The fly rod gets the fly to the fish. It uses the line to do this. The principle of the rod is like a bull whip or a wet towel that you would roll up and snap at your friends during high-school gym class. All seasoned fly fishermen agree that a good fly rod is as light as it can possibly be while still doing its job.

The destinations that follow are generally acknowledged among the world’s best for saltwater fly fishing. As the old saying goes, “There are many fish in the sea.” A lot of them are wonderful for fly rodding, and each year we discover more. For the most part, ocean fish are bigger and stronger than their freshwater cousins.

A fly reel is one of those things that you think about only if it doesn’t work. Part of the reason for this situation is that, in general, reels are very well designed and, for the most part, very well made. With a minimum of care, a reel can last a long, long time.A few different fly reels are shown here. A spinning reel can have dozens of moving parts; a fly reel has just a handful.

Many species of fish look like other fish at first glance, but a catfish looks only like a catfish. Covered in skin, not scales, catfish are smooth, muscled bruisers.Members of the catfish family have barbels around their mouths — whiskers they use to taste their environment. In fact, they taste with some of the skin covering their bodies and, for that reason, they’ve been called “swimming tongues.

If people hadn’t started eating fish a long time ago, I doubt that anyone would have had the bright idea of fishing for them just for the fun of it. Now, of course, you know that fighting a good fish thrills you, whether you keep the fish or throw it back. Still, cooking a fish over a fire next to the lake where you caught it will connect you to your ancestors in a way few things can.

Known widely as the quarry of fly fishermen everywhere, trout are usually found in moving, cool water or colder lakes. Popular as both sportfish and table fare, members of this family are held in high esteem by anglers.Similar to the temperate bass family, the trout family has some odd twists in its family tree, as species can cross-breed and might be anadromous — that is, live part of their lives in both salt- and freshwater.

All things in fishing — from casting to netting a big fish — get easier the more you do them. Although true, this advice assumes you’re learning on your own. Fish with an experienced angler, though, and you can learn a lot about what to do, and even what not to do. This shortens the learning curve. Here are ten things I learned the hard way.

Fishing trips should be fun for all involved. Here are some tips to help you make every trip a winner for kids. Kids need to be introduced to fishing the right way. Ever notice that almost every adult has a memory of going fishing as a child? Ever notice how many adults have a single, lone, solitary childhood fishing memory?