The Manly Secrets of Fly Fishing

trout, tarpon, zen calm--whatever you fish for, here's how to reel it in

Some Guys don't fish. Maybe Dad was a brain surgeon who never had time to take you to the shore. Or perhaps Uncle Harry took you--three o'clock wake-up call, smelly night crawlers, bobbers floating interminably. If you were lucky, there were stringers full of crappies to be garroted, gutted and scaled. And now that you're a grownup, maybe sailing around a swamp full of dead trees in a bass boat isn't your idea of relaxation.

Consider fly fishing. Wading a clear mountain stream, gracefully arcing a line over the head of a waiting rainbow. Fly fishing is athletic and artistic, physical and intellectual. It's solitary and absorbing. It touches the primal instinct but is ecologically friendly. No kill required. In fact, if you're interested in a fish dinner, don't take up fly fishing. Go to a restaurant.

Ok, so you want to try it. But you're intimidated--the double haul, mending line, knots to tie, a million bugs to identify, techniques to master, equipment to acquire. Don't despair. Making a decent cast is a thousand times easier than driving a golf ball straight.

All you need to get started is to know which kind of fish you'd like to catch. Then pick up a suitable rod and reel with the right line on it, a few basic flies in a matchbox, a pair of high rubber boots, nail clippers and proper sunglasses (preferably with polarized lenses to cut glare). You will also need a leader--a piece of transparent line between the end of your fly line and the fly. These are seamless tapered wonders of modern technology that almost refuse to tangle. Learn a couple of knots by reading the back of the package the leader comes in. Practice without a fly on the line in your backyard or at the park. Then tie on a fly and find some water.

For those of you who have difficulty doing anything without instruction, there are scores of how-to books, videos and CD-ROMs that make learning a game. For those who struggle with the self-teaching concept, there are loads of great one-, two- and three-day fly fishing schools. With fly fishing beoming increasingly popular on the distaff side, who knows? You may hook up with more than a trout in one of those sessions. Or, once you pick out an area you want to fish, you can always find a local guide who's ready to show you the right spot, the proper fly and the correct technique. To help you along, we've listed a few to-die-for destinations from Alaska to the Yucatan, all guaranteed to transport you far from the concerns and stress of everyday life. And that's what a man's sporting life is all about. So go ahead. Step into the stream and let fly fishing take you someplace special.

Armchair Angling

Fishing is I better than reading about fishing. However, a suitable body of water may not always be handy, so books can provide the vicarious experience of wetting a fly. Plus, there's always the chance you'll pick up a useful tidbit along the way. Hardcover. Paperback. Glorious color photos. Diagrams and charts. It's all there for the reading. We suggest starting with your prey. An Angler's Guide to Fish (DK) is an illustrated paperback that offers tips for snaring more than 450 breeds of fresh and saltwater swimmers, as well as the best tackle and bait to use for each. One of the best all-around tomes is Tom McNally's The Complete Book of Fly Fishing (Ragged Mountain), which covers everything from fly-casting basics to techniques for a wide variety of situations. Once you've mastered the skills, pick up Prospecting for Trout by Tom Rosenbauer (Delta) or Lefty Kreh's Advanced Fly Fishing Techniques (Delta). Rosenbauer gives valuable insight into what's happening beneath the surface and how it will affect your fishing success. Kreh explains how to spot fish before they strike and how to hook them properly when they do. Another informative how-to--Fly Fishing for Trout in Streams (Cowles Creative)--provides all the background information you will need to learn the techniques for upstream, cross-stream and downstream angling. Trout & Salmon (Lyons Press) is more eloquent than educational. The book's charming narratives pay tribute to a dozen of the world's top waters for trout and salmon fishing, each accompanied by beautiful photographs taken by R. Valentine Atkinson, a frequent contributor to Travel and Leisure, Sports Afield and other outdoor magazines. Want to see beautiful fishing spots without getting out of your chair? Take a look at Seasons of the Yellowstone, by Kim Leighton, or Seasons of the Bighorn, by George Kelly, both from the Great American Rivers series (Willow Creek Press). These books feature photographs that practically set you on the banks of two magnificent rivers as they change with the seasons. Watermark (Lyons Press), by Grant McClintock and Mike Crockett, offers beautiful portraits of some of North America's famous eastern fly fishing rivers. Flashes in the River (Willow Creek Press) is an American fly fishing odyssey written by Ed Gray with paintings by watercolorist Arthur Shilstone. Gray's essays are also featured in another Willow Creek hardcover, Shadows on the Flats. This time, painter Chet Reneson provides the artwork, a wonderful vision of the poetry and grace of fly fishing the shores and lagoons of the Bahamian flats. And finally, if you're up for some computer angling, Saltwater Fly Fishing (ValuSoft) is a Windows 95 CD-ROM that lets you chase down 14 species of virtual fish. Now, if only casting with a mouse would prep you for the real deal.

Schools

You don't need to go to school to learn to fly fish. But if you're not the self-teaching type, a day or weekend session at a fly fishing school will prepare you to tie a knot, make a cast without tangling your line and walk into a tackle shop without feeling intimidated. There are scores of schools around North America. One of the most popular is the original Orvis school in Manchester, Vermont. A weekend course includes classroom work on everything from knot tying to selecting the right flies to how to wade in a river. There are practice sessions on Orvis' casting pools and a trip to Vermont's Bat-tenkill River, where the trout are almost always smarter than the fishermen. Price for the two-day session is $345, which includes instruction, lunch, fishing license and the use of equipment. Orvis will also hook you up with accommodations in the area, with hotels offering rooms at special group rates. Orvis also hosts schools in Evergreen, Colorado, Tallahassee, Key Largo, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Chatham, Massachusetts and Millbrook, New York. For details, consult orvis.com or call 800-548-9548. Want to get your significant other hooked on the sport? L.L. Bean offers a two-day fly fishing workshop for women. It also organizes three-day courses ($425) that include gear, lunch and even a hat. Call 888-552-3261 to enroll. Out West, try the California School of Fly Fishing. Husband and wife Ralph and Lisa Cutter will take you into the Sierra Nevada for an intense learn-by-doing trout-fishing experience. Cost of the two-day semiprivate session is $449, which includes equipment and lunch. Call 800-588-7688. And finally, fisherman extraordinaire Jerry Knight runs a school for beginners and intermediates at Ponte Vedra Beach near Jacksonville, Florida. It's a great place to catch sea trout and tarpon while you hone your casting skills. Jerry will give you private lessons, or you can take a one-day crash course and call yourself a fisherman by the time the sun sets. Call 904-285-5411 for details.

Mecc As

The best way to experience the joy of fly fishing is to do it in a spectacular place under ideal circumstances. There are plenty of spots in North America and beyond that qualify, and we're sharing our favorites. Visit any one of these destinations and you'll be hooked.

Crystal Creek Lodge, Dillingham, Alaska. One of the finest fishing lodges in North America, Crystal Creek attracts fishers of rainbow trout, arctic char, Dolly Varden, grayling and five species of salmon. Guides take you wading and drifting; when further mobility is needed, jet boats are provided. There are even helicopters to transport you to remote locations.

Baja on the Fly, Southern Baja Mexico. Go for dorado, tuna or billfish off Baja in the game-fish capital of the world. Custom tours include special instruction for salt-water angling.

Pond's on the Miramichi, Ludlow, New Brunswick. Fish for Atlantic salmon and native brook trout on nine miles of private spring-fed pools.

Elk Creek Lodge, Meeker, Colorado. This destination offers world-class trout fishing on a 20,000-acre working cattle ranch. Though you could spend months here and still not fish all the hot spots, the lodge offers an optional fly-out to Utah's Green River.

Captain Danny Watkins, Clewiston, Florida. With Captain Danny as your guide, you can fish for tarpon in the Gulf of Mexico's inshore waters and for redfish, trout, snook and bass on Lake Okeechobee.

Key West Angler, Key West. Would you believe the guys below are fly fishing for shark? They are, with the help of Key West Angler. This 4000-square-foot waterfront outfitter works with 30 of the best Lower Keys guides, who specialize in fly fishing for tarpon, bonefish and permit on the flats, and blackfin tuna, king mackerel and sharks offshore.

Eagle Nest Lodge, Hardin, Montana. There's superior fly fishing in "the last best place," and this is also a superior spot to rest your head after a day of it.

Firehole Ranch, West Yellowstone, Montana. Fish for trout in the famous Madison, Yellowstone, Gibbon, Firehole and Henry's Fork of the Snake, then return to your cabin, build a fire and kick back in deluxe comfort. The Firehole Ranch can accommodate up to 20 guests in ten cabins. And there's a bonus: Kids under 12 aren't allowed.

SeaClusion Villa, Yucatan. Situated on Ascension Bay and considered one of the top fishing sites in the world, this hidden villa offers access to permit, bonefish, snook and barracuda.

Gear Tip # 1:First decide what type, of fish you'd like to hook. Then Choose a rod, reel and fine sturdy enough to handle the job. The gear across the top is A deal for hooking small trout and panfish. It in cludes an R.L. Winston, IM6 three-piece, 7-1/2-foot rod, an Orvis reel (model CFO 123) and 3M/Scientilic Anglers Mastery XPS WF3F (3-weight) line($840). At left is the perfect package for chasing down bluefish, striped bass and bonito. It' combines a Trident TL fourpiece, 9-foot mat with a Vortex 9/To food reel and Salt-water WF9F (9-weight) line, all by Orvis, $1245. To dress the part, our fly girl at left teams Marquesas Panorama sunglasses ($135), Patagonia Reinvest vest ($135), Orvis snips ($10) and a stretch and-release net ($65), plus a creel ($69) and Green Mountain hippers ($78), both by Orvis.

Gear tip #2: If you went topnotch performance and portability, go with a, three-or four piece rod. New models made of graphite offer excellent strength and flexibility, and you can stash them in an airplane's overhead baggage compartment. For bass fishers, the portable setup across the top of the page handles smallmouths and largemouths equally well. It includes a Scott Heliply three-piece, 8'8" rod, a Bauer MacKenzie 3 reel and Orvis Bass Taper WF7F (7-weight) line ($960). At left is a great rig for taking trout out of large streams: a G. Loomis GLX four-piece, 9-foot rod with a Ross Gunnison 2 reel and 3M/Scientific Anglers Mastery GPX WF5F (5-weight) line ($870).

Gear Tip #3: If you're investing significant cash in a fly rod, buy a solid case to protect your goods. Prices range from $30 to $125.

(Look at the Orvis website--orvis. Com--for some options.) If you're going for big Prey--as in marlin or sailfish-- you'll wont to grip the rig at right.

It combines a G. Loomis GLX two-piece, 8-1/2-foot tod, an Orvis Vortex 13/14 reel and 3M/Scientific Anglers Billfish Toper WF13S (12/13-weight) line($1810). Along the bottom is the best setup for hard-hitting tarpon; It teams a Sage RPLXi three-piece, 9-foot rod, an Abel Super 12 reel and 3M /Scientific Anglers Tarpon Taper WFllF (11 weight) line ($1830).

Along the bottom is the best setup for hard-hitting tarpon. It teams a Sage RPLXi three-piece, 9-foot rod, an Abel Super 12 reel and 3M/Scientific Anglers Tarpon WF11-weight) line, ($1330).

(1) Even though you're not going to keep your catch, a net helps you to handle and release fish without injuring them.

(2) Creels make great props or lampstands, but since only a fishmonger would keep a trout, you don't need one.

(3) Fishing vests are not required, but they help you look the part.

(4) A good pair of polarized sunglasses enables you to see fish in the water.

(5) Wear a hat to shade your face, but remember, only a greenhorn stores flies on his head.

(6) There are tons of tools to hang on your vest. The only one you need is a pair of nail clippers.

(7) Bamboo fly rods cost more than $1000. They're beautiful, but they don't cast as well as cheaper graphite rods.

(8) Hip waders are inexpensive, easy to pack and sufficient for small stream fishing. Felt-bottomed soles provide solid footing on slippery rocks.

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