How To Fly Fish
Fly fishing has a unique technique, and many find it a very hard technique to master without help and training from an experienced fly fisherman.
As with the equipment, there are various ways in which you can fly fish. There are a variety of different casts that can be used when fly fishing dependent on a number of factors. The most common cast when fly fishing is the ‘forward cast’, this works by the angler flicking the artificial fly into the air, back over his/her shoulder until the line is nearly straight, then casting forward, primarily using the forearm. The reason this is the most common method of casting is because the fly rod experiences a large ‘load’ on its tip which is stored energy, this is then transferred to the fishing line when you cast, causing the fly to be cast a much greater distance.
Casting without allowing the artificial fly to land on the water is known as false casting, and is used to either dry a wet fly, or to re-cast. Other casts that are often used include the roll cast, the single-haul, double-haul, the tuck cast, and the side-cast or curve-cast.
Being able to get the fly to land on the water and make the most natural movements is one of the hardest parts of fly fishing; the fisherman is attempting to get the artificial fly to land as naturally as possible on the water, and also trying to get the line to land lightly on the water so it doesn’t cause a large disturbance. After sufficient time if a fish does not strike then, depending upon the wind or current, the fisherman tries to recast the fly to make it more presentable to fish.
On the other hand if a fish does strike, the fisherman increases tension in the line using the reel, while raising the rod tip. This ensures the hook is firmly in the fish’s mouth. The fish is then ‘played’ by reeling up any slack in the line and then using the hand to act as a drag on the reel. Make sure you don’t pull in the fish too quickly or too hard as this could cause the fish to get off the line.
When fishing the fisherman may want to keep the line lightly pressed against the rod handle with a finger of the casting arm. The free arm is used to pull line from the reel or to retrieve line from the water. If a fish strikes the fisherman can pinch the line with the index finger against the rod handle and lift the rod tip ensuring the hook is firmly caught in the fishes mouth.
Fly fishing can be done in fresh water or salt water. Freshwater fishing is often divided into coldwater, cool water and warm water fishing. The techniques for freshwater fly fishing also differ in lakes, streams and rivers.
