ARTICLE 20

Fly fishing is an enjoyable outdoor activity which involves a distinct angling method as opposed to other fishing methods which include Bait Fishing, Spin Fishing, Trolling and Ice Fishing.

Fly fishing employs the use of artificial baits or fish lures called fly. A fly is typically made of hair and feathers wrapped around a hook to mimic certain insects and small animals. Flies come in different forms: the wet fly mimics insects below the surface; the dry fly imitates insects that float on the water, the streamer fly imitates small and injured fish; the terrestrial fly imitates ground insects like beetles and grasshoppers that have fallen into the water; and the nymph fly resembles the larval stage of aquatic insects.

Basic equipment for fly fishing includes lines, rods and reel.

A rod is a straight, flexible, long pole that fly anglers use to extend the line to cast the fly. Rods come in different varieties: bamboo, graphite or fiberglass. The fiberglass rod is the most popular for beginning fly fishers as they don’t break easily, require little maintenance and are relatively inexpensive. Graphite is popular among skilled and experienced fly fishers. They are light but strong.

The fishing line is the link between the fly fisher’s reel and the bait. Monofilament nylon lines are most popular kinds of lines. They are strong and light. Lines come in a variety of strengths from 2-pound test to more than 100-pound test.

The reel secures the fishing line on a spool and helps the fly fisher drag the fish in resistance. A lot of reels have adjustable drag settings appropriate to the size and weight of the fish to catch. Reels are categorized into four: bait casting, spinning, spin casting, and fly.

Fly casting is very important in fly fishing. It is said that the success at fly fishing is dependant on casting. Joan Wulff, in her book Fly Casting Techniques, said “If you don't know where the fish lie but can cast well enough to cover all of the water with finesse, you are likely to solve the mystery and catch fish. If you know where they lie but can neither reach them nor present the fly naturally, you are not even in the game."

Salmon and trout are popular species caught in fly fishing. Other species of fish include carp, pike, bass, striped bass, panfish, redfish, snook, tarpon and bonefish.

All over the world, holiday packages are offered to include fly fishing as activity. The popular destinations are Idaho, Wyoming and Oregon in the United States; Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada; Italy, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Austria and England in Europe. There are hundreds of other beautiful places to go fly fishing in Australia, New Zealand, Mongolia, Russia and Japan.

Gears and equipment are not hard to find. Thousands of shops and online stores sell fly fishing gears. The Orvis Company in Manchester, Vermont has been selling artificial flies and other equipment since 1856. The Farlows of London, established in 1840, is still a popular fly fishing shop frequented by enthusiasts all over Europe.