Fly Fishing America

I heard you were going to try fly fishing and wanted to talk with you about that for a minute. You know, fly fishing is more than just tossing your line into moving water and hoping for a strike. You can also catch more than just trout or salmon when you fly fish. I just wanted to make you aware that there are some stereotypes associated with this type of fishing that are misleading.

When you think of fly fishing, what do you see in your mind? A small stream or brook with moving water is the usual image this brings up. Put it away because it is possible to fly fish on lakes and ponds as well. It takes a different approach, but once you get the idea, it can open up a whole bunch of areas to you that weren't there before.

It just has to do with the food sources available on a specific lake. The best way to get started fly fishing lakes is to read local fishing publications, go to local fishing tackle stores or just talk to some fly fishermen in person. Any personable angler will be happy to assist you with advice.

For instance, not many people know that you can fly fish for bass. That's right-BASS! Once you have your technique down, you need to research the native creatures (things that the bass will feed on) that live near a lake. Then you go buy or make some fishing flies that resemble those life forms. Bass spend a lot of time near the surface and are also aggressive. So floating an offering past his nose that looks like other stuff he has eaten will probably get him to bite.

Oh and don't even think that fly fishing lakes is only possible in the northwest or higher elevations. Granted, it's more popular there, so you'll see more fly anglers out there, but lower elevations and lakes in the heartland can yield fish to the fly fisherman as well. Truth is that any body of water can supply your supper on any given day or night.

If you are after that trophy trout or steelhead, you may want to stick to the bigger lakes like Lake Kasba in Canada's Northwest Territories just north of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This lake is 1250 square miles and has garnered some of the largest lake trout, musky and Arctic Grayling anywhere. Larger lakes tend to hold the food sources, foraging structure and eco-system to produce large fish. Lake Kasba has yielded Pike over 50" long weighing upwards of 35 pounds, Lake trout in the 40 to 50 pound class and Arctic Grayling that are just ounces off of the world record!

Yeah, Canada has the reputation for fly fishing lakes, but there are plenty of fresh water lakes across the USA that are just as prolific at producing record setting fishes. Look around you and you are sure to find a spot that will work for you.

For the sport fly angler, smaller lakes may produce quantities of lower weighting fish, but the fun of catching them is a thrill and a half. All you need to do is find a lake and study it for a day or two to find it's Achilles heel.


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Want to learn other places to fly fish and more species that you can catch on the fly? Go to http://www.flyfishing-for-beginners.com