Traditionally, fly fishing has been used to catch salmon and trout, but today fly fishing can catch a variety of other fish species from smallmouth and largemouth bass, to your larger saltwater fish species, such as marlin and tarpon. Unlike bait fishing where live bait is used to catch fish, artificial fly fishing flies are used to catch fish when fly fishing. The equipment used for fly fishing also differs from fishing equipment used for bait fishing. For fly fishing it is important to select the correct fly line, fly rod and flt reel before you start fishing. It is also extremely important to use the correct fly fishing flies to match the species of fish you want to catch.

An Introduction to Fly Fishing Flies

Artificial fly fishing flies are commonly used in fly fishing. Today there are many companies that produce fly fishing flies, and artificial fly fishing flies can be bought all over the world. Today, fly fishing flies are available in many different varieties, and differ in shape, color and size. Artificial flies can be made from many different materials including hairs, feathers and fur. These materials can either be natural or synthetic. Many fly fishing flies available today imitate the food that a particular fish may eat. You also get fly fishing flies that don’t imitate anything in nature.

Fly fishing flies are made with the aquatic appearance of local fish and insects in mind. The artificial fly fishing flies that you use must normally match the food that the fish species eat for the specific location that you are fishing in. Fly fishing flies can also be customized with regard to color and patterns to create flies that are suitable to your location. Many fly fishermen make their own fly fishing flies for fishing or as a hobby. To meet the different specifications of fly fishing flies required all over the world, gifted experts are employed all over the world to create artificial fly fishing flies. As a hobby, hand-crafting artificial fly fishing flies is an exciting and pleasurable pastime. Synthetic materials are more popular when it comes to creating flies.

If you are looking to purchase a quality fly fishing rod, check out the guide to Sage fly rod models.

Categories of Fly Fishing Flies

There is an incredible variety of fly fishing flies that are available. Fly fishing flies can be broken down into the following categories:

• Dry Flies – Designed to float on the water surface and imitate the adult stage of aquatic insects, or land-based insects that have fallen into the water (such as ants or beetles).
• Wet Flies – Designed to float just below the surface of the water and imitate immature aquatic insects, or drowned insects.
• Nymphs – A type of wet fly that imitates the larval form of aquatic insects.
• Streamers – A type of wet fly that imitates minnows or small fish which are the prey of larger fish.
• Surface Lures – Are used to imitate mice or frogs. Surface lures are fished in a manner to create a disturbance on the water’s surface to attract predatory fish, and are also normally very colorful.

If you are looking to purchase a fly fishing float tube, check out the guide to buying an Outcast float tube.

For more information about saltwater fly fishing gear, take a look at the news feed for Fly Fishing Elite (Feedest.com).

As I was sitting here looking out into my backyard, watching the rain it brought back a memory of freezing my butt off. I could have left at any time but the fishing was awesome and well I just couldn’t leave, so I just froze instead. I go a little more prepared these days.

Doesn’t being outdoors imply that you have to rough it, get dirt on your hands, and be satisfied and content with whatever weather you get? Not necessarily, though it is possible to have a fairly successful trip even without adequate preparation. Who likes to fish with cold water oozing down their back, though? Dress comfortably for success and you will be prepared to face whatever weather Mother Nature throws your way.

Unlike much of the rest of the U.S., the northeast often experiences rapid weather changes in a short period of time. While summers are hot and dry, winter can be freezing and wet. For the best approach, it is best to use a layering system to stay comfortable. With temperatures fluctuating as much as 30 degrees in an eight-hour stretch, you should take advantage of layers to be able to handle it all. Staying comfortably dry is easy when you can add or subtract layers as needed.

You can often head out on a summer morning and see cool, crisp weather, even when forecasters predict 90 degrees. At 5 in the morning, many fishermen expect closer to 65 degrees, and wear a t-shirt with a flannel buttoned over it. Sound familiar? What happens when you hit the water and the boat speeds up? Instead, add a light jacket or windbreaker. Nighttime fishing is about the same. When you leave the dock, the temperature is nice and warm, and you dress accordingly. However, as the temperature goes down, you get cold.

One of the most significant benefits to a light weight jacket or windbreaker is the small amount of space they take up and of course they weigh so little making them easy to carry.  Many fishermen find they fold up conveniently and stow right in a tackle box and they can be easily reached if needed. Windbreakers offer dual benefit – especially if you purchase the right kind. Some have only snap or only zipper closure. You’re really better of purchasing one that has a dual closure – as the snaps over a zipper can help keep water out especially if you’ve got wind and rain.  The other benefit of course is this material helps seal your body temperature in while it keeps the wind and rain out.  A hood is also helpful and most windbreakers and light jackets have ‘stow-way’ hoods that hide inside the collar.

It is critical to stay warm in the cooler months. However, as you row or get worked up fishing, you start to get hot while bundled up snugly. Anyone who has had to shovel a path in 30-degree weather knows this dilemma well. You bundle up against the elements, get worked up shoveling, and find yourself hot and sweaty quickly. The wind hits the sweat, and you are suddenly freezing again. Winter sweating can be miserable, so keep the sweating minimal by expending as little energy as possible and dressing in layers. Remove a layer or two to cut down on the perspiration, but still stay warm enough. Once you start feeling cold again, add layers back on one at a time and sit back and enjoy the comfort.

If you love fishing, chances are that you’re going to encounter all manner of weather.  Dress accordingly in layers that are designed to keep you comfortable no matter what the temperature is and how you as an individual react to it.  Remember, you are fishing for fun, but you also want an advantage when you can find one – staying comfortable and dry will help you get an edge when fishing – as it doesn’t focus your attention to how you feel.

Clothing is not the only important thing to consider, you should also consider your fishing supplies. Some of the most popular fishing equipment is Penn Fishing Reels including Penn 975 and Penn 209.

Timing is always of the essence when people go for fishing in Alaska. This is because some kinds of fish are available and plentiful during certain seasons. Therefore, one has to get their timing rights if they would like to visit the state and get a certain type of fish. This means that, anyone who wants to catch a certain kind of fish has to come visit Alaska during the right time and season.

One good about the Alaska fishing lodge is that it brings a new lifestyle that I may refer to as an ‘Alaskan way of life’ which is different from the hustles and bustles of major cities. But all these are nothing compared to the fishing experience that the place give. Since fishing is the main activity, after one has experienced the fishing trip, they would like to get back and relax. The Alaska fishing lodge is the whole package, which is the reason why it is good. The lodges also offer packages that are affordable for those people who are on a budget, they cater for everyone’s needs. The wonderful thing about these lodges is that they cater for everyone; even for those may be a little bit low on finances because the lodges have packages that meet everyone’s needs.

One of the thing to put into consideration when searching for the Alaska fishing lodge to stay in is its proximity to the water as well as facilities and services being offered by the hosts. A good lodge package may have an oceanfront lodging, great food, processing of fish and guides who are well knowledgeable about their surroundings and will take their visitors to the best fishing spots in the state. The guides will also give a few tricks on how to catch fish.

If you find an affordable Alaska fishing lodge that offers a few of these services, then you should take it. This will save you the time and stress of searching for a package that is suitable for you by going from one agent to another. One important point to remember is that certain kinds of fish are found at certain areas, and these lodges are placed according to this. This should be helpful to those visitors who may be interested in catching some certain type of fish.

Finally, these lodges are an excellent place for you to get in touch with nature and get interested in fishing. For those people who like natural surroundings, visiting some of these lodges will give you the experience and relaxation one so deserves.

When I started fly fishing more than 30 years ago the sport of fly fishing seemed to be all about catching salmon and trout.

Today the list of fish to fly fish for has become almost endless, whether it’s casting those artificial flies for fresh water fly fishing or saltwater.

Now fly fishing for smallmouth and largemuth bass has become extremely popular all over the world. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the quality of the fight a bass gives you.

I have fought bass on the fly that fought harder than salmon double their size. Bass just think they are bigger than they are. It’s a great sport and releasing them back into their home makes for better fishing in the future, so our kids will thank us.

I think because the bass body is more flat on the sides than round they have a lot of drag in the water and really hold their own.

Smallmouth Bass Fly Fishing Technique

Smallmouth bass are found in rivers and streams. With fishing rivers and streams, quite often there are trees and bush lining the river or stream, and therefore not enough room behind you to make a full overhead cast. Therefore learning to roll cast is recommended. Take a look at the following fly fishing casting techniques introduction for more information on roll casting. Another option is wading deep into the stream or river which would provide you with sufficient room for overhead casting.

When fly fishing rivers and streams its also important to know how to mend the line. The different speeds of the various currents within a river or stream may push the fly line ahead of the fly, or may push the fly ahead of the line. A bass may detect this unnatural drift of the line, and may be scared away. The process of lifting and moving a part of the line to re-align it with the drift of the fly is called mending. Smallmouth bass mostly sit and wait for prey in the small pools in the river which are formed by submerged rocks, trees, or other objects. Target these pools when casting for smallmouth bass. With smallmouth bass fly fishing, using streamers that look like crayfish or small baitfish often produce good results.

Largemouth Bass Fly Fishing Technique

Largemouth bass are found mostly in ponds and lakes. Flies used for largemouth bass fly fishing tend to be quite large. Poppers are commonly used, and deer hair flies are extremely popular. Terrestrial flies (flies which resemble land based insects that land on the water by accident) are also quite effective. When casting dry flies for largemouth bass, its a good idea to land your fly near to weeds, rocks, lilies or other underwater objects where largemouth bass love to hide when stalking prey. Let the dry fly float on top of the water for a few minutes after casting. Make the fly twitch on the water, then slowly retrieve the line. Often the bass will strike the fly as it hits the water.

Bass Fly Fishing Equipment

You can use the same equipment for bass fly fishing that you would use for trout fly fishing. With bass fly fishing a 6 to 9 weight fly fishing rod is normally used, along with a fly line with a matching weight. It’s not necessary to have an expensive rod and reel for bass fly fishing, and a good fly rod for someone starting out in the sport of bass fly fishing is the fairly priced St Croix Triumph Fly Fishing Rod. You can use the same double-tapered line used for trout fly fishing, but its recommended that you use a weight-forward line for bass fly fishing. Although you can catch bass with normal trout flies, you will have more success with bass specific flies.

Additional flt fishing information, tips, techniques, and fly fishing equipment reviews can be found at the Feedage.com Fly Fishing Elite news feed.

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You should know how a fish finder operates before making a choice.

Fishfinders use sonar technology to find fish-or any other solid object-under the surface of the water.  Sonar sound waves travel through the water.  As they travel further, the sound wave will increase in diameter, going from the point of initiation and fanning out into a cone-like shape.  The cone naturally becomes larger in deeper water because it continues to fan out from the point of origin.  As the sound wave hits a solid mass it will echo back to the transducer.  The time difference between when the sound bounces back from an object and it’s surrounding area determine the shape and size.    That shape will then appear on your fishfinder screen and you will be able to see a proximation of what the object looks like.

Your budget will likely be the next determining factor in your choice. Figure out how much you would really like to spend on a fish finder.   Then multiply that times two. That will give you a more realistic budget to work with.

Naturally, the budget isn’t the only consideration.  There are six other significant factors to help you to make the best choice for you.  Consider each of the following:

DEPTH RATING

Each fishfinder is rated for a particular depth. The rating will indicate how far down the signal will return effective soundings based on the intensity of the signal. You should first realize that the ratings are for ideal conditions in clear fresh water unless stated otherwise. When fishing in salt or murky water the effective depth will be less than stated. Like everything else; the more power the higher the cost; so know that if you plan to fish really deep water you need to spend more.

A good rule of thumb and my recommendation is to purchase a fishfinder with a rating of 10% more than you plan to need.

TRANSDUCER INCLUDED?

You should check included accessories for your fishfinder diligently before you make your purchase.   Some do not come with a transducer and you will need to purchase one separately. That will make a difference in the overal price. The two types of transducers are single frequency and dual frequency. You may require one, the other or both depending on for what and where you are fishing.   Single frequency transducers work best in shallow coastal waters or inland lakes. A duel frequency transducer is recommended for deep sea and offshore fishing. A transducer with dual frequency gives you a higher frequency transducer for a smaller cone in deep water. As an example; a 50kHz frequency transducer could have a 4 degree cone to provide a good view of the bottom in deep water and 200kHz transducer with a 20 degree cone would provide a better view of the bottom in shallower water.   You need to purchase the correct transducer, because both will generate information on your screen, but you want the information to be accurate.

Installation of the unit must also be factored in here.   You need to know if you plan to mount the fishfinder on a single boat and leave it there or if you prefer the flexibility of being able to take it with you and use it on a friend’s boat, as well.   Also, you need to decide if you will mount it on the transom or go through the hull for optimum clarity.

Several companies make single frequency ducers.  Each of these units is best suited for use on a small boat.  They are intended for use on rivers, streams, or inland lakes.

A transom mount unit is usually easier and less expensive to install.   You can purchase transom mounts in both single frequency and dual frequency fishfinder models.   Transom mounts are best for use in water that will not be very disrupted by a boat moving fast.Clarity usually is affected once your boat reaches 10 knots.

Through hull transducers, on the other hand, are ideal for performance and clarity. However, this requires another hole in the bottom of the boat. But they are needed if you want clarity at high speeds.

My recommendation is to purchase a through-the-hull mounted transducer with dual frequency only if you are planning to fish in very deep waters-either fresh water or salt water.

Smaller boats fishing relatilely shallow water at slow speed can use a portable or transom mount.   The money you save will be better served by using it to fill up your boat’s gas tank!

POWER CONSIDERATION

As a rule, more power is always a good thing.   When comparing units that are equal in all other features, the cheaper unit will almost always have less power.   However, power is the key to accuracy and clarity because that is what determines the speed of the sonar echoes (bounced back sound waves) reaching your unit.

After finding all other factors equal I recommend buying the unit with the highest power rating.   In other words, consider units that have everything you want and then compare the power rating of all of those units to see which one has the highest power rating.

DISPLAY – SCREEN AND RESOLUTION

Consider this when looking at different options for the display.  Color screens are easier to view in bright sunlight. A clearer image will be produced with higher resolution.

We recommend you research several units in your price range then choose the one with the highest resolution and a color screen.  480×480 is ideal, but you don’t want to go any lower than 320×240.

DISPLAY – SIZE

Like more power being better, when it comes to display size, bigger is always better-if it fits where you want to put it!  So before you can really determine the ideal display size for you, you need to measure the area where you will install the display unit.   That will dictate the largest display screen you can purchase. Just like more power, a bigger screen will fetch a heftier price.   But display size isn’t absolutely everything. A few really good fish finders have a 4″ screen.

READ THE REVIEWS, BUT . . .

When reading the fish finders reviews be somewhat skeptical of exagerated claims of performance! There isn’t likely anyone who has actually owned and used all of the different model they write about. More than likely the writer works for a manufacturer or distributor.  It’s best to look for technical differences rather than praise of performance.   For instance, eFishBox.com has a fishfinder review page that shows the specifications of all of the fishfinders produced by the industry brand name leaders so you can make real comparisons based on the actual features.   Make your decision based on your requirements and a solid understanding of the features you need, not someone who is getting paid to endorse a particular product.

Image by bbum via Flickr

First go out and land yourself a nice tasty Atlantic salmon. Okay you don’t have to get all geared up and head out for a day on the water, but I think it’s a great way to build up an appetite.

• 1 lb Cooked canned salmon or that beauty you caught yourself. Of course if you catch your own Atlantic salmon be sure to cook before you start this recipe. Just thought I better mention that.
• 1 c Mayonnaise
• 2 T Green pepper (diced)
• 2 T Pimento diced
• 2 t Lemon juice
• 1 t Tarragon vinegar
• 1 t Horseradish
• 1 t Chopped dried dill

Put mayonnaise, pepper and pimento into blender on low until smooth.

Turn into bowl with rest of ingredients.

Mix well. Chill.

Serve with brown bread. I like to toast my bread first.

There are more great recipes at Great Garden Recipes.

I was surfing fishing forum a few weeks ago, and while reading a few tips and articles I came across an idea that I wish was mine. I can’t remember the site but if I do I will link to it later.

The idea? Well it’s a camera that fastens securely to my fishing hat so I can take hands of video while I’m fighting the big one.

I have a hard time using a camera with 2 hands as I shake quite a bit so using one hand is almost impossible for me and taking along a camera guy doesn’t usually happen. When I take some one fishing they want to fish, not take video of me fishing.

So normally all my images and videos are shakey and fuzzy.

I just got back from searching a few forums I enjoy and I thought I remembered where I saw the hat cam for the first time but came back without their link. If I remember later I will come back and give them a link as it was such a great idea.

Now if I could get the hat cam to snap a picture just by wiggling my ears it would be great. Just kidding, hands free video recording while I am fishing is great as I have found it more than I can handle to fish and record video at the same time.

I have already put in my request for one for this Christmas.

Visit Hat-Cam for you hands free video recording, it’s worth your time.