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Fly-Fishing by William Deleo - added June 10, 2006
Fly-fishing is not an adrenaline charged sport, as it involves a lot of time standing still in cold water observing. The angler wants to see how a fish will hold in a stream and what insects the fish is most likely to eat. Fish are not extreme creatures; they swim around and eat a lot, avoid prey and look for places where the water allows them a place to rest. It is up to the individual to decide if they want an adrenaline charged adventure. (Certain fishing trips involving foreign countries where vodka is present at every meal, climbing ropes, snorkels and fins, bearspray and life preservers will test you, might give you bragging rights and will definitely get you strange looks from your fellow anglers at the bar. They'll want to know where you went and what they missed.)
The type of fishing I like to do is quiet and it offers a balance to my fast sports like skiing and cycling. If I want to get that rush, I'll go skiing, and if I want to be quiet and relaxed or need a day to do something else, I'll head for the river. There is something about the flow of water that soothes the soul. Many use fishing as a therapeutic outlet to the hassles of life.
Often the best times on the river are when the fish are not taking the artificials you painstakingly toss at them. The best times are when you see an osprey flying overhead in search of trout or notice a beaver cruising past you as if you weren't there (the beaver knows you are there, believe me). Certainly I remember all the fish I caught and where I caught them, but I also recall standing in the Provo River last February, freezing my ass off in a blizzard getting skunked. The silent way the snow fell on the water made that trip worth it even though I got bronchitis a week later.
I come from a long line of fishermen and one could say the sport is in my blood; grandfathers on both sides of my family have sought trout in the cool New England "brooks" or hand lined for flounder off Nahant in Massachusetts. Fishing for them was both an activity and a source of food and for me, fishing is quite simply, another reason to be outside.
For the novice, fly-fishing seems complicated and it is. The cast itself mystifies many and the catalogs from fly-shops and articles in flashy outdoor magazines make it seem like one has to drop a small fortune to catch a trout. Depending on your income, one can be as dirtbag or as ostentatious as your wallet allows, but I am more into the dirtbag route. The name of the game is getting out there, having some quiet time and catching some fish.
To get set-up the beginner needs to go to a reputable shop and talk to a friendly employee. Find a shop you feel comfortable in, for these shops are an excellent resource. They should equip you with a rod (not a pole), a reel with fly-line, backing and a leader. Ideally you need a vest to hold your new flies, some toenail clippers to clip leaders and tippets, a pair of forceps to take the hook out of the fish and some waders so you can get in the water where the fish live. Then you need to learn to tie some basic knots, find a trout stream and get out there. Don't worry about trying to tie a needle knot or not being able to immediately distinguish the difference between a caddisfly, mayfly or stonefly; all this will come later and there is a lot to learn. Your first few times on the water should be fun, so don't overwhelm yourself with little details, and believe me fly-fishing is loaded with little details. There is a lifetime of information to learn about fishing, and the basic skills and etiquette, if learned correctly, will give you a lifetime of enjoyment. Fishing is a lifetime sport.
Once you get comfortable with your basic skills is when the fun starts. You may develop fish fever which strikes at will and might lead you to spend all of your time on the river. Fly-tying and rod building may occupy the slow winter months and insects suddenly become very interesting. One may find they spend good portions of the day gathering specimens from the bottom of rocks so they can anticipate a hatch.
Once you get into it, fly-fishing can take you around the country and around the world. I've been living in Montana during the summers for the past few years and we are blessed with some excellent fishing. I've been lucky enough to sample many of the rivers and lakes in this area and I've caught some fine fish. If you like to travel, the world beckons: Iceland, Chile, Scotland, New Zealand, Mexico, Costa Rica, Russia. All of these places offer fine fishing, beautiful scenery and good talks in the pub with the locals. If you're not careful fishing might take over your life and you might end up sleeping by the river, but there are worse destinies in life.
William DeLeo skis Alta in the faddish telemark style
and can be reached at wdeleo[at]hotmail.com
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