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Fly fishing, in all it’s variations and sub-areas (casting, fly tying, etc), centres around a single goal - To successfully tempt a fish (Most commonly a trout) to take an artificial fly as a food item. Sighting, hooking, playing and landing the fish are also important parts of the successful fishing experience, not to mention being able to get the fly to the fish in the first place, by the unique casting methods utilized solely in fly fishing.
However, along with all that work, and the practice of the skills involved in bringing it all together at that crucial moment, comes that pivotal element of convincing the fish that what they are considering is indeed food-like in nature. Without this key element, we can forget the rest, and this is the one step of the exercise which is dependant upon the decision of the fish, rather than ourselves.
In this, fly fishermen spend untold amounts of time researching, studying, and imitating countless insect types in aid of presenting a believable decoy to their quarry. We tie our flies, the fish takes it, our efforts paid off, right?
But is everything as it seems? Did we deceive the fish for exactly the reasons we thought?
Although there are many factors involved in getting that fly to a timid fish, and fly fishing itself was obviously designed around overcoming all of those obstacles, considering it’s significance, understanding the ‘Feeding behaviour’ of the trout has probably taken somewhat of a back seat, compared to some of the other areas or skills of fly fishing, we fishermen often seem to focus our efforts on.
The feeding behaviour of trout is the sum of two main factors:
Firstly, through the fry and fingerling stages of development, the identification of specific ‘Food Recognition Keys’ are ingrained resulting from the repetitive feeding pattern of their natural survival instincts.
Secondly, as they get larger, they can manage larger diet articles. Supplementary behaviour is then learned out of a reactive response to the local fauna they find in the area where they are hatched or released. Local knowledge is naturally beneficial here and this is normally what we focus on when fly fishing.
The behavioural patterns of trout vary significantly between the species, the size and the circumstances in which they are found. Trout habits also change through different times of the day, and again depending on weather conditions. Feeding habits and behaviours also change between faster and slower waters, and so on.
As in most types of fishing, there is not just one single or simple answer. If there was, it would have been made common knowledge, a long time ago. What this does tell us, is that to increase our odds of convincing the trout of the validity of our fly, it’s going to be far more beneficial to concentrate on presenting specific ‘Recognition keys’, which remain consistent, rather than the far more subjective; ‘Circumstance-specific learned behaviour’ which will often vary greatly from fish to fish, and particularly from place to place.
There are many pieces to this puzzle. The more pieces you can find, understand and put together, the more it multiplies your fly fishing results. What this methodology does do for us especially, is simplify and sharpen our learning curve by quite an incredible degree.
Therefore, instead of studying dozens, even hundreds or more, of insects and the flies designed to imitate them, I’ve found that in nearly all circumstances, you need only a few fly patterns, each designed to do a specific job in the varying circumstances found on the stretch of water you’re fishing.
Trout Flies then induce fish ‘Takes’ by the use of food ‘Recognition Keys,’ rather than by intended imitation. For this method then, local knowledge becomes relatively irrelevant.
This means flies do not need to imitate anything to catch trout. What!?! Say that again.- Flies do not need to imitate anything to catch trout. Certainly nothing specific anyway.
Flies can then be tied to counter stream or water conditions, or to counter, and or take advantage of, various aspects of trout behaviour. This, then (Not being restricted by specific imitation), opens up possibilities for us to incorporate the use of innovative strategies, tactics and trout fly construction, to give ourselves a far greater edge than previously thought possible.
The more time we have spent fishing with incorrect or insufficient knowledge, the more time you have spent developing the mindset that the trout is a vastly superior, cunning and unpredictable adversary, and results like mine become seemingly unattainable, and without such knowledge becoming available, the practical reality remains precisely that.
Normally it takes years of studying these fish, trial and error with different fly patterns, different fishing techniques, different innovative designs and methods with the right focus to get to a place where you understand these creatures adequately for the outstanding results we normally only see the Pro’s achieving.
Fortunately, with the right focus, we can now be achieving much greater success in much shorter time frames by understanding and taking advantage of these ‘Recognition keys’, combined with other behavioural patterns of the trout species we are targeting and just some basic skills of fly fishing.
Wayne Smith, author of the acclaimed ‘Fly Fishing For Trout - A Quiet Revolution’ which can be found here:
Fly Fishing
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The Labor day weekend has passed, and I was lucky enough to spend one of the days on the Rogue River here in Oregon.
Not getting to be a “tourist” in my own backyard very often, we treated ourselves to an exciting day on one of the jetboats that travel down and up the middle section of the Rogue below Grants Pass.
This is a bit of a change in river travel for me, as my usual mode of travel is either in a driftboat, walking, or rafting.
The jetboats offer a fast lane adventure-usually for tourists with limited time, and looking for the “Readers Digest” version of exploration on the Rogue. We had company visiting and since fishing is not an interest of theirs, this was the perfect trip for them to get to know the Rogue River a little better.
First off, let me say the trip is really enjoyable and exciting, with even the old and young whooping and smiling enthusiastically as the jetboats go into their patended 360 degree spins that almost always leave the passengers soaked, giggling, and begging for more spins. In fact, if someone was to start an operation of “mad tea cups” that could spin endlessly up and downstream, they would assuredly be filled with happy customers.
Puking customers– but happy!!
The trips are also very informative, with the knowledgable guides/ boat drivers giving history, pointing out wildlife and entertaining everybody with some canned “diatribes” that you would expect from this form of river entertainment.
” Yeah, I once had a Dallas Cowboy fan on board-who kept giving me an earful. I told him I would get even with him, and when I flew under this flock of Canada Goose… well they let go right on HIM….can you believe it?”….
We saw Otter, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Herons, Egrets, Deer, Ducks, Geese, and million dollar homes with park like settings.
We also saw Salmon and Salmon fishermen.
Being in the midst of the fall Salmon run on the Rogue, we encountered fishermen the entire trip. The drivers are very courteous and always slow their 1100 horsepower motors to an idle as they pass. This helps to keep a very shaky co-existence between non-motorized boats, bank fishermen and motorized boats at a balance that even the United Nations would admire.
They of course don’t tell you this on the trip, but there are some “turf wars” when it comes to river use.
Jetboats have operated on the Rogue River for a number of years-in fact- a lot longer than I have been in these parts- and there has always been some conflict between fishermen and the boats that fly up and down the river at ninety miles an hour!
I have read passages in older “river books” that talk about fishermen getting “swamped” or “bankies” hurling lead weights as the jetboats streaked by.
Everyone claimed”they owned the river”.
Arguments always ensued over the importance of jobs and tourist dollars, versus fishing rights and effect on the Salmon.
By past standards, todays co-existence is mild and really quite civil.
More than once we would pass fishermen who would either have a fish mid battle or would hoist a nice 40 pound fall Salmon into the air, drawing applause and admiration from the jetboat crowd.
I could hear some of the “tourists” exclaiming how great it was to see the highly regarded Salmon being caught by these hearty river souls. Of course a lot of them didn’t know that a portion of these fish are snagged and harvested illegally.
Having just returned from Alaska, where snagging is legal(from the gill plate forward) and is considered standard fishing practice, it was interesting to see the different mindset between the Alaskan rivers dwellers and the” lower 48″ river dweller.
Our guide/driver more than once commented on the snagging going on and the illegal harvesting they see every day on their trips up and down the river. He even spun the boat around once so we could see a drift fisherman net a “foul hooked” fish that he correctly predicted would not be landed until we were out of view. That way the fisherman could keep the snagged fish and brag about his fishing prowess back at work on Tuesday!!
He was right on!
The only issue I had with this “holier than thou–I’m a fish conservationist attitude” was that: here you have a 1100 horsepower,ninety mile an hour,wake producing water rocket traveling up and down the river–sometimes in six inches of water– calling out these fishermen, without also saying that the cause and effect of these powerboats are sometimes not in the best interest of the migrating fish either!!
More than once in the history of jetboats, nice bright chrome Salmon and Steelhead have been “ambushed” by powerboats leaving them with more than a headache and causing them to float to the surface with an aborted spawning effort.
Dead fish don’t spawn.
As a card carrying fish thumper, it would be hypocritical of me to overly critical of the jetboats-but it would be nice if they presented the facts IN FULL , to their customers, especially since most are “out of the area” tourists.
My guess, is that jetboats have been the cause of more dead fish than the “average Joe” who occasionally snags a Salmon and whacks him on the head. Of course, I still don’t condone snagging.
—————————–
I read the morning newspaper today, and an article mentioned that the prospect of “wild Salmon” disappearing in the next century was almost assured. It also mentioned that even if we that live in the areas where Salmon have historically carried out their time honored traditions of — river-sea-river lifecycles–, were to become good stewards of rivers and tributaries, we might still not be able to reverse the inevitable loss of one of the most admired creatures on this planet.
Pretty bleak–and I hope we prove the “experts” wrong!!
What is the answer??
Don’t ask me– but I hope the conflict between jetboat, fisherman and “wild fish, remains a problem forever….. because that means we will still have the wild Salmon to fret over..
A.J. Klott
Author, writer of fishing humor,and “fly tack” peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and modern day events that surround the fishing world. His first book is due out in December of 2005.
If you need a laugh or a fun gift, visit his website at:
http://www.twoguyswithflys.com
Great fishing supplies are important when it comes to enjoying your day and catching fish.
You can’t expect the catch fish and have a great day if you don’t have the neccesary tools and equipment that you need.
You need the right gear including rods and reels, to lines, lures, sunglasses and tackle box.
And with the help of the Internet you’re in luck with the ability to find some great deals on quality equipment.
A weekend warrior with the most advanced, most pricey equipment won’t do well on the lake if he or she doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Fish can practically smell inexperience, and they’ll walk all over you–or swim, in their case–if you can’t fish worth a darn.
The key is to get some ‘practise’.
Get in some fishing time whenever and wherever you can.
No matter if it’s off a dock on the bay or thigh-high in high tide in the Atlantic, cast away whenever you can find the time. Just like any athletic pursuit or hobby, practice combined with the best fishing supplies makes for perfect angling.
Try to learn as much about fishing as you can, too.
Instead of running off on your own, try to fish with buddies have experience and regularly go fishing.
Or fish near a few total strangers and pick their brain while you’re fishing.
And while you’re not talking with them, keep your eyes open and see what they do.
Observe their techniques. Check out what equipment and bait they use.
And watch what kind of fish they’re catching.
Finally, keep track of yourself.
Keep track in your mind what kind of lure you’re using at all times, what kind of bait you’re using, what the weather conditions are and what kind of fish you’re catching, or not catching.
You will start to see the that some days are a success and some days aren’t, but as long as you learn something, you’re getting better. Fishing, you see, is much more than just about sitting around, talking and drinking beer.
You also need practice, a sharp mind for it, and the right fishing equipment and fishing gear.
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