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THE FLY FISHING ENCYCLOPEDIA EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW (BUT DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO ASK!)
by Dick Wildblood
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Published by Dick Wildblood DickWildblood@FlyFishingEncyclopedia.com © Copyright Dick Wildblood 2022
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THE FLY FISHING ENCYCLOPEDIA EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW (BUT DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO ASK!) My first experience of fly fishing was quite by accident. Late one summer afternoon I found myself driving down a dual carriageway on my way home from a stressful business meeting.
"AFTERNOON TEAS" proclaimed the road sign as I sped past. "Now that sounds like a nice way to wind down" I thought to myself.
Ten minutes later I was lounging on a balcony overlooking an idyllic setting.
Gentlemen of leisure were sitting in boats on a large expanse of water practising the ancient art of fly fishing. I was beguiled by the sight of such a wonderful way to spend an evening and was immediately smitten.
I have always been an angler, but of the coarse variety - even when I had lived in Canada I had used my coarse fishing techniques on the indigenous salmon and trout species. But fishing with a fly was a new adventure - an adventure that was to change my life.
I knew I had to give it a go. After all - as Jeremy Clarkson says - how difficult could it be . . .
I spent the next twenty years finding out just how difficult it could be! And the biggest problem I discovered was the reluctance of those with a little knowledge sharing their secrets with newcomers to the game. I gave up asking where or how a successful person had caught their fish. "In the water", "Out there", "With a fly" was the sort of unhelpful response I received. I now believe that many potential enthusiasts may have given up trying to learn the sport because they were also confronted by this negative attitude.
You can't even be sure that the information you are given is accurate - I know of one seasoned angler, when asked the secret of his day's success, would always give the same answer, no matter what fly he had actually used. When I knew him well enough I asked him why he liked to mislead people in this way. "Well - we don't want other people taking all the fish and leaving none for us" was his reply. I’m sure there are lots of fly anglers who are willing to share information, but they seemed in short supply when I had a question or two. Besides, I often found that a lot of my fellow anglers had little more idea than I did!
I read books on the subject and found these fall into two general categories. Firstly there are those that recount the author's exploits and adventures. This is very entertaining but not necessarily educational. Then there are those that give a guide on the equipment and hardware used in the sport. This is like describing the nuts and bolts of a car; it doesn't teach you how to drive! In one book I came across the helpful advice "On a large water you must find the fish first either by asking local fishermen 5

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or looking for rising fish." You could stare at some waters for a month and never see a rising fish! And you already know my experience when asking other fishermen. There had to be better answers than these. So I set about teaching myself what others would not share. I spent every moment - sometimes seven days a week - practising and working out the best methods. And now I'll share this knowledge with you.
Where to fish. How to fish. When to fish. What to use. Why the fish do what they do you'll find it all in here. There are sections on fly rods - what's good and what's not so good, reels and how to get the best out of them, fly lines and how to use them. Dozens of hints and tips will help you become a successful and competent fly fisherman.
There's a section on boat handling to keep you safe when you go afloat. And there’s even a section with dozens of recipes to help you cook your catch when you get it home!
But more important than all the technical stuff are the secrets on where and how to catch your fish. You'd be amazed at how many of those books I mentioned devote pages to special techniques and weird and wonderful ideas - but forget that the first question to answer is where, in all those acres of water, are you likely to find your elusive prey.
It's no good fishing if the fish aren't there! I'll tell you where to find your quarry and why they are there, so you can translate that knowledge into a winning system you can apply to your own chosen water - wherever it may be.
There's a compendium of flies so you can see what it looks like when someone mentions a fly you haven't heard of before. There's a section to introduce you to fly tying and dressing. And I'll show you the only three flies you're ever likely to need. I developed them from other patterns and can honestly say that I caught many, many fish using them. I couldn't buy these flies in the shops at the time so I developed some easy ways to tie them for myself and I'll show you how to do that quickly and easily. I even got into the habit of tying up a few flies over a cup of coffee just before I went fishing. That's how easy they are!
Most people get out fly fishing once or twice a month if they are lucky and never have the time to discover the techniques I perfected over the years. This book will give you the edge and save you hours of frustration. After all, fly fishing’s meant to be fun...
remember? I spent a lot of time and effort trying out different ideas so now you don't need to. I'll tell you how to recognise the best method for a particular time, season and weather conditions.
I recently read of one guide who is asking £155.00 - $244.00 - per person for a day’s tuition. That’s nearly five hundred bucks for two people and that’s outside the budget of most of us these days. This was another reason why a do-it-yourself eBook seemed to be more within the realms of affordability.
This eBook is a voyage of discovery for the beginner and a source of information for the experienced fly fisherman to share ideas and develop theories. I hope you enjoy it.
Dick Wildblood - 2022 DickWildblood@FlyFishingEncyclopedia.com
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