The Dying Art of Fly Fishing

Josh Waukau
NR 320
November 8, 2011
Fly fishing in my opinion is one of the most gratifying experiences in the fishing world. Fly fishing is a lost and dying art. My dad and grandfather speak of days when all the anglers in the family knew how to fly fish and went on a regular basis. Today, many anglers choose not to fly fish because they have many other tools available to them like spinning reels. Other anglers say that they do not fly fish because they were never taught. I believe the main reason people don’t fly fish is they are just too lazy. Over the last few decades anglers have gotten progressively lazier. They would rather use a spinning reel or bait casting rod to go fishing. Another issue with those methods of fishing is the fact that many lures have more than one hook, some with multiple treble hooks. In some fly anglers minds that is cheating. Most of the lures used in fly fishing are single hooks; some of them even have the barbs removed. Removing the barbs allows for a less damage to occur to the fish if it is either caught as a recreation activity, or is too small to keep and eat. Fly tying is another activity that can be practiced in tandem with fly fishing. A person who ties their own flies can make many different variations of flies to try and mimic natural sources of food for fish. I am by no means trying to say that fly fishing is any easy activity to learn. If an angler is not exposed to fly fishing at a young age and no one takes the time to teach them. It will be very hard for that person to teach themselves. With the right teacher and a little bit of patients and practice, one could learn how to fly fish. Overall, fly fishing and fly tying to me are considered both an art and a skill. The skill of casting for example can be very gratifying. When done right, an angler can make a connection with the rod, line and lure. An angler can feel when a cast is just right and the line will effortlessly flow through the air delivering the fly to a precise location. Why should I take the time to learn how to fly fish you ask? One of the best feelings of accomplishments can be achieved through fly fishing. When an angler takes the time to make their own creation of a fly to use as a lure; then takes that fly and uses their skills and catches a nice sized fish. An angler can have one of the greatest experiences in the fishing world. I challenge anyone who is skeptical of what I have written about and to stop being lazy and learn how to fly fish and tie flies. It will be a skill set that they can cherish for the rest of their lives and pass on to future generations.