What is the best wet fly to use for trout fly fishing?

Question

fly fishing on the river lune, crook of lune lancashire england

Answer 1

A lot have been caught on buzzers round my way (Somerset). Personally I've been hitting it with the dry flies lately, daddy long legs in the evening hours takes some beating.

Answer 2

Fly fishing is a distinct and ancient angling method, most renowned as a method for catching trout and salmon, but today used for many other species such as pike, bass, and carp, as well as a wide range of saltwater marine species, such as tarpon and bonefish. Artificial flies are tied (see fly tying) onto a hook with thread, fur, feathers and other materials. The material is tied in sizes and colors to match naturally occurring food, or simply to excite a fish into striking the fly.

Compared to other types of fishing rods, fly rods are relatively long, limber, and lightweight, while fly lines are relatively heavy, providing the weight necessary to cast tiny flies. Lines may be tapered or straight, of differing densities (to make them float or sink), and are matched to the rod according to weight. The fly itself can weigh very little and is normally attached to the line by a 2-3 meter leader which may taper to a very fine line at the tip end, also called the tippet. The principal difference between fly fishing and other types of casting is that casting uses the weight of the lure, while a fly is cast by the weight of the line. In fact, a fly line can be "cast" without any fly or lure on it at all, a feat impossible with a typical spinning or casting rod and reel.

There are two basic forms of fly fishing, dry and wet. Dry flies are coated with a floatant and sit on the surface of the water. The dry fly is mainly employed for fishing moving water, but can be used for lake and pond angling as well. Wet fly fishing is subdivided into various types such as nymphs, streamers, emergers, terrestrials, and true wet flies. They may be fished on all types of water, but they are all fished beneath the surface of the water.

Contents [hide]

1 History

2 Popular locations

3 How to

4 Types of Artificial Fly

5 Fly Rods

6 Fly Reels

7 See also

8 References

9 External links



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History

The use of an artificial fly lure was first recorded by the Roman Claudius Aelianus near the end of the 2nd century. He described the practice of Macedonian anglers on the Astraeus River:

...they have planned a snare for the fish, and get the better of them by their fisherman's craft. . . . They fasten red . . . wool round a hook, and fit on to the wool two feathers which grow under a c**k's wattles, and which in color are like wax. Their rod is six feet long, and their line is the same length. Then they throw their snare, and the fish, attracted and maddened by the colour, comes straight at it, thinking from the pretty sight to gain a dainty mouthful; when, however, it opens its jaws, it is caught by the hook, and enjoys a bitter repast, a captive.

Modern fly fishing originated on the fast, rocky rivers of Scotland and Northern England. The first detailed writing about the sport comes in two chapters of Izaak Walton's Compleat Angler which were actually written by his friend Charles Cotton and described the fishing in the Derbyshire Wye.

British fly-fishing was further developed in the 19th Century, with the emergence of fly fishing clubs, along with the appearance of several books on the subject of fly tying and fly fishing techniques. In southern England, dry-fly fishing became the preferred method for fishing the slower, clearer rivers of the south such as the River Test and the other 'chalk streams' concentrated in Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset and Berkshire (see Southern England Chalk Formation for the geological specifics). The weeds found in these rivers tends to grow very close to the surface, making it difficult to successfully use a wet fly. It was therefore necessary to develop new techniques that would keep the fly and the line floating on the surface. These became the foundation of all later dry-fly developments.

In contrast, conditions in the north of England and Scotland favored the development of wet-fly fishing, where the technique was more popular and widely practiced than in southern England. One of Scotland’s leading proponents of the wet fly for fly fishing in the early-to-mid 19th century was W.C. Stewart, who published "The Practical Angler" in 1857. Another wet-fly fisherman, George E.M. Skues, invented fly fishing with the nymph, a techique that helped form the basis for modern wet fly fishing. Skues wrote two influential books, Minor Tactics of the Chalk Stream, and The Way of a Trout with a Fly, which were very influential on the development of the sport. Both dry and wet-fly fishing were further developed and modified for use in the waters of other countries, notably Scandinavia and the United States.

Lines made of silk, instead of horse-hair, were heavy enough to be cast in the modern style. Cotton and his predecessors fished their flies with long rods, and light lines allowing the wind to do most of the work of getting the fly out to the fish. But the use of new woods in fly rods, first Greenheart, then bamboo, made it possible to cast flies into the wind on silk lines. These early fly lines proved troublesome, as they had to be coated with various dressings to make them float, and taken off the reel and dried every half-hour or so.

American rod builders such as Hiram Leonard developed superior techniques for making bamboo rods: thin strips were cut from the cane, planed into shape, and then glued together to form light, strong, hexagonal rods with a solid core that were superior to anything developed before.

Fly reels were soon developed as well. At first they were rather simple in terms of mechanical construction, more a less a storage place for the fly line and backing. In order to tire the fish, anglers simply applied hand pressure to the rim of the revolving spool, known as 'palming' the rim. (See Fishing reel).

In the late 19th century, anglers, such as Ray Bergman, in the Catskill Mountains of New York began using the fly to fish the region’s many trout-rich streams such as the Beaverkill and Willowemoc Creek. Many of them also wrote about the practice and invented new flies, drawing yet more anglers to the region, which is still considered the birthplace of American dry-fly fishing. The Junction Pool in Roscoe, where the Willowemoc flows into the Beaver Kill, is the center of an almost ritual pilgrimage every April 1, when the season begins.

Participation in flyfishing peaked in the early 1920's in the eastern states of Maine and Vermont and in the midwest in the spring creeks of Wisconsin. Ernest Hemingway helped to popularize fly fishing, along with deep-sea fishing, through his works of fiction, including The Sun Also Rises. But it was the development of inexpensive fiberglass rods, synthetic fly lines, and monofilament leaders in the early 1950s that revived the popularity of fly fishing, especially in the United States.

In recent years, interest in flyfishing has surged as baby boomers have discovered the sport. Movies such as A River Runs Through It starring Brad Pitt, cable fishing shows, and the emergence of a competitive fly casting circuit have also added to the sport's visibility.



A hatchery at Maramec Spring in Missouri raises trout sought after by fly fishermen.[edit]

Popular locations

Freshwater fly fishing is practiced throughout the United States, with the greatest number of fly fisherman located in the northern United States and Canada, especially the Rocky Mountain States of Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, California, Alaska, and the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. West Yellowstone is arguably the hub for fly fishing in North America, though the wild waters of Alaska almost certainly surpass any of the lower 48 states for size and number of fish caught. Famous North American waters include the Henrys Fork (home to Mike Lawson) and Silver Creek (Ernest Hemingway's favorite haunt) in Idaho, the Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, the Blackfoot & Madison in Montana, the Kenai River in Alaska, the Deschutes, North Umpqua, and the Rogue rivers in Oregon, the Pitt, Hat Creek, the Owens and the East Walker in California, the Upper Delaware and the Green River in Utah, the Arkansas, Frying Pan, South Platte and the Blue River in Colorado, Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River in Arizona, the San Juan in New Mexico, the Nueces and the Guadalupe River of Texas, the White River in Arkansas, and the Tellico River in North Carolina.

Other popular fly fishing destinations include the Canadian Maritime provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador, the upper Great Lakes region, New England. Most of the Appalachian corridor also offers abundant opportunities for fly fishing, both for trout and for smallmouth bass. Many of the traditional “Holy Waters” of North American fly fishing can be found in these areas: New York’s Beaverkill, Michigan’s AuSable and Two Hearted (the latter made famous by Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River” although there is widespread agreement that internal evidence in the story suggests he was actually describing the nearby Fox river), Wisconsin’s Bois Brule, Pennsylvania’s Letort, Penns Creek, and numerous others. There are also tens of thousands of miles of lesser known smaller rivers and streams.

In Europe, Scandinavia is a popular destination for fly fishing, especially for salmon, and good trout fishing may be had in the Alpine mountain regions of Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, and Switzerland. England is still home to the sport as well. In addition to River Test, River Itchen, the Kennet, the Lambourn, and the Avon in the same area of southern England may also be considered legendary. Along with the River Don and the River Dee, Scotland boasts the River Spey after which an entire genre of two-handed fly rods and casting techniques is named.

On the other side of the globe, the active geothermal area around Lake Taupo on the North Island of New Zealand is another world-famous trout destination, particularly the Tongariro River near Turangi. Australia also has many fly fishing destinations, especially in the South-Eastern states of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. The central highland region of Tasmania has built a reputation for exceptional lake fly fishing.

Salt-water fly fishing has also rapidly expanded in popularity, especially along the Gulf Coast and the Florida Keys for such species as bonefish, tarpon, redfish, and permit, and along the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts for bluefish and striped bass. The Bahamas and Belize also provide outstanding opportunities for salt-water fly angling. Christmas Island in the Pacific is famous for bonefish, and various parts of coastal Australia offer a wide variety of saltwater flyfishing action.

In recent years, more exotic locations for reaching native populations of species have become popularized such as Mongolia ( for the largest Salmonid species in the world, the taimen ), and the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, believed to be the site of one of the largest salmon runs in the world.

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How to

The fly angler uses a rod longer and lighter than those used for cast and spin fishing. Fly fishing rods can be as short as 2m (6 ft) long in freshwater fishing and up to 4 m (14 ft) long for saltwater or spey rod fishing. The average freshwater rod is around 9 feet in length and weighs between 3 and 5 ounces, though a recent trend has been to lighter, shorter rods for fishing smaller streams.

There are several types of casts in fly fishing, which are used according to a given fishing situation. The most common cast is the forward cast, where the angler whisks the fly into the air, back over the shoulder until the line is nearly straight, then forward, using primarily the forearm. The objective of this motion is to "load" the rod tip with energy and allow the energy to travel the length of the fly line, improving distance and control. Casting without landing the fly on the water is known as 'false casting', and may be used to pay out line, dry a soaked fly, or reposition a cast. Other casts are the roll cast, the single and double haul cast, the tuck cast, and the side, or curve cast.

Once on the water, the fly may either float or sink, depending on the type of fly and the style of fishing. This presentation of the fly onto the water and subsequent movement on or under the water is one of fly-fishing's most difficult aspects, because the angler is attempting to cast in such a way that the line lands smoothly on the water's surface and the fly appears as natural as possible. At a certain point, depending upon the action of the fly and water currents, the angler then makes another presentation. If a fish strikes, the angler pulls in line while raising the rod tip. This sets the hook in the fish's mouth. The fish is then played, either by hand, where the angler continues to hold the fly line in his hand to control the tension applied to the fish, or by retrieving all slack in the line, utilizing the reel's drag to slow the fish's runs.

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Types of Artificial Fly

Another aspect of fly fishing is choosing the appropriate fly pattern (See Fly lure). While the fly was originally invented to mimic flying insects, it has continually evolved to match the considerable diet of trout and many other species. These can be aquatic larva and pupae, eggs, worms, freshwater shrimp, grasshoppers, crickets, crawfish, mice, frogs, tadpoles, sculpin, leeches, etc. Other types of flies are 'stimulators', used to trigger a natural aggressive response from various species, most notably spawning salmon and bass. The bass popper is a type of topwater stimulator fly. Yet another fly type is the streamer, a long-tailed hair or feathered lure tied to simulate a minnow or other baitfish.

Fly fishing for trout, panfish, or bass can be done in rivers, small streams, creeks, lakes, or even ponds - though the basics are the same, methods and fly patterns vary according to the species sought and the environment. Many more fly fishermen are also pursuing other species such as bass, resulting in new types of fly patterns. For example, the weedless, diving fly has been developed to allow fishing for largemouth bass in areas of heavy cover or aquatic growth.

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Fly Rods

Fly fishing rods vary between 2m (6 feet) and 4m (14 feet) in length. The earliest fly rods were made from greenheart, a tropical wood, and later bamboo originating in the Tonkin area of Guangdong Province in China. The mystical appeal of handmade split-cane rods has endured despite the emergence over the last 50 years of rod-making materials that offer more durability and performance: fiberglass and graphite.

Split-cane bamboo fly rods combine sport, history and art. It may take well over 100 hours of labor to select and split the raw cane, then cure, flame, plane, file, taper, glue, wrap and finish each rod. Quality rods made by famous rodmakers may fetch prices well over US$2,000, and new rods from competent contemporary builders may bring nearly that much. These rods offer grace, form, and, with their solid mass, surprising strength. Bamboo generally demands a 'slow' or 'soft' casting style that is more suited to refined, leisurely fishing. In competent hands, they provide more than adequate performance in most freshwater trout fishing situations.

On the other hand, fly rods made from man-made materials generally offer greater versatility, stiffness, power, and performance than bamboo, and they require less maintenance. Fiberglass rods became popular in the years following World War II, but by the late 1980s, graphite rods had emerged as the material of choice for the mass market. Graphite is especially suited to the construction of multi-piece, takedown 'travel' rods, as the joints or ferrules used in the construction of good quality rods do not significantly affect overall flex or rod action. Some makers are currently experimenting with new technologies and high-performance materials such as boron, but all-graphite rods still cover the broadest range of fly rods for most purposes, from ultralight rods, to two-handed spey rods, to serious saltwater tools built to cast exceptionally long distances in strong winds.

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Fly Reels

Fly casting reels have traditionally been rather simple in terms of mechanical construction, with a simple click-pawl drag system. In recent years, this has been changing. Newer reels often feature disc-type drags to permit the use of lighter leaders and tippets, or to successfully capture fish that pull long lengths of line/leader. Fly fishermen strip line off the reel with one hand, casting the rod with the other hand. Many newer fly reels have large-arbor designs to increase speed of retrieve and improve drag performance during long runs. In order to prevent corrosion, saltwater fly reels often use stainless steel components and sealed bearing/drive mechanisms.

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See also

Fishing reel

Fishing rod

Fly lure

Fly tying

Answer 3

try a may fly

Answer 4

The "best" fly is simple.  Just match the hatch.  Whatever resembles the bugs that are present gives you your best chance.