ARTICLE 3

From the United States to the central parts of Asia to the coasts of New Zealand, fly fishing is a water sports enjoy by outdoor and nature lovers, vacationers and sports enthusiasts around the world.

There are five common type of fishing but the same basic angling technique is used. These types of fishing are spin fishing, bait fishing, trolling, fly-fishing, and ice fishing.

The most difficult and challenging method of fishing is fly fishing. A rod which is much lighter and longer that that used for spin and bait fishing is being used by anglers for fly fishing. The rod can be 3 meters long for freshwater fly fishing and 4 meters long for saltwater fly fishing. The rod is whisked by the angler forward and back using only the forearm. The rod is commonly moved from the left position to the right position very carefully so as to avoid letting the line touch the ground or the water.

Fly fishing uses bait or fish lure called flies where are made of hairs, feathers and plastic wrapped around the hook. This is done to imitate insects such as mayflies and stoneflies or other small animals like beetles and grasshoppers.

There are five types of flies. The dry fly is a bait that mimics small insects that float on water. The wet fly imitates insects lying below the surface or any other aquatic insects. The streamer fly imitates an injured fish as bait. The nymph fly mimic insects larvae while the terrestrial fly mimics land insects that fallen into the water.

One of the oldest fly fishing shops in America established in 1856, The Orvis Company in Manchester, Vermont, came up with the taxonomic category of fly types. The Farlows of London is another old fly fishing shop established in 1840. It also sells flies based on its own taxonomic label distinct from US standards. Hundreds of other fly shops abound around the world. Fly fishing gear and equipment can be purchases online.

Some of the popular fish species caught in fly fishing include salmon, trout, striped bass, panfish, pike, carp, tarpon, bonefish, snook and redfish. In Mongolia, they have the famous taimen fish, a very large, aggressive and ferocious fish that can reach up to 28 to 30 inches long and weight as much as 20 pounds.

There are thousands of fly fishing clubs and organizations around the world. Any beginning enthusiast can register and begin learning from the professionals. Activities include educational camps where old techniques are taught and new ones developed.

There are also many vacation and holiday packages that offer fly fishing as one of the outdoor adventure activities along with camping, hiking, trekking and horseback riding. Some packages even include sea plane and helicopter rides as well as lodge and cottages in the wilderness that have hot tubs, sauna and other modern living amenities.

The Scandinavian countries are the most popular fly fishing destinations in the world although there are also many great destinations in New Zealand, Russia and Mongolia.