Fly Fishing Beginners Guide: How to Fly Fish

Fly fishing, unlike standard fishing, has a bait that is light enough to float on the surface of the water. The fishing technique, when used correctly, makes it possible for experienced and novice anglers alike to land species of fish that usually swim just below the surface of the water fishing marathon fl. Some of the fish that you might have a chance of landing during your fly fishing trip are salmon and trout.

If you are a beginner to fly fishing, taking your time to learn how to fly fish can increase your chances of landing fish. When fly fishing, you will not only need special equipment, you will also need special casting methods. In this article, you will learn everything there is to know about fly fishing.

The Fly Fishing Gear You Should Invest In

Without the proper fly fishing gear, your fly fishing knowledge may not help you land your target fish. In this section, we’ll look at the basic gear you need to pack when you finally decide to get out of the beginner stage of fly fishing.

Fly rod

It is possible to find a fly fishing rod in a wide variety of materials, lengths and weights. The price largely depends on the material of the fishing rod. A graphite fly rod, usually priced in the mid-range, should offer excellent results for any fly fishing beginner.

The type of fishing rod you invest in will depend on the species of fish you are going for and where you are going to fish. However, the 3 crucial things to consider include:

  1. Length

When fly fishing, longer rods generally allow you to cast longer distances, as long as there are no obstacles in the way. If your fishing spot has many obstacles, for example bushes and trees, a shorter rod should give better results.

  1. Weight

When it comes to the weight of the fly fishing rod, fly fishing beginners usually use the medium weight fly fishing rods. For people who are currently learning to fly fish, buying a 5 weight fly rod is a good idea.

  1. Action

In the market, you will find slow, medium and fast action fly fishing rods. Most beginners to fly fishing will invest in the fast action rod. This is because fast action rods are much easier to cast for longer distances.

Fly fishing reels

When buying a fly fishing reel, you need to make sure that the reel matches the weight of your fishing rod. This will help you achieve optimal performance.

It is worth noting that most manufacturers combine fishing rods and reels. If you buy a pre-matched combination, you don’t have to worry about matching the fishing rod and reel yourself.

Fly Line, Backing, Tippet and the leader

If you’re used to standard fishing setups, you’ll probably use just one fishing line, rod to hook. When fly fishing, a single fishing line does not work. Reasons for this include:

  • The weight does not exist at the end of the fishing line. You will only have one fly, which can be considered almost weightless. If you rely on the weight of the fly to cast long distances, this will be impossible. Since the weight has to come from the fly fishing line, it has to be thicker.
  • To land a fish on your best fly fishing target, you need to ensure that the bait is presented in the water without the target fish knowing that it is attached to your fishing line. This is what makes the tippet and the leader important.

Next, we have the functions of the equipment that exists between the fishing rod and your fly:

Fly-backing

The purpose of the fly backing is to offer additional length for a longer fishing run. It is usually the longest part of the fishing line. The fact that it is thick and brightly colored means that it can be seen in the water.

Fly-line

As mentioned above, the purpose of the fly line is to provide weight. This allows you to cast longer distances. In addition to being heavy, fly line is often brightly colored.

Leader

This transitions from your thick fly line to your thin tippet. To match the fly line, the leader starts thick. It is then cut down to a slimmer size.

The leader prevents the fly line from hitting the water surface and scaring away the target fish. When the leader is available, the chances of the fish seeing the fly line decrease. On average, leaders are about 9 to 10 feet.

Cape

The fly is attached to the leader by a tippet. It makes sure the fly shows up without the fish seeing the line. When you invest in a tippet, get one that is strong enough but barely visible.

Flies

When trying to locate baits for your fly fishing at night or during the day, you will come across 3 main types of flies. These are:

  • Dry Flies – They are designed to resemble flying insects that float and land on the surface of the water. They are the most used baits.
  • Nymphs – They resemble aquatic creatures. They float just below or on the surface of the water.
  • Streamers – Although larger than nymphs, they also look like aquatic creatures.

Fly fishing waders

If you ask someone familiar with fly fishing, he or she will tell you that in most cases, staying on shore will not give you the best results. To increase your chances of catching a fish, you may need to get in the water. Fly fishing stilts allow you to get in the water without having to deal with uncomfortable wetness.

Fly fishing waders

If you ask someone familiar with fly fishing, he or she will tell you that in most cases, staying on shore will not give you the best results. To increase your chances of catching a fish, you may need to get in the water. Fly fishing stilts allow you to get in the water without having to deal with uncomfortable wetness.

Fly fishing setup

After getting all the gear you’ll need during your fly fishing trip, one question you may ask yourself is, “how am I supposed to put all of this together?” Fortunately for beginners in fly fishing, assembling fishing equipment is usually not difficult. All you will need is some practice and knowledge of how to tie fishing knots.

 

To put the rod, reel, line and backing together, follow the steps below:

Step 1 – Attach the reel to your fly rod. You can use the manufacturer’s instructions to do this. In most cases, the reel should slide over the rod and lock into place.

Step 2 – Retrieve your backing and pull about 20-30 yards from the backing. The amount of backing you will use will vary depending on the weight and size of the reel. The reel manufacturer can suggest the amount of backing you need to use. The trick is to simply wind enough backing leaving enough room for the fly line.

Step 3 – Remove approximately 2-3 feet of fly line and tie your fly line to the backing. You can use the Albright knot.

Step 4 – Pull out about 30 yards of fly fishing line, then cut it.

Step 5 – Go ahead and wind both the backing and the fly line onto the spool. You must roll backwards. Fly fishing line should come first. This step will help you get the correct amount of backing and fly line on your reel.

Note: When winding the thread, make sure to keep it taut. Make sure both the line and the backing pass evenly through the shaft. The line should be wound from the bottom of the spool.

Step 6 – You should keep winding until you are close to touching the outer edge of the spool. Next, trim off the extra backing, and then remove the fly line and backing from the spool.

Step 7 – Using the tree knot, tie the backing to the tree. Again, be sure to keep the line taut as you wind it evenly across the spool. Be sure to roll up from the bottom. This time, roll up the backing first.

Step 8 – Using a twist knot, tie a loop at the end of your fly line. This loop will allow you to attach the leader to the fly line more easily. With the loop in place, changing leaders once you wear your fishing shirt and hit the water should be easy.

Step 9 – Using a loop to tie the knot, attach the leader to the fly line.

Step 10 – To attach the tippet to the leader, use a triple or double surgeon’s knot.

Step 11: Lastly, use the Improved Riveting Knot to attach your fly to the tippet.

After placing the fly on your tippet, you should be ready to enjoy the benefits of fly fishing. While the above may seem like a lot to go through, you won’t have to do all of the above every time you decide to put on your fishing hat.

You will need to follow the steps above only when you decide to change your lines. When you’re not changing your lines, all you’ll have to do is change the leader to replace the flies.

 

Fly fishing cast

The choice of cast you use will largely depend on the location, the species of fish, the casting distance, and your personal preferences. However, as a beginner to fly fishing, the ideal cast is the one above.

Basically, during the overhead cast, you will need to bring the fly line above and behind you before casting it in front of you to the desired spot. The steps below should make it easier for you to get into an overhead cast:

Step 1 – Hold the bar in a position that mimics a handshake. Your thumb should be on top but pointing to the end of the fly rod. Place your hand in the middle of the bar grip. You should keep the fly line between your index finger and the rod, to make sure no extra fly line comes out.

Step 2 – With the rod pointed slightly downward, from about waist level, pull about 10 yards of line, then move the rod up and down. This should feed the line to the water/ground at the front.

Step 3 – Back up a bit to allow the line to spread out in front of you.

Step 4: While maintaining the wrist position, slowly raise your arm until the line becomes taut.

Step 5: Swing your arm back to bring the line of flight behind you. This should cause the rod to bend. Bring the rod to approximately the 1 or 2 o’clock position. Pause as you wait for the line of flight to loop behind you.

Step 6: Next, bring the rod forward to the 10 o’clock position quickly. This should launch the line out and forward in front of you. Where the line ends depends largely on the direction you point the shaft during this movement. The launch distance will depend on the strength of the movement.

Step 7: As the fishing line is extended into the water, slowly lower your arm to gently place the line into the water.

Overhead Casting Tips

To execute an ideal overhead cast, you should follow these tips:

  • Start and stop fast enough. This will put the load in motion.
  • You need to pause long enough to allow the line to come up behind you. One of the common mistakes made by beginners in fly fishing is not waiting long enough.
  • Avoid using too much wrist movement. Too much movement could cause the line to stay horizontal without the loops tight. Tight loops generally give the cast power.

 

Summary of FreeSurf Sports

When you are just starting out with fly fishing, things may not be very easy for you. However, if you take your time learning how to fly fish, fly fishing should be easier. To go from the beginner stage to fly fishing, it is not enough to learn how to fly fish. You have to take your time to put into practice what you have learned.

Keto or ketogenic diet: food, benefits and risks

Talking about ketogenic diet or keto diet today is often controversial. The reason is that this dietary approach raises many doubts among the scientific community because, although it has been studied for many years in the field of nutrition and health, the truth is that it has not just landed, far from it. The problem is that this type of diet has transcended all barriers in the health field and has become popular among the general population. And therein lies its danger. Many companies have taken over the ketogenic diet to offer miracle solutions that have little scientific support behind them.

However, the ketogenic diet itself does have some very specific benefits backed by science. Of course, it does not work in all people equally. Let’s see what the keto diet consists of, whether or not it is useful for losing weight, and what foods are allowed and which are prohibited in this eating plan.

What is the ketogenic diet or keto diet?

The keto or ketogenic diet is based on a minimal or no intake of carbohydrates, one of the macronutrients that food provides us, along with proteins and fats. The reason for this limitation is based on the search for ketosis: a metabolic state where the body generates ketone bodies that replace glucose as energy fuel in the body.

When we eat, food is transformed into glucose: the reference molecule used by the human body to synthesize energy. However, when we don’t eat enough carbohydrates, glucose levels plummet. The brain finds it difficult to nourish itself. First we use the glucose most at hand, and then the glycogen stores in the muscles and liver are emptied.

Once this point is reached, the body itself begins to generate fuel through other metabolic pathways. And this is where ketone bodies come into play. They are generated in the liver itself from fatty acids, and become the solution to nourish the brain with energy. Put very simply, they take fat from our body and convert it into energy. That is why the ketogenic diet is conceived as a great ally in weight loss. It looks like a drawer, doesn’t it? Yes, but it is not that simple.

The truth is that ketosis or production of ketone bodies is a completely natural situation. It is not only produced in a conscious ketogenic diet process, but we can reach it at certain times. The problem comes when we go overboard and enter a state known as ketoacidosis. Here we can suffer from serious health problems, since the blood pH can be modified.

It should be noted that it is a tremendously unusual situation and that it does not occur in the usual ketogenic diets. With good nutritional planning in hand, and without additional pathologies involved, we should not worry about this aspect. Therefore, it is extremely important that a health professional is the one who supervises the follow-up of the ketogenic diet. Pay no attention to the gurus who promote it like the one who sells pipes, and also be very careful not to follow it on our own.

Forbidden foods on the keto diet

People following a ketogenic diet cannot even smell cereals, tubers, pasta, flour, legumes or fruits. In this way, we see that there is a limitation of healthy and fully recommended foods in a regular diet for the general population. Except allergies and food intolerances, of course. The reason is that they are all common sources of carbohydrates, also called carbohydrates.

However, by minimizing the presence of foods rich in carbohydrates we are also erasing from the diet the entire well- known catalog of ultra-processed foods , full of free sugars and other ingredients of poor nutritional quality that we know too well: pastries, soft drinks, ice cream, sweets, biscuits, cookies, sugary breakfast cereals, and a long etcetera.

On the other hand, fruits are the devil for a staunch follower of the ketogenic diet. The reason is that they are foods rich in sugars or simple carbohydrates such as fructose. In this way, only some berries and acidic fruits, such as raspberries or blueberries, are allowed. Also watermelon and melon, since they are rich in water and low in carbohydrates.

Foods allowed on the keto diet

And what do you eat then when following a ketogenic diet? Well, mainly foods rich in protein and fat. There is no other. Generally, fats become the protagonists, prioritizing foods such as extra virgin olive oil, butter or avocado.

Other raw materials such as meat, fish and eggs are also great allies, since they usually combine both fats and proteins of high nutritional value. Of course, it will depend on the cut of meat, it being preferable for health reasons to prioritize lean meats over red meats. Common foods in a ketogenic diet due to their high percentage of fats and proteins are salmon , eggs, chicken and beef, sardines, mackerel or cod, to name a few.

As far as other food groups are concerned, some nuts and vegetables are also allowed, as long as their carbohydrate value is not too high. For example, cashews are discouraged because they are high in carbohydrates, but walnuts or pumpkin and sunflower seeds can be accommodated in moderate amounts.

Regarding vegetables, those that are not rich in starches are allowed on the keto diet. For example: cucumber, celery, or radish, as well as broccoli, zucchini, or cauliflower. For ease, those that “grow on the surface” are said to be suitable. This limitation rejects tubers such as potatoes or sweet potatoes, since they grow underground and are rich in starches, the main energy reserve of vegetables, which turns out to be a type of carbohydrate.

For dairy products, it is recommended to prioritize whole milk and avoid milk as much as possible, since it contains lactose and is a type of sugar or simple carbohydrate. Better to opt for whole cheeses and yogurts. Greek yogurt is also a good option because it is high in fat.

Does the ketogenic diet help you lose weight?

It is generally accepted that a diet is ketogenic when the intake of carbohydrates is between 20-50 grams per day, amounts that are usually sufficient to reach the state of ketosis. However, these figures are highly variable between individuals and can be affected depending on the level of physical activity of each person.

Precisely, physical activity is one of the most important factors in weight loss. It is not only about eating healthy, but the accompaniment of physical exercise to achieve a caloric deficit is essential in a healthy weight loss. And here the ketogenic diet also comes into play, since it is postulated as an ally to promote weight loss or loss of body fat.

Some scientific studies prove this, showing that the ketogenic diet is capable of reducing appetite, as indicated in a study published in Obesity Reviews, and helping to control body weight, as indicated in another published in the British Journal of Nutrition. For this reason, the latest evidence seems to support the usefulness of the ketogenic diet for weight loss in overweight and obese people, as revealed in an article published in Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders.

More recent reviews, such as one published in Nutrients and another published in Current Diabetes Reports, even link the ketogenic diet with improvements in people with type 2 diabetes.

However, all that glitters is not gold, as it is difficult to maintain the ketogenic diet in the long term. That is to say, it has a difficult adherence and does not seem to work equally for all people. Therefore, the use of the ketogenic diet should be considered as a specific tool that, under the supervision of a suitable professional, can bring certain health benefits to those who are overweight and obese. But what if it also had benefits for other groups?

Proven Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

One of the oldest uses of the ketogenic diet has been in the treatment of children with epilepsy and seizure problems, as a study published in Epilepsy (the official journal of the International League against Epilepsy) shows. Yes, it is a matter that seems quite delicate, which is why these are guidelines that can only be managed by health professionals. It is a topic that has been widely collected in the scientific literature for years, an example is an article published in 2020 in the journal Sistema Nervioso Del Niño.

It is not very clear why, but the use of ketone bodies instead of glucose in the brain of children with epilepsy seems to slow down the problems caused by this disease. For this reason, the therapeutic use of the ketogenic diet in this aspect is endorsed by entities such as the American Academy of Pediatrics when the medications to treat these diseases do not work adequately. However, not all children seem to benefit from these benefits. As we said, it is a therapeutic diet that works only in some specific cases and that should not be extrapolated in any case to the general population.

Can the keto diet be harmful to health?

Yes that’s how it is. Just like any other incorrectly applied feeding model. In light of current scientific evidence, we should not view the ketogenic diet as a miracle cure for weight loss or disease treatment. Nor as a danger to public health, since applied correctly it seems to provide some benefits.

In short, it is one more tool that can help us in some specific cases. But do not sell it to you as an infallible remedy to lose weight or cure diseases. If this happens, you should run away in a hurry.