Bass Fishing Information

Steve W Sharpe asked:


Fly fishing for steelhead fish can be a challenging and rewarding experience. These amazing fish share their heritage with the Atlantic and Pacific salmon. Although they are native to the West Coast of the United States as well as in Russia, they can also be found in the tributaries of the Great Lakes. This is because they were planted in the lakes many times in the 1800’s.

There are numerous places you can go when fly fishing for steelhead. As we’ve already said, they are most plentiful in the Western United States. You can find plenty of steelhead in the rivers of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington state.

Steelhead are cousins of the rainbow trout and have a decidedly chrome-like coloring. They are amazingly acrobatic and can provide any fly fisherman with a fulfilling challenge when trying to catch them.

Most of the fly fishing techniques used to catch steelhead are based on those historically developed to catch Atlantic salmon. Flies are cast downstream from the angler on a floating or sinking line. The take, which can sometimes be quite violent, usually occurs towards the end of the swing. You can also use nymphing methods usually used by trout anglers.

Winter steelheads are often considered the “hard core” of fly fishers, sometimes enduring hours of repeated casting in cold water and freezing conditions for that one tug that can occur when you least expect it. Many fly fishers will spend a lot of time trying to land that prized steelhead only to be frustrated near the end.

The main thing to keep in mind when fishing for steelhead is to practice a lot of patience. For people who fly fish for steelhead regularly, the success of a day consists of one good hook. You will not see big numbers of catches like you will on trout rivers. Keep a positive attitude and watch what the fish are doing.

Most steelhead pockets are found downstream, but other anglers know this as well. Steelhead are most plentiful in the cold, winter months, but you can often find several other fly fishers trying to fish the same spot in hopes of landing their fish. As you can imagine, this is not especially good for the fish or the fisherman. Practice appropriate etiquette when on the river fly fishing for steelhead.

You will probably need a 9 foot single hand rod or a 12-15 foot double handed rod for best results. Line weights should range from 7 to 9. The best flies to use when trying to land a steelhead include the Wooly Bugger, the Conehead Zuddler, and the Black Bear Green Butt.

Fly fishing for steelhead can be an amazingly gratifying experience when you are patient and wise when it comes to the natural patterns of these fish. When you are able to land one, you will be surprised at how much fun it is to reel it in!

Steven Magill asked:


Fly fishing is a sport that has been around for hundreds of years but nobody really knew about it until the last couple of centuries when it gained popularity in Britain and in the United States. For some, fly fishing is just “that thing where they fling a big long fishing line over their heads and try not to catch themselves on it.” For others fly fishing is “the subject of a movie that had Brad Pitt in it” you know the one, from a long time ago?? For the fly fishing enthusiast though, fly fishing is a sport and the best way to educate others on fly fishing is with a fly fishing guide.

This article aims to be a very basic fly fishing guide and will take you through some of the history of fly fishing as well as a basic overview of how to fly fish.

The earliest writings of fly fishing that have been found so far are dated around the second century AD. After that there is a gap of roughly thirteen hundred years as the next fly fishing writings that we know about were published in the late 1400s. After those writings were published, the sport lost notoriety until the nineteenth century when the British elite fell in love with the sport. In the late 1800s, fly fishing became very popular in Britain and it quickly became the sport of choice among the British upper class and well-to-do society members. It wasn?t long before very elite fly fishing clubs were formed. These clubs were small and honored the traditional methods of fly fishing. They were appalled by the American practices of fly fishing which involved all members of society no matter what their social ranking and also involved the attempt to improve upon the traditional methods of the sport. The American fly fishers are famous for constructing new rods, new line and new reels.

The best way to learn how to fly fish is to find yourself a good fly fishing guide as this is a sport that is not easily learned from books. It is better to go out to the water with your fly fishing guide and have him or her teach you the basics of casting, reeling and landing your fish.

Basically to fly fish you have to know how to cast. If you don’t know how to cast, you will need to find a fly fishing guide who can show you how because you just can’t learn how to cast from the written word. There are two types of casts you will want your fly fishing guide to teach you: the “C” cast and the “J” cast.

In the event that you can’t find a good fly fishing guide, there are lots of fishing courses available that you can take. A quick search through the internet will locate a fly fishing class in your local area. Once you learn how to fly fish, you can be a fly fishing guide for others. The sport is incredibly popular and growing by the day.

Chad Venturanza asked:


Clueless about fly fishing?

Me too!

I have been really curious about this sport for some time now. I’ve seen it done countless of times.

Tried it. Failed.

People have endlessly and tirelessly, with their utmost patience and understanding tried to rub off some fly fishing skills on me - but to no avail.

I have resorted to reading, for now. I decided that whatever I can’t do, I might as well LEARN - even just in theory. It helps. I think of my self right now as “A work in progress”.

Let’s all learn the basics. DEFINITION OF TERMS!

A brief definition about some terms I need to know about fly fishing.

What is Fly Fishing?

Fly fishing is an ancient and distinct angling method, developed primarily for salmonids (trout and salmon, mostly) and now extended to other species such as pike, bass, and carp, as well as a wide range of salt water species.

Fly casting is gripping or holding a fly rod correctly and to adopt the correct stance to maintain comfort and balance. The most basic rule to casting is based on the way a clock looks. Your head points straight up to 12:00, your cast (the tip of your rod) should go back to 10:00 and then forward to 2:00, releasing your line at the end of the forward motion. It is a common mistake to dip the rod below those two positions and almost always ends in a line tangle!

Angler. (Does that have anything to do with Math? I hate Math!)

That would be YOU silly! Someday, IF you learn how to fly fish, you will be called an angler. A person catching fish or shellfish with no intent to sell, this includes people keeping the catch or people that practice the “Catch and Release” method (highly recommended).

The Essentials - If you don’t have a complete list of these, you’re NOT Fly Fishing!

Fly Fishing rods are long, thin, flexible rods sometimes made of bamboo, but more recently from man-made materials. Fly rods tend to have large diameter eyes (or guides) spaced along the rod to help control the movement of relatively thick fly line. To aid in the freedom of movement required to skillfully cast with a fly rod, there is usually little to no butt (handle) extending below the fishing reel. Although fly rods are mainly used for casting from fixed positions, they can also be used for trolling for fish.

Fishing Reel is a device used for the deployment and retrieval of fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. They are used in conjunction with the fly rod and are attached to the base or handle of the rod.

Fishing line is any cord made for fishing. Important parameters of a fishing line are its length, material, and weight (thicker, sturdier lines are more visible to fish). The refractive index is also important—lines with a refractive index similar to water are almost invisible to fish. The most important parameter in deciding what line to use is its strength. This is the amount of weight the line can hold before snapping. One must balance the trade-off between strength and visibility.

Flies as Bait? Are you kidding?

Flies or Artificial flies are constructed — “tied” onto a hook with thread, fur, feathers and other materials — in sizes and colors to match naturally occurring food or simply to excite a fish. And to add more confusion, the names of flies: Wet and dry flies, nymphs, scuds, eggs, streamers, steelheads, bass flies, salmon flies,and saltwater flies.

You will be considered a well equipped fly fisher if you bring waders, wading boots, vest net, polarized sunglasses to protect your eyes and see through the reflection on the water, a hat for the harsh sun, sun block and bug dope (bug repellant) - if you don’t want to be eaten alive by bugs before you even catch a fish!

Armed with the stuff I read, I went about to experience Fly Fishing without even going near a body of water.

Wondering how?

A site that sells fly fishing products - with pretty pictures too! - Riverbum.com

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.