Michael Shook
Michael Shook, a fly-fishing guide and instructor based in Colorado, www.FlyfishGuide.com). He has fly-fished throughout the US as well as in Africa and Asia. He is author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fly Fishing (Alpha).
Men, women and children of all ages are taking up fly-fishing. Being outdoors, surrounded by nature, enticing fish to bite on an artfully crafted fly can be peaceful for the soul and challenging for the mind. It’s just what the doctor ordered for these stressful times. It’s a serene, even spiritual, sport.
It’s different from other types of angling:The lures are constructed to resemble insects or other small natural prey of gamefish. They usually incorporate feathers and thread and are often quite beautiful. There’s no slimy bait, dead or alive.
Rather than simply dropping a hook into the water, you cast your line over a pond, brook, river, stream or ocean and then gently manipulate the fly to imitate an insect’s movement—or lack of it.
Trout are the most popular quarry for fly fishermen because they’re plentiful, challenging and live in beautiful places with clean water. But you can fly-fish for almost any gamefish—bluegill, pike, tarpon, bass, salmon, carp, crappie, perch, bonefish, snapper, marlin, etc.
Many fly fishermen remove the hook and release the fish back into the water. Others, of course, put their catch on the menu. Catch-and-release rules vary from state to state. Check with your local fish and game department.
To get a good idea of what fly-fishing is about, read A River Runs Through It, and Other Stories, by Norman Maclean (The University of Chicago). Or rent the movie based on this true story of two fly-fishing boys growing up in Montana.
It can take years to become an expert fly fisherman, but less than an hour’s practice can bring lots of enjoyment—and probably even success. And though experts spend thousands of dollars on gear, it only costs about $500 to $600 to get started—or just rent what you need. How to learn…
Buy an instructional video at a sporting-goods shop, Amazon.com, a fly-fishing Web outlet such as the Fly Shop (www.FlyShop.com) or a specialty fly-fishing store. Example: Mel Krieger’s The Essence of Flycasting, 80 minutes of basic instruction, much of it in slow motion. Price: $21.95, VHS or DVD.
Take lessons from a professional at a fly shop or sporting-goods store. Most lessons last less than two hours. Cost: Under $50.
Ask friends or relatives who fly-fish to take you along.
Read a book by an expert. In addition to my own, I recommend Prospecting for Trout (An Orvis Guide) by Tom Rosenbauer (Delta) and Fly Fishing in Salt Water by Lefty Kreh (Lyons).
Attend a fly-fishing school where you can actually go fishing. Cost: $100 to $200 for a day of instruction. Examples…
Join a club. Many local groups offer instruction and hold shows and other events. Clubs can be found through the Fly Fishing Club Directory at the Web site www.FlyCaster.com, or by contacting The Federation of Fly Fishers (406-222-9369, www.FedFlyfishers.org).
You can buy a decent fly rod, reel and fly line for about $300. Ask the salesperson to suggest several rods that are appropriate for the type of water you plan to fish and the fish you plan to pursue. Choose the rod with which you’re most comfortable. You’ll also need…
The total cost of clothing, flies and tools will run about $200 to $300.
Some fly shops have space for customers to practice casting. Or practice in your backyard, empty schoolyard or other open space where there’s no risk of snagging anyone with a hook.
You’re casting correctly when you can send the line parallel to the ground at least 20 to 30 feet in front of you. Most people get the knack of casting in 30 to 60 minutes.
Learning the basics will let you cast the line so that the fly gently hits the water without splashing—in a way that makes fish mistake it for a snack.
To get started, it’s essential to know two knots—the “surgeon’s knot” for tying leader to leader, and the “improved clinch knot” for fastening the fly to the leader. Most fly-fishing books and videos show how to tie the knots, and the staff in most fly shops can also be helpful.
For a novice, bluegill, crappie and sunfish are usually the easiest to catch because they’re indiscriminate feeders that aren’t easily spooked. They typically inhabit freshwater ponds and other still water throughout most of the US.
Trout are much more challenging. Some of the best trout streams are in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Montana.
For bass, another challenging fish, try the Mississippi River area, the Great Lakes or the southeastern US where they are native. The Florida Keys are tops for bonefish, tarpon and permit, while Cabo San Lucas (the tip of the Baja peninsula) is the best for larger gamefish, such as sailfish and marlin.
Important: Check with state and/or local governments about license requirements. The fee for out-of-state residents is usually under $50.
Good strategy: When you reach the water, observe the surface for a few moments to see which kind of insects are hovering and whether the fish are biting. Then match your fly with the type of insect the fish are eating.
If this isn’t feasible, use the trial-and-error method until you find the fly that the fish will rise to. Experiment with different sizes of flies until you have success. Most anglers fish with flies that are too large.
Local fly shops can be a gold mine of information in regard to which flies are best to use in the area.
One of the biggest novice mistakes is not taking enough flies. Without an ample supply, you risk running out of the type of fly that attracts the particular fish in the stream where you’re casting—and that would be a shame when you’ve gone to so much trouble to get there.
