Fly fishing gear for saltwater fly fishing is normally heavier than fly fishing gear used for freshwater fly fishing – there are two reasons for this. Firstly, saltwater fish species are generally larger than freshwater fish species, and you will need stronger rods, reels and lines to catch these fish species. Secondly, saltwater fly fishing requires longer casting with larger flies, and normally there is some wind to deal with. You cannot cast very far in windy conditions with a light fly rod using a light fly line. The saltwater fly rod, saltwater fly reel and saltwater fly line make up the essential saltwater fly fishing gear you will need for saltwater fly fishing.

Saltwater Fly Rod

Your most important item of saltwater fly fishing gear is the saltwater fly rod. Freshwater fly fishing is normally done with a 3 to 7 weight fly rod. For saltwater fly fishing, the lightest fly rod usually used is a 7-weight rod. A 16-weight fly rod is the heaviest rod that can be used for saltwater fly fishing. The saltwater fish species that you are trying to catch determine the weight of your saltwater fly rod. To catch sailfish such as Marlin you might use a 13-weight rod, but then use a 8-weight rod to catch Bonefish. For saltwater fly fishing, look to buy a specialized saltwater fly rod, specifically designed for saltwater fly fishing.

A good saltwater fly rod will have a fast action, and will generally be quite stiff. A fast action rod allows you to cast further in windy conditions and makes it easier to land larger saltwater fish species. The guides for a saltwater fly rod should be made of stainless steel or another metal that won't rust. Because of the additional punishment of saltwater fly fishing, the guides should be extra strong on s saltwater fly rod. A good saltwater fly rod will have a padded fighting butt which will provide more comfort when fishing for extended periods of time. Currently, one of the top all-round saltwater fly rods currently available is the Sage Xi2 saltwater fly rod.

Saltwater Fly Reel

A saltwater fly reel is an essential item of saltwater fly fishing gear, and is more important for saltwater fly fishing than for freshwater fly fishing. A saltwater fly reel needs to be better quality than a freshwater fly reel. It is important that you buy a saltwater fly reel made of components that are saltwater resistant, so the reel will not rust. The saltwater fly reel that you use should include a good drag system and also have the capacity to hold your fly line along with all your backing line and your leader line. As saltwater fish species normally run further with your line once caught, 100 to 300 yards of backing is normal.

Saltwater Fly Line

The saltwater fly line most commonly used for saltwater fly fishing is a floating line, which is used to catch fish near the water's surface. Sometimes an intermediate line is used, which sinks slowly. A sinking line or a sink-tip line can also be used to catch fish at deeper levels. In order to be able to cast further in windy conditions, a weight forward fly line is normally preferred for saltwater fly fishing. The fly line weight used normally matches the fly rod weight, but sometimes a slightly heavier line weight is used, especially in windy conditions.

For more information about saltwater fly fishing gear, take a look at the news feed for Fly Fishing Elite (Feedage.com).

The peacock bass fishing began when this species of bass was intentionally put into the freshwaters of Florida by fish and game officials to help rid their waters of fish such as the Oscar, Midas cichlid, and the spotted tilapia. Due to the warm water conditions in particular areas of Florida, the butterfly peacock bass have flourished. These tropical fish cannot survive in lower water temperatures.

Peacock bass fishing started after these fish were dropped into the warmer freshwaters of Florida in 1984 by fish and game officials to go after environmentally destructive fish like the Oscar, Midas cichlid, and the spotted tilapia.  Due to the warm water conditions in particular areas of Florida the peacock bass have vigorously grown in population. The peacock bass love temperate locations and cannot tolerate colder water temperatures.

Scheduling a peacock bass fishing trip with one of the many guides in Florida is affordable and relatively easy.  The serious peacock bass fisherman should consider planning a trip of a lifetime to the Amazon River or to the lakes and rivers of Venezuela.  This is the ultimate in peacock bass fishing.  Imagine fishing with the sounds of the jungle in the background and parrots and monkeys greeting you at every turn.

The peacock bass can be hooked by fly fishing, artificial or live bait fishing.  They prefer live bait and can be located during daylight hours.   It is recommended to use a fly rod with 5 or 6 weight depending on where you are fishing.  Good reels, high quality line with fast action rods and sharp hooks to penetrate quickly are necessary.  Fly fishing equipment can be provided by the guide if preferred.  A good pair of Polaroid glasses will allow you to spot these beautiful fish as they hit. The fierce and powerful peacock bass guarantees the thrill of an exciting fishing battle. Each day will provide an angler with a chance hooking up to 10 or 20 of these fish and bagging at least one 15 pounder.  

The emotional excitement of peacock bass fishing is invigorating.  The excitement of hooking up to this aggressive fighter and landing it is worth the cost of the trip.
After successful day of peacock bass fishing imagine taking home a keepsake replicate of this prize catch?  The locals can produce such a lifelike replica of your catch that often they are better than most traditional skin mounts.  The fisherman need only provide the taxidermist with a photo and measurements and he will produce a beautiful souvenir for you to take home.

You may have taken Florida fishing trips all your life and be a native Floridian, but if you have not had the thrill of hooking up to a renown fighting peacock bass you haven't fished!

What is Nymph Fly Fishing

Nymph fly fishing is a more difficult fly fishing technique than dry fly fishing, as the nymph is under the water's surface, and cannot be seen by the angler. Novice fly fishermen learn dry fly fishing first, because the fly is easy to see, and then progress to nymph fly fishing at a later date. Nymph fly fishing can prove to be more successful when fishing in deeper water though, especially if there is no insect surface activity or hatch.

A nymph is an aquatic insect still in the underwater, or adolescence stage of development. Insects you see on the top of the water's surface are all adults, and have all grown out of the underwater stage. The fly fishing nymphs normally used look like insects in the larvae (or adolescence) stage.

The Challenge of Nymph Fly Fishing?

With dry fly fishing, the angler can see the fish strike the fly. With nymph fly fishing it's a lot more tricky, as the nymph is underwater, and you cannot see the fish strike. Because it's more difficult to detect a strike, the novice angler may not know when to set the hook. Also, as the nymph itself is underwater, it may bump into underwater rocks or logs, and the novice fly fisherman may mistake these bumps for a strike. Its always frustrating for any angler if the nymph gets hooked onto any underwater obstruction, such as a rock or log.

With nymph fly fishing, the angler needs to think in an additional third dimension in order to calculate the depth the nymph should be in order to catch fish. Changes will have to be made to the line in order to achieve this depth. Also fish don't tend to strike a nymphs as hard as they do dry flies on the water's surface, so it's more difficult to know the exact time to set the hook.

Equipment Required for Nymph Fishing

For successful nymph fishing, you will need a strike indicator. A strike indicator  is a brightly coloured object that floats on top of the water, and when this indicator bobs in an unnatural manner that means you have a strike. The strike indicator is normally attached to the fly line, or is tied onto the leader a suitable distance away from the nymph.

Next, you will need some small weights to put on your floating fly line or leader to get your nymph to the correct depth. Alternatively, you can use a sink-tip fly line instead of a floating line with weights. Another useful item for nymph fly fishing is a good pair of polarized sunglasses which will reduce the glare reflected from the water and enable you to see the strike indicator clearly. The type of fly fishing rod you use will depend on the size of the river or stream being fished - generally, the smaller the river or stream, the shorter the rod required.

Dead Drift Fishing Technique

The most common nymph fly fishing technique that even a beginner can master is the "dead drift" fishing technique. This involves casting directly across the river, and letting the fly line drift downriver whilst keeping any slack out of the line. Perform an upstream mend if the nymph is drifting too quickly, or a downstream mend if the nymph is drifting too slowly. In the event of a strike, the angler just points the rod at the fly, and lifts the rod to set the hook. This method of fly fishing requires that the angler head downstream.

The Frying Pan River is well-known as one of the best Colorado fly fishing rivers in the entire state.  This is a beautiful river with easy access.  Located just outside of Aspen, the Frying Pan is host to a variety of trout including rainbow, brown and cutthroat.  There are year-round hatches making fly fishing in any season possible for the avid fisherman.

Of course, there are many wonderful places in Colorado, another in the same Aspen region known as the Roaring Fork.  What makes this particular area so different is that the river offers calm, peaceful areas as well as large, heavier flowing waters.  This river is known for having incredible wild trout and to reach it, the Rio Grande Trail leads right down to the water's edge.

As with the "Pan", year-round fishing is available.  You will find mostly wild rainbow trout in the Fork with an occasional wild brook trout.

The North Platte River was once used by pioneers to traverse portions of the West.  Indians hunted buffalo along its shores, and its fish population has made it a legend for Colorado fly fishing.  It is located in Northwestern Colorado and has been rated a gold medal river by experts.  You will find many trout in the waters of the Platte and be able to enjoy some beautiful scenery at the same time!

Outside of the Vail area is the Colorado River, flowing down through the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park.  This particular river is huge, being quite wide and deep but it also has smooth flowing water.  The shores are lined with towering cottonwood trees, making this an ideal place for the trout to hide, especially brown trout.  Therefore, for anyone who wants great Colorado fly fishing, the Colorado River is one of the best places to visit.

Heading to the Southwestern part of Colorado people will find the Arkansas River, another outstanding location for catching trout.  In fact, the two best times of year to fish this river are in the spring and mid-winter months.  One of the special times to fish is around Mother's Day, when the yearly caddis hatches.  What happens is that the caddis provides ample food for the brown trout, meaning they leave their hidden places, becoming easier to catch.

Throughout the state of Colorado are many incredible fishing spots with these being just a few.  The fishing is the best in the country, not to mention the breathtaking countryside.  To complete any fishing trip, people can stay in wonderful accommodations located throughout the state.  Without doubt, Colorado fly fishing is an experience of a lifetime, especially in Colorado where there are so many adventures.

First of all, let’s introduce ourselves to the topic of redfish fishing. What is refish and where you can find them? Refish also known as the red drum, is a salt water fish which can be found in the south-east of USA. People can easily recognize redfish by the black spot on their tails. Redfish inhabit shallow bays and esturaries, targeting crustaceans and baitfish. They are highly valued as a recreational fish. People who specialise in these fish are redfish anglers. They often take part in national tournaments that are similar to freshwater bass fishing competitions. You can find competitions in redfish fishing all over the gulf coast. I saw my first one on TV one Sunday morning and that was a first time I heard about redfish fishing..

For me redfish fishing is a whole world. Unfortunately, I don’t live in the south of USA, but I go there every year just for redfish fishing. I always take my whole family with me and we have a lot of fun. It is now our traditional family event. We all love it, because it’s both healthy, you are on a fresh air all day, and fun and it brings family together.

Ok, let’s move on to the refish fishing techniques. Red drum or redfish can be caught in many ways. Perhaps the best known for fishing redfish is to anchor along a channel edge or shoal and bottom fish with cut peeler crab bait or other baits including, squid, cut spot, live spot and even chicken breast soaked in peeler crab oil. These are all wonderful techniques.

In the Virginia, in areas like Pocomoke and Tangier Sounds, anglers usually look for a somewhat sharp drop and anchor so that the boat lies on the slope of the channel. This depth is only a starting point and can vary greatly.

Many anglers prefer to use the opportunity offered by the last 2 hours of the incoming current and the first 2 hours of the outgoing. If there is a dusk, the fishing is more likely to be good.

Other techniques for catching Virginia and Chesapeake Bay redfish include trolling large spoons in the lower bay areas.

Surf fishing is a popular way to catch redfish in Virginia. Along the Atlantic beaches and around Virginia barrier islands, anglers use a fish finder or other rig and fish with baits such as whole spot, spot fillets or heads, mullet, bluefish fillets, crabs, shrimp or other baits. There are numerous methods in redfish fishing.

I hope you liked this introductory article to the world of redfish fishing and you will join our ever growing community. Trust me on this, it is really a lot of fun. You should definitely check out at these incredible redfish fishing tips. These are the top techniques used by the pros now available to you. I’ve seen them and they are really cool. This has completely changed my life.