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Fly fishing: Catching Fish
By Angus MacLeod

Fly fishing has been known since ancient times and, was used mostly to catch trout and salmon. There are many other game fish species such as pike, bass, panfish and carp which will take the artificial fly. Fly fishing is commonly used to catch saltwater marine species such as the redfish, tarpon, bonefish, snook and striped bass.

Fly Fishing Methods

Fly fishing is a method used to catch fish which requires the use of artificial flies which are cast using fly fishing rod. The fly is attached to a fly line which should be sufficiently heavy to allow the fly to reach the intended target area (it doesn't really matter that the flies used are nearly weightless). There are basically two types of line available, those which float and those that sink (floaters and sinkers).

Flies are tied to well known fly patterns using artificial materials that attempt to match the size and color of local insects with the sole intention to attract fish. Fly fishing rods are usually longer, lighter and more flexible than other types of fishing rods.

Fly fishing is referred to as either wet or dry.

Dry fly fishing requires the flies to gently float on the surface of the water, the flies used for in dry fly fishing are known as dry flies. The flies are allowed to float as to appear like a grasshopper or other insects that fish find so attractive.

Wet flies are allowed to land on the water and then sink to attract fish that usually feed well below the surface of the water. Wet flies may appear strange while dry but when submerged they appear to the fish to be like other aquatic creatures or as an insect that has drowned.

Freshwater fly fishing is very popular throughout the world. In America the best areas are to be found in the northern parts of the country and Canada. In these areas the most popular method employed is the use of long rods that are very light in weight. Various styles of cast are used depending upon the fish that one wishes to catch. The most commonly used cast is the forward cast (the angler whisks the fly into the air, behind and above the shoulder so that the line is almost straight and then propelled sharply forward with power from mainly the forearm.

False casting is another popular method used during fly fishing. This cast requires that the fly does not land on the water and has different usages including; paying out lines, drying a soaked fly, repositioning a cast etc. but it is not uncommon to catch salmon using this method. Other casts used in fly fishing include the roll cast, the single as well as double haul cast, the tuck cast as also the side or curve cast.

Presenting the fly is considered the most difficult aspect of fly fishing simply because the angler is attempting to cast the line smoothly allowing the fly to land naturally upon the surface of the water to fool the fish into believing it to be food. This is the trick to this style of fishing - literally - you attempt to trick the fish and then win the battle that follows as he struggles to escape the hook.

Fly Fishing Facts, Tips & Tactics
A heavy line, one that is too heavy for the rod, will tend to drop on both the forward- and the backward-, decreasing distance rather than increasing it.

Author Details:
Angus MacLeod, copywriter for various web sites with his main interests being golf and fishing, especially when in fishing in Scotland.

Article Source: Free Articles Directory

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See also: Bass Fishing, Fishing & Fishing Tackle