Archive for the ‘Fly Fishing Tips’ Category
Guidelines In Fishing
Posted in Fly Fishing Tips on the June 18, 2008
We live on a lake in central Minnesota. This lake is one of the premiere fishing lakes in the state. Many people come here on day and week fishing trips. Most people bring their own boats, but there are others that go out on launch trips or hire one of the many private fishing guides to take them out fishing. This allows for business opportunities for many people that live on the lake, but people should make sure that the fishing guides that are hired know the lake as well as the feeding patterns of the fish.
We had fished this lake for many years prior to buying our home. My husband had been fishing here when he was a young boy. With the modern technology of GPS and lake mapping on marine electronics, it is very easy to find different depths and fishing spots on the lake. After we had lived on the lake for a year my husband contacted one of the local fishing guides and asked if he could enter some his fishing spots on the lake on his GPS. This particular guide has been very successful on the lake. He told my husband that he did not want to share the fishing spots because he did not want a lot of other people fishing where he was. My husband mentioned this to a friend of ours that owns the local bait shop. The bait shop owner laughed and told my husband that this particular guide does not know how to use GPS and so he does not own a unit, which is why he did not share any of the fishing spots. The bait shop owner told us that there are no requirements to pass in order to be considered a guide. He said that many of the people that advertise their services as fishing guides simply take people out in their boats and hope to catch some fish. Some people are more successful at this than others, but there are no requirements.
I was surprised by this information. If I was going to a lake to fish I would assume that the people that are listed as fishing guides would have safety training and other certification in order to take others out onto the lake. You do have to have coast guard training if you have a launch or a boat over thirty five feet, but there are many guides that have twenty foot boats that take people out fishing. This was disappointing to my husband because one of his retirement dreams was to be a guide on the lake. Now that we live here we realize that there are more than enough people already offering to guide. I told my husband that we should look into having an actual service that would provide a more special outing than just a day in a fishing boat. We are going to plan a business around the adventure of fishing rather than just advertising guide services.
Fishing Adventures and Informal Education with Your Children
Posted in Fly Fishing Tips on the May 15, 2008
Parents often enjoy sharing in the activities of their children, especially when the time involves a trip. An option that typically provides not only fun but educational opportunities as well is a trip to the water to catch fish.
Safety as Your First Consideration
When you are fishing with children one of the most important considerations is safety. You need to assess what type of fishing you are going to be doing. There are so many different variations of fishing options, and you need to make sure you select one that is suitable for the children you will be bringing along.
Though many kids will not want to wear one, a life vest is a critical part of the equipment they will need to bring - and use! Bring along a kit with standard first aid bandages, gauzes and ointments to take care of scratches and cuts that can happen when handling fishing gear, boat equipment, and the fish themselves.
Fishing Equipment for the Trip
Get your children their own personal fishing tackle boxes. This will not only make them feel as though they are in charge of their own equipment, but you will be able to obtain a children’s version of equipment for them to use.
A “starter” tackle box does not need to include too many items, and certainly not expensive ones. As your children grow older and learn for themselves what they need, more essentials can be added along the way.
Letting Children Take Responsibility
Once a fish taken the bait on your child’s line, allow him or her the greater role in reeling it in. Certainly you should drop what you’re doing and instead be available to assist as needed. However your child will experience a real sense of accomplishment by engaging in the battle to pull his catch into the boat or onshore.
It is normally best to introduce a child to fishing early in life. This is useful in many ways. The younger children begin, the more they will take in - although never take a child who is too young to understand what is going on.
Early life experiences also provide children the opportunity to see the how fish are cleaned and realize that this is not a disgusting practice but rather part of the fishing trip experience. You can also let your children learn as you go concerning the rules of fishing. Doing this will help keep fishing fresh in their minds.
Holding Their Attention
You can never be completely sure that your children will take to fishing as there many factors that could detract from their attention. Your initial fishing trip out on the water could be a slow day and you might not even get a bite, let alone haul anything into the boat.
This could result in your children becoming bored. If this happens don’t loose heart. Let your children know that this not unusual when fishing. You never know, you could turn their initial disappointment into a plus as your children may become more excited about finally catching a fish next time.
Children love to feel as though are in charge of doing almost anything, and fishing is ideal for this. Fishing is a great learning adventure, and doing this together should prove to be a wonderful experience.
Wet Nymph Fly Dry Fly Fishing and Poppers
Posted in Fly Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing Flies on the August 6, 2007
Dry Fly Fishing on the surface and wet fly subsurface flies are the two most common fly fishing categories. Just as the name indicates the surface flies usually suspend themselves on the surface of the water. The submariners or wet flies go below the surface of the water imitated the aquatic life cycle of the mimicked insect.
Popovers, oops that’s breakfast!
Fly Fishing Tips Poppers are one of the most popular and effective fly baits. The popper is simply trying to pass itself off a member of the fish’s food chain. Imitating larger insects, frogs and even bait fish just for starters.
You will find fancy paint jobs, doll eyes and rubber legs dressing the poppers, making them look great to us, but do you for one second think that a largemouth bass really cares.
The most important thing about poppers is well, they “pop”. Their flat and concaved heads cause and gurgling and popping sound when retrieved across the surface of the water.
Sub surface flies come in three main types. You will find the nymphs, wet flies and the streamers.
Nymph flies imitate the nymphal stage of aquatic insects. This is the stage before the adult, the dry stage of aquatic insect life. These flies certainly weigh more than the dry flies and of course you can easily add weight to help them sink to the proper fishing depth for the conditions you are in. The additional weight will make them a little more difficult to cast but, the wind resistance will be a lot less.
You will notice that most wet flies imitating the adult stage will have wings where the nymph will be wingless. Some nymphs represent small crustaceans like the scud or sow bug.
Streamers are the final group of the sub surface baits. Steamers are usually meant to resemble minnows or other types of bait fish like perch or shad. A streamer is usually tied to a longer hook and has long sloping wings to form the body of the fish.
You will often find them in larger sizes up to 5 inches long and sometime even bigger. Often they will have lead weights for eyes at the front. This extra weight can give the steamer a jiggling motion, and even causes the hook point to ride point up making the streamer a snag less as it rides across the bottom of the lake or river.
Imitating the subsurface aquatic life cycle of many insects is the wet fly. Often lacking in the feathery collar and wingless and by designing them to be heavier by wrapping lead wire on the hook shank before tying the fly making it sink to be fished below the surface.
Keeping your surface fly “high and dry” will be easier with the aid of fly floatant, a silicone gel you work into the fly feathers with your finger tips, or you can also find it in a spray bottle variety. Many anglers prefer the Gink and Aquel brands which prove to be very effective.
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Whether you are dry fly fishing, popping for blue gills and largemouth bass or working a minnow-imitating streamer always be prepared for the whack and very hard pull of a strike. There is nothing more thrilling than catching a trophy fish. You can find more informative Fly Fishing Tips advice and Fly Fishing Tips tips!
Fly Fishing Tips Catching Fish is the Game Plan
Posted in Fly Fishing Bass, Fly Fishing Tips on the August 4, 2007
Fly Fishing Tips . Catching fish is the name of the game, getting out to your favorite river, stream or lake to test your mettle against a worthy opponent is a pleasurable pastime. If you are like me you certainly do not to wet your flies often enough. It is still easy to stay up to date with great information about fly fishing from the many blogs and websites found on the internet.
Fly fishing and if you are new to the sport or even an “old salt” you will undoubtedly want to learn a few Fly Fishing Tips to entice those trophy fish to strike your fly the next time you venture out to the waters edge.
One of my favorite Fly Fishing For Trout is sharing information with others. I often hear people say that fly fishing is a solitary sport. It may appear that way at first, but rest assured you will discover a wealth of information from your fellow anglers.
So the next time your in your favorite fly fishing shop, just try my favorite fly fishing tip.
Simply ask the older Gentleman or Lady sharing the fishing supply isle and studying the local fly selection a simple question.
Excuse me, Could you explain, “How to…? What does this…? What is the best…?
Now, get ready because here comes the fun part. fly fishing techniques
Listen.
Yes, it is that simple. You will be amazed at the gleam in the “Old Angler’s” eye and the passion with which they love to share stories of this great pastime you are embarking on.
Now, there is now doubt in my mind you will hear about how fly fishing for “Rainbows” or “Browns” is so popular. Did you know that trout live in shallow pristine waters and eat small insects.
Yeah, flies!
One of their favorites being the “Woolly Buggers,” dragon and damsel fly nymphs, sounds appetizing doesn’t it. Then of course you just might need to present those cantankerous stubborn trout a special morsel, a black or green olive leech or two to convince them there is a buffet awaiting their next intake of food.
Paying particular attention to your presentation of the fly and the retrieve of the bait. Now, vary the retrieve slow and steady at first, then going to a fast retrieve.
Patience, young man is a virtue.
Keep trying remember you might need to do a strip and pause or even a short two inch strip to entice your prey into a strike.
Yes, keep trying until you find what works the best at the moment.
What a great opportunity to learn. Listen closely and you will find those little tidbits of Fly Fishing Tips that will make you next fly fishing expedition a very rewarding experience.
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The Best Fly Fishing
Posted in Fly Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing on the August 4, 2007
A fly fishing tips article - In choosing the size line, anglers should get a C level, an HCH double-taper, or a GBF three-diameter. This choice is based on the fact that a high percentage of fly rods bought nowadays are hollow glass, and that a great majority of these works best with lines of those sizes, almost regardless of lengths or weights.
In casting, it is important to get about 20 feet of line out front. Anglers should always remember to cast a straight line. Avoid jerky movements even if it is on a faster mode in order to do so. Best of all, the angler should be relaxed because taunt muscles will ruin his casting.
Boiled down, there should be no reason why you should not learn the fundamental principles just as easily as those who now enjoy fly fishing. Probably, the best and surest way to learn to cast successfully is to spend a day on the stream with some fisherman who is a competent caster.
Lessons learned on the stream are the best fly fishing advice you can acquire anywhere in your quest for fly fishing perfection.
Understanding Fly Fishing Targets On Flowing Water
Posted in Fly Fishing Tips on the July 5, 2007
When it comes to fly fishing, the jargon can get a bit overwhelming if you let it. Here’s the plain English scoop on some common terms used.
Understanding Fly Fishing Targets On Flowing Water
Fly fishing is many things to many people. For some, it is a zen like way to interact with nature. For others, it is test of skill in the act of competing with tricky little fish. For yet others, it is a ballet of artistic movements and techniques to obtain the perfect cast for the perfect fly placement that produces the perfect catch. For most, it is just good, clean fun. Whatever your preference, fly fishing has a definite language you will need to learn.
Traditionally, fly fishing takes place on flowing water such as a river or stream. There are variations for lake or ocean destinations, but they represent a minority. Given this fact, following is an explanation of some of the terms associated with traditional fly fishing.
A “riffle” is an area with fast moving water broken up over some solid structure, most often rocks. A rifle can be an excellent location to cast for a number of reasons. The riffle tends to be an area where insects congregate. Where there are insects, there are fish. In particular, try to cast to areas just downstream of blockages as your catch should be residing in such locations.
A “pool” is an area where fast flowing water enters a deeper pool of water. Often found just after riffles, a pool offers little in the way of prospecting in the interior. It does, however, offer excellent prospects in the areas where water flows in. More than a few species of fish feed at such locations as the water flowing into the pool brings food and nutrients with it.
“Dead water” refers to an area where there is little or no current. This tends to occur in odd geographic areas, large rivers or areas with flow problems. Dead water is rarely a good place to fish, so avoid it like the plague.
Although not a term per se, vegetation that grows out into the water and shady shoreline locations are often excellent places to fish. These locations offer the combination of shade and nutrients, which are popular with fish. When referring to shade, it is important to understand that fish are not generally worried about sunburns. Instead, they are worried about dive bombing birds such as Osprey. A fish that cruises along the top of a pool of water in direct sunlight tends to have a very short life span.
Obviously, the above represents a small sampling of terminology related to rivers and moving areas. Nonetheless, you will at least know why so many anglers talk about riffles.
About the Author
Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of fly fishing journals. Visit us to read more articles about fly fishing.
Fly Fishing for Trout - Casting or Hunting
Posted in Fly Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing on the July 4, 2007
Fly casting is a skill that most fly fishermen would probably consider the most integral skill of fly fishing for trout. Certainly it is the most recognizable trait of fly fishing.
BUT, if catching fish is as important to you as a great looking cast is, then you may actually need to be careful just how much casting you do.
Fly fishing has far more in common with hunting than it does with other forms of fishing. This is because trout are such a timid creature and are so easily spooked. Although it is not such an issue if you are fishing deep in large bodies of water or in wide, fast flowing streams, it is still for this reason that casting can also be your worst enemy when trout fishing.
The classical Long cast, although a beautiful thing to behold, and even more beautiful to perform, does have its limitations. It was designed to deliver a lure to a timid quarry, who would be spooked by splashing sinkers or floats or any of the traditional fishing equipment and tackle generally used for other, less discerning species. The whole concept of doing this with a whip-like rod and line was indeed an ingenious one.
Trout, and particularly Brown Trout, see everything. And the bigger the trout, the more they see. The fly fisherman standing plain view false casting is an obvious predatory threat and will cause a fish to disappear into the depths, without you even knowing the trout was ever there.
To catch good, wild trout in smallish or still waters you must become an ambush predator and learn to think like a hunter. This, the element of surprise, is one of your greatest skills when fly fishing for trout. Believe it or not, even above good casting skills.
Dressing to be reasonably well camouflaged, keeping low and not making any fast or large movements, all play a role in not alerting a potential target trout to your presence. Even making sure you dont step heavily on the ground as you approach the fishing spot, keeps your footsteps from resonating through the water. Sound travels very well under water, particularly for a creature who has receptacles designed to hear within an aquatic environment.
Without a doubt, you will have to cast, and the better practised you are at casting with a fly rod, the less movement you must make to get your fly into the position you want it. So there is a good argument for spending time casting, just for casting sake. This is best done in an open place, preferably over water if you have the luxury, like a dam or lake, but anywhere that you are not going to catch any unwanted items will do to improve your skills.
If you want to be successful, dont just trudge up to the waters edge and start casting out into the middle of the lake or stream. The bulk of the aquatic life that the trout source as their food items are usually located towards the edges of the water, and near to the aquatic plant life also.
With this in mind, the trout will more likely be keeping as far out of reach of their own predators as possible, while maintaining a presence (cruising in still waters, on station in faster waters) close to their preferred food source. Larger fish preferring deeper water for security, and structures or irregularities for potential dietary supplies.
Wayne Smith author of the acclaimed Fly Fishing For Trout - A Quiet Revolution