From the otherside of the riverbank...
Now that I have felt the rush of the catch and the calm of the water, I want to learn the basics to fly fishing. I want to know everything about fly fishing including the history and the reasons why certain techniques and tools work the way that they do. Fly fishing is becoming a passion and a very fun hobby, but since I am a never-ever angler, obtaining this information can be a bit, well embarrassing. I do not usually play sports because I do not like to admit I do not know what I am doing or am not already a master at it (hence why I still do not golf). But I want to know the lingo, gear and tools to be the best angler I can be. Since I have a plethora of resources at my disposal, I went ahead and asked for help and guidance. Over the past month I have asked questions, listened to fish stories and sought out lessons from our Client Services Coordinator and a long time angler, Kelli Johnson.
Here is what I learned. First, it is called a rod, not a pole. You may think that is obvious but to many newbie anglers it is not so apparent. If I want to “fit in” and be an angler I need to walk the walk AND talk the talk. Second, when rigging your line it is best to loop the fly line in half so that if you drop the line it does not fall all the way back through your guides. The third lesson that Kelli taught me was about sizing in the world of fly fishing. The number associated with a material or tool does not always reflect how you would logically think it would. What I mean is that the larger the size on tippet and flies, the smaller they actually are! Kelli explained that tippet used to be made out of intestines or silkworm gut and each time it was sized smaller, it received a value. Meaning that tippet receiving no modification is 0x. One set of modification is 1x, 2 sets of modification is 2x and so on. Therefore, the higher then number, the thinner the tippet. My fourth lesson was on watching the water. Now that fall and winter weather conditions are coming into effect, the way the fish are feeding and habituating is changing. I was instructed to really watch the water and look for where the fish are active. If I see a fish but he is not moving and not interested in the hatch, he is most likely not going to be intrigued by my fly. Look for bug activity and fishing actively moving beneath the surface or coming to the top to feed. Those fish are going to bite.
These are obviously just a few basics that I have learned in my quest to cross over to being a full fledge angler, but I think they are a strong start. These little pieces of information and advice have provided me with the confidence to actually shop at a fly shop and discuss my husbands’ day on the water. Thanks to great co-workers that just happen to be the best guides out there, little by little I am learning the skills and understanding the lingo that will help me to be the most successful angler that I strive to be. And I am learning all of this from my perspective from the other side of the riverbank…
Best,
Brynne Jensen
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