Fly Fishing - The Feeding Behaviour of Trout

Fly fishing, in all it's variations and sub-areas (casting, fly tying, etc), centres around a single goal - To successfully tempt a fish (Most commonly a trout) to take an artificial fly as a food item. Sighting, hooking, playing and landing the fish are also important parts of the successful fishing experience, not to mention being able to get the fly to the fish in the first place, by the unique casting methods utilized solely in fly fishing.

However, along with all that work, and the practice of the skills involved in bringing it all together at that crucial moment, comes that pivotal element of convincing the fish that what they are considering is indeed food-like in nature. Without this key element, we can forget the rest, and this is the one step of the exercise which is dependant upon the decision of the fish, rather than ourselves.

In this, fly fishermen spend untold amounts of time researching, studying, and imitating countless insect types in aid of presenting a believable decoy to their quarry. We tie our flies, the fish takes it, our efforts paid off, right?

But is everything as it seems? Did we deceive the fish for exactly the reasons we thought?

Although there are many factors involved in getting that fly to a timid fish, and fly fishing itself was obviously designed around overcoming all of those obstacles, considering it's significance, understanding the 'Feeding behaviour' of the trout has probably taken somewhat of a back seat, compared to some of the other areas or skills of fly fishing, we fishermen often seem to focus our efforts on.

The feeding behaviour of trout is the sum of two main factors:

Firstly, through the fry and fingerling stages of development, the identification of specific ‘Food Recognition Keys' are ingrained resulting from the repetitive feeding pattern of their natural survival instincts.

Secondly, as they get larger, they can manage larger diet articles. Supplementary behaviour is then learned out of a reactive response to the local fauna they find in the area where they are hatched or released. Local knowledge is naturally beneficial here and this is normally what we focus on when fly fishing.

The behavioural patterns of trout vary significantly between the species, the size and the circumstances in which they are found. Trout habits also change through different times of the day, and again depending on weather conditions. Feeding habits and behaviours also change between faster and slower waters, and so on.

As in most types of fishing, there is not just one single or simple answer. If there was, it would have been made common knowledge, a long time ago. What this does tell us, is that to increase our odds of convincing the trout of the validity of our fly, it's going to be far more beneficial to concentrate on presenting specific 'Recognition keys', which remain consistent, rather than the far more subjective; 'Circumstance-specific learned behaviour' which will often vary greatly from fish to fish, and particularly from place to place.

There are many pieces to this puzzle. The more pieces you can find, understand and put together, the more it multiplies your fly fishing results. What this methodology does do for us especially, is simplify and sharpen our learning curve by quite an incredible degree.

Therefore, instead of studying dozens, even hundreds or more, of insects and the flies designed to imitate them, I've found that in nearly all circumstances, you need only a few fly patterns, each designed to do a specific job in the varying circumstances found on the stretch of water you're fishing.

Trout Flies then induce fish 'Takes' by the use of food 'Recognition Keys,' rather than by intended imitation. For this method then, local knowledge becomes relatively irrelevant.

This means flies do not need to imitate anything to catch trout. What!?! Say that again.- Flies do not need to imitate anything to catch trout. Certainly nothing specific anyway.

Flies can then be tied to counter stream or water conditions, or to counter, and or take advantage of, various aspects of trout behaviour. This, then (Not being restricted by specific imitation), opens up possibilities for us to incorporate the use of innovative strategies, tactics and trout fly construction, to give ourselves a far greater edge than previously thought possible.

The more time we have spent fishing with incorrect or insufficient knowledge, the more time you have spent developing the mindset that the trout is a vastly superior, cunning and unpredictable adversary, and results like mine become seemingly unattainable, and without such knowledge becoming available, the practical reality remains precisely that.

Normally it takes years of studying these fish, trial and error with different fly patterns, different fishing techniques, different innovative designs and methods with the right focus to get to a place where you understand these creatures adequately for the outstanding results we normally only see the Pro's achieving.

Fortunately, with the right focus, we can now be achieving much greater success in much shorter time frames by understanding and taking advantage of these 'Recognition keys', combined with other behavioural patterns of the trout species we are targeting and just some basic skills of fly fishing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/fly-fishing-the-feeding-behaviour-of-trout-16937.html

How To Go Fly Fishing For Bass

When it comes to bass fishing, one of the most common questions even some experienced anglers ask is how to go fly fishing for bass. Perhaps the first consideration when fly fishing for bass is gear.

If you have trout fishing rods, you can probably just use those for your bass fishing. About a six weight will easily suffice and get you started, but any fairly light rig will work.

If you plan on fishing for lunker, and want to cast some really big flies, try a nine weight. If you are not planning on trying to cast really long distances, a double taper line is a good line choice. Many bass fishermen swear by weight forward lines or a bass tapered line. It really is a matter of personal choice and depends on trial and error to find what really works best for you.

A good fly choice for catching bass is a Dahlberg Diver. It is small and thin, and there are a many variations that go by different names. The biggest differences in the variations is that there are small differences in the tying techniques that sometimes cause the fly to dive less or pop on the water more.

When tying bass flies, deer hair is the only way to go for various reasons, but versatility and ease are the biggest reasons.

If you are unsure how big a fly you can cast on lighter lines, just tie some bass bugs, and take them out with a pair of fly scissors. Just trim the bug until it is the right size to provide the kind of cast you need. Watch the effect your trimming has on the fly in the water, and adjust accordingly.

One thing to remember is that bass really are not too choosy. They are predatory hunters, and if something causes a commotion on the water, they are going to show up to nab whatever is in their territory.

Now, you should think about the best ways to move your fly in the water. You will see a lot of anglers out there getting muscle strain, yanking on their rods. There really is no need. Many an angler has learned the lesson on the benefits of slowing their retrieve.

Once your fly hits the water, let it sit for a moment as if it is stunned, then give a single twitch of your line. Then, give another twitch or two, as if a wounded bug is trying to get out of the water. If the bass have not taken your bait by then, give a giant yank. Continue this strategy until you get a bite.

If you are tying your own flies, consider tying in a manner to create the illusion of heft without weight or air resistance that comes with weight, which will allow them to remain simple and thin, while they sink slowly. Consider a marabou body that is trimmed close, with about a two inch feather attached as a tail. Wooley Buggers are easy to cast and work very well for this effect.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/how-to-go-fly-fishing-for-bass-547783.html

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best bass fishing information possible. Get more information on bass fishing lures here: http://www.askbassfishing.com/

How to Catch More Trout Than you Ever Imagined Possible!

The simplest way to catch more trout than you ever imagined is to do the opposite of what most other anglers do. I realize that this might sound like advice that comes directly out of an episode of Seinfeld, but it's true. Most anglers are like sheep and do whatever it is that the crowd does. If that means using the same rod and reel for all of your fishing, so be it. If that means not walking any farther than the worn trail goes, so be it.

If you're going to be successful as a trout angler, you need to have a trout rod and reel. That rod and reel should be light action (at the biggest). I personally prefer ultra light action rods and reels for trout, but light action will work. The rod should be no longer than six feet. For trout fishing rods, I prefer five footers but it's not necessary for the rod to be longer than six feet. An ultra light reel that matches the rod will work fine, just nothing too big. This reel should be spooled with line no heavier than six pound test line. Six pound is the maximum. Again, I prefer four pound test line, but nothing larger than six pound, certainly not for good fly fishing anyway.

Now that we've covered the size of our gear and the size of our line, the next important aspect of catching trout, is the size of your hooks. Most anglers use hooks that are entirely too large for trout fishing. I'm of course speaking of regular fishing here, not 'flea flicking'. 'Flea Flickers' aren't afraid to use small hooks, hell they have to fleas aren't very big. I'm speaking to all of the normal anglers out there and most of you use hooks that are entirely too large. I personally use size 10 hooks, and in order to catch more trout than you ever imagined, don't use a hook larger than a size 8. I suggest using a set of gang hooks (which is simply two hooks tied in tandem). If you truly want to catch more trout than you ever imagined, I suggest using the good old earth worm for bait. A worm baited on a set of #10 gang hooks is deadly. You see the small hooks eliminate the dreaded "worm ball". The "worm ball" is whren an angler uses a single hook that's too large and threads the worm on to said hook, thus creating a "worm ball". There is nothing natural about presenting a worm like this, and the amount of trout caught is directly affected.

If you begin to employ the tips outlined in this article (rod and reel size, line size, hook size, and type of bait) you will catch more trout than you ever imagined. Never forget what Steven Wright said, "There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/how-to-catch-more-trout-than-you-ever-imagined-possible-105573.html

Stevie James is an experienced fisherman who has set up a Free Fishing Information website to offer free tips, techniques and tutorials that will really help you on the way to more successful and more enjoyable fishing!

4 Tips To Enhance Your Trout Fishing

As any true fisherman will tell you, there's really nothing as rewarding as spending your leisure time engaged in trout fishing. There are some basic trout species that are available throughout the United States. These are Brown, Brook, Bull, Cutthroat and Rainbow trout. The methods of fishing trout are more or less similar for all the above mentioned species, although there maybe few differences in size, colors and overall disposition of the fish from different groups.

Here are a few trout fishing tips to help you rise above troubled waters and catch more trout, especially when fishing in rivers or streams:

1. Presentation: Fishing trout is quite literally a battle of wits between man and fish. Trout are an intelligent species of fish and in order to hook one, it's important to present your choice of bait in the most natural way possible. Especially when fishing trout with live bait. This is why the use of gang hooks is recommended so that your bait appears natural without making the fish suspicious.

2. Smell: Trout usually posses a very strong sense of smell and they usually "sniff" bait before biting. But if the fish sense any unnatural odor coming from the bait, lure, line or hook; they will be reluctant to bite 9 times out of 10. For instance, if you've just had a smoke, your hands will smell similar to an ashtray and this scent will get onto the bait when you touch it immediately thereafter. This will often drive trout away, which is why it's important to rub your hands with dirt or weeds from time to time to get rid of any unwanted unnatural smells.

3. Fishing Gear: Trout fishing usually calls for super light fishing gear and bait unless you intend to go fishing the huge Great Lakes visiting Brown Trout where you will definitely require much heavier gear. In most cases though, a 5 foot ultra light fishing rod coupled with ultra light reel spooled with four will do just fine. With regards to the hook, a size 10 hook should do swimmingly and as for the lure, smaller lures are recommended as well. If you want to use spinners or spoons, it's important to use those that are no heavier than one ounce and if your choice of bait is minnow-type plugs, then you should ensure they don't exceed 4 inches in length.

4. Clothing: When fishing trout in river or stream situations, it is recommended to avoid wearing clothing with plain white or loud colors. This is because wearing such bright colors like orange or white will make you stick out like a sore thumb against the background making it easy for the fish to spot you in daylight. So, it would be wise to wear drab colors such as grey or brown in order to blend in with the surroundings as far as possible. This will make it harder for the trout to identify you and increase your chances of getting more bites.

So, the next time you go trout fishing, keep these tips in mind and you can be assured of getting a far greater number of bites than you usually do.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/4-tips-to-enhance-your-trout-fishing-179129.html

Learn more about fishing by visiting http://www.fishinggeartips.com - a website that offers fishing tips including information on choosing the right fishing gear as well as tips on beginner and trout fishing.

Fly Fishing Terms You Need to Know

In the world of fly fishing there are many words that are important to know. Many of these words are unusual or have a different meaning when used in reference to fly fishing. The following list includes some of the more unusual and double meaning words used by fly fishermen.

Action: a general term often used to try to describe the feel of the rod - such as soft, hard, slow, or fast.

Attractor: usually a bright colored fly that is not usually tied so that it imitates a particular type of food.

Belly: the sagging portion of a fly fishing line.

Blank: a rod without a handle, reel seat, or guides.

Blood Knot: the common name for a barrel knot.

Chalk Stream: a stream, usually found in valleys, that is spring fed and slow moving with a lot of vegetation.

Complex Hatch: the simultaneous hatching of several types of species of insects.

Compound Hatch: the masking, or hiding, of a hatch of smaller insects by a hatch of larger insects that occurs on the same day.

Cutthroat Trout: a true trout that is found mostly in the western part of the United States.

Dapping: a fly fishing technique in which the fly is repeatedly bounced on and off of the surface of the water.

Down Eye Hook: a hook that has the eye bent below the shaft.

Dropper: the secondary fly that is attached to the leader in a cast of flies.

Emerger: a term that is used to describe any insect that moves up towards the water's surface preparing to hatch into the adult stage.

Feeding Lie: where a trout goes in order to actively feed.

Flat-butt Leader: a fly used in fly fishing where the butt section is formed into a ribbon shape.

Freestone Streams: fast moving, tumbling streams with rock covered bottoms.

French Snap: a small clamp, often used by a fly fisherman to attach his net to his vest.

Holding Lie: where a trout generally remains when not actively feeding.

Leisenring Lift: a technique used in nymph fly fishing where the line is lifted, causing the imitation fly to move upwards, right in front of the trout's suspected lie.

Midge Rod: a short, light weight rod.

Natural - a living insect, as opposed to an artificial, or man-made, insect or fly.

Nymphing: any oaf the various fishing techniques in which the fly fisherman presents an imitation of the underwater stage of an insect.

Presentation: the method of placing a fly where the fish is most likely to see it; includes the manner in which the cast in completed and the method in which the fly is fished.

Rise: the act of the fish taking an insect from the water's surface.

Run: a term used to describe a particular stretch of moving water.

Shooting: a casting technique.

Spate: high water.

Stripping: quickly retrieving line or pulling line from the reel.

Terrestrial: of or relating to an insect whose life cycle is completely spent on land or in plants.

Waders staff: a sturdy rod about as high as the armpit of the person fly fishing used for support in heavy water.

There are many words and terms that are unfamiliar to most people but not to those who enjoy fly fishing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/fly-fishing-terms-you-need-to-know-225784.html

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