any action that
you wish to use. If you are a beginner, buy a basic and
moderately priced rod, or borrow one from a family
member or friend.
Flies and Leaders
Flies weigh very little. The fly
is usually attached to the line by a leader that is two
to three meters in length (6 to 9 feet). The leader
often tapers to a fine end. This is called a tippet.
Tippet size range from 8X, which is the smallest, to 0X,
which is the largest. Tippets are set in units of .001
inches. To match the tippet to the fly, you must
subtract from eleven and multiply by .001.
For example to find the diameter of a 4X tippet, you
would subtract four from eleven. That equals seven. Now,
multiply by .001. This size would be .007. What if you
have a # 18 fly? How would you calculate tippet size?
You would put eighteen over four and calculate. The
answer would be 4.5. Since there is no 4.5 X tippet, you
would move to the next largest size, which would be 5.
Types of Fly Fishing
There are two types of fly
fishing - dry and wet. Wet flies are fished beneath the
water surface and are divided into several types,
including live wet flies, lures and nymphs. Dry flies
float on the water surface and are coated with a
substance called, "floatant" to make this possible.
If you are interested in fly fishing and can't decide
which equipment you need to have a positive fishing
experience, ask an experienced angler for help. This can
be a family member, friend, someone from the local
angler's club or a staff member of the local fly fishing
shop. Fly fishing is not as hard to learn as it appears
to be. Have fun and enjoy that big catch.
|
