# Fly Fishing Ain't Magic



## captkenroy (Jan 10, 2007)

*Re: Fly Fishing Ain't Magic (2)*

Holding the rod in your right hand, your line hand is your left hand. The forefinger on your right hand is of utmost importance. This finger pinches he line against the fore grip between each strip of the fly and is first to detect a strike. If you are casting a lot and catching fish, quite often you will need protection on the right forefinger. Line burns and cuts are common. One wrap of adhesive tape can prevent or at least minimize problems but it always interferes a little with the sensitivity needed to detect a soft strike. Most line cuts and blisters are right between the first and second joint. 

The Retrieve or Fishing the Fly---ANIMATION. There are many types of retrieves. The retrieve type and speed is dictated by type of fly, the species you are seeking, water depth, current speed, and possibly other factors. 

We described the spot and made our cast a few paragraphs back. A slow sinking weedless streamer that matches prevalent baitfish in size, outline and color should be a good choice. 
In this case, I’d let the fly sink a foot or so before starting my retrieve. I base this on water depth and clarity for the most part. In reasonably clear water, a fish should be able to see or detect your fly from several feet away. In this type spot, I expect to find Redfish, Trout, and Jack Crevalle. If you are in a brackish area, you might catch a Largemouth. 

My favorite retrieve for a streamer is 2-6” strips and a short pause. (This same retrieve works equally well with a Clouser minnow.) Strip-strip-pause, strip-strip-pause, etc. When fishing along a bank where the water drops off pretty fast, I seldom work a fly out more than 6 to 10 feet. Ok, where is your rod tip---STILL RIGHT AT THE WATER LEVEL AND POINTED RIGHT AT YOUR FLY. As you strip, the index finger of your rod hand cradles the line, pinching it against the rod when you need to reach forward to catch more line with your left hand. This gives you positive control of the line at all times and allows you to set the hook instantly. 

With a shrimp imitating fly, I generally fish it with a slow, steady pull for about 2 feet, stop for a second and pull it slowly another 2 feet or so. Popping bugs and Sliders are among my favorites. I like them because they are productive and you get to see the fish take them most times. I usually let either style sit a few seconds then give them a hard 6” jerk. The Popper chugs loudly and the Slider darts forward 6” or so. I then twitch them at about 3 second intervals. Again, I seldom fish these flies more that a few feet past the targeted area and then cast them several feet down current of the previous cast. 

Another top water fly that I use frequently is a personal creation I call a Walker Dog. It is basically a slider type that sits at about 45 degrees tail down at rest and comes to horizontal when jerked. I fish it in 3” jerks with only a tiny pause between jerks. Basically the rhythm is jerk--jerk--jerk--, etc. Jack Crevalle try to annihilate this fly. 
With your rod tip held low and pointed at your fly, your fly reacts instantly and exactly with 
the movement of your line hand. You control the rhythm. Any slack reduces the effectiveness 
of your stripping as does lifting the rod tip. I can comfortably move my line hand about two 
feet. After that, I pinch the line against the handle with the first finger of my right hand, then 
reach forward and grab the line right at the rod and start another 2-foot retrieve. All the while, 
you maintain constant and consistent action for your fly while being ready to set the hook. 
If you try to move the fly with by moving the rod tip, you loose control of the fly because you 
will, invariably, cause slack line. If you use hand pulls, you are always in control. 
Strikes, Bites, Nibbles, Etc.--- REACTION AND HOOK SET. 
Back to our scenario: Our fly is about a foot below the surface. It perfectly obeys the strip- 
strip-pause, strip-strip pause cadence of our left hand because we are holding the rod tip low 
and in alignment with the end of the floating fly line. Perhaps we see a flash as the fish eats 
the fly or just feel a heavy tug. Our reaction should be a fast strip of line with the left hand 
while raising the rod tip to about 30 degrees above horizontal. For lack of a better term, let’s 
call this a “strip-hook set.” 
When you use a “strip-hook set,” you move the fly about 2 feet or so. If you miss the fish, 
he will often charge and eat the fly a second time. You seldom miss a hook up when the fish 
is enraged. If, however, you strike with the rod and miss the hook-up, the fly comes out of 
the water and you have to cast again. 
There is an even more compelling reason why the strip-strike is more effective. Up to this 
point, we’ve been meticulous about maintaining a straight and tight line from rod tip to fly to 
maintain control. The strip strike conveys the pull straight down the line and we are still in 
control and tight to the fish. 
Conversely, striking with the rod requires lifting the line, which certainly eliminates the straight-line pull, wasting a lot of the strike energy because of friction caused by dragging the line sideways through the water. The bending of the rod tip causes an additional loss. At this point, our rod is way out of position, making it hard to control the fish. If the fish happens to be a Bass or Snook, he is already headed toward cover. 

The term “SCREWED” comes to mind.
_________________


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

capt, you on a mission?  I'm on record around here and few other places with the "low budget" rant too. I started fly fishing in the late 60's with equipment that would be considered total junk today and still caught fish. Totally impossible according to todays mainstream fly fishing pundits. 

As a matter of fact the next tarpon I hook up on fly I'm going to fight it with the drag completely free and try to video as much of the fight as possible to prove that you don't need a $700 dollar reel and silky smooth drag to subdue a big fish. Not so much as a stunt, but only to make a point that the reel's drag isn't a critical factor. A good drag is a plus but not essential, you can set it light and do the rest with your palm. I got into this a little with my last tarpon a couple weeks ago and JRH (jason) who I was fishing with was able to witness it first hand. 

I do disagree with you on one thing though, fly fishing "is" magic.  Not many other ways to fish where just making some good casts and presentations is almost as fulfilling as catching a fish.


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## McFly (Jan 17, 2007)

Thanks for the article and the tips.  Just got back from the Econ and had minimal success - gonna grab the rod and go back and try again!  Wife will think I have lost it!


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## Gator_Bob (Jun 26, 2007)

Excellant! info. I have been fly fishing for about 10 years and have learned that fly fishing has some advantages over spin or bait cast. I mostly fish in the grass when the tides are high.


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## DonnieKiper (Jul 21, 2021)

Well written and very informative! Thanks Cap’n.


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## Mdees88 (Jun 23, 2021)

13 year old post and still relevant today.... good stuff.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Bwahahaha.....is the article correct? Sure but give me a break. I just love these hypocritical type articles. Guy rights and article and gets PAID and says how easy it is to get into fly fishing. Great more people get into the sport so they can hire him for the day to take them fishing and he charges what $600/day.

I don't know this guy at all and yes this is way old but see this kind of stuff in the media all the time. Guy making money telling you how you don't need money to get in some sport.


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## CKEAT (Aug 26, 2015)

The fact that the article was this long to explain the non complex nature of fly fishing is comical. 🤣🤣🤣
It’s like saying golf is pretty simple, just learn a good 7iron, hell, you can putt with it too. 🤣🤣


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

I won't get into the complexity issue. Most things are as complex as you want to make them. Fly fishing can be easy if you fish where there are hungry fish and you figure out how to cast. I started when I was a kid because I wanted to make catching snappers off our doc more interesting than the other "automatic" ways I was able to it.

I do think a valid point of this ancient article is the perceived cost to enter barrier. Our sport does have this perception. Especially on the salty side. 

But the fact is that you can get a pretty good set up brand new for about 100. Take a look at Okuma's Chrism offering. Not the big named set up but a darn good product for a good price that will last for years if you care for it. PS I have no connection to Okuma other than I've purchased their prodcuts for years. No freebees for me

There is the also the occasional opportunity to buy the big names used for reasonable prices as well, once you decide that you are hooked.

You can fly fish even in salt water at a reasonable entry point if you care for your gear.

I don't think that this cost effective exrspective gets out there often enough and if reviving a old moldy thread like this gets the word out then we are all better off for it.

I'm in for about 400 bucks rods/reels/lines and I have two setups. A 6wt and a 9wt that get used most every weekend in the salt. And washed after every use.

If you are reading this, do your shopping homework. What you save on bait and tackle can pay for a bunch of flys and gear and you just might love it


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## Fliesbynight (Mar 23, 2020)

Clamfoot said:


> I'm in for about 400 bucks rods/reels/lines and I have two setups. A 6wt and a 9wt that get used most every weekend in the salt. And washed after every use



Clamfoot, I'm with you. I almost never pay full price for a rod or reel. I buy mostly from the Orvis outlets. My most recent acquisition was a 10' 7wt Encounter for $180 with reel. It is a factory second because there is a tiny tag of green thread used as a puller in one of the wraps that was missed when the epoxy went on. That affects performance not at all. My theory is, if it was good two years ago, it's still good today. I'm still using lires that went out of style years ago in favor of the ultra-rea.istic new jobs that catch a lot of fisherman but the old Atom Striper Swiper and the Bomber Long A we used in the 70s still catch fish.

I especially agree with the maintenance. Everything gets rinsed after every trip, even if its going right back out the next day or even that day. Sometimes the next trip doesn't happen and I get wrapped up in something else. Doing it right away means I never forget.


Every reel gets stripped and disassembled when the season is over (right after Thanksgiving in my neck of the woods). The reel. Line and backing takes a bath in tap water with multiple changes. The reels are cleaned up, inspected and greased before storing. The backing and line are wound on to racks for the winter to dry. The backing and line goes on around St. Patty's day and I'm ready for another disappointing year.

The upshot is: Today I used a Tioga that I bought in the late 90s. The drag is still as smooth as it ever was and I expect years more service from it. The Tioga was an entry level reel made by Teton. I dont think they are still made but mine are still going strong. 

It's all about taking care of your stuff and learning to use it that makes the difference.


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## Fliesbynight (Mar 23, 2020)

ifsteve said:


> Bwahahaha.....is the article correct? Sure but give me a break. I just love these hypocritical type articles. Guy rights and article and gets PAID and says how easy it is to get into fly fishing. Great more people get into the sport so they can hire him for the day to take them fishing and he charges what $600/day.
> 
> I don't know this guy at all and yes this is way old but see this kind of stuff in the media all the time. Guy making money telling you how you don't need money to get in some sport.



There is another aspect of this. Maybe the article is self-serving and maybe not. I dont know the author either, but having more people in the activity is better than fewer. The more people who are fly fishing in saltwater, the more demand for gear and the more. variety and innovation we will see. If there was no profit in tying materials or new rod or reel technologies, manufacturers wouldn't be doing it. Period. Full stop.

When I started this as a kid hunting LMB, there was nothing available that could put a patch on the entry-level stuff from even 5 years ago to say nothing about tying material and vises we have today.

It's all about money and we need more people using the long wand. If this guy makes a buck or three by convincing people this is doable with less than a 6 figure income, I'm all for it, because it helps me in my hobby.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Fliesbynight said:


> There is another aspect of this. Maybe the article is self-serving and maybe not. I dont know the author either, but having more people in the activity is better than fewer. The more people who are fly fishing in saltwater, the more demand for gear and the more. variety and innovation we will see. If there was no profit in tying materials or new rod or reel technologies, manufacturers wouldn't be doing it. Period. Full stop.
> 
> When I started this as a kid hunting LMB, there was nothing available that could put a patch on the entry-level stuff from even 5 years ago to say nothing about tying material and vises we have today.
> 
> It's all about money and we need more people using the long wand. If this guy makes a buck or three by convincing people this is doable with less than a 6 figure income, I'm all for it, because it helps me in my hobby.


I get your point but just disagree. There are too many people chasing the resource already. I know the old tired line about its the new generation that will protect the resources. I used to believe that. But the problem anymore is that WAY too many of those new to the sport (and this goes much beyond just fishing) are wanna be bro staff instagrammers. Way more into getting clicks than actually caring about the resource.


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## Fliesbynight (Mar 23, 2020)

ifsteve said:


> But the problem anymore is that WAY too many of those new to the sport (and this goes much beyond just fishing) are wanna be bro staff instagrammers. Way more into getting clicks than actually caring about the resource.


This a a valid point and while I disdain the wannabes.The bro staff, as you call them, do detract from the hobby. We saw the same thing happen in the 90s with some fishing shows concentrating on fly fishing the salt. Flip Pallot and Jose Wejebe did a lot to popularize it and we saw a huge uptick in people flailing the water. They eventually got bored because it ain't as easy as the TV guys made it look. Still, that's when the available tools really took a huge swing up.

I also agree with you about preserving the resource. When I was a kid, you could fill a trash can with fish in an afternoon and we did. Now, three or four fish with one keeper is considered a decent day. I dont believe it is the poser fly fishermen who depleted the fishery. It's all the people out there who take everything they land along with the commercial guys who generate a huge bycatch that kills indiscriminately. 

I used to try to educate folks when I saw someone taking illegal fish. Heard too many lame excuses so now I just call 1-800-gamethief and hope for the best.


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

Fliesbynight said:


> Clamfoot, I'm with you. I almost never pay full price for a rod or reel. I buy mostly from the Orvis outlets. My most recent acquisition was a 10' 7wt Encounter for $180 with reel. It is a factory second because there is a tiny tag of green thread used as a puller in one of the wraps that was missed when the epoxy went on. That affects performance not at all. My theory is, if it was good two years ago, it's still good today. I'm still using lires that went out of style years ago in favor of the ultra-rea.istic new jobs that catch a lot of fisherman but the old Atom Striper Swiper and the Bomber Long A we used in the 70s still catch fish.
> 
> I especially agree with the maintenance. Everything gets rinsed after every trip, even if its going right back out the next day or even that day. Sometimes the next trip doesn't happen and I get wrapped up in something else. Doing it right away means I never forget.
> 
> ...


Fbn.
Don't get me started on old (ancient) gear. I've always been an addict.

When I was kid my grandfather got me started surf fishing. As an immigrant raising a family in Brookly NY in the late 1930's he was a part-time subsistence fisherman, "if you want to eat, learn to catch" he used to say. In 1930 you made your own specialty gear. In the 90's I would fish with buddies that had all the new gear and latest plugs. At some point during the night, I'd break out Pop's old 9ft fiberglass 1pc surf rod with the 24-inch wooden butt and one of his hand-made pine plugs that looked like it was beaten with a stick and sandblasted and proceed to catch fish with that setup. I will admit to putting my relatively new Penn 750 on it though.
If Pop hadn't taken care of his gear back then the family didn't eat that weekend and I wouldn't have had it to embarrass my buddies with 40 years later. I learned that lesson well.


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## Fliesbynight (Mar 23, 2020)

Clamfoot,

Too right! One of my favorite lures, when the surf is too rough for the long wand, has almost no finish on it and more teeth scars than a dog bone.

I use it for nostalgia. It was my fathers favorite and it carries on the tradition. Plus it is a small way to go fishing with him once again.

It still catches fish and I have a lot of confidence it it.

I'll probably lose it to a fish one day. I'm okay with that. Full circle kind of thing and we all must move on.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

I started fly fishing with a $150 used rod/reel combo I bought from a friend. Caught my first fish...a sea trout and several bass...on it and I was hooked.

Buy used to see if you like it...then invest if you know you will stick with it...


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