“Website: Fly-fishing For Trout” 05-25-06

Spring Fishing

The onset of warm temperatures here in B.C. means several wonderful and highly anticipated events occur for both trout and trout fishermen alike. Ice covered lakes open up and the sun’s rays begin to stir abundant insect activity, ringing a giant dinner bell in the sky for ravished trout, after a long winter hiatus from many of their favorite foods. For the keen fisher, who carefully observes the variety of trout-size table fare including color, length, surface or sub-surface habits of the various tiny delicacies swimming or crawling throughout the water, the fishing can be remarkable.

Fly-fishing is perhaps, one of the most exciting and enjoyable ways to participate and fool a few wary trout, while plying the waters of our local lakes. The equipment required to begin catching rainbow trout on a fly rod and reel is not complicated or expensive. The basic list includes a rod, reel, backing, line, leader, tippet and of course the terminal presentation, the fly. Rod selection ( for trout) is generally confined to lighter weights (or ratings) from 4, 5 or 6 class which refers to the relative stiffness differences with 4 weight being the weakest and 6 weight being the stiffest. The reel is matched to the rod by the same rating and is designed to balance with a given rod rating. Next, we choose a line, once again matching the previous matched rod and reel combination, so if we have chosen a 5 weight we select a 5 weight line of either a floating, sinking or sink/float variety depending upon the exact presentation required.

Proper installation of the fly line would begin by installing a length of backing first, backing simply being a back-up line attached to the reel’s spool to which the line is attached. Backing is usually a 20 or 30 # brightly colored Dacron line which can save the day if an exceptionally large fish is hooked and strips off the contents of your reel faster than expected. Leaders attach to the line and provide a tapered, less visible connection to the fly, so as not to “spook” cruising fish. Leaders are generally made of one of two materials; either monofilament or fluorocarbon. Tippet is also constructed of the same type of material and is used primarily to replace a section of leader lost due to cutting and re-tying of different flies or secondly, to customize leader lengths for specific types of fly presentation.

The item of greatest mystery for beginning fly fisherman has to be the fly itself as there are literally thousands of different patterns to choose from. There may be only slight contrasts in color, shape or material representing different life stages in an insect’s development but that is often all it takes for a pattern to be an overwhelming success or be rejected altogether.

To simplify the beginning process we have outlined some excellent choices amongst the categories of rods, reels, lines and fly patterns to outfit the prospective fly caster.

Feel free to contact us at the store or stop by if we can help and Good fishing!

Fly Rod (G-200 Fly rod Avail Products:MBF 905, MBF 906, MBF 907, MBF 908 $124.99
Website Info: http://www.lamiglas.com/prod_indiv.php?groupid=8

Fly Reel: Fplueger Trion Avail Products: #1956, #1978, #1990 $129.99
Website Info: http://www.pfluegerfishing.com/products/trion-fly-reel.html

Fly Line: Scientific Angler WetCell Avail Product: (#Type I, II, III, IV, VI) $46.99
Website Info: http://selector.3m.com/selector/us/en/home_leisure/scientific_angler/lines/ss.asp?FAM=line

Flies: (Available stock $0.89-1.69 each)

Hot Sellers! Clockwise:

Flash Bugger (Black)

Mini Leech (Brown)

Ice Cream Cone (Wine)Chromie

Gold Rib Hare’s Ear

Gammarus Shrimp