The night had been long, dark and cold. Morning broke a cold winter grey with a heavy overnight frost lighting up the dark depths of the trees. The wind blew cold against my face as I got out of the car and tackled up.
As I was putting my rods together I examined the lake I had come to fish. No ice thankfully, a slight riffle on the water but no sign of any trout, although I knew they were there, just deep down in the water.
Fly fishing was still new to me then, having come from course fishing, I had only taken it up some two months previously.
In my ignorance I had never looked into fly fishing as I assumed it was a sport of the rich, with no place for the likes of me.
It was 2 months previously that I had first paid a visit to a nearby trout fishery. I had heard about it as I used to fish for carp on a nearby lake. The trout fishery is made up of two small 2 acre lakes surrounded by woodland interspersed by views across open country.
I met the fishery manager and asked if it was ok to take a walk around. It was there that I met an elderly gentleman, George, whose enthusiasm for fly fishing was infectious.
George has fished for many years and was enjoying his fishing even more since he had retired
He blew away all my misconceptions about fly fishing, and introduced me to a number of the regular fishing "crowd".
It was then that I decided to take the sport up, and had a long talk with the fishery manager about tactics and the waters he presided over. You can never have too much local knowledge.
It always surprises me the number of people who turn up to a new water to fish, but never take the time to actually find out about the water they are about to fish.
Going back to the morning I arrived to fish I still had yet to catch my first fish. This was probably due to the fact that my casting was still improving, as was my understanding of the whole fly fishing sport.
I decided to fish the further of the 2 lakes that morning. This lake is known to be the more difficult of the 2, probably because it is very deep and quite exposed.
Despite the fact that I knew the fish were probably holding down deep in the water, I decided to use a floating line with a long leader and a dark fly, a Bloody Butcher.
My favourite fly fishing method is dry fly fishing, but in winter and with nothing hatching, this was not an option on this occasion.
To this day I still find an intermediate or sinking line more difficult to cast, so I use a floating line with a very long leader attached.
There were three of us fishing the lake that morning. After about an hour and a half I started to find casting difficult. The line just did not seem to want to shoot.
I then attracted a number of jovial comments from the other fishers, one of which was something like "it's harder to cast when it's frozen!" Sure enough, my rod rings had completely iced up!
The others were packing up, considering it too cold to continue. I decided to give it one last try. I went against the rule of "dark flies for dark days" and put on an Orange Fritz.
First cast - my first fish!
I was so excited about catching my first ever trout on the fly that I determined to come back the next day, and I did, full of confidence. I must have fished that Orange Fritz for over 3 hours, but didn't even get a "knock".
These days I wouldn't consider fishing the same fly with no result for that long and it just goes to show how fickle trout can be, interested in a certain fly one day, completely uninterested in the same fly the next!
Zac is also a keen fly fisherman. For some great tips and deals, visit his latest website about fly fishing combos where you can get information on buying balanced fly fishing combos which is generally cheaper than buying the individual components you need.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Zac_Kurtsmier
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
What to Know Before You Go - Essentials to Research Before Your Perfect Carp Fishing Trip
Fishermen, and women, around the world have had many experiences with baiting and reeling in their favorite type of fish, whether it is for their dinner or for sport. Ask anyone who has been out on the water before about their best catch and they will promptly tell you a story that includes what they used for bait, how they snagged that fish and every detail of their famed fish. The sport of fishing is one that takes skill, patience and sometimes even just a little luck to land that next big fish. Often it takes months and even years to perfect the best way to lure and reel in your favorite type of fish, and the carp fish is no exception.
Carp are freshwater fish found in many places around the world.
From lakes and ponds to slow moving rivers, you are sure to find them around the United States, Europe and Asia. Depending on where you are located or wish to travel for your next big carp excursion, you will have to do some research as to what types of carp are available for catch in your local area. Many carp will live and thrive in numerous areas on their own, while other lakes and ponds have been deliberately stocked with carp for the purpose of this sport. The exact type of bait you want to use on your fishing trip will depend entirely on the type of carp you will be fishing for. Each species of carp has their own favorite foods so be sure to know what types of carp are in the waters where you will be fishing.
Carp that live and thrive in lakes or ponds tend to be significantly larger than those in rivers or slow moving waters. This can mainly be attributed to the fact that lakes and ponds will be stocked by man in order for those who are in the hunt for carp will come for recreation or sport fishing. The threat of predators is quite low in these man-made carp locations so the population will grow and mature faster and easier than those fish you may find in natural carp populations. Rivers and slow moving waters will tend to bring fishermen a wide variety of carp species since you cannot guarantee which types will be inhabiting the waters at any given time. Often it is a challenge to see what you can catch in these unknown waters.
While there are so many different types of fish to choose from, more and more fishermen are finding themselves leaning towards at least one carp excursion during the fishing season. Catching carp gives a new meaning to the sport for many who are in the market for a relaxing fishing weekend or wish to bring on a new challenge while out on the waters. If you have never fished for carp before, try asking around or doing some research about the many locations to find carp or the different types of bait used for this well-sought after fish.
About The Author
Don Eigermeyer is a relatively recent newcomer to the carp fishing world, but that hasn't stopped him from becoming quickly obsessed with it. Interested readers can find out more about carp fish, learn some great recipes and approaches to baiting, and get a lot of really good technical information on carp fishing tackle at his website Carp Fishing Tackle And Enthusiast at http://www.carp-fishing-tackle-and-enthusiast.com. Tight lines, everybody!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Eigermeyer
Carp are freshwater fish found in many places around the world.
From lakes and ponds to slow moving rivers, you are sure to find them around the United States, Europe and Asia. Depending on where you are located or wish to travel for your next big carp excursion, you will have to do some research as to what types of carp are available for catch in your local area. Many carp will live and thrive in numerous areas on their own, while other lakes and ponds have been deliberately stocked with carp for the purpose of this sport. The exact type of bait you want to use on your fishing trip will depend entirely on the type of carp you will be fishing for. Each species of carp has their own favorite foods so be sure to know what types of carp are in the waters where you will be fishing.
Carp that live and thrive in lakes or ponds tend to be significantly larger than those in rivers or slow moving waters. This can mainly be attributed to the fact that lakes and ponds will be stocked by man in order for those who are in the hunt for carp will come for recreation or sport fishing. The threat of predators is quite low in these man-made carp locations so the population will grow and mature faster and easier than those fish you may find in natural carp populations. Rivers and slow moving waters will tend to bring fishermen a wide variety of carp species since you cannot guarantee which types will be inhabiting the waters at any given time. Often it is a challenge to see what you can catch in these unknown waters.
While there are so many different types of fish to choose from, more and more fishermen are finding themselves leaning towards at least one carp excursion during the fishing season. Catching carp gives a new meaning to the sport for many who are in the market for a relaxing fishing weekend or wish to bring on a new challenge while out on the waters. If you have never fished for carp before, try asking around or doing some research about the many locations to find carp or the different types of bait used for this well-sought after fish.
About The Author
Don Eigermeyer is a relatively recent newcomer to the carp fishing world, but that hasn't stopped him from becoming quickly obsessed with it. Interested readers can find out more about carp fish, learn some great recipes and approaches to baiting, and get a lot of really good technical information on carp fishing tackle at his website Carp Fishing Tackle And Enthusiast at http://www.carp-fishing-tackle-and-enthusiast.com. Tight lines, everybody!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Eigermeyer
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