Saturday, August 30, 2008

Fly Fishing 101

By Phil Reid


The sport of fly fishing has, through the centuries, continually grown in popularity to become one of the most popular sports which offers unique challenges. Part of the appeal is that it takes a great deal of time to master fly fishing techniques and to develop your own style and knowledge.

Probably the most important piece of equipment used by the angler when fly fishing is the fly (which is why it is called fly fishing of course!). The fly is a small lure which is created using various fly patterns, many of which have been used extensively for many, many years as they still prove as effective, at catching fish, today as they were when first designed.

The design of the fly pattern proves so effective as the creator made it to appear to the fish as though it was it's natural food. The shape also helps the fly to move in such a way as it further enhances the lures natural appearance to the fish.

The appearance of the fly is further enhanced by other pieces of fly fishing equipment such as the fly fishing rod, line and reel. All of the equipment has to be finely balanced to ensure that it creates the perfect conditions for the perfect cast while remaining sufficiently strong reel in your quarry.

It is incredibly important that every item of fly fishing equipment is of the highest quality. All items should be both extremely strong and yet also as light in weight as possible. With fly fishing rods it is also important that the rod is also flexible and springy to ensure that a good cast can be made in the vast majority of situations. Fly fishing rods are commonly available in lengths from seven foot to around nine foot.

High on the list of wanted fly fishing equipment of many anglers of today is a set of high quality waders. Modern materials have been created which allow lightweight waders to be "breathable" which means that the angler can remain dry and cool while fly fishing in the river. Besides waders there are many other items and accessories which vary in importance from the necessary to the superfluous.

One of the beauties of the sport of fly fishing is that it can be relatively cheap to get started. It is possible to buy a cheap fly fishing kit from most sports shops and it is also possible to hire equipment in some places reducing the initial outlay considerably. However it is strongly advised that you have at least a couple of fly fishing lessons before you go on your first trip, just to get to grips with the basics.

After only a short while the sport of fly fishing becomes extremely addictive and, before long, you will find yourself looking for opportunities to satisfy your appetite for it. While many folk are lucky enough to live in places such as Scotland, Alaska or Colorado, where there are plenty of places where one can go fly fishing, the majority of us have to travel some distance to get the best fishing. However it is relatively easy to book fly fishing vacations which cater for virtually every need of the angler.

Whether you indulge in the sport at a local stream, small river or lake you can be sure that a days fishing will be thoroughly enjoyed. Even when the fish aren't biting so much a group of folk fishing will, most likely, produce a couple of fish with the aid of a fly. Even if you fail to catch a fish yourself you will still gain a great deal of enjoyment.

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