What is Fly Fishing

By: Angus MacLeod

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).

It is reasonable to assume that fish have been a useful source of food for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, from around 2,000BC, show men fishing from boats. Unfortunately we can not determine if this was for food or just sport. However we do know that the Ancient Romans used fly fishing techniques as it is documented that they used artificial flies.

Fly fishing involves a great deal of skill on the part of the angler who uses an artificial fly, attached to the end of a line which is fixed to a fly fishing rod. The fly is cast into the water to attract the attention of fish who, hopefully, will bite the fly and be caught on the hook. The angler then works to pull the fish to the shore, sometimes the fish manages to escape but, if the angler is skilful, he should be able to land his fish after a brief struggle.

In the United Kingdom fly fishing was mainly enjoyed in Northern England and Scotland. Queen Victoria visited Scotland frequently and, almost single handedly, helped create that nation's tourist industry. Many of the members of 'polite society' partook in many of the sports available in Scotland which included hunting and fishing. Fly fishing was the main method used to catch fine specimens of salmon and trout which was often preserved and displayed proudly in upper class homes across Great Britain.

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.

As well as the massive choice of fly patterns used in fly fishing flies there are also different types. The main two types of fly are wet flies and dry flies. Dry flies are used on the surface of the water so that they resemble such things as landing insects or an insect in the process of submerging or emerging from the water. Alternatively a wet fly can be used which is allowed to sink down in to the water to resemble water creatures and small fish in an attempt to attract the fishes attention.

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.retirementlivingarticledirectory.com

Angus MacLeod, copywriter for various websites with his main interests being golf and fishing, especially when in fishing in Scotland.

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