An Inroduction To Fly Fishing
The sport of fly fishing has long been enjoyed by men. From the middle ages fly fishing publications started to appear and a book by Juliana Berners, who was a nun, covered the topic well and included some of the fly patterns which must have been in use at the time (15th century).
Man has caught fish for food for thousands of years using a variety of fishing equipment such as rods, hooks, nets and spears. Images of men fishing appear in the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics but this was most probably for food rather than pleasure. The Ancient Romans were known to enjoy various sports and it is recorded that they employed the use of artificial flies to catch fish. It is, therefore, highly likely that they enjoyed the sport of fly fishing.
Various pieces of equipment are used in fly fishing. The most important items are the artificial fly, rod, reel and line. The fly is fixed to one end of the line with the rest wound onto the reel which is attached to the rod. There is a large element of skill in fly fishing as various fly patterns and fly casts are used to entice the fish to bite. Even landing the fish involves great skill and many fish manage to escape the inexperienced angler.
Scotland is an excellent place to visit and a superb destination for a fly fishing vacation. It was Queen Victorias love of Scotland that helped create the region's early tourist industry. High on the agenda for the visiting upper classes was the excellent sport which included stag hunting and fly fishing. Many photographs and picture postcards of the day show visitors proudly showing their day's catch and other aspects of the sport, an especially popular image was a solitary angler enjoying his sport on one of the many Scottish lochs and rivers that are famous for their superb salmon and trout.
The first fly fishing equipment was produced by hand by highly skilled and deeply knowledgeable individuals. By the 19th century a small cottage industry had developed to fulfill the needs of anglers. Handmade equipment is always expensive and finely crafted and superbly balanced rods and reels from that period are still in great demand today and prove very popular items in auctions.
Another item used during the 19th century which is still used today is the fly fishing fly, or, more specifically, the fly pattern. Flies are made from many different materials, during that time they were natural materials such as fur, feathers and horse hair, but today we also use artificial materials. However some of the very earliest fly patterns prove so effective in catching fish that those patterns still remain popular today.
There are two distinctive types of fly fishing flies, wet flies and dry flies. Wet flies are those types that are allowed to sink into the water. As such flies can often appear, in the eyes of the fish, as small underwater creatures or small fish, they can, if used correctly, be an incredibly effective fly. On the other hand dry flies are those types that are not allowed to sink and remain floating on the surface. Appearing to fish as an insect that has just landed or fallen onto the water, or even looking like an insect emerging from the water, such flies are excellent when used by the hands of a skillful angler who understands how to cast properly.
The fly fishing industry is now huge and one of the most lucrative areas of business is in the provision of fly fishing vacations. Some areas of America offer some of the finest fishing grounds in the word but it is to Europe that many anglers look when asked where they would like to visit most. On the top of most lists are the salmon rivers of Scotland where there are a number of absolutely amazing salmon runs. As well as salmon, trout is also highly popular and a great many lochs are well stocked with trout and other fish just perfect for all types of angler.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
Angus MacLeod, copywriter for various websites with his main interests being golf and fly fishing, especially when in fishing in Scotland.
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by: AngusMacLeod
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