Fly fishing is increasing in popularity across the country after decades of languishing as a sort of after-thought sport, popular only among older men with a lot of time on their hands.
REASONS NOT TO GO FLY FISHING
Now, women and young people are flocking to the sport. Please do not consider jumping on this new bandwagon based on my own experiences. Here are four good reasons you should stay away from fly fishing as a hobby.
REASON NO. 1.: TAKE IT FROM AN AVID FISHERMAN: I DON’T LIKE FISHING IN GENERAL
Although I had little experience fishing in my youth, I always thought of it as a boring waiting game. And, with most or all of the benefit coming when the fish decided to create some entertainment by grabbing the hook.
In the meantime, most of the essence of the sport involved drinking and staring at a flat lake surface. There is certainly nothing at all wrong with that. But is this really a sport for a person who likes to be active?
About ten years ago, a hiking buddy of mine suggested that I try to fly fishing. He said it incorporated the activity and outdoor joys of hiking with the enjoyment of fishing but with a little added challenge. I was skeptical at first. Knowing really nothing about fishing, I signed up for a two-day class with a local fly fishing club to feel what was involved. By the middle of the class, I became a believer. I have been a fly fisherman ever since.
Okay, so my first reason for staying away from fly fishing is not really a good one. There are others, however.
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REASON NO. 2.: THERE ARE FAR EASIER WAYS TO CATCH A FISH
Indeed, fly fishing is probably more challenging than traditional fishing. This is true even if we do not include the Minnesota state sport of ice fishing in the definition of “regular fishing.”
The essence of fly fishing is casting, which involves placing a fly, which weighs almost nothing, on or in the water in a location where it has a chance of catching a fish. In traditional fishing, the weight of the bait or the lure makes it fairly simple to use a throwing motion with the rod. This enables the fisherman to place the bait or the lure in the desired spot on the water.
In fly fishing, the line itself provides the needed weight and, thus, requires the fisherman to use the bend of the rod and the back-and-forth loop of the line in the air to propel the fly to the desired spot.
When done by a practiced fly fisherman, the loop of the line created by the backward and forward casting motion is a thing of beauty. It is also a lot of fun and a skill that one never fully masters but can always improve.
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A River Runs Through It
It’s Putzy
A critic of the sport notes that it can be putzy. He is correct in that the fly fisherman must master a couple of knots using a fragile line material called the tippet. They may need to thread that tippet into what can be a tiny “eye” on a fly multiple times during a day of fishing on the river.
A fly is, after all, usually a man-made imitation of an insect, and the insects that provide food for most fish can be tiny. When fly fishing for bigger fish (for example, in salt water), the fly is sometimes a man-made imitation of a baitfish, bigger than an insect. Still, it requires the mastery of the same basic knots on a skinny line.
However, with a little practice, the fly fisherman becomes adept with the knots and the tiny flies. The putzy aspect of the sport becomes part of the fun. Plus, they get to talk about the flies with other fly fishers, using clever names like “Woolly Bugger” or “the fly formerly known as Prince.”
OK, so there are easier ways to catch fish, but what is the point? With fly fishing, while catching the fish is the objective, the fun of the fishing itself makes the sport. The stealth and guile required to catch a trout make fly fishing as much like hunting as fishing.
Certainly, catching a fish can be very exciting. However, the greatest satisfaction that I get from the sport is watching a beautiful fish swim away after I release him back to the river. The second greatest satisfaction is just enjoying the beauty of nature when one is immersed in it.
REASON NO. 3.: IT IS EXPENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING
The first view of a fly fisherman at play can give the impression that there is a lot of expensive gear involved. It’s true that a rod and reel are required, and also true that just those two tools can cost upwards of $1000. If you are looking to chase huge trout with a guide in the wilds of Patagonia, you will need to keep your checkbook available.
Of course, you could always purchase a perfect rod and reel outfit for under $200, and that outfit would suit you perfectly well as you are learning the sport on our local rivers and lakes.
Most fly fishermen use waders and wading boots as well, and once again, you can outfit yourself with these for over $1000, or you can start with more economical wading equipment for under $200. Keep in mind that the rod and reel and the wading equipment will last for years if you take care of them.
Looking the Part
Of course, you will need fly lines and leaders and a tippet, and maybe a vest and a net, and these can all be had for around $100. So, adding it all up, for around $500, you can set yourself up for years of fly fishing fun.
The only additional costs are the cost of a few flies and replacement leaders, a tippet, and a fishing license, plus the gas to get you to the river or the lake. As a practical matter, I would also include the occasional expense of a burger with a fishing buddy after a great day on the river, but that is optional and well worth the money.
A day on the river can be time-consuming for sure, but I believe that fly fishing time does not count against your lifespan since it is normally so enjoyable. In any case, if you are a busy person, make it an hour on the river or the lake instead. It will still be worth it.
If fly fishing still sounds too expensive and time-consuming, I suggest you try golf as an alternative. Golf is very cheap and takes hardly any time.
REASON NO. 4: IT LOOKS LIKE IT INVOLVES PHYSICAL EXERTION AND MAYBE EVEN A LITTLE RISK
The classic 1992 film A River Runs Through It featured Brad Pitt hopping from boulder to boulder and jumping fearlessly into a rushing Montana River in pursuit of the perfect trout. The movie renewed a lot of interest in the sport and convinced many viewers that navigating a powerful stream was not for them, no matter how pretty Brad made it look.
Wading in a river quickly gives one an appreciation for the power of moving water and also a quick appreciation for how easy it is to avoid any danger. Just don’t wade into water that makes you uncomfortable. The physical exertion in the sport is mostly the hikes to and from the wading spots, and those hikes are usually delightful in themselves.
CONCLUSION
I hope I have convinced you that fly fishing is probably not something you might be interested in. The next time I am standing in a beautiful river, enjoying the day, and hoping that a wonderful fish will make it even better, I will think of you. Or maybe not.
By John Fredericksen
John is a retired airline executive who, when he’s not writing articles to help a friend, can be found playing tennis, running, and fly fishing.
Fly Fishing Quotes
1.) The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad.
A. Best
2.) Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
Henry David Thoreau
3.) If fishing is a religion, fly fishing is the high church.
Tom Brokaw
4.) Fly-fishing is a magic way to recapture the rapture of solitude without the pangs of loneliness.
John D. Voelker
5.) I love fishing. You put that line in the water, and you don’t know what’s on the other end. Your imagination is under there.
Robert Altman
6.) There is no greater fan of fly fishing than the worm.
Patrick F. McManus
7.) One great thing about fly fishing is that after a while, nothing exists of the world but thoughts about fly fishing
Norman Maclean
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