Unlike spinning and bait casting equipment that rely on the weight of the bait or lures to cast distances, fly fishermen use heavy plastic coated line to place their flies with extreme precision. The tying of flies is an art unto itself and the use of fur, feathers, hair and even synthetic materials is used to craft an endless variety of attractants to entice trout, salmon, walleyes, perch and in saltwater, tarpon.

The Big Hole River in Montana is reputed to be the best trout stream in North
America and its beauty is unequaled. Running through forests of lodgepole pine and Quaking aspen, the angler is in a fairyland stetting of Americas best.

Alaska’s Kenai River offers fly fishing anglers some of the best fishing in North America whether on a lazy float trip or wading off the shores of a rustic lodge. King and Sockeye salmon, Rainbow trout share the wilderness with Brown bear, moose and wolves.

The Yucatan peninsula in Southern Mexico offers some of the best saltwater fly fishing for tarpon, permit and bone fish in the shadows of ancient Mayan ruins and primal jungle. Seaworthy pangas make excellent platforms to fish the turtle grass flats and mangroves.

The fly fishing equipment you’ll need will vary upon the season, and your style of fishing. However, there are a handful of things you will need. To begin, make sure you’ve gotten yourself a fly fishing pole – normal fishing poles will not suffice, and promote a completely different fishing style. The longer your fly fishing pole, the better (tension reduction). Also, get yourself a pair of waders (neoprene are the most popular) so you can travel deeper into the water and provide yourself with a wider fishing area, thus increasing your chances of catching something. These waders should go up to your chest, and look like overalls (with boots on them). They’ll allow you, as previously stated, to travel in deeper water, and stay dry.

The most important equipment you’ll be carrying will be your flies. There are a large amount of flies available which you’ll use throughout different seasons for different purposes, but for general use, pack a small box of flies that not only give you variety, but allow you to fish for different things (catching the same species of fish over and over again may not always be very rewarding) during your trip. Polarized sunglasses may also be an advantage. When you’re standing in the water, the viewing angle isn’t always the best, so you may not get a great look at your underwater surroundings. These glasses will improve your visibility greatly.

Once you have some kind of grasp on how to cast a fly rod, simply standing on a bank or a dock and casting is the most practical way to practice fly casting. Don’t concentrate on trying to catch anything, just work on casting and making sure that the lure hits the water. You can also do this in your backyard. Work on the flipping motion and making sure that the lure goes out a long way. The reeling part is easy. It is the casting that needs to be practiced and worked on when it comes to fly fishing.

When you are able to practice and have the casting movement down, then you can go to the streams and bays and work on catching fish. When you have the casting motion down, again the reeling in of the catch is as simple as apple pie. In no time you will be reeling in the big schooling fish and you will be able to attest that to the time you spent practicing your fly casting.

The best way to approach a fishing location in the early morning is to be as stealthy as possible. You don’t want to spook the fish and cause them to disappear for certain periods of time. Be careful when you take every step, and ensure that you have a safe entry to your fishing location (the slightest mishap can ruin your day).

Take notice of your surroundings – you should see hatchlings such as flies or other smaller bugs. You need to use some type of bait/lure similar to this; the fish won’t grab anything else at the time except smaller fish in some circumstances. Also, avoid using anything loud such as a motor, even if you’re trolling; it’s very early in the morning, and you can easily irritate a good fish with such a disturbance.

Chasing fish is also not too good of an option at any time, really. If you see a fish in a certain area and it goes somewhere else, don’t cast over it in an attempt to catch it. You should cast in the area where you first saw it – most fish swim out and return to previous areas (they may just be more comfortable there, or there could be a good amount of hatchlings).

A common mistake when fly fishing for trout is to assume that you need dry flies in order to catch one. Most trout feed off of the bottom for the majority of the time, with special seasonal exceptions such as certain streams or summer conditions which cause the weather to vary. Your style here may very due to said weather conditions, and will determine whether or not you’re dry fly fishing, or nymphing.

The best way to increase your trout production is to get in a float tube with a pair of waders and flippers. This greatly expands the area you can cover, and thus increases the possibility of catching fish. You can, most often, find trout near a river coming into a lake, or an underwater spring. They also tend to hang around drop-offs and weed beds.

Also, it doesn’t matter how you decide to catch it; it can be done either way – using the reel to land the trout, or pulling the line with the pinch method. For the best results, though, ensure that you’re bending the rod to reduce the amount of strength the fish is exerting on the line at your hands – this will prove to be quite easier, yet still present that special challenge that the art of fly fishing embodies.

What types of flies are best for smallmouth? Smallmouth respond well to natural presentations. This means that you need to know your pond, lake, river, or stream. This can be both fun and challenging. The best way to get answers is by visiting the local fly shop. Most fly fisherman are willing to help a fellow fly fisherman! Clouser Minnows, Wooly Buggers, and poppers are always great options. Basically, anything that looks like a natural source of food – minnows, crawfish, grasshoppers, caterpillars, crickets – is bound to receive a strike!

The coloration of the fly is important depending on the clarity and conditions of the water. After a rain, it is generally advisable to put on a larger fly with brighter coloring for greater visibility because smallmouth are sight fish. When the water is clear, using a smaller and more natural color is probably the best option. Of course, it is always okay to try new flies! You never know what is going to happen beneath the surface of the water!

A common fish in the fall months for most fly fishers would be the brown trout. You’ll have much more luck trying to land a fish in the month of November, due to the mating and birth patterns they follow. It’s a good thing to keep in mind that these fish are extremely aggressive during their spawning season. However, they won’t be particularly big at this point in time, and you should leave the spawning fish alone.

The best arsenal around this time of the year are nymph lures. The bigger trout will be feeding under the surface in the fall months, and that is the place you want to be fishing. Woolly buggers, streamer and muddler patterns are the most common. However, things change often in the fall, and the morning tactics you use may not work as well at night.

While you change your fishing style, you must change what you wear to match the weather. The fall season is a pretty chilly one, so be sure you pack warm gear to help you retain good bodily function. Things like thin gloves, thick neoprene waders, and a sweatshirt work great and will help you stay warm.

Although the exact origins of the method are debatable, there are reliable historical accounts dating to the first century A.D of fishermen using flies and casting styles that are in many ways similar to those used today.

For most fishing enthusiasts, fly fishing is considered to be either a badge of honor or an oddity. The method requires an immense amount of patience and practice. Very few people are able to pick up the subtle nuances of casting and maneuvering the bait with ease. Even so, every year thousands of people from all parts of the world take up the sport and, in doing so, pass it along to the next generation.

Part of the sports allure is owed to its popularity with many writers, actors, and other artists. Fly fishing has been the subject of both books and films. Being somewhat romanticized, it conjures up images of idyllic mountain streams full of leaping trout. In fact, the earliest known accounts of people doing what we call fly fishing appear to describe fishermen catching trout or a similar species of freshwater fish.

Another aspect of the sport is the creation of flies, a practice commonly referred to as “tying”, which for some offers just as much enjoyment as going out on the water to fish.

It all adds up to create the long and rich history of fly fishing, a sport that has truly stood the test of time.

Master craftsmanship:

Fly tying is an art that takes years to truly perfect. Just like a homemade apple pie from a tenured baker tastes better than any bulk manufactured pie could ever hope to taste, a professionally hand crafted fishing fly makes all the difference.

Fishing flies require a highly organic look and feel that machines can’t completely replicate. People who have a passion for fishing and have been using fishing flies on a regular basis for years understand what works and what doesn’t.

Chemically sharpened hooks:

No matter how effective the fly, if your hook doesn’t snare the fish then it’s game over. Regular hooks, shaped only by mechanical sharpening, have slight ruts and imperfections. The process is similar to sharpening a knife on a sharpening stone.

Chemical sharpening is the process of taking a mechanically sharpened hook one step further by dipping it into a specific type of acid, making the metal ultra smooth and sharp. A well crafted chemically sharpened hook can sear through flesh and rigid bones quickly, meaning fewer close calls for fish and more catches for you.

Whiting Farms Feathers:

A fishing fly made from a high quality grizzle rooster cape will outperform a dyed fabricated feather time and again. Whiting Farms feathers are the absolutely highest quality in fishing fly materials and are standard among fly tying craftsman.

The difference between Whiting Farms feathers and imitations is that Whiting Farms chickens have been specifically bred since the 1960′s to achieve the precise color patterns most attractive to fish. Whiting Farms feathers keep their shape and move naturally in the water.

Environmentally controlled storage facility:

A fishing fly is made up of organic feather material, glues, and metals that can be negatively affected by unfavorable storage conditions over long periods of time. Facilities that are too hot can cause glues to dry and crack. Too damp of an environment can cause the metals to tarnish.

To maintain their high quality, fishing flies must be stored in a controlled environment with adequate temperature, humidity, and air quality. Materials should be well packed to ensure that they arrive in tact with the feathers fluffed and hooks perfectly shaped.

Next is the scissors especially made for fly tying. Look out for cheaper scissors as they’re not reliable compared to the top quality ones. You need to get a good pair of fly tying scissors to cut delicate materials to its proper shape. Anyway, you wouldn’t be spending much on this tool since it isn’t too costly. The price ranges from $8 to $15; a reasonable price for fly fishing purposes.

Then there is the thread bobbin. A thread bobbin is good for holding the spool of thread from rolling out. The thread then goes through a barrel. Check for the edges of the barrel, if it has sharp edges, then it’s no good for the thread.

The bodkin is a large needle mounted on a handle. This small tool has many purposes. It can be used for separating fine strands you want to add to the fly, cleaning and even dabbing cement. You should never go fly tying without this tool.

And lastly, the tool called the Whip Finisher. This tool is used to tie the thread securely in a half inch knot. Beginners and intermediate flyers alike could make use of this nifty tool because it finishes off the tying job quick and clean. You can buy a whip finisher for a price of $14.