Bruno Garcia from the Charente-Maritime fishing federation answers questions from listeners on France Bleu la Rochelle and today Guillaume from Dompierre sur Charente who would like to learn about artificial fly fishing. He explains to us that, despite the tutorials on the internet, it is a discipline where it is difficult to be self-taught. Guillaume remains convinced that this practice is reserved for a certain elite.
I would like that one allots to this mode of fishing, something other than the side snobby that some want to lend to him. Fly fishing is a type of fishing that is suitable for everyone, both in terms of its technique and its price.
What do we fly fish?
I will first try to explain roughly what this fishing consists of. The objective is to imitate and present an artificial fly as well as possible and therefore to lure the fish. Insects have a large place in the diet of fish. This fishing is for all species, but particularly trout and salmon. Well you are going to tell me that Charente-Maritime is not the capital of trout and salmon, it is true but, I said it yesterday, there is no shortage of chubs and for lack of chubs you can target bleaks, rudds and even carp.
Equipment: rod, reel? nylon?
For once, we will not use nylon but silk. Quite simply because our line will not benefit from any ballast and because silk, which is heavier, propels itself more easily than nylon and above all, it is a material which has significant floating power. It will be wound inside a reel, which will not necessarily be equipped with a quick retrieve. This one being only a yarn reserve. A versatile, all-purpose fly rod will measure 8 feet, that is to say 2 m 40 and a few centimeters and will be equipped with a 5.6 line. For these last figures, it is a question of the diameter.
Tell us about the bottom line?
The leader is made of nylon and has the particularity of being designed in a degressive way, let me explain, it will start, for example, with a diameter of 40 hundredths to gradually reduce to 14 hundredths on average , hence its name rat tail. The advantage of this rat tail is that it will land very naturally and gradually on the surface of the water and not all in a “package” as if you were using a leader of the same diameter as a end to the other. This leader will end with an artificial fly, the most common is the spider fly, a simple fly with a body, a collar, a head and a tail. The most effective would be the grays with yellow bodies. In general, the colors closest to those found in the natural environment will be used. This type of fly has the advantage of being able to be used from the beginning of spring until the end of summer.
Some useful information:
Yes first of all you should know that fishing closes on all 1st category rivers tonight. And for Guillaume, to save him time, there is a fly fishing initiation section at the Saintongeais Fishermen Fishing Association located in Saintes. He can not hope for better on the proximity of his home.