How to Choose your Fly Fishing
Flies
Fly fishing is
a very specific type of fishing, in which the fisherman, also
referred to as an angler, casts a line with a fake fly on the
end, in hopes he can bait the fish with the decoy insect
hovering just above the water’s surface. Fly fishing requires
some specific equipment and tools as opposed to a more
traditional fishing approach in which bait, such as a worm, is
submerged under the surface of the water. The rods are longer
and more flexible and the fly fishing lines are more varied.
But the most dramatic difference is the bait – fly
fishing flies are identifiable even to the layperson
who is not very knowledgeable about fly fishing. However, there
are a great many fly fishing flies in existence, which can make
choosing a fly fishing fly a daunting task.
While there
are many ways to classify artificial flies, the largest
division is between wet flies and dry flies. Dry flies are
meant to resemble fully-grown, adult insects, and are used by
making contact with the water before zipping along or above the
surface, with hopes that a fish will mistake it for the real
thing and bite. A wet fly is meant to resemble an injured or
dead adult insect, or a young insect, and will spend
considerable more time submerged in the water than dry flies
would. Other terms, categories and types of flies include
nymphs, streamers, saltwater, poppers, and lures. Often the fly
will be named for the target species of fish, such as trout,
salmon, or bass.
Though
watching a seasoned fly fisher easily and gracefully casting
his line over a river or lake may seem easy, his actions belie
what is involved in fly fishing. There are a number of ways to
cast while fly fishing and all of them require practice to
perfect. If using a dry fly, the angler will desire to whip the
fly back over his shoulder, and then forward using just the
forearm. The fly will travel a considerable distance, thanks to
the length and flexibility of the special fly fishing rod,
before entering the water – just for a moment –before it is
brought back towards the angler to strike the water again. This
is considered one of the most difficult aspects, for if the
line hits the water near the fly, or the fly strikes the water
the wrong way, it won’t seem natural to the fish. With a wet
fly, the angler will allow the fly to sink below the surface of
the water before pulling it back – in order to simulate an
injured or immature insect, struggling between the water and
the air.
By consulting
a catalog or experienced store associate at your local sporting
goods, fishing supply, or bait store, you can narrow the types
of fly fishing flies by the conditions and target species of
fish you are after. Are you going to be in salt or fresh water?
Cold or warm? Do you prefer the dry or wet technique? These
three questions alone will narrow your selection drastically
from the thousands of fly fishing flies on the
market.
Finally, you
might want to consider what kind of fish you are looking to
catch; many fly fishing flies are designed for specific
species, although there are 100s of types of fish that have
been caught with fly fishing flies. While salmon and trout may
be the most popular targets for fly fishing, they are by no
means the only fish which may be pursued with fly fishing
flies, and some fly fishing flies are even designed to be
appealing to multiple species of fish.
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