“Fly fishing for rainbow trout has been hot at Echo Valley despite the current summer heat wave. The trout have gone deep to cooler depths at nearby lakes, but they’re still going after the flys in the ranch’s spring-fed ponds.” says Flint, EVR’s resident fly fishing specialist and guide.
And this week we had the pleasure of watching our new rainbow trout – 500 hundred to be exact – being released into our larger ponds. They are all approximately 1.5 pounds, with an expected weight increase upwards of 5 pounds.
“For first-time fly fishers, who hone their newly-learned casting techniques at the ponds, the thrill of landing a two- or three-pounder is obvious in their expressions. It doesn’t take long for the novices to realize the importance of the “10 to 1″ false casting technique, and instead of catching the long grass behind them, they’re casting their lines out and experiencing the thrill of the strike.”
“Even the experienced fly fishers are enjoying the action; and it’s not unusual to spot at least one or two working the ponds in the early morning and just before dusk.”
“Damsel flies were the most productive during the last week, but ants, green nymphs and Doc Spratleys were attracting their share of hungry rainbows.” Flint Bondurant
Frontpiece from "The Art of Angling", Richard Brookes, 7th edition 1790
In fly fishing, fish are caught by using artificial flies that are cast with a fly rod and a fly line. The fly line (today, almost always coated with plastic) is heavy enough in order to send the fly to the target. This is one of the main differences between fly fishing and spin or bait fishing; in fly fishing it is the weight of the line that propels the bait through the air, whereas in spin and bait fishing it is the weight of the lure that gives you casting distance. Artificial flies can vary dramatically in all morphological characteristics (size, weight, color, etc.).
Artificial flies are created by tying hair, fur, feathers, or other materials, both natural and synthetic, onto a hook with thread. The first flies were tied with natural materials, but synthetic materials are now very popular and prevalent. The flies are tied in sizes, colors and patterns to match local terrestrial and aquatic insects, baitfish, or other prey attractive to the target fish species.
Fly fishing is most renowned as a method for catching trout and salmon, but today it is also used for a wide variety of species including pike, bass panfish, graling and carp as well as marine species, such as redfish, snook, tarpon, bonefish and striped bass. There are many reports of fly anglers taking unintended species such as chub, bream and rudd while fishing for ‘main target’ species such as trout. There is a growing population of anglers whose aim is to catch as many different species as possible with the fly. Even catfish can be occasionally caught while fly fishing.
It is the general consensus that the first writings on fly fishing were in AD 200 the Roman Claudius Aelianus, his book On the Nature of Animals, described how people fished with a fly in the river Astracus in Macedonia. The prey is presumed to have been trout, since it had a “spotted exterior “.
Flint teaches the guests the basic techniques of fly fishing on the ranch grounds to avoid hooking onto something or someone unintentionally 
The collies know better than to chase a fly on a line - so off to the sprinklers they go!
Now it's time to check out the new skills ... oh - and new fish!
Here comes the poetry in motion ...
The first fish is always the biggest thrill!
The nearby lakes and dams are always an exciting getaway for newly learned skills.
Fly fishing is a truly relaxing way to learn new skills, become one with nature and share the experience with loved ones!
