news&views Spring 2019 | Page 28

An Introduction to
Fly Fishing
Duane Radford
Origins and Trends
Sources indicate that the first references to fishing
with artificial flies date back to England in the
thirteenth century. My own fly-fishing experience
goes back to the 1950s when my dad taught me
the basics, using a bamboo split cane rod with
rather primitive gear and tackle, compared to
today’s standards. Fly-fishing is hardly a fad,
although some fly angling newbies look at it
this way. The 1992 Hollywood movie A River
Runs Through It, starring Brad Pitt, popularized
fly-fishing. It has been a bit of a craze since then.
I’ve seen the evolution of fly rods go from
split cane to fibreglass to modern-day graphite.
I started with a Shakespeare automatic fly reel
and now use level wind reels that are precision
engineered and feature quality drags — a sort
of brake on the line — to slow down the run of
a caught fish. Flyline has changed from silk to
slick, modern-day Dacron coated with plastic
polymers, which are a dream to cast. Tapered
nylon leaders revolutionized fly casting accuracy.
Equipment and Tackle Tips
Vintage fly-fishing gear was primitive compared
with what’s available in today’s market. Modern
gear makes it possible for newbies to become
competent much faster because it’s better
designed and easier to use. Having said that,
fly-fishing is complicated and quite different from
spincasting or baitcasting. Further, the fly-fishing
vocabulary is confusing, so it’s important to do
some studying before you gear up.
Top: Retirees can enjoy many days on the water fly fishing across Canada
28 | arta.net
All images © Duane Radford