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Informative Essay: Why Fly Fishing Is A Technical Sport

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Fly Fishing The act of fishing is to catch fish either for food or sport. There are various types of fishing; one of those types being fly fishing. Fly fishing dates further back to the second century, and is popular in modern day. The sport requires specific equipment including a fly rod, reel, and flies. Fly fishing is a method of angling a long rod to cast artificial flies that imitate the natural food sources of fish. Unlike spin fishing which uses light weight line and a heavy lure, fly fishing requires a heavy line to propel the light fly forward. Fly fishing is a technical sport that gives angler the ability to make decisions and apply skills to receive a one of a kind experience. It is not certain where fly fishing originated, but …show more content…

The basics include, rod, reel, line, and flies. The jobs of the fly rod include getting the fly to the fish, setting the hook, fighting the fish, and lifting the fish (Kaminsky 23). Rods are available in different weights and sizes to perform specific tasks. Fly rods are typically seven to eleven feet in length and made of carbon fiber, bamboo, or fibreglass (Petri). Unlike typical fishing poles, fly rods arrive in pieces and are fitted together when in use. Fly rods are built in short sections that fit together at intersections called ferrules. Snake guides located along the length of the rod help the line run straight and true with the least amount of friction. On the tip top is another round guide that directs the line outwards. Towards the bottom of the rod is the grip, where the angler holds the rod. The grip is typically made out of cork which offers friction for good contact. Finally, below the grip is the reel seat. The reel seat is the section that holds the reel to the rod (Kaminsky 21). The three most common reel seats include, the cork and ring, down locking, and up locking (Kaminsky 39). The main job of the ree is to store line. Before reels, the angler fished with a fixed length of line. The reel enables the fly to reach farther and the fish to run great distances before tiring. The basic fly reel is a single-action meaning that one turn of the crank handle equals …show more content…

Flies are the a fly fisher’s equivalent to the spin fisher’s lure. Flies imitate different living things to scheme a fish into taking the bait. Originally, the fly was a simple bit of leather and fur on a hook that imitated a mayfly and used to catch trout (Kaminsky 57). Presently, fly fishers angle for a variety of fish species. The term fly not only refers to insects, but also imitations of crawfish, frogs, mice, shrimp, and many others. Three basic fly types include dry, wet, and streamer. Dry flies float on top of the water and is preferred by trout anglers. The traditional dry fly is composed of a tail, body, and wing. The tail is made of hackle that allows the fly to float. Composing the body of the fly is fur wound around a hook with silk thread. Finally, the wing is built with soft body feathers of a wood duck (Kaminsky 94). While dry flies are meant to float on top of the water, we flies sink below the surface. The classic wet fly is constructed with the same parts as a dry fly, but the wing lays flat. Also, the hackle softer so that the wet fly rides in or under the film (Kaminsky 95). Finally, streamers are constructed as the basic imitation of small fish. Streamer patterns started out as a pair of feathers tied lengthwise along the shaft of a hook. More developed streamers include hackle feathers wound around the head of the hook to give the fly a lifelike motion in the water

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