Isn’t fly fishing supposed to be hard?
With all the new techniques and technology that fly fishing has seen over the last few years, I catch myself asking this question more and more.
Before discussing the methods, I hope you know that I encourage all anglers to get out on the water and fish the way they enjoy. I am not one to tell others how they should fish and enjoy a day on the river. As long as people take care of the resources and the fish, having anglers on the water will create more people who want to protect the places trout call home.
That said, I can’t help but question some techniques that have become popular over the last few years, many that I partake in or have tried myself.
These methods have one thing in common: they solve common difficulties in fly fishing by deviating from traditional methods, making it easier to catch fish.
Catching more fish may be the goal, and innovation will continue to improve our sport in this direction, no matter what I say. Still, I wonder if this innovation diminishes the tradition, history, and, most importantly, the challenge of fly fishing.
The techniques at the top of my mind are the many that go away with a fly line. These include euro nymphing, mono rigging, and other variations that replace a fly line with a long leader. While they are highly effective at catching fish, these systems do away with the many skills needed to fish a traditional fly fishing setup. Mending and casting a fly line are the most obvious.
Now, these new methods require their own skills to succeed. But once learning the basics, I’d argue they make catching trout much easier than traditional fly fishing setups incorporating a fly line. Where do we draw the line between being as effective as possible and accepting fly fishing for its difficulties?
I recently heard of anglers tying weighted salmonfly dry flies to be fished on a long rod using a mono rig. This setup will allow them to fish a straight line over river currents to the dry fly, diminishing the chances of the fly dragging. While I see the effectiveness of this and respect any angler innovating to fit their needs on the water, why don’t we learn to cast and mend a fly line better? Yes, some drag may come into play, but isn’t that part of the challenge of fly fishing?
At some point, we all decided to pick up a fly rod and learn to fly fish, knowing it would be much more complicated than conventional fishing. Some of us fell in love with the sport despite its difficulties or maybe even because of the challenge it brings. Do we want to optimize every aspect of fly fishing, solving all the challenges we chose to deal with when first learning to fly fish?
Now, I am just as guilty as the next guy. I had a phase where I did a lot of tight-line nymphing and have used a mono rig on and off over the past two years. Catching fish is fun, especially when you are young on your fly fishing journey. These methods are entertaining to fish, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I continue to incorporate them into my fishing on occasion.
However, I find myself prioritizing how I catch fish more than ever. I put more emphasis on the scenery, bugs, and overall adventure rather than the act of placing a fish in the net. There is a longstanding tradition of chasing hatches and dry fly fishing for trout that I feel is important to keep alive. I want to appreciate the whole fly fishing experience and take what the river gives up for the day and nothing more. Whether this is right or wrong is not my place to say; it’s just what I enjoy at the current stage of my journey.
At the end of the day, I believe fly fishing should be difficult. The human race will continue to innovate, making everything easier and easier, though I believe we as humans find value in doing hard things. Do we really want it to be easier to catch a trout, or is there more to the experience?
I know this is a controversial topic of conversation among many anglers. It is not the first time these concerns have shown up in fly fishing history. I am sure that when people first started putting beads on flies and fishing them below indicators, many cried out that it wasn’t fly fishing. Maybe euro nymphing and mono-rigging are on a similar path.
I invite you to consider a few of the questions posed in this article, as they are questions I continue to ask myself. As always, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you out on the water, fishing the way you enjoy.
1 thought on “Isn’t Fly Fishing Supposed To Be Hard?”
So, I guess I’m considered “Old School” fly fishing. I believe fly fishing you are using fly line. You cast it, not dab it. Euro has been around for a lot longer then people think. I’m self taught at the age of 13 and I’m 57. It was around then. It’s called spin fishing.