Is trolling with a fly rod fly fishing?
Aug 20, 2020 11:17:55 #
I live on a lake in the NW Washington and I get out to fish a few nights each week. I catch a handful of fish casting dry flies from the shore or throwing nymphs and dries from my float but I'm not killing it. Lately, my wife and I have been out kayaking quite a bit and I'm trolling wooly buggers behind my boat. Low and behold, I'm catching loads of fish. The problem is, it just doesn't feel like fly fishing. Maybe I watched A River Runs Through It a few times too many or maybe I'm a fly fishing romantic but in my mind, if I'm not casting and delicately landing a dry fly and watching a fish rise to take it, I just doesn't feel like I'm really fly fishing. What are your thoughts?
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by howdyjefe
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by howdyjefe
Aug 20, 2020 11:17:59 #
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:04 #
You’re trolling with fly equipment, fly fishing involves casting. Fly fishing is not a method to catch a lot of fish, it is for people who enjoy the technique. It all comes down to what your goal in fishing is, fill a cooler or catch and release a lot then go with whatever works, if you just wanna play with the fly rod because Casting is fun and you like fighting the fish on a long rod then by all means fly fish to your hearts content. There’s no right or wrong way it all depends on what you wanna do.
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by smungung
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by smungung
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:07 #
What kind of casting is required, though? When I nymph with an indicator rig on, with a couple of nymphs and a weight, I'm basically overhand flopping that thing so I can get it to where it needs to go. No roll cast ever unless I want a rats nest to deal with. Not only am I not using the properties of the floating line (it's weighted to cast a light fly) I'm actively challenged by it. And so then I put on a mono-rig... :)
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by tastybugs
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by tastybugs
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:10 #
I think people get caught up too much in semantics, like one time my buddies and I found an ugly stik in an eddy, slapped a 6wt fly reel on it, and caught a few trout with it for kicks. Was it flyfishing? No idea! I say who cares as long as you’re having fun haha
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by MonJcfarland
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by MonJcfarland
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:16 #
I’d say halfway, yeah, since you still have to fight it on a fly rod. As long as you are having fun catching fish (and not gut hooking them 90% of the time), its fine. No reason to give a crap if it “counts” or not.
I’ve never liked the sentiment in A River Runs Through It that dries are the only “real” or “pure” way of fly fishing. I’ll use what works, which, in most seasons, is not a dry.
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by BloatedPrune
I’ve never liked the sentiment in A River Runs Through It that dries are the only “real” or “pure” way of fly fishing. I’ll use what works, which, in most seasons, is not a dry.
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by BloatedPrune
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:20 #
Thanks. These are all fair responses and I am certainly having fun catching fish. I guess what makes fly fishing appealing to me is being outside and working on the technical aspects of casting and catching a fish is just a bonus. I'm not trying to haul in loads of fish, that's for sure. I am definitely just happy to be on the water breathing fresh air.
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by howdyjefe
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by howdyjefe
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:25 #
It's a great way to start, get the feel of the gear and search for fish, that's how I started and I still do it sometimes when I'm fishing with non-flyfishers or trying to locate or scout a new lake, figure out where the good water is. And there is a lot of technique that goes into doing it effectively with flies, depth and speed control, hitting the shoals and dropoffs right, using the right flies etc. It's at least as technical as indicator or drifting and can be more enjoyable on slow days as you get to see more of the lake. Also can be fun and effective on the ocean. Of course you should stop and cast if you do locate some feeding fish so you can develop your flycasting and presentation skills.
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by ChuckFeathers
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by ChuckFeathers
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:29 #
I think this is right on the money. Changing the verbiage from trolling to scouting makes me feel better about it. I've been fly fishing for a few years now and feel pretty competent, with casting and presenting flies. I was really just shocked at how many more fish I catch while trolling. I was telling my kiddos (they are mad about fishing but need to actually catch fish to stay interested) that I found some great spots while out paddling. They are excited to head back with me to check it out and I'm excited to go back and do some casting. Hopefully I'll still find some success.
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by howdyjefe
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by howdyjefe
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:34 #
I think that will be closer to a mooching set up but with artificial flies. When I troll with my fly rod though I consider it more of trolling than fly fishing.
Kind of like when Im spoon fishing I differentiate spoon cast retrieves and trolling
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by g2gfmx
Kind of like when Im spoon fishing I differentiate spoon cast retrieves and trolling
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by g2gfmx
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:37 #
Aug 20, 2020 11:18:41 #
It's fishing, but not "fly" fishing. As you said, you are trolling with a fly rod. You could just as well put a woolly bugger on a spinning rod and do the same thing. Or conversely, put a spinner on your fly rod. Fly fishing involves the cast, not just the rod, but on the other hand, who really cares if you are catching fish? That is the point after all
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by phoult37
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by phoult37
Aug 20, 2020 12:08:38 #
HowdyJefe: Well, hoss, you have crossed the line! You have now discovered the PRIESTHOOD of FLY FISHING! So, from the prior posts, you cannot troll like you were doing, that's called "fishing", not FLY FISHING. Be very carefully, depending upon the state, they might arrest you!
I would go ahead and do as I pleased and not worry about what it is called by others. Just Sayin...RJS
I would go ahead and do as I pleased and not worry about what it is called by others. Just Sayin...RJS
Aug 20, 2020 13:30:26 #
RJS speaks the truth - a true fly fisherman would not want to be caught doing anything so mundane as fishing. I happen to enjoy fishing. I can't say I enjoy fly fishing because I am so bad at it that it causes me difficulties. But I still do my best. Rather like golf. But that's another story. I also enjoy flippering (?) around a high mountain lake in my float tube. So if I'm out there dragging a woolybugger behind me with my fly line on a fly rod with a fly reel, am I fly fishing? Probably not, because I could do the same thing with a spinning rig or a casting rig for that matter. So my answer to your question is no you are not. So knock it off - you're gonna give fly fishermen a bad name. Listen "A River Runs Through It" is not the Bible of fly fishing. And Norman McClean is not Moses. Stop worrying about it and go out there and enjoy yourself.
Aug 20, 2020 14:17:56 #
So if you could modify a trolling motor with an airplane prop and get your vessel up FLYING then you would be FLY fishing.
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