Fly Fishing Tips
Most people think of fly fishing as a peaceful sport. They picture themselves standing on the banks of a beautiful river, whipping a fishing rod back and forth and sending a fishing line flying back and forth above their heads in a manner that is relaxed and graceful. They can see the line flying about, tempting one trout after another. Maybe they’ve seen a movie that features fly fishing, or they went with a friend. Whatever the reason, the person is now interested in fly fishing and wants to learn more.
Chances are this person is you. You’ve done your research. You’ve gone shopping and spent a small fortune on fly fishing equipment. Now you are ready to head out to the water…technically. Sure you have all of the right gear, but have you been given any fly fishing tips?
This article serves to give you a few basic fly fishing tips that, hopefully, will help you come home much richer in fish than when you left.
Make sure that you practice casting. The more time you spend practicing your casting, the better you will get at it. The best way to practice casting is to use a flat surface outside of your house (definitely do not practice casting indoors, it would lead to inevitable disaster). Mark a few targets on this flat surface and then go out for a little bit each day and practice casting to these targets. This will help you to improve your casting accuracy.
Choose a rod that feels comfortable for you. You know what kind you will want, flexibility wise, but choose one that is the right length as well. If you are short, you will probably get hung up if you try to use a rod that is too long. To this end, you will want to learn how to hold your fly rod correctly. Fly fishing is not a quick sport. You will want to be able to hold onto this rod comfortably for long periods of time.
The best bait is a natural prey of the fish you are trying to catch. There are experts who swear that the fancy bait is not necessary and that all you need is a simple worm. In the event that you would like to buy the fancy bait, you should choose bait that mimics a worm or a grub and is brightly colored so that it will attract the fish’s attention.
Waterproof your dry flies. This will help them to float on the water for a longer period of time. You can do this with Scotch-guard (which can be found in almost any general goods store). The waterproofing keeps them from becoming waterlogged and sinking.
Make sure that your knots are tied tightly and effectively. A knot that is tied improperly or that is too loose could spell disaster in fly fishing.
These are just a few of the many fly fishing tips that anglers will share with each other when they are out fly fishing. A simple search through the internet or your local library is sure to turn up pages more.