Time For Some Fly Action
Just a quick little blast to let everyone in on my second official fly fishing excursion. We went to Georgia for vacation and of course to do some fishing which included fly-fishing on a couple of “The Kids” favorite river systems.
I wrote about my first experience with this type of fishing when I went to Georgia last November. Ever since then, I have been waiting for another opportunity to try it again if for no other reason, to get out in the woods, off the beaten path and pursue some wild trout.
Into The Wilderness
Our first day was on the head waters of the Chattahoochee river. We went up into what is called the WMA, or wildlife management areas that are well off the beaten path and surrounded by some of the most beautiful country one could ever hope to see. The part of the river that we ended up fishing was almost completely covered by over-hanging branches from huge trees that gave the impression of fishing in somewhat of a tunnel. We sure don’t have anything like that around these parts but it is something that you have to do in person to really appreciate the serenity that a location like this offers.
With the weather being so hot during the day we decided to go ahead and do what is called wet-wading. That is done without the use of waders and requires only a specialized pair of shoes so that you don’t lose your footing while in the river.
On that day we jumped out of the truck and immediately into the river on the other side of a WMA road. The Kid re-introduced me and his two brothers to the proper form for casting, getting your line out, mending your line as you’re fishing and the all-important hook-set when you get a fish on. It had been a while so I remembered almost everything I had learned those months ago, except anything that had to do with casting, line management, hook-setting and fighting the fish. However, I did remember how to wade into the river pretty well and what to look for once I got in. So I figured I was doing well!
If You’ve Never Fly Fished, Put It On The Bucket List
I won’t bore you with all the details other than to say, if you’ve never tried this and you have even an outside shot at it sometime, take it! It is an experience that you won’t regret whether or not you catch anything. Just the focus needed to do everything that is involved with getting a fly in front of a fish and working it properly will more than justify your time spent.
I did manage to catch a few fish on this trip for which I am grateful but more than that, I learned a few things that maybe some of you can use given that you are as new to fly-fishing as I am.
It’s A Different Game
The first thing that really hit me on this outing was the fact that being the old bass hound that I am and having used tackle that is
We aren't in Kansas anymore
geared for catching bass for so long, you really have to fight what is second nature to you. The biggest transition that I had to make was understanding that unlike conventional gear that relies on the weight of the lure to deliver your offering, fly-fishing equipment relies on the weight of the line. What this translates to is a much slower, more rhythmic casting motion than I am used to.
A bass rod will load up on the back side very quickly and only has to once for you to cast. However, a fly-fishing rod usually requires two or more back and forth motions for you to put that fly where you want it or to get the amount of line out that you desire. After fumbling around for half the day with this, I finally got it through my thick skull that I had to wait for the line to load the rod on the back-cast before I went forward. The more line you have out, the longer you have to wait. This really was an epiphany for me. Once this sunk in, and it took a long time to do so, casting became much easier and required less effort than it had before.
The other thing that I managed to do better on this trip was set the hook. Here again, it is fighting what has become second nature to me. The very quick, sharp hook-set that is usually employed in bass fishing is going to fail more often than not when fly-fishing.
It took messing this up several times for me, with the Kids direction to understand how to use the line with the free hand to assist in setting the hook. I finally managed to get into a habit of pulling on the line and lifting the rod at the same time to get a hook into the fish. This resulted in a much better hook-up ratio than I had prior to learning this. Thank goodness for a patient instructor!
Well, that’s it for the time being. I hope that this will help those folks who do get a chance to do some fly-fishing for the first time. Especially those who, like me, have spent most of their fishing lives on the end of more conventional gear.
See ya’ on the water …