Bass Fishing Information

Bob Bastian asked:


In the world of fly fishing there are many words that are important to know. Many of these words are unusual or have a different meaning when used in reference to fly fishing. The following list includes some of the more unusual and double meaning words used by fly fishermen.

Action: a general term often used to try to describe the feel of the rod - such as soft, hard, slow, or fast.

Attractor: usually a bright colored fly that is not usually tied so that it imitates a particular type of food.

Belly: the sagging portion of a fly fishing line.

Blank: a rod without a handle, reel seat, or guides.

Blood Knot: the common name for a barrel knot.

Chalk Stream: a stream, usually found in valleys, that is spring fed and slow moving with a lot of vegetation.

Complex Hatch: the simultaneous hatching of several types of species of insects.

Compound Hatch: the masking, or hiding, of a hatch of smaller insects by a hatch of larger insects that occurs on the same day.

Cutthroat Trout: a true trout that is found mostly in the western part of the United States.

Dapping: a fly fishing technique in which the fly is repeatedly bounced on and off of the surface of the water.

Down Eye Hook: a hook that has the eye bent below the shaft.

Dropper: the secondary fly that is attached to the leader in a cast of flies.

Emerger: a term that is used to describe any insect that moves up towards the water’s surface preparing to hatch into the adult stage.

Feeding Lie: where a trout goes in order to actively feed.

Flat-butt Leader: a fly used in fly fishing where the butt section is formed into a ribbon shape.

Freestone Streams: fast moving, tumbling streams with rock covered bottoms.

French Snap: a small clamp, often used by a fly fisherman to attach his net to his vest.

Holding Lie: where a trout generally remains when not actively feeding.

Leisenring Lift: a technique used in nymph fly fishing where the line is lifted, causing the imitation fly to move upwards, right in front of the trout’s suspected lie.

Midge Rod: a short, light weight rod.

Natural - a living insect, as opposed to an artificial, or man-made, insect or fly.

Nymphing: any oaf the various fishing techniques in which the fly fisherman presents an imitation of the underwater stage of an insect.

Presentation: the method of placing a fly where the fish is most likely to see it; includes the manner in which the cast in completed and the method in which the fly is fished.

Rise: the act of the fish taking an insect from the water’s surface.

Run: a term used to describe a particular stretch of moving water.

Shooting: a casting technique.

Spate: high water.

Stripping: quickly retrieving line or pulling line from the reel.

Terrestrial: of or relating to an insect whose life cycle is completely spent on land or in plants.

Waders staff: a sturdy rod about as high as the armpit of the person fly fishing used for support in heavy water.

There are many words and terms that are unfamiliar to most people but not to those who enjoy fly fishing.

Paul Winter asked:


Fly-fishing is a form fishing that uses a different method of catching the species that live and breathe under water. The method is referred to as angling. This method is used to target mostly trout and salmon. Recently the target list has extended to fish like bass, pike and carp. Historically fly fishing an ancient method of catching fish that originated in Scotland and Northern Europe.

There are many and various types of flies being used in fly-fishing. In modern fishing methods there are various types of fish being used to catch the designated target. The following is a list of types of fish; dry flies and emergers (for example midges or stoneflies), nymphs (for example mayflies or eggs and worms), streamers wet flies (for example buggers and leeches), saltwater flies (for examples sailfish and marlin), bass and panfish flies (for example crawfish and eels), salmon and steelhead flies (for example Atlantic salmon flies).

Certain gear is needed when fly-fishing. The first item on the list is fly rods, in which size and usage is important. It is important to match the fly rod with the fly line according to weight. Matching the weight of the two items is important to have positive casting results. The size of the fly rods can be anywhere from #0, #1, #2 and are used for the lightest trout and panfish rods up to powerful and heavy #16 rods for the largest saltwater game fish.

Another item needed for fly-fishing is a bamboo split cane. This allows for a better performance in the freshwater trout fishing situations. Synthetic fly rods are usually used and offer a greater versatility, stiffness, power and performance than a bamboo split cane. The advantages are that they are less expensive and require less maintenance. Finally, fly reels are manually operated. Although in recent years, more advanced models have been developed to deal bigger fish and more demanding situations. These models increase the drag and retrieval performance.

Fly-fishing is an ancient method of catching fish. It is more demanding because you are limited to the types of fish you can catch. You need the appropriate gear to catch the trout or the salmon. Today’s modern techniques used in fly-fishing have been developed to meet more challenging situations, such as bigger weight of the fish. These modern advancements prepare the fly fisherman to successfully meet his quota by using the methodology appropriately.

There are many popular locations for fly-fishing mostly in the Northern United States and Canada. Alaska is another popular place for the activity. Some places in the United States are Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Montana and California are just a few places.

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.

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!