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Seasoned fly anglers like nothing better than introducing rookies into their
beloved
sport. But there’s probably as much division among the old sages of the
fly fishing world on how best to get started as there is between financial analysts
on which stocks to buy.
Let’s try to make the seemingly complex understandable.
First and foremost, anyone can learn to fly fish. You certainly can. It’s
not an exclusive club, as some might suggest, but a sport in which you (male
or female, young or old) can catch virtually every warm- and cold-water fish
species on a fly.
But like any craft that’s worth doing well -- and fly fishing is certainly
one of them -- mastery doesn’t come overnight. It takes patience and time
and a genuine curiosity about the liquid world. Tell yourself that learning how
to fly fish is a journey rather than a sprint. Rejoice in the small victories.
But keep your spirits high when things don’t go well.
Like any type of fishing, you must build a foundation of skills and knowledge
before you’ll see results. But once you learn the basics -- choosing the
proper equipment, casting, knot-tying, to name a few -- you’re limited
only
by your imagination and the size of your pocketbook.
The first challenge is buying a fly fishing outfit (rod, reel and fly line) that
fits your budget and works well on the water. In short, you want an outfit that’s
easy to cast and one that makes hooking and landing
a fish a real possibility.
The good news is that the fly fishing industry has paid particular attention
in recent years to the needs of beginners. Rods, reels and fly line that are
of quality and dependability are everywhere in the marketplace. Bass Pro Shops
(www.basspro-shops.com), for one, offers beginners several options, from rods,
reels and fly lines to leaders, tippet material and flies, as well as many other
fly fishing amenities.
Fly fishing, as you’ll come to find, is a sport of many gadgets.
Before you purchase your first outfit, decide which fish species you plan to
target the most. Fly rods (and fly lines) are assigned numbers (from one to 12)
based on weight and strength. Generally speaking, the bigger the fish, the higher
the number of fly rod and fly line. The most important thing to remember is that
your fly fishing outfit (fly rod, reel and fly line) must be balanced. Balanced
means
that weight designations on your rod, reel and line match.
Weights one through four are very light and are used by those who fish for smaller
trout and panfish with very small flies. Weights five or six are good for trout
and panfish. A seven-weight rod works well for bigger trout and for general bass
work (smallies and largemouth’s). An eight-weight rod is good for steelhead
and some salmon species, while 9- and 10-weight rods are well suited for northern
pike, muskie and some saltwater species like bonefish.
The really big rods (11- and 12-weight) are the province of salt-water fly fishers
who tangle with tarpon and larger saltwater species.
Outfitters like Bass Pro Shops sell reasonably priced combination kits that have
everything: fly rod, reel, fly line, leaders, tippet material and flies. All
come
with instructions and are terrific for beginners.
Your next task is learning how to fly cast. There are many casts (roll, single
haul and double haul and more) to learn and master, but concentrate on your basic
forward and back casts -- the bread and butter of fly fishing. The rest will
come
later.
Truth is, the best way to learn how to fly cast is by taking lessons from a seasoned
professional. That will save hours upon hours of painful trial and error. But
if you can’t afford lessons, pick up a video or book and study it all you
can.
The best fly anglers I know all cast well. They enjoy their performance art so
much that the act itself somehow transcends even its purpose. Their styles may
vary -- from unorthodox to classical -- but they all are pinpoint accurate with
a fly. And accuracy often separates those who catch fish and those who don’t.
Practice as much as you can, wherever can. And always throw to a target, as you
would to a feeding fish on the surface of the water.
There are many other things to learn about fly fishing (knot-tying, entomology,
fish biology, reading water, etc.), but purchasing the right outfit and learning
how to cast it efficiently and accurately is a good start.
My best advice is to
ask questions and get advice from anyone you
can. Talk to the owner of your local fly shop.
Join the local fly fishing club. If you have
the time and money, enroll in a fly fishing
class. You’ll learn more in two days
on the water from an old fly fishing sage than
you will in a lifetime of fly fishing by yourself.
Above all, enjoy yourself. Good fishing.
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