Apr

24

Tip! Some fishing lodges advertise a certain amount for a few days by the lake. It is advisable to ask if there are any hidden charges.

I am not a misanthrope but I do shun the company of people when it comes to fly fishing. When I have a stream to myself, I become more at ease, more aware of my surroundings, and open to nature’s bounty. I am not so busy chatting about hatches, competing for water, or enviously eyeing the skillful ease of a fellow angler’s cast. One downside is that there is generally no one present to confirm or deny the size and number of trout I catch and release on any given day. Even worse, when something truly incredible happens no one is there to verify it. However, this is a small sacrifice for the pleasure such experiences in solitude brings.

Tip! Use a wire cross-locking snap when fishing crank plugs. It allows you to change lures quickly and enables the bait to vibrate more freely.

When I am on a stream solo, extraordinary things happen. One experience I will never forget occurred while I was fishing a stream near my home in the West Kootenays of Southern British Columbia. This particular day in July was like most of our summer days: scorching. There was no breeze, no clouds, no shade, only the merciless weight of the sun. Thankfully, I was waist deep in the cool, forgiving river, casting my fly toward a deep depression sunk into the opposite bank that created a bit of a back eddy. The fly settled a few feet upstream of the eddy but the current soon floated it into the seam. It happened so fast - the splash, the set, the trout hooked, played, and gently released - a nice sixteen inch rainbow.

Bass Fishing Basics. Learn to catch more Bass even if you’re a beginner.

As I continued working the water, casually casting into the riffles and holes, my eye caught a flicker of something in the air. Turning quickly to my right, I focused my gaze on the stunning, acrobatic convulsions of a butterfly. The vibrant purple wings with orange sun-burst tips and white borders, suggested a Lorquins Admiral. It dipped and fluttered through the air until it settled on a withered log at the edge of the stream. I saw another, an exact replica, take wing and stumble drunkenly over the water. It was followed by the first. Then another took off from a distant branch, which was followed by another from a white stone, and another, and another and another.

Tip! Check your line just above the lure frequently when fishing crankbaits around rocks, gravel, stumps, and other hard obstructions. They can quickly fray your line.

They appeared out of nowhere and soon the air filled with hundreds of flickering, fluttering butterflies, a sunlit, gleaming cloud of moving, expanding purple space. They filled the sky and danced as though engaged in some secret papilonian ritual. I stood frozen, heart pounding, as my breathing quickened. The multitude of butterflies, now a shimmering, surreal entity, encircled me, enveloped me in a mystical whirlwind; then lanquidly floated high above, stopped and hovered as though poised on some mysterious looming precipice, then as one fluid mass, tumbled off like air-born rapids down the river valley and into the steep canyon.

Fishing Secrets @ Short Stories. Learn The Secrets Of Fishing Success For Fun And Profit. Secrets That Every Fisherman Needs To Learn To Be Successfull.

I remained motionless for a long time after. I kept peering down into the canyon in hopes that the butterflies would emerge for an encore. My breathing slowly returned to normal but a strange, nervous tremor still lay deep in my stomach. A slight breeze began to stir, and the sun dipped low over the western hills, taking much of the oppressive heat with it. Suddenly off the water, a large mayfly emerged. I watched as another alighted on the stream, drifting along on its current only to be swallowed up in a fatal splash. I couldn’t pass up a good Ephemerella grandis hatch. I tied on a red quill dun and cast into the ebbing light, the sound of butterfly wings still echoing in my head.

It was a sublime moment and though the experience may seem incidental to the fishing, I could not have witnessed it had I not gone fly fishing. Wherever and whenever I go, whether alone or with others, it is for the simple pleasure of being out on the water amidst the wonders of the natural world, seeking fish, and, if truly fortunate, finding butterflies.

Tip! Local Specialty Fly – Okay, this will take a bit of effort on your part. Every fishing area has a specialty fly that is known to have fish leaping out of the water before casting even begins.

Jim Bailey and his wife Natasha live in the west Kootenays of British Columbia, Canada, where they fly fish and are regular contributors to publications such as BC Outdoors and Canadian Fly Fisher Magazines. Jim also has his own website http://www.fly-fishing-british-columbia.com that shows his visitors the exciting fly fishing opportunities that wait for them in British Columbia.

Popularity: 2%



Apr

23

Tip! At the very least, you should try to hang out at that fishing supply store and talked to some the local fishermen or the people that work there to find out where the hotspots are. They’ll also be able to sell you what kind of lures to use.

See yourself standing on the bank of a swiftly moving stream in the shade of a gnarled willow, your fishing rod bent beneath the weight of an unusually large catch.

Whether or not you land that fish depends on the decisions you made at the shop — primarily the type of rod.

The ABCs Of Fishing Rods

Your rod is the most important tool you will use while fishing, and you can chose from a wide range of types, styles and lengths.

A fishing rod is a shaft of graphite, fiberglass, steel, wood or bamboo used to catch fish (duh). Fishing filament (line), is threaded through the ferrules (eyes) along the rod. The ferrule at the tip directs the cast. 1 end of the line winds around a reel at the base of the pole. The other end of the line has a baited hook attached to it.

Tip! Pick up a book about Hawaii fishing and add to that a visit to the local fish markets and fishing supply stores to learn about the edible fish and which to expect in different types of waters.

Fishing rods vary from 4 feet (for children) to 16 feet, with the average being 6 feet long. Rod length is chosen based on: the species of fish you target and the environment you will fish at.

Landscape

If your fishing hole is beside trees with overhead branches, you’ll need a short, flexible rod. Flexibility — the amount the rod can bend before breaking — is determined by the diameter of the pole. Light rods are thin and flexible, while stronger rods are thicker and more rigid.

Tip! The few components can be purchased at any fishing supply stop, even at a fly fishing shop.

For open terrain, flexible, thin rods that are 10 to 12 feet long are good, unless it is too windy.

Fresh Water Or Salt Water?

Freshwater fishing occurs in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, while saltwater fishing is done in oceans and along the coast. Choose a rod appropriate to the environment.

Fishing Supplies Deals Compare online prices to local deals and save.

Plan For Species Of Fish

Short, strong rods are best for landing game fish. Stronger and thicker rods should be used for large, aggressive fish. Such fish could break a lighter pole.

Select Rod By Material

Common types of fishing rods include bamboo, fiberglass and graphite.

Bamboo rods can be a basic, inexpensive pole with a line attached, to very expensive handcrafted rods that are used for fly-fishing. Bamboo rods run from $5 up to hundreds of dollars for handcrafted fly fishing rods. If you are not planning to do fly-fishing, fiberglass or graphite rods are best.

Fishing Supply: Wire and Leaders Where professional captains and tournament champions shop for wire leaders and trolling wire.

Fiberglass rods are good for beginners and kids and they’re reasonably priced. They come in many lengths, flexibility characteristics, and require very little maintenance.

Many experienced anglers prefer graphite rods, because they are very lightweight and extremely strong.

A Fitting Rod

Your goal should be to find a rod that fits your arm and is comfortable. If you have trouble choosing, ask someone with experience to go along or just ask the staff at a fishing store. A few pointers will quickly get you on your way — to a world of fun.

Visit Fishing to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

Popularity: 2%



« go back — more fishing info »

Fishing





Most Popular Posts

Recent Comments: