Retire in Paradise

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The sport of fly fishing has long been enjoyed by men. From the middle ages fly fishing publications started to appear and a book by Juliana Berners, who was a nun, covered the topic well and included some of the fly patterns which must have been in use at the time (15th century).

Man has caught fish for food for thousands of years using a variety of fishing equipment such as rods, hooks, nets and spears. Images of men fishing appear in the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics but this was most probably for food rather than pleasure. The Ancient Romans were known to enjoy various sports and it is recorded that they employed the use of artificial flies to catch fish. It is, therefore, highly likely that they enjoyed the sport of fly fishing.

Fly fishing involves a great deal of skill on the part of the angler who uses an artificial fly, attached to the end of a line which is fixed to a fly fishing rod. The fly is cast into the water to attract the attention of fish who, hopefully, will bite the fly and be caught on the hook. The angler then works to pull the fish to the shore, sometimes the fish manages to escape but, if the angler is skilful, he should be able to land his fish after a brief struggle.

In the United Kingdom fly fishing was mainly enjoyed in Northern England and Scotland. Queen Victoria visited Scotland frequently and, almost single handedly, helped create that nation’s tourist industry. Many of the members of ‘polite society’ partook in many of the sports available in Scotland which included hunting and fishing. Fly fishing was the main method used to catch fine specimens of salmon and trout which was often preserved and displayed proudly in upper class homes across Great Britain.

During the 19th century there were many developments in fly fishing equipment. Small cottage industries developed to meet the demands of the angler. With such things as rods and reels being handmade and requiring great knowledge and skill they were often expensive. Today some of these items are highly sought after and often reach ridiculous prices at auction.

Another item used during the 19th century which is still used today is the fly fishing fly, or, more specifically, the fly pattern. Flies are made from many different materials, during that time they were natural materials such as fur, feathers and horse hair, but today we also use artificial materials. However some of the very earliest fly patterns prove so effective in catching fish that those patterns still remain popular today.

There are two distinctive types of fly fishing flies, wet flies and dry flies. Wet flies are those types that are allowed to sink into the water. As such flies can often appear, in the eyes of the fish, as small underwater creatures or small fish, they can, if used correctly, be an incredibly effective fly. On the other hand dry flies are those types that are not allowed to sink and remain floating on the surface. Appearing to fish as an insect that has just landed or fallen onto the water, or even looking like an insect emerging from the water, such flies are excellent when used by the hands of a skillful angler who understands how to cast properly.

Today the fly fishing industry is huge as the sport is incredibly popular and enjoyed around the world especially in Europe and America. A massive tourist industry has developed with a number of highly popular destinations providing excellent places to enjoy the sport. One of the most popular destinations are the famous salmon rivers of Scotland which have some of the finest salmon runs in the world. With some of the best runs being rather expensive it is pleasing to know that there are cheaper areas resulting in fly fishing vacations for every pocket.