TR: Sylk

"snakefiddler" wrote...


(i'm so jealous)

Don't be - you're on the right track. It takes a short while to get
comfortable with all the mechanics; things like casting technique, having
the right fly at the right time and place, having go-to flies that you have
confidence in, tying on a finer tippet on the spot, finding the best rod(s)
for your casting style and fishing conditions, etc., etc.

Once you don't have to think about the tackle and technique, you can just
wade along, going with the flow, not really being concerned about catching a
fish, but rather, just making the proper presentation at the proper place -
that's what it's really all about in the end. Flyfishing is like stalking
the fish in it's own element, pretending to be a tiny insect, searching out
all the places a fish might hide or feed, never revealing oneself, never
coming out of character as an insect, until the fish makes its play for the
bait. The tackle stuff becomes second nature, force of habit, while you
concentrate on being a mayfly riding the current, or a catapillar that's
fallen from an overhanging branch into a shaded pool, or a fingerling that's
gotten confused at the seam between fast and slow currents.

IMO, a lot of tackle stuff is just a matter of finding out what works best
for you and the conditions you fish. Fanny pack or vest? All-around weight
like 5 or 6, or a 3 weight for small streams and an 8 weight for the river?
Waders or wade wet? Scotch or Bourbon? Practice & experience will quickly
get you to the point where you'll have a day when it all comes together
almost magically, and from then on you'll have it.

Timothy Juvenal