The Joy of Fly Fishing
While fly fishing is conceived to be one of the most restful hobbies you'll ever engage in, there is still a certain amount of skill requirement in order to be successful. You might have heard so much about the cast and about tying your own flies and may wonder how to really improve your fly fishing techniques in order to improve your catch broad. There are just a few simple things you can remember in order to affect your time on the water a more enjoyable experience and to just plain old catch more fish; let’s review these few simple things to remember about your fly fishing techniques.
Being gentle with your cast is important and probably the most important of all fly fishing techniques. Many anglers make the error of trying to force their cast the direction you do with typical fishing. Remember that you're not attempting to achieve too far leading of you and surely don't want to sink your bait the way you do with regular fishing. Your destination is to just skim or flit your fly over the upper of the water. You also want to remember that with fly fishing, the fly is virtually weightless and the line is heavy, so the line pulls the fly and not the different way around. If you give your line just the slightest bit of direction you'll see how it pulls the fly behind it and how the fly then skims the water. Practice your cast as part of your fly fishing techniques as much as you can. You can stand in the yard and just use a line without a fly. Aim for about ten or fifteen feet in front of you and keep practicing until you can gain it perfectly. Other ways to improve your fly fishing techniques is to get sufficient with working the line. With typical 
fishing you commonly have no slack in your line but with fly fishing, that slack is necessary for when you pull the line up for another cast. Beginning used to how it looks to watch the slack with your secondary hand may take some exercise. As you practice your cast, exercise covering that slack so that it doesn't have involved up in the line and so that you have enough slack overall. Both hands are going to be important when it comes to your fly fishing techniques so get used to how the line feels to you and what it takes to control it.
While you’re exercising your fly fishing techniques, remember not to get too taken up in instructions and the “proper” way to cast. If you do, you might find that you’re lost on the enjoyment of fly fishing overall. Anglers have been successful with fly fishing for hundreds of years without fancy schools or teachings, so you don't need to worry too much about these matters. Do the best you can with your own fly fishing techniques and remember to enjoy each and every experience.
Catching the "Big One"
Advice from Bob and Bill
To catch the "Big One" you'll need a pole and a worm. Poles come in all types and fashions. The pole can be made of cane, bamboo or a straight piece of tree branch. You do not use a reel with a pole. Cut a piece of fishing line as long as the pole. Tie the line to the tip of the pole and a hook to the other end of the line. A small sinker, called a "split shot," is squeezed onto the line above the hook.
The sinker makes it easier to swing the bait out into the water and keeps the bait under the surface. You may also want to use a bobber or float. By moving the bobber up or down the line, you can change the depth of your bait in the water. With a pole and line you can fish the area near the bank, where many fish often live. You might consider putting a reel on the end of your pole. Reels are used to store large amounts of line. They let you cast a bait or lure farther. They also help you retrieve lures correctly, fish in deeper water, and battle larger fish more easily. There are four kinds of reels: spincast, spinning, baitcast, and fly. Each kind uses a different type of rod.
Spincasting
Spincasting tackle is ideal for beginning anglers because it works well and is easy to use. A spincasting rod has small line guides and a straight handle. Spincasting tackle is often used while fishing for bluegill, crappie and other panfish. The spincasting reel mounts on top of the rod's handle. The fishing line comes out of a small hole in a cover on the front of the reel.
How to Cast With a Spincasting Outfit
To cast, grip the pistol grip with one hand. If you're right-handed, turn the rod sideways so the reel handle points straight up; if you're left-handed, point the reel handle straight down. Push the reel's thumb button and hold it down.
Face your target area and turn your body at a slight angle. The arm holding the rod should be closest to your target. Aim the rod tip toward the target-about level with your eyes. Swiftly and smoothly, bend your casting arm at the elbow, raising your casting forearm until your hands reach eye level. When the rod is almost straight up, it will be bent back by the weight of the practice plug. As the rod bends, move your forearm forward with just a slight wrist movement. When the rod reaches eye level, release the thumb button and let the line travel freely. If the plug lands close in front of you, you have released the thumb button too late. If the plug went more or less straight up, you released the button too soon.
Learning how to use a spincasting rod and reel isn't too hard, but it does take practice. Buy a practice-casting plug. This is a rubber or plastic weight without hooks. Then, tie it to the end of the line. Find a spot where you can practice safely. Put a target on the ground about 25 feet away. Practice casting until you can consistently hit the target with your casting plug. Being able to hit a target is much more important than being able to cast a long distance!
Spinning Rods and Reels
Spinning rods have a straight handle with large line guides that are on the bottom of the rod. A spinning reel is often called an "open-face" reel because the spool of fishing line isn't covered. The reel mounts under the handle. Spinning rods and reels allow for more line to be quickly peeled off the reel, allowing for casting longer distances.
Learning how to use a spinning outfit may take more practice than spincasting. Casting with a spinning outfit is very similar to using spincasting equipment. However, at the beginning you grasp the spinning rod's handle, placing the reel "stem" between your second and third fingers. Your thumb should be on top of the handle and your forefinger extended to touch the spool cover. With your other hand, rotate the reel spool until the line roller is directly beneath your extended forefinger. Pick up the line in front of the roller with your forefinger and open, or cock, the reel's bail with your other hand.(Some reels have a lever so you can grasp the line and open the bail in one motion.)
After you have accomplished this procedure, casting is very similar to that for spincasting except that when the rod reaches your eye level as you are casting, you release the line from your forefinger rather than releasing the thumb button. Again, if the plug lands close in front of you, your forefinger released the line too late. If the plug went more or less straight up, you released your forefinger too soon.
Baitcasting
A baitcasting rod can have either a pistol-type grip or a straight handle. As in spincasting, the casting reel and line guides are mounted on top of the rod. Unlike the other two types of reels, the casting reel's line spool turns as you cast and can snarl the line if it is not controlled properly. Learning to control this spool makes casting tackle harder for most people to learn, and is considered a skill for advanced anglers.
Drag
All reels have an adjustment called a drag that controls how easily the line is pulled off the reel. When set correctly, the drag lets a larger fish pull some line from the reel until the fish becomes tired. Follow the directions that come with your reel to set the drag correctly.
Flyfishing
Flyfishing tackle is different from all of the other types. In flyfishing, you are casting the line that carries the "fly." With other fishing tackle the weight of a bait or lure pulls line from a reel. In flyfishing, the reel is only used to store the line. Flycasting is usually the most difficult to learn. However, with proper instruction, anyone can learn.
American Fly Fishing Tournament
The America Cup International Fly Fishing Tournament is hosting one of the best fly fishing venues in the United States. The town of Frisco in Summit County Colorado (not too far from where I grew up) is 
hosting this fly fishing event in the true heartland of high mountain trout territory.
Event Agenda
The Event - August 22th-28th 2009.
August 22nd - Free concert in Frisco featuring Dicky Betts of the Allman Brothers Band and Tab Benoit
August 23rd - 25th will be optional practice days
August 26th – tournament fishing day - rivers
August 27th – tournament fishing day - rivers
August 28th – tournament fishing day – lakes (3/4 day)
August 28th – awards dinner in the evening
$$$$$
1st place $2,000.00
2nd place $1,000.00
3rd place $750.00
The event format will be a ‘Fishing Rally’. Each team will meet in the morning at the Scoring Center where a controller will be assigned to each 2 man team. The team will then take a single vehicle and fish any public water they want. The accompanying Controller must measure and record scoring fish. There will be a set time to return to the Scoring Center and failure to return on time results in a points deduction penalty. Planning and execution are critical to winning.
With just a few of the basics, a rod, a reel and a worm - you're ready to go after the "Big One." Next month we'll talk about how to cook what you catch.
Bill and Bob
