Everything You Wanted to Know About Fly Fishing but were Afraid to Ask A Complete Overview by Carl Laski
Fly Fishing Equipment Fly rod Reel Backing Fly line Leader Tippet
Fly Rod Length: 8-9 foot is most common Youth: 7 ½ foot rod is recommended 2 piece: Fewer pieces to assemble but longer to store 4 piece: More pieces to assemble but more compact to store, air travel & backpack
Fly Rod Weight Fly Rod Weight (2wt to 15 wt) 2-3 wt: small trout & panfish 3-6 wt: trout, bass & panfish 7-8 wt: trout, salmon, steelhead, bass, surf & light saltwater 9-11 wt: steelhead, salmon & medium saltwater 12-15 wt: tarpon, bill fish, tuna & Makos
Fly Reel Reel will accommodate 2 or 3 fly line weights Click drag Economical & suitable for small trout Pressure drag More expensive Recommended for large trout, salmon, bass & saltwater
Backing Backing is attached to the spool Backing provides extra line capacity when fighting a fish since most fly lines are around 100 feet in length Dacron: 20-30 lbs test is most common
Fly Line Fly line is attached to the backing Fly line weight (2 to 15 wt) Floating lines used to present fly on surface of water Sinking lines used to get fly down deeper Weight of fly line is used to load (bend) the rod in order to make a cast & at times present a virtually weightless fly
Fly Line Weights Important to match the fly line weight to the fly rod. Example: A 4 wt line on a 7 wt rod is too light to properly load (bend) the rod while casting
Leader Leader is attached to the fly line with loopto-loop connection Monofilament Flourocarbon ($$$) 0X 7X (approx 15lbs 2 lbs test) Tapered leader allows it to turn over or unroll at the end of a cast for delicate presentations to fish
Tippet Tippet is attached to the end of the tapered leader Fly is tied onto end of tippet Tippet allows angler to change flies many times without shortening the more expensive leader Tippet provides a uniform size of monofilament to tie on a fly
Waders Wading boots Fly vest or chest pack Net Nippers (nail clippers) Forceps Wading belt (safety) Sunglasses (safety) Fly Fishing Gear
Aspects of Fly Fishing Fly Casting (single handed) Spey Casting (double-handed) Fly Tying Rod Building Entomology (insects) Mastering Match the hatch Reading the water
Fly Casting Comfortable grip with thumb on top Slack line kept to a minimum (strip in line or take a step back to remove slack) Begin back cast with rod tip near surface of water Appropriate application of power during the casting stroke with a definitive stop like pounding a nail into a wall.
Fly Casting Stroke length: Short cast, short stroke. Long cast, long stroke. Straight line path of rod tip during casting stroke not like a windshield wiper. Pause at end of forward & back casts which increases as the length of line increases.
Fly Casting Faults Too much power let the rod do the work Too little power Breaking (bending) the wrist on the back cast Pause & timing on forward & back casts Casting stroke like a windshield wiper
Match the Hatch
Grasshoppers
Midge Hatch
Midge Hatch
Chironomids (Midges)
#1 Myth about Fly Fishing What do you envision when you think of fly fishing? Trout Small mountain streams Movie: A River Runs Through It Fly fisher dressed like he s going to a fashion show rather than fishing.
Places to Fly Fish Streams Rivers Lakes Bays Surf Flats Blue Water
What can I catch on a fly rod? Streams (trout) Rivers (trout, steelhead, salmon) Lakes (trout, bass, panfish) Surf (corbina, surf perch, halibut) Bays & Flats (corbina, halibut, bay bass) Flats (bonefish, permit) Blue Water (calico bass, bonito, tuna, sailfish) And Mako shark yes I said Mako s
Streams & Creeks
Rivers
Rivers: Drift Boat
Lakes: 11,000 feet
Lakes: Panfish
Float Tubing
Midge & Streamers
Crowley Lake Rainbow
Smallmouth Bass
Carp
Surf Fishing
Bays
Blue Water
Saltwater Flats
Chumming for Makos
Mako Rig
Mako jump!
Mako coming to the boat
Mako release
#1 Myth about Fly Fishing Now do believe me that you can catch more than trout on a fly rod?
Bugs Are you ready to see a huge bug?
Thank you!