| |
|
|
|
Fly fishing is a distinct and ancient angling method, most renowned as a
method for catching trout and salmon, but employed today for a wide
variety of species including pike,
bass, pan fish,
and carp, as well as marine species, such as redfish,
snook,
tarpon,
bonefish and
striped bass.
There are many reports of fly anglers taking unintended species such as
chub, bream and rudd while fishing for 'main target' species such as
trout. There is a growing population of anglers whose aim is to catch as
many different species as possible with the fly.
In fly fishing, fish are
caught by using artificial flies that are cast with a fly rod and a fly
line. The fly line (today, almost always coated with plastic) is heavy
enough cast in order to send the fly to the target. Artificial flies can
vary dramatically in all morphological characteristics (size, weight,
color, etc.). Artificial flies are created by tying hair, fur, feathers,
or other materials, both natural and synthetic, onto a hook with thread.
The first flies were tied with natural materials, but synthetic
materials are now extremely popular and prevalent. The flies are tied in
sizes, colors and patterns to match local terrestrial and aquatic
insects, baitfish, or other prey attractive to the target fish species. |
|
| |
|
History
Many credit the first recorded use of an artificial fly to the Roman
Claudius Aelianus near the end of the 2nd century. He described the
practice of Macedonian anglers on the Astraea's River: ...they have
planned a snare for the fish, and get the better of them by their
fisherman's craft. . . . They fasten red . . . wool round a hook, and
fit on to the wool two feathers which grow under a cock's wattles, and
which in color are like wax. Their rod is six feet long, and their line
is the same length. Then they throw their snare, and the fish, attracted
and maddened by the color, comes straight at it, thinking from the
pretty sight to gain a dainty mouthful; when, however, it opens its
jaws, it is caught by the hook, and enjoys a bitter repast, a captive.
In his book Fishing from the Earliest Times, however, William Radcliff
(1921) gave the credit to Martial (Marcus Valerius Martialis), born some
two hundred years before
Aelian, who wrote: ...Who has not seen the scarus rise, decoyed and
killed by fraudful flies |
|
|
|
|
|
