Thinking about trying fly fishing? So what is fly fishing all about?
Put simply, fly fishing is a particular method of fishing where flies made from fur and feather are used to catch fish. The biggest difference between this and other forms of fishing is that no weight is used at the end of the line to cast out your fly, it is the fly line itself which becomes the weight used to enable the cast. Look at any fly line and you will see it is very thick compared to standard nylon line used in other forms of fishing, it is the thickness and weight of this line which is used to flex the rod and catapult out the very light fly across the water.
Why fly fishing?
Well if you think that fishing is a boring pastime where you just cast out your line and sit on the bank and wait for a fish then you really should take a closer look at fly fishing.
Fly fishing is all about going after a fish rather than waiting for it to come to you. It is a very mobile form of fishing where you tend to carry minimal equipment and keep on the move, having a few casts here and there before moving to the next spot, it’s a really active way of fishing.
It can be perceived as a very exclusive sport, available to only the privileged who wear tweeds and deerstalker hats and fish for salmon and trout…….far from it today, it really is a sport for all whatever your age, sex, ability, or social standing!
Not only do we fly fish for the salmon and trout, but more and more these days other species are becoming more popular targets. Fish such as carp, pike and perch as well as saltwater species like bass, mackerel and mullet and a whole host of other species are now targeted by the fly angler. So no matter where you live or what budget you may have there is always a fly fishing opportunity to suit you.
So what tackle do you need?
As I mentioned before, you don’t need masses of equipment, to start with just a rod reel and line a box with a few flies and maybe a net will get you going which can be purchased for as little as £50 to £80, so it needn’t cost you a fortune to give it a go, then if you find you like it you can then go on to add to your tackle collection.
As far as size of rods and lines goes, you will see that there is quite a selection. As a starter outfit you should look to go for a rod of around 9ft that casts a 5 or 6 weight line. This set up is pretty middle of the road as regards size goes and can be used on a variety of venues for various species.
So why not give fly fishing a go? If you think you wouldn’t like fishing give fly fishing a try and you might just be surprised!
