Fly Fishing
From OKFC Wiki
[edit] Introduction
We get a lot of questions from folks interested in getting into fly fishing. This article is designed to give a basic overview and some of my personal opinions and techniques for fly fishing from a kayak. Like all the articles in this Wiki, it is designed to give you a nudge in the right direction but it is by no means exhaustive or meant to be authoritative. YMMV. -Medicine Man-
[edit] The History of Fly Fishing
The practice and perhaps "art" of flyfishing goes back thousands of years and may very well be the very first type of "hook and line" fishing early humans developed. There is evidence of fly fishing from the earliest archaeological records of human civilization. There are many historians who are steeped in the lore of fly fishing history. I am not one of them:) So I will defer to the experts, but for a whimsical, humorous but informative site on this subject I will point you to this site: Fly Fishing History
[edit] The Concept of Fly Fishing
Fly fishing differs from conventional spinning or casting tackle in a number of significant ways. The goal is still the same, that of delivering the lure to the intended target. However, the mechanism of spinning tackle uses the flex and bend of the rod (the "load" of the rod) to propel the lure using the weight of the lure to make the cast. You are in effect, casting the lure with the stored energy in your rod to the target.
In fly fishing, the lures themselves are of relatively insignificant weight. In the case of fly fishing the "load" of the rod is actually propelling or more accurately "unfurling" the flyline towards the target to which the fly is affixed. So in a sense you are "casting the line" as opposed to "casting the lure". This metaphor has it's limitations so don't get too hung up on it. Suffice to say that it is a very different way to deliver the lure which requires a whole different set of mechanics in the casting stroke.
Fly fishing presents a much more complex set of variables to deal with during the cast and requires more coordination to accomplish successfully. But the really good fly casters share one common trait, they can effortlessly deliver accurate casts at will.
It is said that you can learn the basics of fly casting in just a couple of hours but spend the rest of your life "perfecting" your cast. There is a certain "knack" for fly casting that needs to be developed and comes along at some point for anyone learning the sport. At some point you are struggling trying to remember everything and get it all together but then something just clicks and it starts to make sense.
Fly casting relies not on brute force but rather on timing and pace.
[edit] But why Fly Fishing vs. other types....?
There is definitely a handicap when you compare the effectiveness of fly fishing with say spin fishing. You can cast farther, react faster, throw a wider variety of lures, not have to deal with line management issues, spend less money on gear, and have a MUCH lower learning curve using spinning tackle. Add to this mix the additional layer of complexity and challenges that fly fishing from a kayak presents you have to ask the question why would anyone in their right mind go out and INTENTIONALLY make our sport at least 5-6x more challenging? Well there are many answers to this question and I'm sure mine is not universal. But for me, overcoming all these challenges is something of a test of character and although I am often tripping up over myself and squarely mired in the foibles of fly fishing from my kayak, there are those moments when everything comes together, my casting stroke is perfectly timed as I lay out my flyline in a perfectly tight loop. Time slows down and my vision narrows as I watch my fly line slowly unfurl towards my target then gently lays the fly down in front of it's nose with barely a ripple and I see a mouth come up and engulf the fly as I come tight with my "strip strike". That's just like magic, a zen moment, a gestalt, a revelation that's impossible to describe until you've experienced it.
On a practical level, there are occasions when fly fishing can have an advantage over conventional fishing, most notably in the ability to throw smaller profile baits at fish, it's much easier to downsize flies to match the hatch than with conventional gear. Also it's easier to deliver a soft and finesse presentation to spooky fish with a fly than with even the smallest of soft plastics.
[edit] What will a decent setup cost me?
This is probably the most frequent question I get asked and I remember when I was the one asking this question not too long ago and having to pick my jaw up off the floor when I got the answer:) So be forewarned.....!
Fly fishing gear ranges in prices from under $100 for a complete setup to people who routinely fish with a $1500 rod and reel combo in their hands. There are some fly reels that cost upwards of $1200 just for the reel! (These are super beefed up reels for chasing Marlin and such)
But comparatively speaking, a mid-range setup will cost considerably more than a similar setup in conventional gear. WHY you may ask....since a fly reel has a whole lot less moving parts than a spinning reel, and most of the labor (once tooled up) is done on a CNC machine with a push of a button?
Well, there are two tangible factors I can touch on here, first being that a premium fly reel is built to tighter tolerances than other type of gear, thus more goes into the tooling effort and subsequent need to recoup tooling costs. Secondly and probably a more significant factor is the economy of scale. There are simply WAY more Shimano Stradics sold in the USA than Tibor Everglades fly reels......by an exponential margin!
There are also some intangible factors that drive up cost, such as the fact that fly fishing has traditionally (in the last few decades) been a sport primarily of the affluent. Pricing will find an equilibrium at what the market will bear. If the fly rod market will think nothing of spending $700 on a premium fly rod then that's where you will find the largest market share of the major builders.
Having said that, the current trend is towards more affordable yet extremely high quality gear. Now more than ever you can find very well made fly rods with great actions for a LOT less than $700! (But it's still going to be more than spinning!:)
So with that backdrop, my recommendation is to plan to spend at least $300-$350 for a complete, ready to fish setup. This includes rod, reel, fly line, fly line backing, leaders and some starter flies. But BassPro has complete rigs for $99? Why not one of those? Well certainly you can start with something like this but for fishing in saltwater you will be lucky to get one season out of it before it starts falling apart due to corrosion. And boy I sure don't want to be around you when you lose your first ever redfish on fly because the drag on your cheapo reel froze up and you broke the leader:) Seriously, the main part of this budget goes into investing in a decent reel. Especially when it comes to kayak fishing. I prefer a reel with a sealed drag system because it's going to spend a lot of time sloshing around on the deck of your kayak.
Also, I would highly recommend investing in at least a preliminary fly casting lesson. Most boutique fly shops will throw this in for free if you buy an outfit from them. (see below links under "Flyfishing Resources")
[edit] Fly Fishing from a Kayak - Special considerations
If you've gotten through this article up to this point and haven't been scared off and are still interested then read on!
Casting from a Kayak
Fly fishing from a kayak presents several additional challenges to an already challenging endeavor. The flycasting stroke involves several components but for the time being let's just consider two of them. The "backcast" where the fly line is cast behind you to "load" the the rod and the forward cast, where the line is propelled forward.
For a right handed caster, most instructors would have you stand at a 45 degree angle to the direction you are casting so that you would have your left foot forward and right foot back. During the cast, you are leveraging your body motion to assist in the cast by rocking and shifting the weight between your front and back feet.
Now imagine you are sitting in a chair facing forward with both feet on the ground. Imagine trying to cast now, without the benefit of being able to shift your weight or the benefit of letting your arm and shoulder move in a more natural "cross-body" movement. All of a sudden you have shifted your cast to a whole different muscle group and you no longer have the leverage you did when standing and the bulk of the cast is carried in your arm and upper shoulder. It's much more difficult to get distance this way and much easier to over strain your arm or shoulder and cause injury.
The obvious way to overcome this handicap is to learn to stand up in your kayak, but having only recently learned to do this myself I realize that this might be even more daunting than learning to fly fish!
While I spend most of the time I fly fish standing up in my kayak, there are a couple of little tricks I've used to allow me to cast sitting down with more ease and effectiveness. I won't match the distance I can get casting standing up but I CAN get the line out there enough to reach fish!
First thing I do is to try to align my body so that I can simulate the 45 degree angle feet placement of the standing position. I do this by throwing my right leg over the side of the yak. This automatically turns my body. Secondly, I try to sit very high up straight so that I'm not leaning or supporting my back or lower back with the seat. I want all my weight to be on my buttocks. Once I can get into this "high center of gravity" position I can shift my weight somewhat from side to side as I make my casts to restore some of the leverage I've lost between sitting and standing.
Now, I've seen some experienced casters sit leaning back in a relaxed position and to carry a ton of fly line in the air and make long beautiful, effortless casts with pinpoint accuracy from a kayak but that's not me:) I only mention it to point out that there's more than one way to skin the cat, these are just some things that I do which may or may not work for you. Don't be discouraged if they don't. Keep experiementing and trying different things!
Line Management in a Kayak
As we've already discussed, fly fishing entails using the stored energy in the rod to cast out or "unfurl" the fly line towards the target.
On a conventional reel the line is stored on the reel and when the lure is cast the inertia of the traveling lure pulls the line with it.
In fly fishing you must first "strip" out the amount of line you intend to cast and lay it in loose coils in front of you. Then during the cast you will "shoot" this line out through the guides during the cast. While we won't cover the mechanics of casting in this article the pertinent issue is that you will always want to have line stripped out ready to cast in the type of sight fishing we do. You don't want to be spotting a redfish, then busily trying to strip out enough line to start false casting to get the line out to the fish. The inshore fishing style we use for sightfishing redfish is very "tactical". We need to be as ready as we can be to make a cast as the opportunities present themselves. What we don't want to be doing is untangling our loops of fly line or stripping out enough to cast or doing anything that subtracts from the very short window of opportunity we have to make a cast after spotting a fish.
Fly fishing on a skiff where you are being poled along, the general practice is to strip all the line you need to cast out and lay it on the deck of the skiff in loose coils, or lay it all in a special "stripping basket' that prevents tangles. Then you hold the fly and leader in your free hand with about 10ft or so of flyline outside the tip of the rod. Once a fish is sighted or called out by the guy on the poling platform, you make a quick roll cast to get your line going, make one false cast to generate line speed then "shoot" the line to the target. That's about all the time you have.
(For an excellent instructional video outlining this process click on this link to Capt. Chris Myer's website.
Capt. Chris Myers on getting ready for the cast
But in a kayak, first of all, there's not very much deck space and what space there is, usually is cluttered with all kinds of things that can tangle, snag or otherwise catch a flyline! Secondly, there's no one poling you a long, so you still have to put your flyrod down to paddle but have it as ready as possible to pick up and cast.
What I have had to do in order to accommodate fly fishing out of my kayak was re-arrange and de-clutter the whole boat in front of me. I've removed my forward rod holder and mounts, I've changed the way I use my GPS and no longer have it on a RAM mount in front of me, and I no longer keep any tackle or tools in the seat well or deck of my boat. I've moved everything to the back of the boat behind me but still within easy reach to keep the deck in front of me as clear as possible. Now of course it's not 100% free of things to catch my line on but a few minor adjustments and modifications have made a great improvement. If it is impossible for you to modify the way your kayak is rigged to clean up deck space then another alternative is to carry a bath towel with you and lay it over the front of your deck when you get ready to fly fish covering anything that might snag or tangle your line. Then as you strip it back in (or strip it out) you can lay the coils on top of the towel which also functions as a friction pad to help your pile of line not blow off the side of the boat into the water.
Another alternative (if your kayak can accommodate it) is to use a "stripping basket" to hold your fly line in on the deck of your boat. Once again, you will need to figure out what works best for your boat.
Now, if we go back to the "at the ready" scenario outlined above (in the video and in my scenario where you're on the deck of a boat being poled along) you are holding in one hand, your fly and perhaps also your leader. You have some 10 feet or so of line out of the tip of your rod and you have the rest of the line you need to cast stripped out in front of you ready to go. In a kayak, you don't have enough hands to do all this and still paddle or pole yourself along.
What I do is I put a rubber band around the grip of my fly rod in front of where I hold the rod. Not real tight, in fact a little loose is good. Then I get myself in the "ready" position with my line, my leader and my fly. Then I take the line and leader portion that's hanging outside the rod tip and loosely tuck it in under the rubber band. This keeps everything out and ready to go but at the same time not flopping around in the boat getting tangled up. I put the fly on the forward hatch of my boat. If I see a fish, I can lay the paddle down, pick up my rod, quickly pop the slack line out of the rubber band retainer and make my roll cast. The fly, if it's in the right place on the forward hatch, will roll right off the hatch and be in the air before I'm finished picking up the rod. This process is still being fine tuned but what seemed like an impossible amount of variables to manage when I started doing this, has turned into a working system for me with some persistence.
[edit] What are some gear recommendations you can make?
When it comes to fly gear, the rod and line are designated by "weight". I'm sure you have heard reference to a "3-weight" setup for trout or a "5-weight" setup for panfish. For the types and sizes of fish that we target here inshore "generally" they can be covered by 7 through 9 weight setups. Of course, there are exceptions, I like to throw a 6 weight in the dead of winter when the fish can be played more without danger to their survivability. And if there's a chance you will encounter larger tarpon (~100lbs) you might want to bring a 10 or 11 weight to the gunfight. But for the most part, what dictates the weight of the rod used has more to do with the size of the fly you want to throw rather the size quarry you are after. For instance, if you want to throw larger, bulky and heavy crab patterns that sink fast for giant black drum in the winter time in 3-4 ft of water, it may be tough to try that with a 7 weight as the line doesn't have enough "carrying power" to keep that big of a fly in the air. You would be better off fishing a 9 even though a 7 may be enough stick to fight the fish effectively.
For your first inshore saltwater fly fishing outfit an 8 weight is probably the most popular and most versatile size and a good place to start. It's got enough backbone to fight even the largest bull red or black drum effectively on the flats yet is nimble enough to throw all day without getting overly tired. It can throw up to moderately weighted flies (clouser deep minnows, etc.) and in the hands of a skilled caster even larger and bulkier flies.
As for which brand of rod and reel are good, there are really many very good brands and as I mentioned earlier there is a trend towards more affordable gear with the same performance characteristics of their costlier counterparts. I will mention only a few of the brands here that I have personal experience with.
Reels
I mentioned earlier that I prefer a reel with a sealed drag system because letting a reel's drag mechanism slosh around in the deck of a wet kayak is not the best thing for it. Lamson is one of the handful of brands that has entry to mid-level offerings with a sealed drag. In fact, the beauty of the Lamson reels is that even their most inexpensive reel has the identical sealed drag and components as their top of the line. So even with an entry level reel for ~$125 you get the same sealed drag as their $750 reels. The best value in the Lamson line are the Lamson Konic and Lamson Guru. You may be able to find some of the discontinued Lamson Radius models in closout outlets here and there and they can be a terrific buy.
Orvis is a well known name in the fly business and has been around forever. As to flyfishing they are primarily known for their premium fly rods that remain very popular (and pricey). However, they also make the Battenkill series of fly reels that are a terrific value and very popular as a real that won't break the bank
Another inexpensive but decent reel is Albright Tackles GPX reel. (I'd avoid the less expensive models in the Albright line for saltwater) Very smooth drag and is often on sale direct for around $100.
Moving up the food chain a bit to the mid-range fly reel offerings is Galvan reels. Innovative, super light weight, very smooth performers. I am personally fishing Galvan Torque model on one of my 8 weights. I love it.
Also in the mid--to-upper level range is Nautilus reels. Formerly "Old Florida Fly Reels" they have a great series of reels with sealed drags.
A relative newcomer to the industry and not very well known due to his "small shop" operation is Bob Filger's Colton Fly rod and reels. Bob has a direct sale business model and offers some extremely well made rods and reels at very reasonable prices. I fish a Colton CRG reel as well as one of his new Torrent models. Both are excellent reels. You can also find his outlet store on Ebay with some terrific buys on his closeouts. Bob is also very accessible and loves to talk shop about his products if you call him.
Tibor reels are the top of the line, cream of the crop, best of breed industry standard. Tibor Reels are expensive, exclusive, but worth every penny if you can afford it. Exquisitely made and built like a brick outhouse. You can pass a Tibor reel to your grandkids.
Like Tibor, Abel is the other top name in the industry. They've been around for a long time (although changing ownership a few times, most notoriously as one of the Madoff empire's holdings). Abel reels also represent the pinnacle of build quality, smooth operation and exclusivity.
Rods
The name of G Loomis speaks for itself. Gary Loomis probably was the single greatest contributor to the custom fly blank industry and although he has not been with the company for some time, many of his designs are still in production today. A premier fly rod company with top notch components. Of interest to the saltwater angler is the CrossCurrent series of fly rods.
Sage is neck and neck with Loomis as the best known name in the fly fishing industry. While they do have offerings in the mid to entry level segment, they are most well known for their exquisite premium rods. Very pricey but as good as it gets.
See my comments above in the reel section on the Colton Fly Company. Bob sells these rods direct with no middle man. His latest generation of the "SPL Tradewinds" are absolutely astonishing for the price. I am currently fishing both a 7 and 8 wt and they are as refined and responsive as rods costing many times more.
Redington is a value fly gear brand that was purchased by Sage a few years ago. Under the new ownership it's evident that some of the SAGE DNA has migrated over to some of their newer rod designs. The CPS and CPX line of flyrods has taken the flyfishing world by storm as a super high performance rod at a budget price.
Scott Fly Rods is another premier fly rod company offering a wide range of top tier rods all made in the USA for a variety of fisheries. The build quality is best of breed. Along with Sage, these are the best of the best.
TFO rods are a very popular brand due to their excellent price to performance ratio. Another "giant-killer" with a whole series of rods designed by fly fishing legend Lefty Kreh at price points that are accessible to all. I like the TiCR series the best.
Cortland is better known for their fly lines than their rods and reels, however they have always had good value in their entry to mid level offerings. One particular recent series of rods, the "Big Sky" rods really have stood way out in front of all their other rods in terms of performance. Surprisingly refined action and performance for a budget rod. I can heartily recommend their Big Sky rods in the 6, 7 and 8 weights.
Crowder rods, while well known for their conventional spinning and big game rods, is a newcomer to the fly fishing world. But true to form they have knocked one out of the park, in my opinion, with their initial fly offering. Their "Blue Steel" series of fly rods are all made in Stuart, Florida, have absolutely top notch titanium components yet are half the price of other US made premium rods.
[edit] What Flies Should I Use?
content pending
[edit] Fly Fishing Resources
The premier boutique fly shop in the downtown Orlando area. Owned by TJ Bettis, an avid fly fisherman. They stock many of the major brands of high end fly gear yet also carry entry and mid-level gear as well. They also have a HUGE selection of flies for every occasion and fishery you can think of. TJ and Chris Barco are generous with their time and experience with any questions you may have in selecting fly gear or fishing tactics. They are both die hard fly fishermen themselves and it shows! This is also and excellent place to take some fly casting lessons from either TJ, Chris or one of the pro-staffers affiliated with the shop.
Here is a fascinating look at how a premium machined aluminum fly reel is made. This is a factory tour video of the Bauer Fly Reel Company. Maker of mid to high end fly reels.
Midcurrent Online Flyfishing Magazine
Great free online flyfishing magazine with all the latest industry news and some informative articles.
Yes, that's the fly shop at the back of Bass Pro. Surprisingly well stocked with gadgets, flies and gear. A couple of the guys are fairly knowledgeable as well.
Huge online sporting goods outlet. They often have good deals on closeout fly gear and accessories. Subscribe to their newsletter and wait for the gonzo 30% off plus free shipping deals they do every once in a while.
As the name implies, an online outlet for closeout items. Sometimes they can have some great deals as well.
Capt. John Kumiski - Redfish on Fly
Capt. John Kumiski is a well known guide and author in our area. Among his many excellent books (that ALL Space Coast Anglers should have in their library) this, his latest, is specifically geared towards catching redfish on fly.
The OKFC Newsletter