Fly fishing is a form of angling technique in which an artificial 'fly' is used to lure different kinds of fish. The fly is made from either natural materials like hair and fur, or with synthetic materials like mylar and rubber, or a combination of both. Since the artificial fly is almost weightless, a specialized weighted line is used to cast the fly.
Anglers use fly fishing to catch both freshwater as well as saltwater fish. Each type of water body requires a unique technique for fly fishing. The habitat of the fish (like lake, pond, river, bay or the ocean), usually determines the exact fly fishing technique to be used.
Fly fishing lines these days are most often coated with plastic to make them heavy enough to propel the fly into the air towards the target. As opposed to bait or spin fishing in which the weight of the sinker or lure is what provides the casting distance, it is the weight of the fly line which carries the artificial fly to the target in fly fishing. Casting a weightless lure therefore requires a different technique from other kinds of casting.
Flies are designed to either imitate real-life bait, or to be very attractive while not really mimicking any real-life creature. Artificial flies have been used as far back as 200 AD in Macedonia. Back in the old days, flies were made to resemble aquatic insects and bait fish. These days, with the availability of a wide variety of synthetic materials in different textures and colors, flies are made to resemble all kinds of saltwater and freshwater prey. These could include terrestrial and aquatic insects, worms, crustaceans, small reptiles, amphibians, and even birds and mammals. Flies that resemble vegetation or chunks of flesh are also used to attract fish.
Flies that float on the water surface are known as dry flies. Those that are partially submerged are called 'emergers'. Those that sink below the surface of the water are known as streamers, nymphs, and wet flies. Artificial flies can range in size from a few fractions of an inch to a foot. However, most flies are within half an inch to about two inches in length.
Trout and salmon are the most popular species of fish caught using fly fishing methods. But a wide variety of other fish like grayling, pike, panfish, bass, carp, redfish, tarpon, snook, bonefish and striped bass can also be caught using this technique.
Retired and now owner/guide of Ken's Anglers in Colorado, Ken Robak has been an avid fly fisherman for over twenty years and has been a guide for the last 10 years. The grace of fly fishing is something that he has always loved. He believes the simple fact that you have a chance of hooking into a trophy trout is just icing on the cake to enjoying the wilderness and meeting new clients. To learn more about Fly Fishingplease visit our site at http://www.kens-anglers.com/.
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