By William Perkins
In this article I will share with you some of the long lost fly fishing secrets of the masters...
But before I dive into the fly fishing secrets, I want to say a few words to anglers who may be new to fly fishing. In an article which appeared in Men's Fitness magazine, T. Edward Nickens makes a good point: "Big fish won't know you're a beginner. Learn the basics, then take it to the water for the big catch."
That's sound advice. With the right tackle and a few good tips, you can enjoy a day of fishing at your local fishing hole. Learn the basics and it's quite possible you'll land a big fish, especially when you arm yourself with the right knowledge. Knowing your prey (which you can learn about at this website) is far more important than knowing how to cast using a flyrod and reel.
To quote T. Edward Nickens, "Fly-fishing is not an art form. It's not a sport that requires you to travel to Yellowstone or Patagonia or some exotic place and hire a guide for $400 a day. Fly-fishing is a skill you can learn and use to deadly effect on the nearest farm-pond bluegill, municipal-reservoir bass, or decent-size creek trout.
"Unlike traditional fishing, fly-fishing uses relatively heavy lines to cast artificial lures that weigh too little to toss on their own, requiring a rod designed to store, release, and transfer energy during the peculiar back-and-forth, start-stop method of fly-casting. To catch a fish with a fly rod, you need only to master the basic forward cast and use it to place a bit of fur and feather, or yam and wool (the fly) within view of a fish. No more and no less.
"But fly-fishing does differ from conventional fishing in ways that make heart rates redline. It ain't all that easy to cast that little runt of a lure. And once a fish enters the picture, fly-fishing quickly ramps up to more than a contemplative notion. Every surge, every leap, every flick of a fin travels up that taut line and limber rod and into your gut. You don't fish with a flyrod as much as you hunt fish with a flyrod."
I love that passage! So true, so true.
"Like any sport, fly-fishing is never mastered. You simply take each skill to a higher level. And therein lies its great beauty--each level takes fly fishermen to more beautiful, wild, and remote places. Like Yellowstone and Patagonia."
Speaking of beautiful, wild, and remote places, how about Canada and Alaska! Don't miss reading about how to plan your ultimate fly-in or drive-to fishing adventure. A special page on this website is devoted to Fishing Trips and remote fishing lodges and wilderness camps.
By the way, the idea of hunting for fish like you would hunt for other kinds of prey is an idea that is covered in great detail in the book, How To Catch A Trout Every Time, by Nick Anikijenko. The idea is also discussed in an article which appears on the Trout Fishing page at this website.
Now, taking you "to a higher level" is what the remainder of this article is about. To that end, I have turned to a couple of fly fishing "pros" to discover some of the most important and effective techniques of successful fly fishing. The two extraordinary fishermen I'm talking about are no less than the "founding fathers" of American dry-fly fishing, George La Branche and Emlyn Gill.
Although they are no longer with us, La Branche and Gill's fly fishing tips and techniques are masterful, instructive, powerful and effective, and are fast becoming sought after from around the world. (to be continued)
For Long Lost Fly Fishing Secrets Click Here!
