What is Fly Fishing?


Fly Fishing is just another fishing technic.
Fly fishing has often been described as an art form. In other methods of fishing, the weight of lure, plug, or bait propels the cast. In fly fishing, the motion of the rod casts the fly line and the line, in turn, the fly. Placing the fly exactly where it should go requires precision and skill-and more delicacy and "touch" than does any other casting method. In fly fishing, as we shall see, the presentation of the fly-that is, the manner in which it is laid on the water and made to act-is at least as important as the choice of the fly. The "chuck and chance" technique so often characteristic of other casting methods won't work for the fly fisherman. He/She must put in the hours to perfect both his/her casting and his/her presentation techniques.

In other fishing methods (lower illustration), the weight of the lure, plug, or bait propels the cast. In fly fishing (upper illustration), the motion of the rod casts the fly line, which, in turn, casts the fly.

Originally, a fly fishing outfit consisted of a hook, suitably dressed with animal fur and feathers to imitate aquatic insects such as mayflies, caddis flies, stoneflies, etc. Nowadays, our "flies" also imitate terrestrial insects, bait fish, crustaceans etc and are constructed from all kinds of natural as well as manmade materials. Sometimes, flies are lightly weighted in order to make sure that they sink down to the depth of the targeted fish, but generally, flies are very light and as such cannot be "cast" or thrown with conventional spinning or casting equipment. Fly fishing is thus differentiated from other types of fishing in that the fly rod actually casts a relatively heavy line, which in turn pulls the fly out to its destination. Twenty to thirty feet of fly line extended beyond the tip of the rod weighs as much if not more than most spinning lures and because this weight is distributed along its extended length, fly rod design and fly casting technique are quite different than their spinning counterparts.

Fly fishing can be more enjoyable than other techniques, because you don't have to be burdened with bait and buckets, nor pounds of spinning lures. Hundreds of different kinds of flies can be carried in two or three boxes, to cover nearly all of your fishing needs. In shallow waters to the deep blue sea, the fly can be cast where you want it with a minimum disturbance when it hits the water. Heavier lures scare nearby fish when they hit the water and make them nervous for future casts.

Fishing with flies often leads one to fly tying, which almost as much fun as fishing. And with fly tying you have the ability to be quite creative in your attempts at imitating the various prey of fish. Fishing with a fly also keeps your mind awake. The fly is always moving and you must pay attention to what you're doing during casting and retrieval, to place the fly where you want it and to manipulate it so that its components behave like a tail, fins, claws or whatever. Finally, fly fishing makes it easier to remove the hook from a caught fish, compared to spin or bait fishing. Fly-caught fish are usually hooked in or near the mouth whereas fish will often swallow bait on a hook, mortally wounding it during removal. The treble hooks of spinning lures can be similarly damaging if you wish to release the fish unharmed.

Most fly fishermen ultimately become more interested in the method than in the final outcome of fishing the fly. They rapidly acquire a quiet admiration for the fish they hunt, and they come to realize that to kill it is to kill the very thing that keeps them coming back to the water. It becomes more important that the fish survive to be hooked again-and again-for it is in the hunting, stalking, and deceiving that the satisfaction lies, not in the keeping and killing.

Fly fishing is not an especially "physical" sport. All it really requires is a desire to learn. Because it actually sparks that desire, fly fishing's appeal is broad, and women and children of all ages can and do become equal participants with men, and sometimes even prove to be the better anglers.

Of course, there's nothing that's more productive in catching fish than using live bait! And if the wind is really blowing, casting a lure with a spinning rod will often get to the better places with ease. Nevertheless, once it gets in your blood you're literally hooked for life!

Art of Fly Fishing
Fly Fishing is the ultimate practices of mediation. It clears and relaxes our minds and bodies of life stresses. It makes us all nicer people. Once you fly fish, killing and eating your catch become less desirable. Even if no one tells you that catch & release is accepted practices. It just naturally evolves. Because you have learn about the fish life and worth. Recognized what a special beautiful living creature it is. You respect it to much to harm it.
There is always the puzzle to solve of the type of fish live them, what the fish eat and how best to imitate their food with a fly, they is a thrill as the fish comes to your fly, the excitement as you hook, play and capture it that special feeling as you slip the barb less hook from the jaw of the fish and return it to the water to continue it natural life. The sport is always challenging, surprising, enriching and fulfilling.

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