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101 Fly Fishing Tips for Beginners
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Tip #6: Keep your Dry Flies Floating Longer
One way that you can keep your dry flies floating higher and
longer on top of the water is by waterproofing them. Take a can
of Scotch-guard, the same stuff that you use to protect your
furniture, and spray those flies that you plan on taking fishing
with you in the next few days. Let them dry overnight before
using them.
The Scotch-guard will put a waterproof protective coating around
your flies and prevent them from becoming drenched with water.
This will allow them to float higher and longer on the water.
Tip #7: Types of Reels
Reels – There are three main types of reels that you can choose
from when it comes to fly fishing: (1) baitcasting reels, (2)
spinning reels, and (3) spincast reels. The reel that you
choose will depend your own personal preferences.
Baitcasting reels: Baitcasting reels have better accuracy and
control of the lure than other reels. They are better equipped
to handle lines that are ten or more pounds in weight. The one
thing to be aware of when using a baitcasting reel is that they
often have the tendency to snarl or fight back when the spool
starts to spin faster than the line that is being played out.
This is particularly true if you are casting into the
wind.
To prevent these backlashes, baitcasting reels have a magnetic
braking feature but you'll want to count more on the control of
the spool tension, which is a knob that is usually located right
beside the handles. You'll need to set the spool tension knob
for each lure by holding the rod straight and disengaging the
spool. Loosen the tension just until the lure begins to drop
down and then tighten the spool just a bit.
When you're casting the reel you'll disengage the spool and then
hold it tight with your thumb. When you want the lure to move
forward you'll simply loosen up on the pressure. After some
practice you'll learn to control the speed of the spool so that
you have better accuracy.
Spinning reels: Spinning reels are reels that have a spool that
is stationary. The line is spun onto the spool as a device
called a "bail" rotates around it. Spinning reels can be used
for any size of line but more experienced fly fishers will use
it for lightweight lures with a weight less than ten pounds.
Spinning reels tend to perform a little better than baitcasting
reels when you're casting into the wind.
One disadvantage of using a spinning reel is that there is the
inevitable twisting of the line which will create tangles and
knots. When your line becomes twisted the best thing that you
can do is replace the line with a new one. One way that you can
prevent some of these tangles from occurring is by putting the
spool into a glass of water for about 24 hours before you head
out to go fishing, giving it a chance to soak.
To cast the spinning reel, hold the handle of the rod with one
hand, making sure that the spinning reel is on the bottom side
with your middle finger placed in front of the "foot" of the
reel. Slowly open up the bail and pull the line behind the
first knuckle of your index finger. Release the line by pulling
your index finger into a straight position. You can control how
far you cast the line by letting the line move along your index
finger as close to the spool as possible as the line unwinds.
When you want to stop the line you simply push your finger
against the lip of the spool.
Spincast reels: Spincast reels are also known as "push button"
reels. They are closed-face and are very easy to use. They are
almost impossible to tangle and can be cast in smooth, long arcs
without twisting. The main portion of the spool is encased in a
covering and it remains in one place while a pick-up pin spins
around the spool. When buying a spincast reel make sure that
you don't buy the most inexpensive one since you want to pay for
good quality. Many beginner fly fishers do well with a spincast
reel.
To cast the spincast reel all you need to do is depress the push
button and hold it down. You'll release the button when you
want your lure to move in a forward position. Most spincast
reels are able to be used with any weight lure or line size.
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