Fly Fishing: The Differences Of Fly Fishing And Fishing Methods

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Fly fishing is a fishing experience that is unlike any other. Being up in the clear mountain waters just casting away, time flies faster than ever. Even on a day when the fish aren't biting, and it just seems like the nothing can go right, just being there is enough to pass the day. Then there are those days when catching a fish is effortless, every knot that is tied is perfect, and every cast is better than the last one; those are the days that are unforgettable. There have been times when it seems as if it is getting dark after just a few casts. Fly fishing is something that everyone should try. Fly fishing and spin fishing, how are they different; how are they similar? Fly fishing is the casting of artificial flies that come in all styles …show more content…

“The only real similarity between the two is that they both catch fish. However, that is where the similarities stop”(“The Difference Between...”). This means that everything else is different in its own way. Fly fishing is different from spin fishing in its techniques, baits, and equipment. The first difference between fly-fishing and spin fishing is in their techniques. The first technique is casting. Fly fishing uses a method of casting called the overhand cast. In a recent interview with my mentor Bobby Buff he said that, “Unlike when using a regular spinning rod, where the weight of the bait is used to cast the line; when casting a fly rod, the weight of the line is used to cast the bait", By using back and forward motion in order to create a loop in the line, which in turn unrolls on the forward cast; this cast can be hard for some people to learn to do properly; casting is best approached and practiced with a professional instructor, school, or a proficient friend (Jardine 159). Spin casting, as stated before uses the weight of the bait to cast the line. …show more content…

Fly rods are drastically different from spinning rods. Fly rods can be as big a 12 feet long. The longer the rod they farther you can cast. Fly rods are categorized into weight classes. These weight classes determine the sizes and the weight of the rod; the weights range from a 0-weight, all the way to a 14-weight rod; 0 being the smallest and 14 being the biggest; the lower the number on the rod the lighter the rod; they are also more flexible than longer rods; the average trout fisherman uses somewhere between a 3-weight to a 5-weight rod, depending on the size of fish they are trying to catch (Jardine 53-59). Catching a larger fish on a smaller weight rod takes practice, in that fly rods are very delicate. Fly rods will break very easily if too much pressure is put on the tip of the rod, but if used properly will last a lifetime (Jardine 53). On the other hand, spinning rods are quite sturdy. Most all spinning rods are in the six to eight-foot length. Longer rods are typically stiffer than shorter rods. Spinning rods and fly rods come in three different actions: slow, medium, and fast. Slow action rods are more flexible towards the middle of the rod; medium action rods are a less flexible in the middle and start bending three-fourths of the way up the rod fast action rods are stiff most of the way up the rod and are flexible at about the last two feet of the rod (Jardine 53). When

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