One of my favourite ways to fish for trout or pretty much anything I fish, is on the fly. Using my flyrod gives me an entirely different feel than any other way I fish. I also tie most of my own flies which gives me another thrill each time I hook a fish on a new fly I tied.

I catch trout on some flies that are so small, some a size 22, that I’m surprised they even see it as a food source. But man can they attack those little. Some days it’s just not stop all day and evening. Usually in the heat of summer.

You can stop at just about any stream or brook here in New Brunswick and there will be brook trout. If you can get a fly in there you’re most likely to get some however I have found that moving off the road about a 15 minute walk will land you many more trout and bigger ones as most people don’t go far off the road. You have to break through that barrier of Alders before you get to where you can cast your fly, at most places.

My Choice For Brook Trout Flies

I enjoy tying my own trout flies for my fly fishing trips although I don’t get to tie as many as I once did. Life tends to get too busy some times but there is such a difference mentally when I use my own flies. I guess that would be pride.

I’m a real sucker for the dry fly but then again I’m the same way with my spinning gear. I just love top water action. Very visual. You cast that fly out there and it lands so softly on the water it barely makes a ripple and then BAM. A trout slams it and it’s game on.

My personal favourite dry, wet and streamer trout flies:

Dry Flies – Hair Wing Dry Flies – size 8-18

- Gray Wulff
- White Wulff
- Irrisistible

Dry Flies – Fan Wing – size 10-20

- Adams
- Royal Coachman Fanwing
- Dark Hendrickson

Other Trout Dry Flies I Use

- Misquito size 10-20
- Brown Bivisible sizes 10-20
- Brown Hackle Peacock sizes 12-20

Wet Flies

- Black and Grizzly Weighted Wooly Worm – size 2-10
- Coachman Lead Wing Wet Fly sizes 12 -18
- March Brown English Wet Fly sizes 10-14

Streamers For Brook Trout

- Mickey Finn – size – 6-10
- White Maribou Streamer sizes 10-14
- Black Woolly Bugger – size – 6-10

There are flies that just seem to catch everything so it’s important to treat your fish with respect and if you’re not taking them home get them back in the water quickly. Keep them in the water and only take them out for a quick picture or two and then release them back so others can have that same experience some day. So practice CPR – Catch, Photograph and Release.

I release more than 90% of my fish back into the wild to catch another day but I do keep a few, mostly in early spring while the water is still ice cold. They always taste so good at that time of year. Maybe it’s because I haven’t had any since the previous season. Of course if I damage a fish I will not put it back hoping it will survive. I just take it home and cook it up for dinner.

Many happy days on the water my friend.

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Fly fishing is a lot of fun but can be somewhat frustrating if you don’t know how to use a fly rod to cast an artificial fly. It only takes a few minutes of guided practice t learn how. Then you can get to the water and have fun while getting better and better on each cast. But the real secret to fly casting is learning how to do it efficiently so you can last all day.

Once you’ve accomplished the task of learning to cast a fly an entirely new angling experience awaits you.

You can learn the stance, how to hold a fly rod and how to cast a fly in just a few short minutes if you have a good instructor. I know we all can’t be blessed with someone local to show us, as I did, but you will be happy to know that YouTube.com has plenty of videos that will show you how. If you have a laptop you can even take it outside for practice.

This new angling skill can be learned quickly, give back years and years of fly fishing fun and you can always improve your game.

I consider myself privileged mainly because my sister’s husband Joe, who had been fly fishing for quite some time before I arrived on the scene, took the time to show me how to cast a fly and how to tie knots.

It always takes me back a step when I say it’s been 30 years ago but even today when I get the call or urge to go fly fishing I get just as excited as I did way back then. There is just something that’s almost mystical about fly fishing, but maybe that’s just me. Nothing like seeing a fish take a dry fly on a river, pond, beaver dam or a mirror finished lake.

The Joy of Fly Fishing

I get a lot of fun out of fishing but I get something extra when fly fishing and I often think of how much fun I’ve had over the years since then. Heck the only time I take my fishing gear from my vehicle is during the off fishing season as I hate missing a fishing opportunity so my fly rod and gear never leave the truck during fishing season.

Practice Your Fly Casting At Home

When I go fishing I don’t want to fumbling around trying to get it right. That’s why you don’t wait until you’re at the water’s edge to start practising your fly casting technique. Of course it’s going to be practice but I am talking about learning how before you leave home. When I’m out fly fishing I need to be able to pay attention to the things around me instead of being irritated attempting to figure out the cast.

I started in the backyard. The first step would be to ensure there were no obstacles behind me that would impede my cast when first learning. I started by making sure I had approximately thirty ft with no obstacles right behind me.

Next, I tied on a fly. Note that I snapped off the hook point to prevent hooking things during practice sessions, things like a tree.

Joe showed me that putting a magazine between my elbow and ribs would make for a better cast and it worked great. In addition Joe showed me that moving the rod within 10 o’clock and 1 o’clock positions during the cast would make it easier and that worked better too.

The Armchair Fly Fisher:

I don’t know where I learned about this technique for practising fly casting but it worked well. I used the end section of my fly rod, attached a 3 foot section of yarn then seated myself in my living room where I practised holding my arm at my side going from the 10 and 1 o’clock position.

Practice getting the technique down before ever worrying about accuracy or distance. You will be surprised how easy it become to get distance and accuracy once you perfect the stance and arm movement.

When I am fly fishing trout streams I like to start with dry flies like the Adams dry fly with a lot of brown in it. There is just something about using brown hackle dry flies, the trout just love them and I seem to catch far more trout with them. I haven’t tied any Adams for years so I jumped onto Youtube and looked up a video for tying an Adams dry fly, check it out.

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Fly Fishing is an angling method that aims to catch fish using artificial flies. Traditionally, salmon and trout are the types of fish caught using this method. But in recent times, a wide variety of fish have been added to the list like pike, carp and striped bass.

As an angling method , fly fishing differs from other techniques in its technique for casting. Other methods rely on the weight with the lure to pull the line.

But in fly fishing, the line is cast rather than the lure since the lures utilized in this approach are too light to be cast.

Casting in fly fishing may be compared to the way a whip unfurls when it can be being cracked. It can be said that a excellent angler can unfurl his/her line even prior to he/she does the return motion when casting.

This angling approach has been around as early as 200 AD. It was first mentioned in a book entitled ‘Natural History’, written by a Roman author named Aelian.

One chapter of his book mentioned in passing the Macedonians’ way of catching their fish. It talked about how they tried to lure fish utilizing imitation flies that they made themselves.

Based on Aelian’s description, the procedures that they used are closely similar for the procedures and purpose with the modern-day fly fisher in catching fish.

While it has been around for two millennium, fly fishing remains a relevant and exciting approach of angling until this day and will remain so in generations to come.

One of the best ways for fly fishing novices and experienced gurus to improve their technique is through fly fishing books. There is a very large selection of books available online which teach great fly fishing technique along with other skills such as those found within fly tying books.

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Without a doubt, at some time, you have observed a picture or video of someone fly fishing with their line and lure floating elegantly through the air in close proximity to the surface area of the water. Perhaps you’ve even imagined that it may be appealing to try this traditional method of fishing, but wonder how to get begin. This post is an elementary textbook on the soft of fly fishing tackle you’ll be required to have to land those elusive salmon and trout.

What is Meant by Fly Fishing?

In fly fishing, the angler makes an effort to imitate the action on insects that are on or close to the surface area of the water, eager to lure a fish to strike a hook obscured in the fly. Wet fly fishermen use hooks enclosed in brightly coloured thread. The flies are also ornamented with pieces of feather to generate exclusive models. Wet flies are thus named simply because their pattern enables them to sink slowly in the water. Dry flies also resemble insects but are treated using a water deterrent element that prevents them from sinking. Despite the fact that flies are extensively obtainable from tackle shops, several anglers take pleasure in building or “tying” flies themselves. Flies oftentimes have humorous or inspired names – for instance “Cosmo Gordon,” “Green Peacock” or “Silver Grey.” More than 5000 kinds of flies are accessible.

Fly Fishing Supplies

A rod for fly fishing is versatile and light. Rods are designed in two varieties, single- and double-handed. For little streams and tranquil waters, decide on a single-handed rod. For locations where the fish are most probable to be large and the waters commanding, a double-handed rod is the best choice. Reels and line for fly fishing furthermore are of a particular sort. Fly reels are designed in 3 versions: single action, multiplier and automatic. With a single action reel, a single turn of the handle is the same as one turn of the fishing reel. Multiplier reels incorporate a gearing program so that just one turn of the handle is equivalent to 2 or more turns of the fishing reel. The expression “automatic” fishing reel may possibly sound appealing, but reels like these are heavy and almost impossible to handle. They work by method of a manually wound spring that is activated using a lever. The line for a fly fishing reel is not the same as other kinds of line. Fly line is larger and is designed either to sink slowly or to float. An additional piece of line known as a leader is connected to the fly line. The fly hooks on to the leader.

Outfitted with merely some simple fly fishing tackle, anyone can appreciate this exhilarating and challenging sport.

Before you start panicking, this is not as big an undertaking as you might think. They are certainly been an overwhelming amount of information published about saltwater fly fishing and accessories. This can be confusing to someone who has never picked up a fly rod. However, just as with any other type of fishing fly fishing can be simple, or it can be complicated. It really does depend on what you wish to make of it. Getting started does not have to involve huge amounts of knowledge or equipment. In fact, you will quickly discover that there is no need to spend your life savings on equipment that will help you put a fish in your boat. Here are some of the basic equipment needs that will help you get started.

Naturally, the first thing you will need is a decent fly rod. Anything lighter than the seven weight rod is not a good investment. In fact, it is typically recommended that eight or nine weight is the perfect place to start for your average saltwater fish. This includes Northeast fish like bluefish and striped bass. You will find that for the most part, rod lengths are about 9 feet. These offer the leverage that anglers need to cast the line with little effort and they are easy to handle. A good quality rod should not cost you more than $100 at most tackle shops.

The next most important piece of equipment that you will need is a good reel to match your rod. The good news is the confusion is easy to wade through. Since reels and fishing rods are rated the same, and an eight weight reel will match up with an eight weight rod. If you plan on using your fishing rod primarily in salt water settings, a large, arbor reel is typically a best choice. The benefits of these include wider deepest pools that allow you the room that you need for a couple of hundred yards a fly line backing, as well as your fly line. This additional line is necessary in the event that you hook a large fish that make a long run. This type of fly reel system can be purchased for well under $100.

The next part of your tackle should be fly line and backing. There is no need to use expensive lines in the beginning. Your line weight should match your fishing rod and reel, and it is preferable that you go with a floating weight forward line. You will not need sinking lines until much later. The majority of your spool should be filled with the fly line backing before the fly line is attached. The best fishing line for this is Dacron, typically weighted for 20 to 30 pound test. It would be prudent to ask a tackle shop that has line winding equipment to put the appropriate amount of backing onto your reel and then attach the fly line to the backing.

Finally, you will need leaders and flies. The best leaders are made from monofilament of fluorocarbon line. This piece of line should be the same length as your rod, and should be attached to your fly line before you tie on your fly. Your local retailer will be more than happy to make recommendations the leader sizes and this will depend on the type of fish that you are going after. Tapered leaders allow for unfurling at the end of the cast.

Talk to others who fish locally for deciding which type of flies to use. As a general rule of thumb, a small selection of surface flies and streamers are usually sufficient. For those just starting out, the employees in a local tackle shop can provide this information. After you have been fishing a few times, you will start to figure out what works best for you.

A species generally encountered in the northern fresh waters of the globe, pike is a favorite catch for many hobbyists, myself included, although here in New Brunswick we have Chain Pickerel instead of the Northern pike, but they are still a lot of fun.

The maximum length one pike can reach is 1.83 meters and its weight can go up to 35 kilograms, whereas the chain pickerel is smaller it’s still a power house when it comes to fighting.

Many people who are taking up fly fishing as a sport and hobby just have to give pike fishing on the fly a try. Before concerning themselves about what flies and accessories to use, it is good to find out about the eating habits specific to the species so you can match the hatch as they say, or give them an artificial fly that looks like what they feed on.

Usually I use artificial flies inspired from this toothy monster of the shallows’ diet which covers just about anything that moves, above, on or below the water surface.

Pike feast on shoal fish and they sometimes prey on their smaller kin. They also love insects and amphibians and would not say no to mice or moles or even ducklings if they are really hungry. You could almost just tie a feather or two on a hook and they will still pounce on it.

Flies That Attract Pike

I love using top water flies. I tie them to look like mice, frogs  or small birds. It can make casting a little tougher but once you get that strike the almosts rips the fly rod from your hands it’s all worth the effort.

Of course I catch pike and pickerel on flies that are just regular trout flies but I enjoy using the big bad flies, even if my arm is worn out by noon.

I also use my Atlantic salmon flies. They look just like minnows and pike and pickerel just can’t seem to turn down a free meal or two.

What it really comes down to, when fly fishing pike, is to have something to throw at them and then look out because you’re in for some great fun.

Fishing Etiquette – Taking out your Line

Common courtesy dictates that you take your line out of the water for any angler who has a fish on the line. This is so that they have plenty of space in order to land their fish. This rule is very important if you’re fishing down-river from the other angler. Make sure that you never step into the space of an angler who is releasing or landing a fish on the bank.

Fishing Etiquette – Silence

Whenever you’re fly fishing you’ll need to be as quiet as you can…and this means leaving your dog and the radio at home. There are two reasons why you want to be as quiet as possible: (1) you don’t want to spook the fish, and (2) you don’t want to disturb other fly fishers. Many people enjoy fly fishing for the peace and solitude that it affords them.

Fishing Etiquette – Lend a Helping Hand

Always be willing to help out other anglers. This can be as simple as helping them retrieve something that has floated down-river or lending them something that they need, such as extra line. You’re all there for a fun day of fly fishing so helping each other out just lends to the experience.

Wading with Safety

When you’re wading make sure that you follow a few basic rules: (1) never fish by yourself on remote lakes, rivers, or streams, (2) wear a good pair of wading boots, (3) use a good wading staff that is flexible yet strong, and (4) know the area where you’re wading. Wading is a great way to get access into those places that you couldn’t otherwise reach.

Tackle Boxes

Tackle boxes: A tackle box is a necessity so that you can keep all your “stuff” with you in one organized place. Some of the things to keep in mind when you use a tackle box and want to avoid overfilling include:
· Keep your worms and soft plastic bait in a small container away from your other lures. This will keep the soft plastic lures from creating a chemical reaction with the materials that other baits are made of.
· Buy two or more small tackle boxes to hold certain categories of lures. For instance, buy one tackle box to hold your worms and another to hold your spinnerbaits.
· Buy seasonal tackle boxes that you only use at certain times of year. In the spring you can have a tackle box that contains jigs, plastic worms, and minnow lures. And in the fall you can have a tackle box that is filled with fall lure, such as topwaters and crankbaits.

Keep your Fishing Vest Organized

If you use a fishing vest to carry around your tackle and lure you’ll want to keep it as organized as you can so that you’re not fumbling around looking for something when you need it. If you’re not going to be using something leave it home so that you only take along the essentials.

Carry a Wading Staff

When you’re fishing in water that is rough or unfamiliar you might want to carry a wading staff to keep you stable and give you better footing.

Wear Good Shoes

A good pair of wading shoes will let your grip the bottom that you’re walking on. Choose shoes that have soles with rubber cleats since these are ideal of bottoms that are made of mud, fine gravel, sand, or soft silt.

Take Along the Sun Block

Although it may seem like a small tip to mention, taking along the sun block is one thing that you don’t want to forget. After standing in a sunny stream for eight hours you’ll be glad that you remembered to bring along some protection.

Use Polarized Glasses

Wearing polarized glasses is one of the best things that you can do. You’ll be able to see beneath the water so you can keep an eye on your fish. Don’t forget a hat to reduce the amount of glare that you experience.

Discouraging Insects

If you want to discourage insects you’ll want to avoid wearing clothes that are red, yellow, black, white, or navy blue. These colors can attract black flies, deerflies, gnats, and mosquitoes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louis_Dale

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Fly Fishing Flies (Orvis Fly Fishing School)

Traditionally, fly fishing has been used to catch salmon and trout, but today fly fishing can catch a variety of other fish species from smallmouth and largemouth bass, to your larger saltwater fish species, such as marlin and tarpon. Unlike bait fishing where live bait is used to catch fish, artificial fly fishing flies are used to catch fish when fly fishing. The equipment used for fly fishing also differs from fishing equipment used for bait fishing. For fly fishing it is important to select the correct fly line, fly rod and flt reel before you start fishing. It is also extremely important to use the correct fly fishing flies to match the species of fish you want to catch.

An Introduction to Fly Fishing Flies

Artificial fly fishing flies are commonly used in fly fishing. Artificial fly fishing flies are available all over the world, and many companies produce fly fishing flies. Fly fishing flies come in great varieties with respect to size, shape and even color. Fly fishing flies are made from materials such as fur, feathers, hairs and other materials. These materials can either be natural or synthetic. Many fly fishing flies available today imitate the food that a particular fish may eat. You also get fly fishing flies that don’t imitate anything in nature.

Fly fishing flies are made with the aquatic appearance of local fish and insects in mind. If you are trying to catch a fish in a particular location, the fly fishing flies you use must match a food that the fish eats in that particular location. You can also change the patterns and colors of fly fishing flies that you purchase so that these flies are a more suitable match for the particular location you are fishing in. Many fly fishermen make their own fly fishing flies for fishing or as a hobby. To meet the different specifications of fly fishing flies required all over the world, gifted experts are employed all over the world to create artificial fly fishing flies. It is actually quite a fun and rewarding hobby to create your own artificial fly fishing flies. Synthetic materials are more popular when it comes to creating flies.

If you are looking to purchase a quality fly fishing rod, check out the Sage fly rod range.

Categories of Fly Fishing Flies

There is an incredible variety of fly fishing flies that are available. Fly fishing flies can be broken down into the following categories:

• Dry Flies – Designed to float on the water surface and imitate the adult stage of aquatic insects, or land-based insects that have fallen into the water (such as ants or beetles).
• Wet Flies – Designed to float just below the surface of the water and imitate immature aquatic insects, or drowned insects.
• Nymphs – A type of wet fly that imitates the larval form of aquatic insects.
• Streamers – A type of wet fly that imitates minnows or small fish which are the prey of larger fish.
• Surface Lures – Surface lures are designed to look like mice or frogs. Are usually very colorful, and are fished in a way to create a commotion to attract large predatory fish.

If you are looking to purchase a fly fishing float tube, check out the Outcast float tube guide.

For more information about saltwater fly fishing gear, take a look at the Feedest.com news feed for Fly Fishing Elite.

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Fly Fishing Tips – How to Catch Rainbow Trout

Fly fishers, both men and women spend a great deal of their time hunting trout, and particularly rainbow trout. The beautiful rainbow band that runs along the the sides of a rainbow trout (from their head to their tail) is how one can identify a rainbow trout. As rainbow trout is a delicious fish to eat, and as they also provide excellent sport because of their fighting abilities, rainbow trout fishing has become very popular. Unlike other trout species, rainbow trout can also be tempted to take properly presented flies as well as streamers and nymphs, and are therefore the ideal fish for fly fishing.

Today, rainbow trout can be found in many regions in the United States, but the rainbow trout species originated west of the Rockies. Rainbow trout prefer cool streams, rivers and lakes, and are found in the northern parts of the US where the water temperature falls between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The main diet of rainbow trout includes plankton, immature and adult insects, worms, crustaceans. They sometimes even feed on small fish. Rainbow trout will remain in streams until they reach 6 to 9 inches in length, and then migrate to lakes or oceans where they spend years bulking up before returning to streams and rivers to spawn. Rainbow trout that have adapted to the saltwater environment are known as steelhead trout.

Rainbow Trout Fly Fishing Equipment

The fly rod used to catch rainbow trout varies depending on the size of trout you want to catch and the body of water you are fishing on. When fishing for medium to large rainbow trout in lakes and large rivers, use a 4 weight through to a 8 weight fly rod. When fishing for small to medium size rainbow trout in small streams and rivers, use a 1 weight through to a 4 weight fly rod. A recommended rainbow trout fly fishing rod for small streams is the extremely light Sage TXL fly rod.

The fly line used for rainbow trout fly fishing is typically a floating line if dry fly fishing on the water’s surface. When fishing below the water’s surface using a nymph or streamer, a sinking tip fly line is used. A fly fishing reel is not essential for rainbow trout fly fishing, and some anglers prefer hand stripping the line to using a fly reel. A fly reel is often just used to recover and store fly line and backing not in immediate use. For more information on fly reels, take a look at the following fly reel introduction.

Rainbow Trout Fly Fishing Flies

Two basic types of flies are used for rainbow trout fly fishing, wet flies and dry flies. Dry flies masquerade insects are used with a floating fly line which floats on top of the water. A wet fly can imitate a bug, a worm, a minnow, small fish or any other water creature that lives under the water surface. A wet fly is different from a dry fly in that it sinks under the water’s surface. Nymphs and streamers are classified as wet flies and are used normally with sinking tip fly fishing lines.

For rainbow trout fly fishing, different types of flies are used in different regional areas. It is a good idea to find out what flies, nymphs and streamers work best from local fly shops or local anglers for that particular region. A good technique when fishing for rainbow trout is to start out with dry flies on the water’s surface, which causes less water disturbance. If you have no success with dry fly fishing, then start using wet flies below the water’s surface.

For more information about saltwater fly fishing gear, take a look at the news feed for Fly Fishing Elite (Feedraider.com).

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