FLY FISHING 101 - "A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO FLYFISHING"

INTRODUCTION

Let's make this point at the outset, I don't profess to be an expert in fly fishing by any stretch of the imagination. This article is prompted by the numerous posts that I've seen over the years on the site from people who are interested in getting into fly fishing, but don't know where or how to start.

One of the most intimidating aspect of the sport and perhaps the must daunting for the uninformed beginner is the lingo that experienced fly fisherman or tackle shop salesman take for granted.

Hopefully, I will be able to go some way in demystifying some of this lingo in this article and at the same time, give you some sound practical advice on how to get started in this great sport.

HOW DOES FLY FISHING DIFFER FROM OTHER FORMS OF FISHING?

Trout - "Everything that eats a bait or a lure can be caught on a fly". This beautifully marked small coral trout took a Lefty's Deceiver.

Fly fishing differs from other forms of fishing such as bait fishing or lure fishing in a number of respects. In both bait fishing and lure fishing, you're casting a weight (either in the form or bait/sinker or a lure) attached to a piece of monofilament or braided line. In fly fishing, the fly is "weightless", so when you're casting, it is the specialised tapered fly line which carries the fly when you're casting.

In a sense, fly fishing is a specialized form of lure fishing. Lures are crafted from wood or are molded from plastic. Flies on the other hand, are made from either "weightless" natural materials (like fur and feather) or "weightless" synthetic materials (like ultra hair or polar fiber) or a combination of both.

Moreover, lures are crafted or molded so that when they are retrieved they impart an in-built action and track in a particular manner in the water. On the other hand, the action in a fly is largely imparted by the fly fisherman through a series of different types of retrieves (or strips).

WHAT GEAR SHOULD I BUY?

The most common question that I see is somewhere along the following lines: "If I had to purchase an outfit that I can use both in the fresh and in the salt for anything from Trout to Barramundi to Tuna, what outfit should I get?"

Lake Fishing - Fly fishing for trout on Little Pine Lagoon in Tasmania calls for a 6 to 8 weight. Here, Harold is holding a nice Brown Trout caught on a 6 weight .

I suppose that's like asking a golfer: "If I had to buy one golf club instead of a set of clubs that I can use from anything from teeing off to putting the greens, what club would that be?"

I don't think there is a single right answer. It really depends on personal preference and I think a lot really depends on the type of fishing you wish to do (freshwater or saltwater) and the species you intend to target.

Personally, If I was limited to one outfit for all-round fishing application, it would be an eight weight.

Before you head off to the tackle shop and purchase your fly fishing outfit, you should set a realistic budget for the amount you intend to spend. Fly fishing is an expensive past time - no doubt about it. But these days, you can get a decent outfit for around A$300. This includes a fly rod, fly reel, fly line, backing, leader and maybe even a few flies to get you started.

Each of the components of a fly outfit are outlined below:

Fly Rod

Fly rods are measured by weights. You can purchase anything from a zero weight (which is intended for fishing ultra light in tiny trout streams) to a 15 weight (which is intended for fishing offshore for large blue water game species).

As a general guideline, the following weights should be used in the following situations:

· 6 weight or below - fly fishing for trout in rivers;

· 6 weight to 8 weight - fly fishing for trout in lakes;

· 6 weight to 9 weight - fly fishing for inshore saltwater species; and

· 10 weight or above - fly fishing for offshore game species.

These are intended to be guidelines only and are not to be adhered to as "hard and fast rules".

Fly rods vary enormously in price and range from simple low modulus graphite rods with basic components (which retails around A$100) to the high modulus graphite rods with the most extravagant components (which retail for over A$1000)

Some of the better known brands include: Loomis, Sage, Winston, Orvis and the locally produced, Strudwick. Each of these rods come with a different type of manufacturer's warranty (ranging from Loomis which offers an expedited service under which they will replace your rod for around A$110, to Orvis which offers a 25-year unconditional warranty at no additional charge). You should ask your local tackle shop about the type of warranty offered by the manufacturer prior to making your purchase.

Continued...

Fly Reel

River Fishing - Fly fishing on little trout streams like the Ovens River in Bright calls for a 6 weight or below. Here, Luke is using a 5 weight.

Choosing the right fly reel is another area of major concern for the beginner fly fisherman. Your choice of fly reel will depend on a number of considerations including where you intend to use the reel (freshwater or saltwater), your target species, backing capacity and of course, your budget.

Fly reels vary enormously in price and range from simple plastic molded reels with a simple clicker drag system (which retail for less than A$100) to the fully machined reels made of aerospace bar stock aluminium (which retail for over A$1000).

Again, there are numerous manufacturers of fly reels. Some of the more established and well known brands are: Tibor, Abel, Waterworks, Bauer, Loop, Hardy and Scientific Angler.
If the bulk of your fishing is to be done in the freshwater or inshore (for trout, bass or bream), then the reel is more of a tool for simply storing the backing and the fly line. One reel that I'd recommend for this type of fishing is the Danica Large Arbor Fly Reel which retails for around A$100 with a spare spool.

If on the other hand, you intend to do the bulk of your fishing offshore (for tuna and other pelagic species), then you really have to purchase a reel with a reliable drag system and which can hold over 150 yards of backing in addition to the flyline. At a minimum, a reel of this standard should set you back at least A$300. One reel that I'd recommend for this type of fishing is the Scientific Angler System 2 Fly Reel which retails for around A$300. If your budget allows for over A$300, then your options increase as there are plenty of good quality large arbour reels that retail for around A$500.

Fly Line

There is a vast array of fly lines in the market produced by different manufacturers, all tailored towards different purposes.

Fly lines are classified according to three main characteristics:

(1) Weight (which follows the rod weights);

(2) Tapers (double, weight forward or shooting head); and

(3) Type (floating or sinking [sinking is further classified into intermediate, slow sink, fast sink or high D]).

Saltwater Fishing - Fly Fishing for large offshore game species like this Giant Trevally requires a 10 weight or above. Here, Roger is holding a solid GT caught on a 13 weight.

These days, the majority of the fishing in the salt water is done with a weight forward (floating or intermediate) fly line or a shooting head. Double tapers are rarely used in the saltwater. However they are still used in the freshwater by trout anglers fishing on lakes (particularly with dry flies) in calm conditions or in small rivers where a delicate presentation of the fly is of paramount importance. Super Sink or High D lines are generally used in special situations where you need to get the fly down quick (e.g. in the saltwater where you're fishing with a lot of current).

If you had to buy one line to cover the bulk of your fly fishing, I would recommend you buy a weight forward floating line which matches your rod weight. As you progress, you may wish to add a weight forward intermediate line and a shooting head to your collection to cover different fishing situations. One option which you may consider is to purchase a quad-tip line which has 4 different tips (floating, intermediate, slow sink and fast sink) which you can attach and use to cover different depths of water.

There are numerous manufacturers of fly lines. Some of the more established and well known brands are: Scientific Angler, Cortland, Orvis and Teenie. The fly lines that I've personally used and can recommend are the Scientific Angler Mastery Series Lines, the Cortland 555 Lines, the Orvis Wonderlines and the Teenie TS Series Lines

Backing

The backing is the line attached from the reel to the back of the fly line. There are numerous types of backing material available on the market. Some of the commonly used backing materials are Micron, Dacron and Bionic Braid. A fly line is typically around 100 foot long. Where a fish takes all of the fly line from the reel, the backing comes into play. So the essential requirements for backing material are: (1) low diameter; (2) good knot strength; and (3) durability. Depending again on the target species, the backing material used range from 20 pounds to 50 pounds.

Harro's trademark pink bionic braid has become the industry standard in Australia and has a very strong following in the Australian fly fishing fraternity.

Leader

Flies - "There are no 'hard and fast rules' as to the type, colour or size of the flies to use". Here's a selection of saltwater flies.

The leader is simply the piece of monofilament line attached to the end of the fly line. It is typically 9 foot in length and may be tapered to produce a better presentation. A tapered leader is essential when fishing dry flies for trout as the type of fishing demands a delicate presentation. It is of less importance in saltwater situations where presentation is not of the utmost importance. I know many anglers who will happily fish a straight 30 pound leader from the fly line to the fly.

Certain fishing situations may demand the use of specialised leaders. For example, if you're fishing for very spooky trout on a lake in dead calm conditions, you may have to use a longer leader of around 15 foot. Likewise, if you're fishing for species which have sharp gill rakers (like Barramundi), you may have to use a shock tippet, which is simply a short section of monofilament attached to the end of the leader which is stronger than the rest of the leader (e.g. 50 pound monofilament). Furthermore, if you're fishing for species with sharp teeth (like Barracuda), you may have to use a short wire trace at the end of the leader.

You may choose to tie your own leaders or simply buy one of the many leaders available on the market by companies like Scientific Angler, Maxima, Siglon or Rio.

Continued...

Flies

You've probably heard of the term "match the hatch" before. In basic terms, that means you should elect to use a fly which matches the food type that your target species is feeding on. Specialised Local companies which sells flies either through retail tackle shops or online include Fly World, Felty's Flies and Dog Tooth.

I've compiled a list of flies that I would not go without when fly fishing either in the freshwater or in the saltwater. Again, there are no "hard and fast rules" as to the type, colour or size of the flies to use. But these flies should cover most situations.

Freshwater (Trout)	Freshwater (Natives)	Saltwater
· Royal Wulff	· Dahlberg	· Lefty's Deceiver
· Red Tag	· Dahlberg Diver	· Clouser Minnow
· Adams	· Small Popper	· Pink Thing
· Parachute Dun	· Bass Vampire	· Black and Barred
· Klinkhammer	· Clouser Minnow	· Gold Bomber
· Black/Brown Nymph	· Pink Thing	· Surf Candy
· Tom Jones	· Black and Barred	· Crazy Charlie
· Woolly Bugger		· Bushy's Bongo
		· Epoxy Shrimp
		· Airfoam/Myler Popper
		· Flashy Profile

As you get more serious into the sport, you might choose to tie your own flies. This opens up a whole new world to the fly fisherman - it allows you to tinker with existing patterns or even invent your own patterns to "match the hatch". Catching a fish with a fly which you personally designed and/or tied can be a real buzz.

Fly Tying Vice

One of the first considerations when you choose to tie your own flies is "what vice should I buy?". Some of the cheaper models on the market aren't particularly reliable. The jaws on my first vice split open and fell apart after a couple of weeks.
Again, your choice of vice will depend on a number of considerations including the amount of tying you intend to do and ultimately, your budget. The price for vices can range anywhere from around A$30 to over A$1000. Some of the more reputable brands are Renzetti, Griffin and Dyna King.

Personally, I use a Danica Dan-Vise and can highly recommend it. It retails for around A$150 and is one of the cheapest true rotary vises on the market.

Other Equipment

The range of fly fishing accessories is extraordinary: polarized sunglasses, gortex boots and waders, fly vests, stripping baskets, landing nets, leader wallets, fly line dressing, floatant, indicators, forceps, boga grips, retractors and nippers. The list goes on.

In my opinion, a lot of these accessories are unnecessary and should, in any event only be purchased by a beginner once he or she decides that they enjoys the sport and is committed to continuing with it. However, I believe that there are some bare essentials that you should consider purchasing. These include the following:

· a reliable hat (preferably SPF 30+);

· a pair of polarised sunglasses;

· a pair of waders (if you envisage doing quite a bit of wading);

· a pair of pliers; and

· a pair of scissors or something you can cut monofilament with.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO LEARN HOW TO CAST?

Casting is fundamental to fly fishing and before you start trying to "crack the whip" and pick up bad habits, it's best to first get some first hand help. It will certainly go a long way in improving your casting.

Casting - "The best way to learn how to cast is to be taught by an experienced angler". Sportsfish member, Jeroen shows how fly casting is done.

There are a few ways to learn how to cast:

Get an experienced teacher

Personally, I think the best way to learn how to cast is to be taught by an experienced caster. Nothing really beats seeing someone who can do it explain to you how to cast, point out the mistakes you're making and suggesting ways to rectify the problem.

Good specialist fly fishing shops these days should have salesman on hand who are experienced fly fisherman. They might be willing to give you a few free lessons. Failing that, there are some very good professional casters out there these days who will charge for casting lessons.

Get an instructional video

There are also a number of instructional videos out there which are great for learning how to cast. They are not only good at explaining how to cast, but they are good at explaining the reasons why you cast the fly a particularly way. The best videos on the market are:

· Fly Casting with Lefty Kreh; and

· The Essence of Fly Casting 1 & 2 by Mal Krieger.

Join a club

Personally, I think joining a club is probably the best way to learn how to cast. Clubs not only have some very experienced fly fisherman on hand who can show you how to cast a fly line or how to tie flies, they are also great for meeting people with similar interests. Some clubs have access to casting pools specially designed for casting competitions. Some also arrange monthly or annual fly fisherman trips so you can learn how to fly fish "in the field".

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO CATCH?

Everything that eats a bait or a lure can be caught on a fly. Well, that's what us fly fisherman would like to think anyway. There are certainly situations where a fly can out fish bait or lure and vice versa. But in all honesty, I do think that most types of fish can be caught on fly given the circumstances. Species ranging from aquarium sized rainbow fish to large black marlin, and everything in between has been caught on the fly.

FURTHER REFERENCES

There is a plethora of fly fishing instructional books and videos in the marketplace that cover every aspect of the sport from fly casting to fly tying to specialized topics like entomology or reading the water. Three books that I believe will be useful for the beginner fly fisherman are:

· Fly Fishing in Salt Water, by Lefty Kreh;

· Fly Fisherman Fundamentals, by Rob Sloan; and

· Saltwater Fly Fishing Fundamentals - An Introduction to Saltwater Fly Fishing, by Peter Morse.

TIME ON THE WATER

No matter how many books you read, how many videos you watch or how many hours you spend practising how to cast, nothing beats time on the water. So pack your spanking new fly outfit, get out there and enjoy!!!