When speaking of fly fishing many people imagine picture of fisher that have waded in water wearing a wading pants and fishing west who moves fly fishing line acrobatically through the air with fly fishing rod. Although fly fishing can be like that at best it is very simple and easy when you assimilate few essentials. A fly usually imitates a small insect, so it is naturally challenging to cast just a light fly. In fly fishing you cast a line and not particularly the fly that have been attached to line with trace line. Handling a fly fishing line is quite equal to handling a rope. Although fly fishing is at best with proper equipment, it is possible to fly fish with low budget with just a rod and a line in end of the pier.
In fly fishing (like in every other fishing method) the size of the equipment is in proportion to pursued fish and its size. Rule of thumb – for large and strong fish heavy equipment and for smaller fish lighter equipment is valid in fly fishing too. Fly fishing rods are classified from 1 (the lightest) all the way to 14 (the heaviest) class what are used to catch the largest fish in ocean such as blue marlin. Lighter equipment can be handled by young people too, but the heavier rods require strength in caster´s wrist. The most used classes in Finland are 5-8 sized rods. The lighter ones are used to fish brown trout and grayling, and the size 8 rod is suitable for pike and salmon fishing. It is possible to catch every fish with fly fishing and it is not strange at all to pursue perch, roach or even bleak in your summer cottage´s pier. This is the charm of fly fishing. You are a bit closer to nature because you must know pursued fish´s nutrition and behavior during the fishing season.
The most challenging part in fly fishing is to get a fly near to targeted catch. For that you use a rod and suitable weight line. The rod is used for extension of an arm to speed up the line and get a bit wider arc. Fly fishing rod is also sensitive and flexible and it allows to store the power of arm movement for a moment.
There are multiple ways to cast a fly fishing line yet the basic principle is always the same. Friction of a water, weight of line, and the movement of an arm makes the rod bend and store power in it, which is released when the line rise from water. Then the power stored in a rod throws the line carrying a fly whom fisher directs to location of a fish.
The line can be also casted in the air. In this style the friction of water is not used but it is replaced with kinetic energy made by back and forth flying line. Right timed Interception of the rod, continuation movement of the line, and a stiff wrist charges the rod´s spring. By loading the spring even more with hand movement to opposite side the line is easily casted even on twenty meters away.
All of this might sound hard but with the competent guide´s lead even the beginners can be introduced to a few easy casts and thus be enjoying the pleasure from controlling the fishing equipment. Not to mention that feeling when a fish is fighting on a sensitive and responsive rod. When that fish slides to a hand net a lifelong memory have originated.
