Bass Fishing Information

jeff ryall asked:


When fly fishing you need a calm temperament, be able to switch off and keep repeating the same technique without getting frustrated. This is half the battle, the other half is the right equipment. Of coarse you need sun glasses so you do not have to squint from the sun and maybe a hat but most importantly the tackle makes all the difference.

When choosing a rod, should you go for a modern composite graphite rod or an old fashioned bamboo rod? Should you choose a rod for one particular water or setting or go with a multi purpose rod. All these factors will come into the equation when choosing a rod to cast your flies. Talking of flies, this is another area where choice is important. Do you go for a dry fly or go for an insect replica. The colour of the fly could also be important, is there a colour for morning and a different one for night.

Another thing to think about is weather you want to learn how to tie your own flies or are you better off buying them already done.

The choice of rod and fly could also affect the decision as to what line you will use.

The type of line you use may be also be influenced by what fish you are fishing for, larger fish will need a heavier line as appose to smaller fish. You will have to decide on weather you want your line to float or sink, weather your fish feed on the surface or on the bottom.

Some anglers are quite happy to use a bomber or swim feeder, just cast their line out and relax on the riverbank and wait. Fly fishing on the other hand is much more a hands on approach; you need to be fully concentrated on the task ahead of you. Tackle decisions can make the difference between having a fantastic day and having a ordinary day.

Most fly fishermen take it very seriously; it takes patience, dedication and practice to become a good fly fisherman. Choosing the right rod can be very tricky, with lots of different people having different ideas. Below are a few choices to help you.

Fibreglass- A large number of rods these days are made from fibreglass, whether they are for fly fishing or regular fishing. The main downside of fibreglass rods is that they are heavier than graphite or bamboo rods which in turn could make your arm tired at the end of the day. Despite this they are able to take a lot of punishment which makes them a popular choice.

Bamboo- Many of the older fishermen will not here a bad word said about these rods. Of coarse this is just someones opinion, but they were one of the first rods to be made and are still being made today. There is a lot that goes into making a bamboo rod and for this reason they can tend to be one of the most expensive.

Graphite- These tend to be quite stiff but that does not mean they are not effective.

These rods give good flexibility and are quite strong. they give good performance and they can vary in price difference and quality.

Reels are another important piece of equipment, the abel fly reel is considered one of the best around. A lot of parts are interchangeable from one reel to another making this a good choice. Also it does not matter if you are left or right handed as they can be converted easily from one to another.

David Swanson asked:


Since the earliest fisherman plucked fish from the water with their bare hands, anglers have found many different methods of fishing. Fly fishing is one of the oldest and has been in existence for hundreds of years. Believed to have begun during Roman times, the advanced methods of fly fishing are considered to have developed in Scotland and England. With improved reels, line and fly gear fly fishing has grown in popularity by leaps and bounds.

Originally, fly fishing was mainly used to catch trout and salmon, which are easily fooled by artificial flies. However, many species of fish are now being targeted by fans of sport fishing using dry and wet flies. Today the lines are heavier and larger in diameter. As a result there is a need for a larger reel that is required to hold that size of line. Anglers now research the local water life to determine the best colors and styles of flies that may be able to attract the local fish population.

The main purpose of fly fishing is to offer an artificial fly to the fish that will closely resemble an insect or bug that is native to the area. Curious fishermen may spend a lot of time researching the types of bugs that flourish in the region as well as spending time studying the types of fish and how they approach their victims.

Practice, Practice, Practice, It Takes A lot of Practice to Properly Cast Flies

For the fisherman switching from bait fishing to fly fishing there is a conversion period in which they must learn the difference. With bait casting, the weight of the lure and bait draws line from the reel, and extends out into the water. When fly fishing the line is cast into the water and the fly on the line follows the line into the water. It requires a lot of practice and concentration to place the line that is cast from the reel and having the fly land in the desired spot on the surface of the water.

The two main types of lures used in fly fishing are the dry fly that remains on the surface and the wet fly that is designed to sink once it hits the water. Other flies, called emerging flies partially submerge under the water, to duplicate the action of emerging insects from their larva stage.

Fly fishing requires the fisherman to adjust to local conditions as well as altering their technique depending on the time of day and time of year. It will take the fly fisherman a lot of practice and patience to develop the skills necessary to consistently catch fish.

Making Your Own Flies

After a fly fisherman has mastered the difficult techniques of fly fishing he may want to design his own flies. It is a wonderful hobby. A master fly maker can build up quite a collection. A beautiful as well as effective fly can be a rewarding creation.

Whether you create your own flies or become an avid collector, the art of fly fishing can grow on you and become almost an addiction.

Bob Bastian asked:


Although there are hundreds of types of flies used for fly fishing, most of them fall into five specific categories, or types. These types are dry flies, wet flies, nymphs, streamers and buck tails, and terrestrials. The main purpose of the fly is to imitate an insect that the fish wants to eat.

A dry fly imitates a natural insect that is floating on the top of the water. Fish are very sensitive to any motion of their water and how currents move the insects they want for food. In fly fishing, if a dry fly is moving even slightly against the current, the fish will have nothing to do with it. The fly may look like something the fish recognizes but it is not acting the same an insect would. The fish recognizes it as something foreign in the water and leaves it alone.

In fly fishing, a wet fly is imitating a drowned, or drowning, natural insect and is fished below the water surface. No one is sure if the wet fly is seen as a drowning adult insect or a nymph from the perspective of the fish. Most fly fishermen today seem to believe that it is seen as a nymph. Because of this less and less wet flies are being sold. Wet fly fishing is the oldest form of fly fishing. It dates back to descriptions of the early Macedonian people.

A nymph is the stage between an egg and the adult in the life cycle of an insect. In fly fishing, flies that resemble nymphs are growing popularity. The nymph fly is just below the surface of the water. When a fish bulges the water without breaking the surface, he is nymphing. This means that the fish is eating the natural nymphs just as they are emerging from their shell. This is what a nymph fly imitates.

Streamers and buck tail flies do not imitate any part of the insect’s life cycle. These types of fly fishing flies are much larger and represent small bait fish such as sculpin minnows. The main difference between theses two types of flies is that streamers are tied with feathers, and bucktails are tied completely with hair. Fly fishing that uses these two types of flies generally requires more rod and line manipulation. The movements are supposed to duplicate the motions of the little fish.

Although most flies represent water insects, a terrestrial fly is made to imitate a land insect that has fallen into the water. The two most common terrestrials that are imitated for fly fishing are the ant and the grasshopper.

Besides these basic five categories of flies, there are many other kinds of flies that are used for fly fishing. Some of them are a combination of one or more of the basic categories and some do not fit into any group. The most important thing to remember is that it doesn’t matter how the fly looks to you, the fisherman. It matters how the fly looks to the fish.