Fly Fishing Wyoming

Although we often associate fly fishing with trout, you can pretty much catch anything on a fly provided your equipment is up to it. I've just been watching a guy catching a barn door sized halibut on a fly.

To look like a fly fisherman is not to be one. The mechanics can be learned quickly, but the skill takes time to develop. Fly fishing is an art that takes practice, practice and more practice. However, learning some essential fly fishing basics will shorten the learning curve.

Always More to Learn

Just when you think you've got it right, some old time angler will show you how much you don't know. That's part of the appeal of fly fishing, there's always something more to learn and new waters to fish. One way to improve your skills quickly is by taking lessons from a good instructor.

The serious angler knows that timing is paramount in fly fishing. His tackle will be defined in part by the hatch of various insects, in part by the weather, and in part by the waters themselves.

The Fish

Then there are the fish. Fish that inhabit large lakes and reservoirs feed and act differently from their river dwelling relatives who react differently from their mountain stream cousins. Solving the problems created by these differences is the fly fisherman's challenge.

Fly fishermen are sometimes single-minded individuals. The purists may believe that dry fly fishing is the only way to go. Certainly seeing a trout rise to take the fly that you have placed gently on the waters is a unique thrill.

Wet fly fishermen on the other hand often catch more fish. The nature of trout is that they feed mostly under the surface on nymphs unless there is a particularly tempting hatch happening on the surface.

Fly fishing know how

One of the distinctions between the beginning and experienced fly fisher is the need for the beginner to cast as far as possible. The experienced fisherman knows that a short cast to a prime lie will produce more results than the longest cast to an area where fish are not holding. With a long cast it is more difficult to control the line and presentation. Casting closer and less often is one of the key beginner techniques.

Being able to read the water is a prime requirement to be successful at fly fishing. It takes some time to learn how to read rivers and streams but the payoff is seen in your ability to fish productive waters while leaving the non-productive ones alone.

The fly fisherman who knows how to use his fly rod understands the art of fly fishing. Like any artist the joy is often more in the practice of the craft than the end results.