Archive for August, 2009

Trout Fly Fishing Tips for Beginners

Trout Fly Fishing Tips – Where Do Trout Hide in Rivers

Fly fishing for trout is an art form, and there is a lot of material providing trout fly fishing tips and techniques for any beginner fly fisherman. The following trout fly fishing tips will help you become a more successful trout fly fishing angler:

  • When approaching the water you intend fishing in, make sure that you walk slowly and quietly. Sound is transmitted more rapidly through water than air.
  • Wearing drab clothing with muted colors will help you to blend more effectively into your surroundings. The chances of the trout being spooked will be reduced.
  • Take a thermometer with you and check the water temperature before fishing for trout. When the water temperature is between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the trout are far more active. Trout become lazy and inactive outside this temperature range, and your chances of catching them are reduced.
  • A good quality fly rod that provides accurate casting and good feedback and line feel can make all the difference for trout fly fishing – check out the Sage Z-Axis fly fishing rods for some of the best fly fishing rods that money can buy.
  • To be successful at trout fly fishing, its important that you use the correct type of fly. Choose the size of your fly according to the water temperature. If the water is cold, then larger flies should be used. You should use smaller flies with clear, warm water. Yellow, orange or black flies tend to work better at the beginning of the season. Different flies work best in different locations, as the prey that trout feed on will vary from location to location. A recommendation is to speak to local fly fishermen, or check with local fly fishing shops to see what trout flies work best in in that particular area.
  • Keep your fly line clean. A line that is not clean tangles more often, and creates more friction in the rod guides. You can buy products which are used specifically to clean fly lines.
  • Learn to roll cast. If you are fly fishing in streams and rivers, sometimes there will not be enough space to behind you to perform a full overhead cast – as there may be trees and bushes behind you. The roll casting technique does not require any space behind you, and is also useful when fly fishing in strong wind.
  • Always cast upstream when fishing in rivers and streams. Then allow your fly to drift backwards towards you. Trout tend to wait for their prey in areas of the river that are sheltered from the main current as they don’t have to expend as much energy. These areas may be in front of or behind rocks jutting up from the riverbed.
  • If you are trout fly fishing in dams or lakes, you will have more success if there is a small breeze blowing. Trout are more easily spooked in still waters.
  • When using a fly fishing net, do not swipe at the fish. This sudden movement may spook the fish and it may break the tippet on your fly line and escape.

More useful fly fishing tips can be found in the article: essential fly fishing tips for beginners

 

More information and articles about fly fishing can be found by looking at the news feed for Fly Fishing Elite (Feedcat.net).

 

Knowledge Of Good Fly Fishing Flies

Fly fishing is one of the most recognized and distinct methods of catching fish or angling. This method has been popularly used to catch trout and salmon.Fly fishing have been used by many anglers to catch a wide range of species. There is different equipment used to make the process a success. One of the most important is fly fishing flies. They are normally cast using a fly rod by the angler. A fly line also comes in handy at this point. It is absolutely necessary to have the right fly fishing flies for good success; and a great catch.

An Overview On Fly Fishing Flies

Artificial fly fishing flies are commonly used. There are many companies that make them. This is to say that they are widely available in the market all over the world.  The following is just an overview of what goes into making these fishing flies. They come in great varieties with respect to size, shape and even colour. Fly fishing flies are made from fur, feathers, hairs and others. These materials can either be natural or synthetic. A fly fishing lesson will reveal some of these aspects of flies. The flies are created by tying the materials onto a thread and hook.

Fly fishing flies are made with the aquatic appearance of local fish and insects in mind. This is because there must be a match that will be attractive and similar for success in angling to be achieved. They are also customized with regard to colour, and patterns to create fly fishing flies that are suitable. Creating the fly flies is an art and in different places in the world, experts who are gifted and skilled are employed to create flies that suit different specifications. It is a pleasurable and exciting art that continues to prevail. Synthetic materials are more popular when it comes to creating flies.

For many, fly fishing is a sport that employs the use of different varieties of fly fishing flies. To produce the variety, many companies have emerged to create or make fishing flies. The following are some of the most popular kinds of fly fishing flies that you will find out there. There are dry flies, wet, trout, nymph and UK trout flies. These are some of the most recognized. However, different cultures or communities will have their very own flies which have been in their society for a long time. This is the case for many angling communities.

While fly fishing is conceived to be one of the most restful hobbies you'll ever engage in, there is still a certain amount of skill requirement in order to be successful. You might have heard so much about the cast and about tying your own flies and may wonder how to really improve your fly fishing techniques in order to improve your catch broad. There are just a few simple things you can remember in order to affect your time on the water a more enjoyable experience and to just plain old catch more fish; let’s review these few simple things to remember about your fly fishing techniques.

Being gentle with your cast is important and probably the most important of all fly fishing techniques. Many anglers make the error of attempting to force their project the direction you do with typical fishing. Remember that you're not trying to achieve too far ahead of you and certainly don't want to sink your bait the way you do with average fishing. Your target is to just skim or flit your fly over the top of the water. You also desire to remember that with fly fishing, the fly is virtually weightless and the line is heavy, so the line forces the fly and not the different way around. If you give your line just the smallest bit of guidance you'll see how it forces the fly behind it and how the fly then skims the water. Practice your cast as part of your fly fishing techniques as much as you can. You can stand in the yard and just apply a line without a fly. Aim for about ten or fifteen feet in front of you and keep practicing until you can hit it perfectly.

Other ways to improve your fly fishing techniques is to get sufficient with working the line. With typical fishing you ordinarily have no slack in your line but with fly fishing, that slack is necessary for when you pull the line up for different project. Getting used to how it feels to control the slack with your secondary hand may take some practice. As you exercise your project, practice covering that slack so that it doesn't get tangled up in the line and so that you have enough slack overall. Both hands are going to be important when it comes to your fly fishing techniques so get used to how the line feels to you and what it takes to control it.

While you’re exercising your fly fishing techniques, remember not to get too taken up in instructions and the “proper” way to cast. If you do, you might find that you’re lost on the enjoyment of fly fishing overall. Anglers have been successful with fly fishing for hundreds of years without fancy schools or teachings, so you don't need to worry too much about these matters. Do the best you can with your own fly fishing techniques and remember to enjoy

Bass Fly Fishing – An Introductiory Guide

Bass Fly Fishing Tools and Tips

The sport of fly fishing has in the past been all about catching trout. Using fly fishing techniques, today it is now possible to catch just about any freshwater or salt-water fish. Bass fly fishing has now become extremely popular all over the world. This is due to the fighting qualities of bass. Bass on the whole put up a tougher fight than trout – the exception being the big steelhead trout species. Bass have quite a flat body shape – this increases the drag when you try to pull them through the water using your fly rod, which also makes them a tougher fight. There are differences between bass and trout fly fishing, but on the whole, the techniques used are mostly the same.

Smallmouth Bass Fly Fishing Technique

Smallmouth bass are found in rivers and streams. With fishing rivers and streams, quite often there are trees and bush lining the river or stream, and therefore not enough room behind you to make a full overhead cast. Therefore learning to roll cast is recommended. Take a look at the following fly fishing casting techniques guide for more information on roll casting. Another option is wading deep into the stream or river which would provide you with sufficient room for overhead casting.

When fly fishing rivers and streams its also important to know how to mend the line. With the different currents within the river there may be areas flowing quicker than others, which may cause the fly to overtake the line, or the line to overtake the fly. This will disturb the natural drift of the fly line, and may spook the bass. The technique whereby a section of the fly line is lifted and moved to re-align it with the drift of the fly is called mending. Smallmouth bass mostly sit and wait for prey in the small pools in the river which are formed by submerged rocks, trees, or other objects. Target these pools when casting for smallmouth bass. With smallmouth bass fly fishing, using streamers that look like crayfish or small baitfish often produce good results.

Largemouth Bass Fly Fishing Technique

Largemouth bass are found mostly in ponds and lakes. Flies used for largemouth bass fly fishing tend to be quite large. Poppers are commonly used, and deer hair flies are extremely popular. Terrestrial flies (flies which resemble land based insects that land on the water by accident) are also quite effective. When casting dry flies for largemouth bass, its a good idea to land your fly near to weeds, rocks, lilies or other underwater objects where largemouth bass love to hide when stalking prey. After the dry fly hits the water, just let it float for a few minutes – then make the dry fly twitch, before retrieving the fly slowly. The bass will quite often hit the fly as it lands on the water.

Bass Fly Fishing Equipment

You can use the same equipment for bass fly fishing that you would use for trout fly fishing. With bass fly fishing a 6 to 9 weight fly fishing rod is normally used, along with a fly line with a matching weight. It’s not necessary to have an expensive rod and reel for bass fly fishing, and a good fly rod for someone starting out in the sport of bass fly fishing is the reasonable St Croix Triumph Fly Fishing Rod. You can use the same double-tapered line used for trout fly fishing, but its recommended that you use a weight-forward line for bass fly fishing. Although you can catch bass with normal trout flies, you will have more success with bass specific flies.

Additional flt fishing information, tips, techniques, and fly fishing equipment reviews can be found at the Fly Fishing Elite news feed at Feedage.com.

If you’re thinking about the best time of the year to go out bass fishing, then you’re thinking about going out during the spring time. During these months, the bass are preparing for their annual spawn, and they are compelled by instinct to go on a gluttonous binge right before they spawn. It is during this time that you have the chance to find bass in abundance, in shallow water, and be able to snag them with relative ease.

More than likely the best time to catch fish during spring bass fishing is just before they begin to spawn. The females know that they are going to be exhausted after they lay their eggs, and therefore they need the nourishment to make sure they have enough nutrients to make it through the downtime they’ll need after the spawn. So as the water temp gets above 50 degrees, they will move into the shallows and begin to feed. It isn’t until the water temperatures reaches the middle 50s, however, that you’ll be able to consistently catch them. But be prepared for when the water temp does get into the mid 50s, as that is when you must be on the water, throwing your best baits at the fish. Focus on good action, slow moving baits during this time, as the water is still cool, and the bass like easy meals.

You can have success during the spawn, but usually only with the males. They are the ones that guard the nests, and if you are able to get your bait close enough to the nest, often you can get a defensive strike out of the male bass. But again, the females retreat to rest and recover just after they lay their eggs.

The post spawn is also good fishing. After the water temperature gets above 70 degrees, the spawn is over, and the bass will return to a normal feed pattern. You’ll find them in the shallows during the morning and evening, and retreating to cooler water during the heat of the day. So use these bass fishing tips and get out there next spring and get in on the action.

Women Learn Fly Fishing Tips

Although women have fly fished for nearly as long as men have, women’s sly fishing has recently become a very popular activity and sport for women. There are more women participating in the sport of fly fishing each day, as more women discover the tranquillity of fishing outdoors close to mother nature, as well as the relaxation of fly fishing.

There are many clubs and organizations around now that deal specifically with woman’s fly fishing. One such organization is International Women Fly Fishers, an international non-profit organization which brings women interested in fly fishing together from all over the world, and also have a directory of women’s fly fishing in the United States and from around the world.

Fly Fishing Gear for Women

Men and women are not created equal in body shape. Women would have had to purchase fly fishing gear tailor-made for men in the past, but this is no longer the case today. When it comes to buying fly fishing gear today, the selection available for women has improved quite a bit. Most of the large fly fishing manufacturers have realized that women are a growing percentage of the fly fishing market, and they have started making fly fishing gear designed to meet the requirements of women. Whether a woman is looking to buy freshwater fly fishing gear, or saltwater fly fishing gear, there is now equipment specifically available.

Fly fishing rods are available made specifically for women – these rods are designed to be lightweight, and contain smaller grips ideally suited for women. Waders designed to fit the shape of a woman’s body are also now available, as well as women’s wading boots. Fly fishing manufacturers now make fly fishing chest packs and vests tailor-made for women anglers.

Sage, makers of some of the finest fly rods in the fly fishing industry (such as the Sage Smallmouth Fly Fishing Rod), now make a fly fishing rod tailor made for women, the Sage Z-Axis Small Grip Fly Rod. Winston also make the Winston Joan Wulff Fly Rod, which is another high quality rod. These rods suit women anglers because they have smaller grips, and are designed to be light.

Simms have now launched waders that are specifically shaped to fit women, the Simms Women’s Headwater Waders. These top quality waders are made from a 3-layer Gore-Tex material, and are stockingfoot waders. Simms also make wading boots specifically designed for women, the Simms Women’s Headwaters Boot, which are narrower than equivalent men’s wading boot, are lightweight, and are ideally suited for women.

One Should Use A Fly Fishing Reel Or Not

Every angler must know to choose the right fly fishing reel because it varies from the reels that are used under other fishing procedures. The fly fishers use fishing techniques according to type of fish they want to catch. This means that often the right fly fishing reel can become the most important consideration for their fishing tackles while under other circumstances the reel is of considerably lesser importance.

Fly Fishing Reel Vs. Hand Stripping The Line

In fact, some anglers that are angling for trout tend to dispense with using the fly fishing reel and will instead prefer hand stripping the line. What’s more, the fly fishing reel is also not the most useful item of fishing tackle, especially when you are trying to catch trout since it only helps the line when the line is still in. However, the fly fishing reel is certainly a lot more useful when you want more options as far as movement is concerned. A basic clutch can be used as a substitute for the trout reel when angling for trout.

The fly fishing reel is however very useful when you are trying to catch salmon because then you don’t want to strip the line. Salmon also swim further than trout and though you can strip the line there is a greater risk that the line can get entangled or snagged and so it is better to make use of a fly fishing reel. A salmon fly fishing reel is generally of a bigger size as compared to trout reels and it is also better at fighting the fish at the end of the line.

When you pick a salmon fly fishing reel makes sure that it has a good clutch – even if you opt for the screw type that is very popular. But, this kind of clutch will not provide long service if it is subjected to heavy use. Also, be prepared to pay a lot more for your salmon fly fishing reel; but, at the same time don’t expect such reels to provide any useful service in saltwater because it won’t.

The bottom line is that fly fishing reels vary according to the intended use which means that you need to be very careful that you select only a reel that is designed to suit your intended fishing purpose.

An automatic fly fishing reel is capable of recovering the line automatically. All that an angler needs to do in order to take advantage of this kind of reel is to use a trigger that will release a spring and this starts the reeling in of the line.

What To Look For In A Fly Fishing Rod

The correct use of a fly fishing rod is to make it build up momentum in the fly fishing line and in addition use a rod that helps to control the distance as well as direction of the fly line. The fly fishing rod is also used to fight off fish after they have been caught but are trying to escape and so you will do well to ensure that you pick a rod that is strong and also of the proper size, especially in relation to the kind of fish you plan on catching. Whether you plan on catching a nine inch brook trout or an eighty pound tarpon you have to pick the right fly fishing rod which in turn requires that you choose an appropriate size as well as stiffness in the rod.

Variety Of Lengths And Sizes Of Fly Fishing Rod

The modern fly fishing rod is characterized by the fact that it is available in a variety of lengths as well as sizes with the latter aspect being governed by the weight of the fly line. So, if you want to purchase a five weight fly fishing rod you will find that the ideal rod to be one that is designed to facilitate the right weight of the fly line which in this case means using a five weight fly line while a ten weight rod works best when a ten weight fly line is used.

In essence, varying fly line weights should match the fly fishing rod’s stiffness as well as load characteristics and as the size of the road increases the size too becomes larger so as to accommodate the bigger line weights. It is therefore safe to assume that a heavy fly line will require that the fly fishing rod is stiffer that in turn will ensure a better and more accurate cast. The only thing is that even with identical weight categories, the rod can have various ‘actions’ or flex profiles.

This ‘action’ will give you insights about the stiffness of rod as well as recovery speed and it indicates that rod will flex at certain points. It is quite common to find some rods having very stiff properties near the grip while the tips will be more flexible.

If you want to experience true relaxation when fly fishing then you will do well to pick up a bamboo fly fishing rod. Not only are such fly fishing rods old school and timeless beauties but you are also assured that with these kind of rods you are sure of enjoying the most laid back fishing experience ever.

How To Seclect The Right Fly Fishing Line

To succeed at fly fishing requires that you use a well balanced fishing system that in turn requires that you use the right line, reel, rod and leader – all of which need to work well with one another. It is therefore very important that you pay special attention to buying the right kind of leader and fly fishing line and to also ensure that these two work well together. In order to purchase the right fly fishing line you have to take into account various considerations that include getting the weight of the line correct and you also need to get the line taper right. In addition, you have to get the proper buoyancy and color as well as learn about backing as well as leaders.

Fly Fishing Line Weight

Many factors need to be taken into consideration when it comes to picking the right fly fishing line. The line weight is the most important factor and requires that you choose between weights of between one and fifteen in which the former is the lightest while the latter is the heaviest. Light weights are ideal for delicate fishing and also to cast for light flies.

Heavier lines are better when you cast large as well as wind-resistant and even heavy flies. The line taper is another important consideration when buying the fly fishing line and if properly chosen it will help you in making more efficient casts.

Another important consideration that needs to be addressed when choosing your fly fishing line, the density of the line affects the buoyancy of the line and here you can choose between floating (F) lines and Intermediate or (I) lines, as too between sinking or (S) lines and even floating/sinking (F/S) lines.

For beginners, the color of the fly fishing line should be most visible and so they should select from colors such as orange, yellow and lime green which are easily visible on the water and this helps ensure that you are first able to recognize and then correct any mistakes made when casting.

Finally, you have to consider backing which adds some length to your fly line and this ensures that you can catch big as well as strong fish and it also aids in retrieving the line faster while also minimizing any recoil.

The first thing that you should learn after having purchased your fly fishing gear is what the proper way of going about the fly fishing setup is. There are a few different ways of doing this and in fact if you read books on this subject you will come across different takes on what you should and should not do. What you do need to know is learning about how to select the rod and to also select the right kind of line.

Being a good Dad often involves taking your boys out for some good fishing, and catfishing is one of those awesome times that kids can have with their Dad. With this idea of having a good time with the kids, you’ll probably want to get a catfish bait that is going to produce the most strikes, not necessarily the bait that will produce the biggest fish. It would be lying for me to say that the baits I am about to tell you about are the best, because I know shad and perch produce the best fish, but these baits will put you on the fish a lot quicker. These baits I am about to tell you about are very good for enticing catfish quickly. Today I want to describe these other baits to you, so you can have a great time with the kids.

Alright, let us look at these good catfish baits. The first one may be the easiest catfish bait you can put on a hook that will lead to many strikes the quickest. It’s called blood bait. The smell of the blood bait is something that catfish adore, and this bait will start to break off in the water as your bait sits, waiting for a catfish. This will put some pieces of your bait to floating in the water, and thus create a sort of trail for the catfish that will lead them to your hook. Nice huh? I remember an afternoon I was fishing a stock tank with this bait, and it seemed we pulled in a ridiculous amount of catfish.

The second bait I want to tell you about is chicken livers. This bait has been proven over and over again by many anglers to be a very effective catfish bait, mostly again because of the odor. Just attach a good bait saver or treble hook to your line, put a chicken liver on there, and go to town. Keep coming back to ensurue that you stay up to date with latest updates on more great fishing tips to make you catch more fish.