The Essence of Fly Fishing
For many of us fly fishing is the ultimate passion. Let's have a look why we cannot withstand the temptation of fishing a beautiful river or a pristine flat.
"Fly fishing is defined as fishing with a fly rod, fly reel, and fly line—the latter being capable, thanks to its weight and specific characteristics, of pulling the artificial fly (or nymph, streamer, etc.) through the air to deliver it to the target. Delivering the imitation using a fly line—achieved through harmoniously coordinated movements and an elegantly unrolling loop—is the core element of fly fishing and the decisive criterion distinguishing it from other forms of angling." - G. Feuerstein
Simply attaching a fly to the end of a line does not make one a fly fisherman
Of course, fly-like imitations were presented on the ends of lines—both above and below the water—as far back as ancient times, but it would be presumptuous to call that "fly fishing." The same applies to presenting flies or nymphs using casting bubbles, "Tiroler Hölzl" weights, or standard float/running-line setups, as well as to tournament techniques (such as Czech, French, or Spanish nymphing). What we define as fly fishing today began with the casting of greased silk lines capable of delivering dry flies to a target at greater distances and presenting them on the water's surface. It was not until much later—thanks to the persistence of Skues—that nymph fishing and, subsequently, streamer fishing were added to the repertoire. While greased silk lines were the primary choice until the mid-20th century, in the 1950s Leon Chandler (Cortland) succeeded in creating the first successful coating of a core - the initial plasticized dry-fly line. Since then, there has been continuous evolution in terms of shape and materials; today, there is a fly line perfectly suited to every purpose.
No Fly Fishing Without Fly Casting
To fish with a fly, we must first learn how to set the fly line in motion, load the rod correctly, and ultimately present the fly to the fish in a way that is as unobtrusive as possible and appealing to the fish.
After all, our goal is to catch fish. Challenging and wary fish compel us to rethink and refine our techniques and to expand our knowledge of our target species and its habitat. Without a doubt, the act of fishing itself—that innate urge to catch fish—is the driving force that motivates us to develop the skills necessary to become successful fly fishermen. I started fishing at a very early age, even though I had no prior exposure to the sport through my immediate or extended family.
After having gone through the basic school of fishing with all its facets from ground baiting to spin fishing and even big game I finally got hooked on fly fishing in 1978. That's a long time ago and although I have fished so many waters around the world and have caught so many beautiful trophies I still get curious if not to say nervous like a child before Christmas if it gets to fish a new water which I have never fished before, especially if it is said to be a really good one. Flies are tied, books about it are read, locals are contacted in advance and maybe friends are sought after who have fished there before.
When it gets to fish waters with difficult/limited access Google Earth or Maps is a nice tool we can use to feel right at the river and study it from our living room. I am a fisherman, a real fisherman, much more than I am a fly caster although I am meanwhile known for my fly casting abilities more or less around the globe. The only reason why I became a quite acceptable fly caster is that there were always good fish around which had chosen a feeding spot or lie which was quite difficult to fish and required a good technique to get the chance of a take. I was quoted several times for having said that the more difficult a fish is to catch, the more valuable it is for me and the fish which I cannot catch with all my experience is the most valuable one. This is still true because from such a fish I can learn a lot. There is always something you can learn. You can study its habits, its feeding rhythms, its prey, … You can learn to improve the handling of water currents or to develop an even better way of presentation. Its final take is the motivation for progress. After having caught such a key fish after hours, days, or weeks of fishing I feel really grateful for having got the chance to learn a bit more about a certain species.
Fish barbless!
There were many articles published about the pros and cons of barbless (or bent down barb) fishing. There are also those who argue that a micro-barb would harm a fish less than a barbers one. I believe fish do not care too much about our little hooks in their mouths and I am sure that they do not feel pain or stress in the way we feel them all. But if you have to hold a fish longer than necessary in your hands, if you have problems getting the hook out of his mouth even after several attempts, then the fish skin will not be the same anymore and you can believe me that this can lead to infections which can kill it. If you hook yourself, your guide, or your friend during a fishing trip in the wild you will soon recognize that the release works much better with a barbless hook. A fish that is not hooked well gets away anyway with or without a barb.
Be careful when taking pictures of trophy fish!
If you want to take some pictures of a trophy fish or a protected fish that you are going to release later, you have to be very careful to not harm the fish. Wrong handling can lead to a much higher death rate of released fish. A C&R landing net is a must for someone who wants to take a picture of such a fish. Until your fishing buddy is ready to press the button you can leave the fish in the water in the C&R net all the time, lift it for a second to take the picture, and release it carefully. Never lift a fish by holding it in the gills or head up. Especially migrating fish which are full of eggs are very sensitive and it is a must to handle them in the most gentle way. The roe is too heavy and the strings that keep it in place inside the fish will break if you hold such a fish head up. A female spawner that is lifted this way will not be able to spawn anymore. If you take pictures of a fish, support it under the pectoral fins and hold it around the tail. If you are on your own, you have to be a pro to make such a picture. Without having a landing net and a camera stand placed in advance you should not even think of making a picture at all. The fish will be thankful.
Fly Only?
Even avid fly fishers have to admit that some big rivers are limited in regard to the use of fly fishing tackle. Most of the owners of such waters pay tribute to this fact and allow other fishing methods, too. Be it the target species or the size and depth of a beat, fly fishing has got its limits. You can of course bend them in a way that at the end the streamer will be the only remaining part that reminds you of fly fishing. To be honest, to pull out fly line (or even use only a running line or monofilament instead of a fly line) drop it in front of you or in your shooting basket and throw a 30-40g streamer either by hand or cast it with the help of a non-active alibi fly line or far too light shooting head in order to catch a Huchen (danube salmon hucho hucho) or a marmorata "on the fly" has got nothing to do with fly fishing anymore! There are waters and beats that just do not fit as fly-only waters because of their size, depth, or wading restrictions. At beats where the fly cannot be fished correctly anymore, I totally agree with the late Austrian fly fishing icon Sepp Prager who proclaimed using spinning gear instead, if the regulations allow it. Otherwise, just avoid visiting such waters if you are a fly fisher.
Catch & Release
Catch and release (C&R) is an important tool to protect endangered species. Resident fish populations are much more in danger in regard to overfishing than most migrating species. Fisheries that are dependent on resident species need a very good management. I don't think C&R is necessary everywhere and in some countries in Europe, it is even forbidden. I like to eat fish from time to time but if I decide to take a fish I always care about the water I am taking it from. You should know some basics to recognize a good spawner, a so-called valuable fish. You should be able to distinguish between a wild fish and a stocked one. In Central Europe, we have minimal sizes and even catch and must-kill regulations. Every single biologist knows that such (catch a 22cm-brown-trout-and bang it on the head) regulations are very doubtful. You better protect the valuable age groups of fish and make it possible to take the old fish (and the young if the population allows it). You can even have a high minimum size. An old fish has carried out its duties and needs a lot of territory. But you have to know the water because a big fish is not everywhere an old fish (a 60 cm endemic brown trout from the River Gacka in Croatia is usually only about three years old). Better take migratory fish and protect the resident ones. In some parts of Europe it is not possible to push a C&R policy at all but if you fish in the Yellowstone and recognize the huge amount of fly fishers you will soon understand that C&R has its right to exist, too. That is where C&R started. I think a population-considered release (PCR) is the more reliable way in Europe. I think today more and more if not to say most of all good fly fishers release most of their catch.
Limit your catch, don't catch your limit!
Rules for C&R
