On a recent trout fishing trip with a few friends from different countries, the usual discussion over lunch was, ‘ What are they hitting on?’
One of the anglers said he got several on a foam ant. In fly fishing we often, ‘fish the foam’, where two currents meet. So when another angler asked, ‘What’s the foam ant made of? It seemed to be a logical question. The response was, ‘It’s made of foam.’ ‘Brilliant!’ exclaimed my friend feeling a little embarrassed for asking the question. Then he quickly replied, ‘If foam ants are made of foam, what are Wooly Boogers made of?’ (True story)
Fly fishing can have a lot of confusing terms. For the most part we can get away with general descriptions. For example, it was a small black fly or a big brown buggy looking thing. Using a scientific term is usually not necessary. However, there are layers or levels of descriptions that will aid in catching more fish on the fly or getting the right gear. Reading, asking questions and working with the gear are some of the ways to start figuring it out. The fact that you got this far into The Casting Corner shows you are on the right trail to learn more.
The fly rod is just a long flexible lever that we bend against the weight of the line as we pull it through the casting stroke. When we stop the rod, it will unbend transferring the energy stored in the rod to the line. The line will overcome the rod tip and be sent off to the target in the form of a loop. The line and rod combinations are endless. Therefore there are endless feels and applications available.
Here are some terms related to fly rods and their characteristics:
Rating: The recommended line weight for the rod. (For example 6wt or 9wt)
Load: Bending the rod. Not putting a bullet in it. Several different forces will aid in loading the rod.
Speed: how fast a rod straightens when the load is removed. The quicker it straightens the ‘faster’ it is.
Action: Where the rod bends when you are casting. Examples would be tip flex, mid flex or full flex. A tip flex is usually a fast rod and a full flex is usually a slow rod.
Deciding what rod to get can be daunting if you are just starting. It can be liberating once you get a feel for what you like. Tip, mid or full flex, they all can cast a fly. Some lead themselves to an application better than others. Faster rods will aid in windy conditions and distance. Slow rods are great for small streams and delicate presentations. Feeling the rod/line combination is the only way to decide what your favorite is. I suggest you talk to friends, try their combinations, go to your local fly shop and try what they suggest. Then buy the fly rod. Support your local fly shops and they will support you. Who knows, some day you may need to know what a wooly booger is made of, and they will know.?