Fly Fishing?  What's That? 

Contrary to popular belief, fly fishing does not involve casting bits of carrion attached to strings out into sweltering summer air in the hopes of catching flies. If you guessed that fly fishing involves using something that looks or acts like a fly, you're mostly correct. Basically, when one is fly fishing, one uses a lure shaped like a fish's natural prey - for instance, an insect that has gotten caught in the current of a stream - in order to excite the animal out of hiding. These lures are called "flies," and they are attached to a hook or set of hooks. There's no bait involved, only carefully constructed simulations. That's right - no gooey worm mess, no chopped up bits of clam, no having to worry about whether or not you cleaned out your tackle box.

There's a bit more skill involved in fly fishing than just slapping some kind of meat on a hook and tossing it into the water, but this is all part of the fun. Before you can even start fishing, you have to either construct or purchase the fly-lures, which can be somewhat time consuming but is generally not very expensive. Originally, these lures were made out of feathers or fur tied to a hook, which was then attached to a very thin, tapering line called a “tippet,” which may be as much as two to three meters (6 to 9 feet) in length.

The fisherman (or woman!) casts the rod back and forth, causing the "fly" - that is, the lure - to whirl around in the water, imitating the prey of the target fish (which is quite often than not trout or a related species). This is done by basically using the weight of the line to “throw” the lure into the water, without a horrendous splash. Instead, the fly lands gracefully – and stealthily – so that the fish never know what hit them!

Fly fishing rods can be anywhere between six feet (two meters) long and fourteen feet (four meters) long, and are constructed from a variety of materials. Earlier in the history of fly fishing, rods were made of greenheart or bamboo, both relatively flexible types of wood. In modern times, it is more common to see fiberglass or graphite fishing rods. Graphite rods are probably the most versatile, as they can run the gamut of high-performance, ultra light rods to the heavy-duty saltwater fishing rods that can withstand rough surf, high winds, and enormously heavy fish.

Of course, this is only the very beginning. There’s lots more information to be had on this exciting sport. Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet, check out the navigation links to the right and let’s jump right in!

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• Fly Fishing: How Do I Do It? 
• What Can I Catch While Fly Fishing? 
• Do I HAVE to Get Wet While Fly Fishing? 
• How Do I Make Artificial Flies?