What Can I Catch While Fly Fishing?

Beyond all of the gear, all of the posturing for fishing spots and all of the reviews you've heard for places to spend your vacations, as a fly casting angler, you're probably concerned with just a couple of things at heart.  First and foremost, you probably want to know what kinds of fish you can expect to catch while fly fishing.  And second, you're interested to know how large your quarry can become.  When it comes to fly fishing, you know what's important: the prey.  We concur!

Depending upon where you decide to go fly fishing, you can find a number of different species on your hook.  In most cases, you shouldn't expect to find warm-water fish on your line when you're in a cold climate or salt water fish when you're on a river (though there are exceptions, like salmon)!

Freshwater Fish

Arguably the most sought-after species of fish in freshwater environments are trout and bass.  Black bass, rainbow trout -- these are the names you would expect to find in fishing derbies and in the record books, and indeed these are the most popular fish. 

Black bass can be found in the warmer fresh waters of Florida, and are generally suited to a number of different kinds of flies, wet or dry, that mimic the seasonal glut of insect matter in the water.  During the late spring, you will probably find dragonfly, mosquito and midge larvae in the water, for instance -- but as the seasons wear on, and the landscape of food for the fish will change.  Larvae and nymph-form lures are available in lots of stores, both online and offline.  Be sure that you take note which feeder species are prevalent before you go purchasing anything, though, otherwise you risk missing out on some keepers!

So what do steelhead, redsides, kamloops, red-banded trout, and silver trout have in common?  They're all the same kind of fish: rainbow trout!  The scientific name for these awesome fish, which have been caught weighing in at upwards of forty pounds, is Oncorhyncus mykiss.  A favorite of fly fishermen and baited anglers, these fish can be found in the colder waters of Canada and the northern regions of the United States.  Alaska is a great place to go after trout such as these as well!

Saltwater Fish

Of course, we wouldn't let those of you who are saltwater enthusiasts, potential or not, stay in the dark.  So the old saying goes, there are plenty of fish in the sea...and they were right!  The variety of fish that you can catch is astounding.  Again, you may find it handy to go to a fly fishing supplier, online or offline, to choose the correct kinds of flies for where you're fishing.  It wouldn't make much sense to bring along a tiny midge fly if you expect to catch some monstrous fish.

And let us tell you, there are monstrous fish out there! 

Blue sharks, Mako sharks, and even the occasional tuna fish are known to go for fly fishing lines, which are by necessity much stronger than the ones you find in the fresh water.  Depending upon where you're going, you may even find marlin, sailfish, ocean sunfish, dolphin (the fish, not the marine mammal!), and a variety of other tropical catches.

Wherever you go, we wish you the best of luck!