Fly fishing is markedly different from regular fishing. With plain fishing, you use lures and often live bait to bring fish to your line and hook them. When you are fly fishing, you use a fly that resembles a real insect that the fish feed on naturally. The line is longer and you mimic the movement of the fly or insect on top of the water so that the fish thinks they are biting at a real insect.
Casting is constant in fly fishing. You put the fly out in the water and then draw it back several times so that the fish thinks the fly is landing on the water and then taking off again. With regular fishing, you cast your line and let it rest until the fish bites making the bobber sink into the water.
You can catch some pretty hefty fish using either method, but when you are fly fishing, you have the opportunity to "battle" the fish for survival. This can be extremely satisfying as man battles nature for the top position.
Flies are made out of natural materials in fly fishing while regular fishing utilizes latex and plastic lures made out of man-made materials. Many avid fly fishermen say that the fish are much more attracted to the natural lure rather than the man-made ones. This, they say, makes fly fishing an amazingly satisfying sport.
You can fish just about anywhere - a local pond, a lake, or even a reservoir. When you are fly fishing, you will want to go where the fish are most plentiful. That means traveling (perhaps) to rivers and streams where fish like trout and walleye are known to live. The challenge in fly fishing lies in making the fly look real to the fish below water.
Fly fishing in remote places like Alaska and Canada are great vacation getaways. You can plan a fly fishing trip to many different spots including Mexico, South America, and even Russia. That can be a great adventure - much more so than just fishing your local lake or pond.
Chess has been called "the sport of kings", but many avid fly fishermen consider fly fishing to be the real sport of kings. It takes skill, finesse, and a lot of patience to get good at fly fishing. Thousands of anglers couldn't agree more. When you've been fly fishing once, you'll want to go back over and over and over again. May the fish bite well for you!
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!
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