Fly Fishing: How Do I Do It?

So, I know the history of fly fishing and I've read about other people fly fishing, but how do I do it?  It's easier said than done to describe all of the intricacies of fly fishing, but we'll try to give you at least some of the basics. 

Determine your environment

First and foremost, before you even begin to gather your equipment for fly fishing, you should probably determine what kinds of environments you'll want to fish in.  Some people prefer salt water fly fishing over all of the other options.  There's more to it than just standing in the surf, tossing your line out in the hopes of snagging bass, though.  There are lots of places all over the world where you can go fly fishing in rivers and streams, which are freshwater flowing environments, and even in ponds or lakes, which are still water environments.

Equipment

Before you start to fish, you definitely need to have the proper equipment to cast flies.  That is, you need a fly fishing pole, line, a fly, and a reel.  Let's not jump the gun, though.  Whether or not you're serious about it, you should probably read everything you can about the mechanics of the sport before you purchase anything.  The most difficult part of fly fishing is the cast, which can make or break your fishing trip.

Casting

Casting is, sometimes by necessity, different for each environment in which you fish.  Saltwater fly fishing often forces the angler to cast further than in freshwater, and this is by necessity.  In order to put your line beyond the shadow of your boat (or your legs) in an ocean environ, you need to throw your line far.  In order to facilitate the longer casts, saltwater fly fishing rods are generally longer than their freshwater counterparts (sometimes by several feet or more).  It's not uncommon to see rods extending well beyond ten feet in length out on the ocean.

Shorter casts are better made with shorter rods, and both are useful for fishing in rivers, streams, lakes or ponds.  The trick to fly casting is to use the weight of the line to propel your fly forward on the fulcrum of your hand.  That is, you pull back and swing, and it is the bending action of your rod combined with the mass of the line (since your fly will be almost weightless in comparison) that sends the lure out into the water you want to fish.  It’s really not all about swinging the rod as hard as you can.  We’ve heard it likened to trying to hit softball – you need to hold the rod so that the force is concentrated at the tip. 

Of course, no amount of reading can really teach you what you need to do to go fly fishing – in fact, nothing can replace qualified, professional instruction.  This can get to be a bit pricy, though, so your best bet is to look for chartered fishing trips for beginners, or to learn by example. 

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