When looking for information on how to fly fish, fly fishing tips or fly fishing techniques, many anglers, or anglers to be,who limit their search to books or material written ithin the last few years or decades are short-changing themselves. Fact is, many anglers continue to miss out on great fly fishing information by not reaching back into the rich history of the sport and seeking the advice and wisdom of true fly fishing pioneers. Now when I say pioneers, I'm talking about the guys who didn'thave anyone to learn from - the groundbreakers. Remember that when dry-fly fishing first made its appearance here in America from England it came without instructions. That's when anglers such as Emlyn Gill, George La Branche, Theodore Gordon and Samuel Camp, just to name a few, came up with their own set of instructions for dry-fly fishing. Yes, they were the true pioneers - and they wrote the first books about the artistry and craftsmanship of what it took to successfully fly fish in these American waters. For some strange reason, the last few generations of anglers have not been exposed to this classic fly fishing information that helped shape American dry-fly fishing. True, there are many fine fly fishing books being published today. But, for some reason, it's the story-telling aspects, only found in the older classics, that can get your blood racing and beckons you to the nearest stream or river. It's these older classics that represent the very heart and soul of fly fishing; its mystery, its allure. You've felt it, haven't you? Fly fishing classics every angler should have as part of their library include a wide array of books written by fly fishers for fly fishers and span anywhere between the early to mid 1900's. Here is a glimpse of the quality and quantity of fly fishing instructions you can find in any one of these classics. Feel how smooth and flowing they are when being told as a story, as opposed to some stuffy, boring tutorial or manual. Within these two excerpts (taken from George LaBranche's, Dry Fly and Fast Water) there are no less than 20 fishing tips; at least 10 in each paragraph! See if you can you spot them. ********************************** Exercising patience, he may walk slowly and quietly into the water at the tail of the stretch and as closely as possible to the bank the fish are under. Having attained the desired position, he should remain there long enough to allow all commotion made by his entry to cease, during which time no motion of the rod should be made, because the sight of any moving object will send the now alert trout scurrying, while the ripples will make him uneasy for a short time only. The horizontal cast should be used if possible. The fly should be floated down about a foot from the bank, and it should not be retrieved until it has traveled more than half the distance between the angler and the spot where it alighted.... When satisfied that no trout are within the section covered by the fly, the angler should lengthen his line and fish the fly a few feet above-always permitting the fly to travel over the water already fished. He should continue this until the maximum line that can be handled neatly without moving from the original position is being cast. When the line becomes unwieldy (in this method and position it is courting failure to attempt anything over thirty-five to forty feet, even if one is expert) an advance may be made a few yards up-stream as closely to the bank as the depth of the water and free casting space will permit. As it is quite possible-and likely, too-that a trout has been under the fly all the while, but was not interested in it, the angler's advance will drive him ahead, and indications of this should be sharply looked for. The discovery of the fish will save much valuable time, for in that case the immediate stretch may be abandoned, because any fish above the one seen will have certainly taken alarm at the actions of his ! fellow and will have lost all desire to feed for some time. ********************************** How did you do? And, that's just within 2 paragraphs! Imagine the number of tips you'll find throughout an entire book! Reading the early American fly fishing classics is a must for all anglers who are passionate about learning as much as they can about the world's oldest outdoor sport. Remember, it is from these now classic books that America learned how to fly fish using the dry-fly. Surely, these books haven't lost the capacity to continue to teach more generations the art and craft of fly fishing. |
