Fly Fishing, An Introduction

The art of fly fishing is an ancient art still enthusiastically practiced today. First recorded in the middle ages an interesting book appeared in fifteenth century England. Written by nun called Juliana Berners was an informative publication which included a selection of fly patterns that must have been popular at the time.

Man has caught fish for food for thousands of years using a variety of fishing equipment such as rods, hooks, nets and spears. Images of men fishing appear in the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics but this was most probably for food rather than pleasure. The Ancient Romans were known to enjoy various sports and it is recorded that they employed the use of artificial flies to catch fish. It is, therefore, highly likely that they enjoyed the sport of fly fishing.

In fly fishing the artificial fly is attached to a fine line and carefully cast into the water. Fish are drawn to the fly and take it into their mouths whereby the hook penetrates the flesh enabling the fish to be worked ashore. Great skill is involved in using the fly fishing rod, line, fly and cast style to fool the fish into thinking it is suitable food or just making it look so interesting that they have to investigate further.

Scotland is an excellent place to visit and a superb destination for a fly fishing vacation. It was Queen Victorias love of Scotland that helped create the region's early tourist industry. High on the agenda for the visiting upper classes was the excellent sport which included stag hunting and fly fishing. Many photographs and picture postcards of the day show visitors proudly showing their day's catch and other aspects of the sport, an especially popular image was a solitary angler enjoying his sport on one of the many Scottish lochs and rivers that are famous for their superb salmon and trout.

During the 19th century there were many developments in fly fishing equipment. Small cottage industries developed to meet the demands of the angler. With such things as rods and reels being handmade and requiring great knowledge and skill they were often expensive. Today some of these items are highly sought after and often reach ridiculous prices at auction.

Another item used during the 19th century which is still used today is the fly fishing fly, or, more specifically, the fly pattern. Flies are made from many different materials, during that time they were natural materials such as fur, feathers and horse hair, but today we also use artificial materials. However some of the very earliest fly patterns prove so effective in catching fish that those patterns still remain popular today.

As well as the massive choice of fly patterns used in fly fishing flies there are also different types. The main two types of fly are wet flies and dry flies. Dry flies are used on the surface of the water so that they resemble such things as landing insects or an insect in the process of submerging or emerging from the water. Alternatively a wet fly can be used which is allowed to sink down in to the water to resemble water creatures and small fish in an attempt to attract the fishes attention.

Today the fly fishing industry is huge as the sport is incredibly popular and enjoyed around the world especially in Europe and America. A massive tourist industry has developed with a number of highly popular destinations providing excellent places to enjoy the sport. One of the most popular destinations are the famous salmon rivers of Scotland which have some of the finest salmon runs in the world. With some of the best runs being rather expensive it is pleasing to know that there are cheaper areas resulting in fly fishing vacations for every pocket.