By Rene Hesse
Get out! Those words can mean a lot of things. Today, let’s let them remind us to go outside, even if it’s just to stand in your back yard to listen, look and relax. Orvis sent me an email explaining that there is a shortage in fly fishing equipment due to the high demand. The movie, “A River Runs Through It” didn’t just come out, so why the demand? You got it. People just need to get out, and a lot of them are getting into something they always wanted to try; fly fishing. But then…On my first try at fly fishing for trout, no one told me I had to get leader material to match the fly size. I was all geared up standing in the middle of the Chattahoochee at Island Ford and couldn’t get the frigging leader through the eye of the fly. I always bass fished in the 70’s, so 10-pound mono worked on all of my bass bugs. Lesson learned. Go to the fly shop and ask what else you might need.
My next time out with the correct combination, I tried my best to cover the whole river from one spot. I made cast after cast trying to reach any water that looked good. No fish. Then I did a little reading, watched a few guys who looked like they knew what they were doing, and noticed that they were only making 15-20 foot casts. It wasn’t because they couldn’t cast further, it was because they knew where the trout would hold, that trout wouldn’t travel far to get food, and a proper presentation would catch more fish than random, erratic casts.
The point of telling you of my lessons learned is to let you know that gathering information is important. That information gives you the knowledge to make wise choices on the water. We don’t have to make hero casts, but knowing how to make a few different types of casts and knowing when to use them will increase your enjoyment of fishing and increase your chances of catching a fish.
We have a lot of great guides in Georgia. Invest in some time with them. You may need the knowledge, and I am sure nowadays they could use the business. It’s a win, win. Flatten the learning curve, catch more fish and GET OUT!