Fly Fishing Basics You Should Remember
You love to fish. Getting outdoors with a rod and reel in your hand (and hopefully several nice catches in your creel) is one of your favorite past times. You’ve heard a lot of about the sport of fly fishing and the popularity it’s currently enjoying, and want to wade right in.
Wading right in means learning and understanding the techniques and skills required for fly fishing. Naturally, you need to know where and how to acquire these skills.
Below are a few ideas of how to get the necessary information and then put that information into play.
Head to the Bookstore
Fly fishing at a bookstore? Yes. It may not sound like an outdoor adventure, but it is a good place to start. Browse the sports section and find a book that details the basics of fly fishing. Thumb through it to see if it tells you what you want to know, and then buy it.
Toss it into your suitcase on a business trip, read it on the plane, on the train, subway or on the bus. It may not be as fun as being in the water with a fishing rod in your hand, but books are a good source of information, can go anywhere, and are very reasonably priced.
Surf Fishing Websites on the Internet
Cyber fly fishing isn’t exactly what you had in mind? Okay, but consider this. Before heading out for a fishing vacation, investigating some fishing websites might give you a few tips.
Many of these websites offer online streaming videos (usually free). The videos might consist of the ABCs of how to learn to fly fish, or the ABCs of what to avoid when learning this sport. Either way, you can get visual instruction on the hows and whys of the sport. Plus, you can watch these videos whenever your schedule permits.
Other sites offer training kits to download, usually for a fee. It’s still not being in the water with a rod in your hand, but again it’s reasonably priced and easy to fit into a busy schedule. It can also be something to do when inclement weather forces you inside.
Hook Up with an Experienced Fisherman
Yes, now you can get out into the water. This method is definitely hands-on and involves finding an experienced fly fisher who’s willing to take you along for a day of fly fishing. This type of real time, in-person instruction is the best way to learn this sport.
With an experienced angler, you can see the techniques in action. You can study their movements and watch as they take the techniques from your “how-to” books and put them into action. In addition, you may get some constructive feedback as you try out these techniques. You could also make some new friends and that’s always a plus.
The only disadvantage of this method is the necessity of having the time to go fishing. Compared to the advantages, though, this supposed disadvantage fades into the mist.
