What Are the Pros and Cons of Fly Fishing?
What are the benefits of fly fishing? Why should I buy new equipment if I have a spinner rod? These may be questions you are asking yourself if you are thinking about fly fishing. Fly fishing differs from traditional spinner fishing because it requires different equipment, skills, and is overall more challenging. So why should you fly fish? Check out our list of pros and cons below!
Pros of Fly Fishing
- Challenging – Fly fishing is
- Better Presentations
- Higher Skill Cap
Fly fishing isn’t for everyone, but if you can get past the difficult learning curve, anglers learn to appreciate the challenge. Fly fishing focuses on mimicking a trout’s diet on or in the water. This requires flies to be much more realistic than traditional copper or gold spoons.
Fly rods come in many different shapes and sizes, which can help anglers deliver flies at different distances, and with more control of the overall presentation. From light flies the size of your fingernail, to large five-inch streamers. There is a fly rod for each presentation.
Lastly, the skill cap for fly fishing is extremely high. Anglers can focus on nymphing, dry flies, or streamers. There are techniques for everyone, so it never gets stale or boring.
Cons of Fly Fishing
- Expensive
- Not Always Ideal
- Not Beginner Friendly
Like many hobbies, fly fishing can be expensive for beginners. Rods start around $100 dollars and require a fly line, leaders, reel, and tippet. A total setup can range from $300 to over a thousand. On top of this, anglers will need to purchase flies, which cost a few dollars each!
Fly fishing techniques are not always ideal. A windy day can easily make it impossible to deliver the perfect presentation to rising trout. Fly fishing can also be difficult on rivers or lakes with overgrown brush.
Unlike many hobbies, fly fishing is not beginner-friendly. It requires several hours of practice to get basic concepts down including knots, proper fish handling, and etymology, however the difficulty makes catching fish much more satisfying.
Schedule Your Fly Fishing Guide Trip
Still not sure if fly fishing is right for you after reading the pros and cons of fly fishing? Schedule a guided fly fishing trip with Fly Guy Co. and try it out without fully commiting. Schedule your trip today!