The Practice of Fooling the Fish

Fly fishing is essentially the practice of fooling the fish. Fishermen do this in a variety of ways: picking the right spot, the right time, the right season, the right cast, the right reel, and, arguably most importantly, the right lure. Now, store-bought lures are getting better and better. But there’s an art to fly tying that can’t be matched by anything you buy in a store. And it’s tricky. It takes a lot of practice. If you’re tying for the first time we recommend starting with something simple that imitates a bunch of different insects that trout love: the wooly bugger.

If tied correctly, the wooly bugger will attract trout that are after leeches, salamanders, crayfish, tadpoles, or even dragonflies. To do it right, you’ll need a strung marabou black, black chenile, black hackle, black thread, gold beads that’ll fit on the hook, lead wire for your weight, size 6-12 streamer hooks, and head cement or nail polish.

First, place the bead on the straight end of the hook. Then tie on your thread. Use the thread to attach the black marabou, leaving an inch between the tie site and the bead. Then coil the lead wire around the hook between the marabou and the bead. Next, tie the chenile at the marabou site. Start with the thinnest part of the hackle and tie it on the back. tie off along with the chenile to clean it up. Finally, apply the head cement or nail polish over all tied ends.

Play around with colors and angles of marabous. The more wooly buggers you’ve got in your tacklebox, the more you’ve got to play with once you’re out scouting for trout. Fly tying is an art, which means there’s plenty of room for experimentation. Time and experience will give you more confidence in what works and what doesn’t.

For more tips and tricks regarding fly fishing, casting, and tying, keep up with our blog! And for all of your fly fishing needs, contact Lees Ferry Fly Fishing today!

For more details, visit our homepage at http://www.leesferryflyfishing.com. 

Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/tying-a-wooly-bugger-for-fly-fishing/

The Many Reasons to Go Fishing

Whether you’ve only gone fishing a few times or it’s something you do as often as you can, you may not be aware of all of the reasons why fishing is great activity. Of course there are the obvious reasons, like doing it to relax and hang out with friends and family members, but there are several additional benefits that come along with fishing. The following are just a few of the reasons why you should go fishing at least a few times a year.

Fishing can actually be a great boost to the economy, mostly because the sale of licenses generates millions of dollars in both state and local taxes. In turn, these tax dollars go on to support the area in a number of ways, including funding new jobs for thousands of Arizonans.   

Of course there are actually several health benefits that come with regular fishing. While the activity itself isn’t overly intensive, simply being outside can help you feel healthier in both your mind and body. In addition, a well prepared fish is one of the healthiest meals you could ever eat, and catching fish yourself in the wild is better than eating something from the grocery store that may have come into contact with chemicals.

Finally, fishing is a great way to contribute to conservation efforts. The sale of fishing licenses contributes to several conservation programs throughout the state, and the money can even benefit education efforts and public land purchases.

It’s easy to overlook these benefits when you’re out on the water enjoying the day, but don’t overlook the importance and benefits of regular fishing.

For more details, visit our homepage at http://www.leesferryflyfishing.com.